It isn't fair to say that Bernie Sanders is too old to be elected president. Ageism has been a discriminating factor for decades and our selection of Democratic candidates for the 2020 election is pushing the envelope a lot further than before. Of course, the current president is the oldest-ever inaugurated, even if it's not something he likes to brag about.

Sanders' recent visit to a hospital in Las Vegas revealed he has a medical condition that voters should pause to consider. Having a heart condition is serious and the statistics state that 4 out of 5 people who die of heart disease are over the age of 65. Even Joe Biden at 76 has not had similar health issues. We have all seen men become president with youth on their side and within the first two years, grey hair appears around their temples and creases on their forehead and around their eyes deepen.

They age quickly no matter how healthy they were before entering the job.

I believe it's too late for Sanders to start such a stressful job.

According to the American Heart Association, "After a first heart attack, most people go on to live a long, productive life. However, around 20% of patients age 45 and older will have another heart attack within five years of their first." This means Sanders could suffer another heart attack and, if elected, during his term in the White House. Do the voters want to take that gamble? Will the Republican Party use this fact against him in every opportunity? Yes, as well as our adversaries.

Sanders has a great opportunity here to correct the past and refocus his base. Unlike the 2016 battle that left his base bitter, he has the chance to make sure all these much-needed votes are counted. One of the candidates that has a platform that is close to his is Elizabeth Warren.

Sanders and Warren and both progressives and they want the wealthy to pay higher taxes and give more opportunities to the less wealthy. Sanders is more of a revolutionary, wanting to march into Washington DC and burn down the capitalist regime. Warren calls herself a capitalist but her numerous leftist plans have many of super-wealthy just as worried. Their education and health care policies are similar.

Even though Warren is 70, like Biden, she has not experienced any health issues comparable to a heart attack. I think Warren is a great candidate and would break the glass ceiling for all women. I believe her best chance to prove herself would be a vice president on a ticket with Biden. It is up to Sanders to take his faithful supporters and steer them to a candidate that will be his surrogate. Since he is a politician as well as a senior citizen, he must understand the importance of a smart, healthy president in the oval office.

I don't believe in ageism. There is a great deal of knowledge that people from past generations bring to the table. They have experiences that most of us never imagined. However, health is a different story, and I am a true believer that one's health — along with one's family — is always the priority, no matter what.