On April 25, US President Joseph Biden announced he would be running for a second term in 2024. At 80, he is already the oldest person to hold that office. Though the announcement set at rest all the speculation, it has also raised apprehensions within the Democratic Party and among its supporters. Mr Biden’s second presidential bid appears to be at odds with the opinion of the American people; 70 per cent of them don’t want him to seek a second term and neither do 51 per cent of the Democrats. Their apprehensions are valid. Age need not be a bar to accomplishment — some of India’s better prime ministers in the past, such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, were in their seventies when they assumed office. But the US presidency is unique; it is the world’s most powerful leadership position and demands abundant reservoirs of mental and physical stamina at all times. It is no coincidence that America’s successful presidents from World W