Three decades ago this week, Bob Dole was coming off of a Super Tuesday sweep, on his way to becoming the Republican presidential nominee.
However, Dole’s candidacy had some problems—including his age. At the age of 73, Dole was going to be the oldest first-time presidential nominee—and the only nominee to ever be older was Ronald Reagan, who was a few months older when nominated for his second term.
The attention Dole’s age was getting provided the fodder for the RN&R‘s Streetalk question in the March 20, 1996, edition—and all five of the people queried at the Sparks Post Office said they didn’t think Dole’s age should be an issue.
Here are two of the responses:
Richard Kuehle
Retired
No, none of us are too old. I’m a Democrat, and I’m going to vote for him. I don’t like (President Bill) Clinton. To be honest with you, I think he’s a crook and a draft-dodger. I think Dole is trying to be fair with America.
Shareh Kamarin
Retired
I don’t think age has a lot to do with it. I think what you stand for is the criteria. That’s what’s important. I don’t plan on voting for him or anyone else who’s running. I don’t think any of them are qualified.
Bob Dole went on to lose the election, routed by Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton … and Dole lived for another quarter-century, before passing away in 2021, at the age of 98.
In the most recent presidential elections, the age records held by Dole and Reagan have been obliterated. Joseph Biden became the oldest first-time presidential nominee in 2020, and in 2021, he became the oldest person to take office, at the age of 78. That record lasted four years, until Donald Trump took office in January 2025, also at the age of 78—several months older than Biden was in January 2021.
Given the performances of both of these presidents in recent years, I suspect we’d get very different responses if we asked a similar Streetalk question today.
—Jimmy Boegle
Read this newsletter at RenoNR.com!