Think For Yourself: The ‘Oldies’ Are Not Always The ‘Goldies’

On Sept. 5, the U.S. Senate’s Republican Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, distributed a letter from a physician saying that an examination and tests had ruled out a stroke or seizure as causes of his freezing while answering questions. The senator released the letter to assure the GOP Senate caucus that he is fit to continue as Minority Leader. That’s not unusual. Regardless of the situation or profession, individuals who wield power, or are in the spotlight, often refuse to admit that it’s time to call it a career.

Some years ago, when I worked on the General Electric account I attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vagas, where I was treated to a performance of Frank Sinatra. Even though his once magnificent voice was only a few percent of what it was in his younger days, he was able to perform. But it was evident his best days were gone.

Some years later, when Broadway legend Elaine Stricth, then in her mid-80’s co- starred in A Little Night Music, there were rumors that Ms. Strictch couldn’t remember her lines and that they had to be whispered to her by other performers on the stage. 

It’s not unusual for show biz entertainers to refuse to admit that they no longer can do what they did when they were younger. That’s because a person has to have a huge ego to be able to believe that they have the talent that makes them special. 

Another category of entertainers, athletes also finds it difficult to admit that their talents have diminished. Most recently, tennis great Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round of the U.S Open in straight sets. Observers said it was her most lopsided loss at a U.S. Open. Williams is only 43, young for most people but not by professional athlete standards.

Admitting that you’re over the hill is difficult for all people, but especially so for people who have been in the spotlight for many years. 

When entertainers, and athletes fall into that category, refuse to admit that they are past their prime, and continue with their careers, it falls into the “so what” category. No one is harmed or misled except their devoted audiences who play high bucks and in return see a performance that should have closed off-Broadway, in an “oldies tour” or in the minor leagues.

But that is not the situation when the performers are on the political stage, which brings us to the current situation in Washington, where the spotlights are on the sitting president of the U.S., a four-time criminally indicted former president who is attempting to again be elected, hoping to escape possible jail time, the GOP Senate Minority Leader and a Democratic Senator from California.

The Oval Office Race

Both candidates should consider stepping down because of their ages, Despite the GOP attempting to make a case that the president isn’t mentally capable, there is no evidence of that when I listen to his speeches or hear him answer questions. Yes, it’s evident that his gait has changed. And his verbal miscues that the Republicans claim is evidence of his declining memory is not new. Even when he was in his prime he often misspoke. The Republican attack machine says that at age 80, Mr. Biden is too old to run for reelection. But he looks fit, unlike his obviously obese, criminally-indicted rival Donald Trump, no youngster himself at age 77, who refuses to release as much information about his health as the president does about himself every year.

The U.S. Senate Problem

It’s bipartisan. It’s evident that both GOP Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic California Senator Diane Feinstein have seen better days. Mr. McConnell’s problems are much more publicly noticeable than Ms. Feinstein’s. The GOP senator has twice frozen when asked a question and had to be led off the stage by colleagues. Ms. Feinstein’s health problems have had a direct negative affect on President Biden’s efforts to appoint to the federal judiciary judges who are more moderate to liberal than those appointed during the Trump presidency. Feinstein, 89, has had extensive absences from the Senate Judiciary Committee because of medical issues, resulting in holding up the appointment of new judges and her absence also has stymied the committee from issuing subpoenas for investigation purposes.

Personally, I am against term limits. I believe that voters should be able to vote for the candidates they prefer as many times as they wish. But when the health of public officials delays or hinders the work of a body politic something must be done. Perhaps an independent medical review board should be created to determine if an elected official has the capacity to remain in office. At present, health reports made public are those from an office holder’s personal physicians, or in Mr. McConnell’s case the U.S. Senate doctor.  Missing from these reports are the complete details regarding the patient’s health.

But I admit that my being against term limits has problems. The American system of governing is based on “the older, the better” theory. 

Appointments to important offices are determined not by ability, but by seniority -- how many times a candidate is elected. Thus more capable individuals are often relegated to the back bench because they come from swing districts or states that are not always “red” or “blue.

At one time, when I was a young journalist, reporting on the infirmaries of political figures was off-limits, so it is impossible to determine the number of office holders who were continually elected who shouldn’t have been because of health problems. Those days are now gone. And that’s for the better.

Thus the physical and mental declines of Sens. McConnell and Feinstein have taken place in public view.  Thus far, despite the Republican pundits non-stop efforts to try to convince the public that President Biden is “ “losing it,” his public appearances, during which he  answers questions from then media, are proof  that  his accuser’s assertions are just lies. As for Mr. Biden slowing down, I ask this question of the accusing pundits: “Are you still physically capable of doing things today as you were 20 years or 10 years ago?” And has your slowing down affected your mental capacity? 

Whether you’re a captain of industry, a show biz entertainer, an athlete or a powerful political leader it’s difficult for an individual to admit, “I’m not physically or mentally capable of doing it anymore.”

Eventually the spotlight will shine on other individuals. But as of this writing it appears that both senators will hang on until the conclusion of their terms and voters in the presidential election will have to choose between two candidates, both of who thus far have exceeded the age of 73.5, which is the average life span of a U.S. male.

The Lessons PR People Should Learn From Old Timers

• In our business, some PR precepts, many of which were formed in the Archean Eon (4.0 billion to 2.5 billion years ago, give or take a few thousand years) are never discarded by PR practitioners, even though circumstances have changed as the media has over the years. 

• Once an individual has been the center of attraction for years, it’s difficult for the person to admit that it’s time to retire from the stage, and that applies to many teachers of public relations who haven’t actively worked in the business for many years, as well as the ceo’s of agencies who are so busy running their businesses that they no longer are up to date about the changing media scene.

• Don’t rely on the lessons you were taught in communications classes or those in the texts that you were required to buy. Those are PR 101 lessons, many of which have no bearing in the actual world of our business.

• So my advice is that to remember that “oldies” are not always “goldies.” Approach each problem with an open mind because unlike clothing there is no one size fits all solution to a problem, as I have been saying since I created that phrase many years ago.