We talk a lot about the “age problem” in politics, but not enough about what’s actually driving it. This piece makes the case that the deeper issue is the shame of aging in a society that ties worth to productivity and treats retirement as irrelevance. That shame is shaping who stays, who steps aside, and who steps up, and it’s already altering the political landscape ahead of 2026.

Democrats Have an Age Problem Because America Has a Shame Problem

The psychology behind aging politicians' reluctance to step aside