ANC: Have a President elected at 78 or older

We've had threads on Bryan winning in 1896 at 36 - my "Setting Down Root" had him in 1908, clearly a more traditional age by then - and I think someone even had Clay become President in 1812 at 35 once.

So, let's go the opposite end of the spectrum. This is hard because if something happened with a Hillary investigation early or she was just too ill to run, Bernie Sanders might be the nominee anyway, so I couldn't just do a challenge of a candidate winning at 75. I decided to push it to 80.

However, I did give you an out and made it 78. that way, with my other criteria, he could serve a while at 80 and over if you want. 78 means he can serve half his term in his 80s. If he survives of course.

The criteria is to have a President elected and serve at least part of his term in his 80s. It can be a 2nd term but not a 3rd, so no Reagan 3rd term (which was already handled well with his Alzheimer's, anyway.)

No fair having a terror attack be so bad Strom Thurmond becomes President in his late 90s, that rare possibility blows everything so far out of the water we might as well not have a challenge. So, the person has to be elected.

This is in pre-1900 because, while people live longer now, an election without the rigors of campaigning might be easier to do this with. Although, by my definition, the person *could* be a nominee as an emergency after something awful happens to the prospective nominee. And, of course, it could involve a famous person surviving who died earlier OTL. (Theodore Roosevelt if his cousin doesn't run for a 3rd term?)
 
Here is a start

1825-1829: John Q. Adams (Democratic-Republican 1st Term)
1829-1837: Andrew Jackson (Democratic)
1837-1841: Martin Van Buren (Democratic)
1841-1841: William Henry Harrison (Whig)
1841-1845: John Tyler (Whig)
1845-1848: John Q. Adams (Whig - Second Term) [1]
1848-1853: Henry Clay (Whig)
1853-1857: Franklin Pierce (Democratic)
1857-1861: James Buchanan (Democratic)
1861-1865: Abraham Lincoln (Republican)
1865-1869: Charles A. Wickliffe (Unionist) [2]
1869-1877: Ulysses S. Grant (Republican)
1877-1881: Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican)
1881-1881: James A. Garfield
1881-1885: (Republican) [3]

1921-1923: Warren Harding (Republican)
1923-1924: Cornelius Cole (Republican) [4]

1974: Richard Nixon (Republican)
1974-1977: Nelson Rockerfeller (Republican)
1977-1981: Jimmy Carter (Democratic)
1981-1989: Ronald Reagan (Republican)
1989-1997: Gerald Ford (Republican) [5]
1997-2005: Eugene McCarthy (Democratic) [6]
2005-2013: Bob Dole (Republican) [7]
2013-2021: Mike Gravel (Democratic) [8]

[1] After returning to the house of Representatives on March 4, 1833, one term President John Q. Adams decided he wanted to fight for his form office again and stood in the 1844. With his history and experience, he was able to swing enough votes to win him the election. he died in office on February 23, 1848, aged 80 years old
[2] Former Governor and US Representative of Kentucky and Postmaster General, Wickliffe, was never meant to become president, but simply a deal break for the south to see that they were being represented in Washington.
At 76, when he took the office of Vice President, Wickliffe was shocked when news reached him that Abraham had been shot and killed. He left the office aged 81 and died in October 1869.
[3]
[4] Cornelius Cole, Former Senator from california was nominated as the running mate for Warren G. Harding at the age of 98, as an honorary title for his hard work for the Country. No one expected him to succeeded to the presidency however upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923, at 101, Cornelius became President and he died in office on November 3, 1924 aged 102, the oldest head of state.
[5] In 1988, 75 year old vice president, ran for the Presidency after Reagan's two terms, when he left office in 1997, he was 84.
[6] Eugene McCarthy, was 89 when he left office in 2005.
[7] In 2004, Bob Dole won the US Presidential election and was sworn in to office aged 81 on January 20, 2005, he would serve two terms and when he left office in 2013, he was 90 yeas old.
[8] Mike Gravel was 82 when sworn in and when he leaves office he will be 90 years old.
 
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1800s, keeping it simple, just medium problems facing nation

mainly just the presumptive nominee of this person's own party has a scandal or a stroke or some other serious issue

This person is viewed as a caretaker president, probably only one term. And comes from a long-lived family
 
1921-1923: Warren Harding (Republican)
1923-1924: Cornelius Cole (Republican) [4]
[4] Cornelius Cole, Former Senator from california was nominated as the running mate for Warren G. Harding at the age of 98, as an honorary title for his hard work for the Country. No one expected him to succeeded to the presidency however upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923, at 101, Cornelius became President and he died in office on November 3, 1924 aged 102, the oldest head of state.

Wow, what a find!

I don't care if he wasn't actually elected President, since you could find a guy who lived that long, you deserve credit.
!
 
[4] Cornelius Cole, Former Senator from california was nominated as the running mate for Warren G. Harding at the age of 98, as an honorary title for his hard work for the Country. No one expected him to succeeded to the presidency however upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923, at 101, Cornelius became President and he died in office on November 3, 1924 aged 102, the oldest head of state.

Why would no one expect him to succeed to the presidency? As Vice President, he's next in line, and several Presidents have died in office by this time.

Now if he were Secretary of State, who at the time was next in the succession, and the President and VP both suddenly died...
 
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Wow, what a find!

I don't care if he wasn't actually elected President, since you could find a guy who lived that long, you deserve credit.
!
I would like to think that Cornelius was elected in a joint ticket so was still legitimately elected by the US people and as the Longest-lived American senator it was nice to place him into the list, but you would actually be surprised to see how many centenarians have been in American politics

- Maris Harvey Taylor, served in the Pennsylvania Senate as a republican and died May 16 1982 aged 105.
- Fuller Kimbrell, an Alambama State Senator from 1947-55 was also an advisor to many of the Democrat Governors of Alambam and was 5 days away from his 104th Birthday.
- Margaret Hurley served in Washington House of Representatives from 1953-79 and then as Washington State Senator from 1979-1984 and died August 29, 2015, at the age of 105.
- Hamilton Fish III, is the oldest US Representative, when he died on January 18th 1991 aged 102.
- Albert Rosellini is the longest-lived U.S. state governor ever, having reached the age of 101 years, 262 days. If he was elected president, he would have been the first Italian American
- Jimmie Davis, previously a singer, served for two nonconsecutive terms from 1944 to 1948 and from 1960 to 1964 as the governor of his native Louisiana and died on November 5, 2000 and although, no official documentation exists on his date of birth, many believe he died aged 101 years and 55 days.

Why would no one expect him to succeed to the presidency? As Vice President, he's next in line, and several Presidents have died in office by this time.

Now if he were Secretary of State, who at the time was next in the succession, and the President and VP both suddenly died...
Warren G. Harding, who was only 54, when elected was seen as a fit and healthy, having him die 2 years into office was a surprise. It was only during the nomination for DLR's third vice president, did politicians start to see the importance of the office.
 
Warren G. Harding, who was only 54, when elected was seen as a fit and healthy, having him die 2 years into office was a surprise. It was only during the nomination for DLR's third vice president, did politicians start to see the importance of the office.

Sure, but being in good health wasn't the only issue. At this point three Presidents had been assassinated in office (Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley) within the previous 60 years (and a fourth, Harrison, had died of a sudden illness before that). So the concept of vice-presidential succession was well-established.
 
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I know it is current but would work george h.w. bush runns a never trump 3rd party and takes enough electoral votes to throw it to the house where they select the 90 plus year old former president
 
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