It’s time for Democrats to talk about ageism in politics

Republicans have been railing against the so-called perils of identity politics for years. They’ve twisted a message of inclusivity and representation into one of prioritizing immutable characteristics over talent and achievement.

As Democratic strategists, we understand this line of argumentation is rooted in the GOP’s historical struggle to recruit candidates other than white men to run for office. How do we know? Well, the second they started winning seats with female and diverse candidates, they were shouting it from the rooftops.

For us, being in a big-tent party has meant working to ensure that our representatives look like and understand the experiences of our constituents. Whether it’s on racial, religious, generational, sexual preference or socioeconomic levels, Democrats always have made it our business to elevate traditionally underserved — and politically active — voices.

But as we look at this new, bluer landscape for the 2022 midterms, we can’t get past how ageist voters have been, and how important it is to talk about the incredible achievements that have been delivered by the Biden administration and our battleground-tested leadership over decades of public service.

The past couple of months have been an indisputable success for Democrats. With big legislative wins that tackle climate change, health care coverage and costs, veterans care, student debt, and protecting American innovation and competitiveness, you’d think President Biden would be atop the list of desired surrogates on the trail. But besides Florida’s Democratic nominee for governor, Charlie Crist, few candidates are singing the president’s praises. In fact, headlines such as “Too old to run again? Biden faces questions about his age as crises mount” continue to appear.

And it’s not just Biden who is dismissed. The past four years or so of California Democrat Nancy Pelosi’s storied political career — as not only the first female, but also one of the most consequential House speakers — has been mired in criticism, with calls for new leadership from representatives such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), among others. Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) also has been subjected to the “you’re too old” treatment. So much so that the title of a 2020 Slate interview with him was titled “Jim Clyburn does not care that you think he’s too old.”

As millennials, we’ve had a front-row seat to this new wave of activism that derides older leadership for lack of commitment to causes such as climate change, health care and gun safety.

It has gotten so bad that only 28 percent of 18- to 29-year-old Democrats strongly approve of Biden, down 31 points since he took office.

How out of touch those activists look now that Biden has delivered on each of those points — and more.

Hats off to David Hogg, the Parkland shooting survivor and organizer of the March for Our Lives, who recently tweeted, “Biden may very well be the most successful president in 50 years. I had my doubts but holy shit, it’s only been two years and so much has passed even with the filibuster. Imagine what we could do if we abolished the filibuster, kept the senate and the house.”

The 280-character limit of Hogg’s tweet didn’t leave room for what we would add: This was all possible because our seasoned leadership was prepared for the challenge.

Can you imagine if Biden, Pelosi and Clyburn were not in their respective roles to help usher us through this inflection moment in history? The Democrats have put in place a political and policy agenda that will change the course of our country for the better.   

A quick look at three central issues of importance for young Americans shows how they should be counting their blessings that we had these 70- and 80-somethings in office.

Let’s start with climate change. On Biden’s first day in the White House, he signed the instrument to bring the U.S. back into the Paris Agreement, an unprecedented framework for global action. And he didn’t stop there. Boosting clean-energy jobs, expanding access to clean water, and reducing greenhouse emissions were central aspects of the bipartisan infrastructure deal that Biden spearheaded (and got 13 Senate Republicans to back). 

Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act has $369 billion in funding for clean energy and electric vehicle tax breaks, domestic manufacturing of batteries and solar panels, and pollution reduction — a huge win for septuagenarian House Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the president.

Biden’s surprise decision to cancel $10,000 in student debt for federal borrowers and $20,000 for Pell grant recipients was welcome news last week. Sixty percent of Americans approve of the elimination of all or some student loan debt for every borrower. For anyone tracking the evolution of this issue for Biden, even though it was a campaign promise, he had been on the fence. But just as Clyburn’s backing made all the difference for Biden in the 2020 primary, he was again for student loan forgiveness. A longtime supporter of canceling up to $50,000 in debt, Clyburn swung his influence behind a reduced $10,000 cancellation as a “good first step” in late April, opening the gates for Biden to do something he was more comfortable with. The result? A major step forward in debt forgiveness and a pathbreaking progressive move by the president.

Pelosi has a host of big achievements under her belt — perhaps most notably, the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which has expanded health care to over 35 million Americans. But we’d like to highlight Pelosi’s longtime dedication to gun safety. A relentless advocate, she oversaw the first assault weapons ban in over 20 years and played a central role informing Senate negotiating strategy and keeping her House caucus in line to pass the bipartisan gun safety bill, which takes steps to prevent dangerous people from accessing firearms, invests in school safety and our mental health system, and provides a more comprehensive background check system for 18- to 21-year-olds. No one in recent history has been able to keep their caucus in line and affect Senate strategy like Nancy Pelosi.

It can’t go without mention that 83-year-old House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s role in deciding when legislation comes to the floor was hugely important in getting these major things done. Timing is everything in politics and Hoyer (D-Md.) is the best at reading the clock.

Taken together, it’s beyond comprehension that so many people have been slinging ageist criticism at Democratic leadership. Where would we be if they had been put out to proverbial pasture?

Giving these seasoned leaders their due doesn’t preclude us from focusing on cultivating new talent. Quite the opposite, in fact. Their presence in Congress gives more opportunity for rising political stars to soak up as much knowledge and experience as they can so that they’re prepared for their moment in the sun when that time comes.  

Jessica Tarlov is head of research at Bustle Digital Group and a Fox News contributor. She earned her Ph.D. at the London School of Economics in political science. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaTarlov.

Antjuan Seawright is a Democratic political strategist, founder and CEO of Blueprint Strategy LLC, a CBS News political contributor, and a senior visiting fellow at Third Way. Follow him on Twitter @antjuansea.