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How Old Is Too Old To Be President?

The riddle of the great Sphinx from Greek mythology was a simple question. "Which creature in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?" Although many were devoured by the beast attempting to answer correctly, Oedipus finally submitted the one word that solved this time worn enigma. Man.

What this riddle does is give us a snapshot of the phases of the human life. In the beginning, as a baby, we do indeed "crawl", using all four limbs to move around. At this point in one's journey, you are just beginning to become familiar with your surroundings while learning how to function.

Then you grow up, into the "noon" section of your span. It is that this time that you are at your best, walking erect while you make your mark in the world. This phase coincides with the peak of your mental and physical abilities, where you solidify your career and success. This is without a doubt the most important time in one's life, and is what for the most part people's legacies are judged on.

When the suns starts to go down in one's being, they reach the "evening" phase and begin their decent into the end of time. At this point, many walk with a cane, eliciting the "three legs" idea the Sphinx had. Reaching this state is quite a privilege, and intended to allow those to relish the accomplishments achieved while enjoying a withdrawal from the hustle and bustle of every day society.

The reason I bring up this historic riddle is because it ties into an issue and question concerning the way we are governed. As the election of 2008 quickly approaches, a glance at all of the candidates involved invokes me to ask one simple question. How old is too old to be President of the United States?

There have been 43 commanders-in-chief during our nation's history, each bringing a unique set of ideas and circumstances to his time in the White House. They have come from different religions, different political parties, and some have been so embraced they served two terms in office.

Most of the candidates also shared another common factor. They were in charge during what many would agree was the "evening" portions of both their career and life. At arguably the point in their lives where they had the most responsibility and needed to be at their best, their bodies were already in a state of decline. Or so the ages would appear to suggest. Let's delve into this further.

Our very first President, war

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