Remember when the rent was too damn high?

Today, America’s politicians are too damn old.

President Joe Biden’s greatest (unintended) legacy may be getting America’s political system to confront the problem.

When news broke on Sunday about Biden’s diagnosis of prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone, there were many expressions of sympathy from both sides of the aisle.

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” President Trump said.

Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro — a potential 2028 presidential candidate — posted a message of support on Twitter/X.

“Lori and I are praying for President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, and their entire family today. May they find strength and hope in one another, and be lifted up by the thoughts and prayers of Americans across the country who are thinking of them right now.”

While many Americans were sympathetic, none of them were surprised. An 82-year-old man with prostate cancer is about as shocking as a 21-year-old with a post-frat-party hangover. It’s an age-related outcome we’ve come to expect.

The Constitution addresses the issues raised by excessive youth. Thus, the requirement that a candidate must be at least 35 years old to serve as president is found in Article II, Section 1. The age requirements for the U.S. House (25) and Senate (30) are found in Article I.

Our system acknowledges that a candidate for high public office can be too young. Why not be too old?

The embarrassing details about Biden’s failing mental acuity while in office have provoked a flurry of finger-pointing. Some blame reporters defending Biden’s obvious infirmity rather than reporting the hard facts. CNN’s Jake Tapper accusing Biden critics of mocking his stutter, for example, helped Biden avoid scrutiny, they argue.

Others blame big-name elected Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer, who, even after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, told voters the president was doing fine and deserved four more years.

He wasn’t the only one. Despite the undeniable decline on display in the debate, Shapiro also publicly defended Biden. Though it was untrue, Shapiro insisted that Biden was “up to the job” of an additional four years as chief executive. And he urged his party to rally behind the unfit incumbent.

Politico reports Shapiro is trying to rewrite history.

“I can tell you that I was very frank with the president during his campaign about what I saw were some of the shortcomings,” he told Politico last week. “I was very honest with him in a private setting about that.”

However, the news site reports that in August 2024 — even after Biden had dropped out of the presidential race — Shapiro was saying he had no concerns about Biden’s mental acuity.

“Not at all, and I’ve been in regular contact with the president.”

Still others say Democrats like Schumer and Shapiro were doing what they had to as party loyalists.

At this point, why waste time placing blame? Wouldn’t it be smarter to prevent it from happening again? And this is one of those rare political problems with a simple and obvious fix: Don’t let old people serve as president.

Amending the Constitution is never easy (that’s a feature, not a bug), but it can be done. And in the current climate, it’s easy to see how an amendment that reads, “No person can serve in elected federal office after their 80th birthday” would roll through Congress and on to the states.

This amendment would be supported — whether they like it or not — by some of the biggest names in American politics: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (85), Sen. Mitch McConnell (83), Rep. Jim Clyburn (84), and perhaps even Trump, who is a youthful 78.

(Don’t worry, Trump voters, the amendment wouldn’t take effect until after he leaves office.)

The decision of Democrats to ignore Biden’s infirmity and boost him in 2024 looked risky at the time. In hindsight, it’s despicable and self-destructive. And don’t forget that when Biden finally dropped out, his brother Frank told CBS News’ chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes, “Selfishly, I will have him back to enjoy whatever time we have left.”

If it turns out, as many believe, that Biden and his family knew he had cancer and he chose to run anyway, that would compound the Democrats’ disaster. It also adds to the case that this decision should be taken out of the hands of very elderly candidates.

There’s an argument to be made that the voters will solve this problem. In Illinois, 80-year-old Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat, announced he isn’t seeking re-election next year. A few weeks earlier, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, 78-year-old Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire did the same.

Would they have made the same decisions if the Biden example weren’t front and center before the voters?

Another way for voters to fix this problem is by fixing the Constitution. Joe Biden’s example is every reason.

Michael Graham is the managing editor at InsideSources.com.