Joe Biden ‘Under Doctor’s Orders’ To Sit This One Out

The bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination looks like it’s going to be a heavily contested one. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, and even Hillary Clinton are all rumored to be contenders.

Joe Biden is often said to be a possible choice as well, but it looks like his campaign isn’t up to the “healthiest” start.

“Democrat Day” at the Illinois State Fair is coming up…and despite the fact he was scheduled to be the event’s keynote speaker, he’s gonna have to sit this one out. Doctor’s orders.

According to Fox News:

Former Vice President Joe Biden has canceled his plans to attend Democrat Day at the Illinois State Fair this week because he’s “under doctor’s orders” to limit his travel, state Democrats said Tuesday.

Biden, 75, was scheduled to be the keynote speaker Thursday to boost J.B. Pritzker, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

“Everyone who knows Vice President Biden knows that he gives our party and our country his all, but unfortunately he is sick and is under doctor’s orders not to travel,” Doug House, president of the Illinois Democratic County Chair’s Association, said in a statement, according to CapitolFax.com.

Why is it that if a person is a politician, we seem to have an entirely different set of expectations for what is asked of them at their age? Biden is 75, and is considered to be a potential top-runner for the Democrats. This means he’ll be campaigning for a Presidential election (which is ruthlessly exhausting in itself) at 76-77, and if he WERE to win, his first term wouldn’t be over until well into his 80s.

I’m sorry… but most 80-somethings I know shouldn’t be traveling all over the country (and the world) doing the most important (and stressful!) job on earth.

That’s not me being “ageist” …that’s me having realistic expectations of what the human body can be subjected to in your 80s. That level of stress and the physical demands of travel would be hard on ANYONE… let alone an 80-something-year-old.

Anyway… what I’m getting at is that these “Doctor’s orders” could possibly be indicative of what a future President Biden could have to offer.

Again… I’m not being rude or “ageist.” I’m being realistic.

The presence of Biden, considered a possible 2020 presidential contender, “will be noticeable at Thursday’s event,” the Sun-Times reported.

“The cancellation is of course disappointing, but it is clear that the circumstances are simply unavoidable,” House said. “We all hope he gets well soon and I’m sure he’ll be back campaigning for Democrats in Illinois and across the country in no time.”

I, of course, hope he gets better soon, as well.

That part about campaigning for the Democrats? Well… I could go without that.