Face it: Biden and Bernie are too old to be president

Americans elect a president with the understanding that he or she might serve eight years. If that were the case with a President Sanders, he would be 87 years old on leaving office, and a President Biden would be 86.

There’s no doubt both are vigorous men. But having a president pushing 90 would be a new experience in American politics.

According to actuarial tables maintained by the Social Security Administration, the life expectancy of a 70 year-old man is 14.30 years — enough time to serve two terms and move on to physical decline. The life expectancy of a 78 year-old man is 9.33 years — enough to last two terms and not a lot more. The life expectancy of a 79 year-old man is 8.77 years — barely enough to make it out of the White House.