Ron Reagan reveals (My Father at 100) that his father was thrown from his horse six months after leaving office during July 1989. He sustained a closed head injury and needed neurosurgery to relieve the pressure in his brain. The surgeons discovered that he already had the neurological changes of Alzheimer’s disease. This raises two interesting issues about memory. First, there is a great deal of debate about whether President Reagan showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease while he was in office. Second, John McCain (aged 71) would have been the oldest elected president of the United States, if elected. First, consider age. Although we don’t have a standard of too old to be president of the United States, there are a number of prejudices about age and competence. Should there be an age for mandatory retirement? Should there be an […]