Happy birthday, Hillary Clinton

Wednesday is Hillary Clinton’s 69th birthday.

If she wins the White House, Clinton would be the second oldest president, about eight months younger than Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump would be the oldest.

But Americans do not seem to care about the age of their presidents, a McClatchy-Marist Poll last year showed..

By huge margins, registered voters said they didn’t mind if their presidents are over 65, the age when many Americans retire from their jobs.

Seventy-one percent of voters consider age a benefit, because leaders would bring wisdom and experience to the Oval Office. Only 24 percent of voters think it’s a risk because after several years in office the president may not be up to the demands of the job.

Clinton is spending her birthday campaigning in Florida’s Hillsborough and Palm Beach counties. As walked toward her plane in Miami this morning, someone shouted “happy birthday.” She answered “thank you” and opened her arms with a big smile.

Clinton’s husband, Bill Clinton, was the third youngest president in American history when he was sworn in at age 46.

This story was originally published October 26, 2016 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Happy birthday, Hillary Clinton."