Wall Street Journal quotes Kaye in article on age of presidential candidates
Len Kaye, director of the University of Maine Center on Aging and professor in the UMaine School of Social Work, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, “Age-old issue gets diminished in election 2016.” Some of the top presidential candidates, Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton are all grandparents and would surpass the average age of 54 years old for an incoming president, according to the article. Kaye said older adults tend to know their own limits well and are rather adept at strategically using their energy and preserving their resources. Some say the presence of seniors vying for the presidency is making a powerful statement about the participation of older adults in society, the article states. “We in the field of aging have taken notice of that, you betcha,” Kaye said. “In some respects, that’s one of the saving graces of this particular process that’s underway, amidst all the twists and turns and to some degree craziness. It’s a beautiful sight for those of us who have really been working hard to smash some of the stereotypes.”