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sa国际传媒官网网页入口 residents John Garcia, 62, and Ike Johnson, 70, said they are worried about the upcoming presidential election amid national concerns about one of the candidates鈥� health.

鈥淭hat debate that (President Joe) Biden did, that destroyed him in a big way,鈥� Johnson said while waiting for his turn to shoot pool against Garcia at the Palo Duro Senior Center on Thursday afternoon.

Biden鈥檚 meandering comments and loss of train of thought, particularly during his presidential debate last month against presumptive Republican opponent Donald Trump, fueled concerns from people, even in his own Democratic Party, that he may not be able to defeat Trump in the general election or lead the country for another four years.

According to a July 11 Pew Research Center article, about 24% of voters say the phrase 鈥渕entally sharp鈥� describes Biden, 81, 鈥渧ery or fairly well,鈥� while 58% describe Trump, 78, as mentally sharp.

鈥淐andidates often use debates to connect with the public and reinforce their positive characteristics,鈥� said Jessica Feezell, University of New Mexico Department of Political Science associate professor, in an email. 鈥淎 poor debate performance, widely covered by the media, can have lasting negative effects on voter perceptions.

鈥淗owever, it is important to remember that these perceptions are often less influential than party identification and candidates鈥� positions on key issues in predicting voter behavior.鈥�

Johnson said people should not consider a candidate鈥檚 age when they vote.

鈥淭o me, four more years ain鈥檛 going to hurt him,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 believe he can handle four more years.鈥�

Garcia replied to Johnson鈥檚 assessment: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e on drugs.鈥�

Garcia added that he does not have an issue with a president being in their 70s or 80s 鈥渋f you have all your faculties.鈥�

鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 believe that Biden does. That鈥檚 my problem.鈥�

Days after the June 27 debate, political opponents and even some of Biden鈥檚 supporters suggested he be given an independent cognitive test.

The test is a brief screening tool, a 10-minute series of questions to assess different brain functions, according to The Associated Press.

According to the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association, people who should be tested for cognitive impairment are those with memory concerns or other cognitive complaints. Non-memory triggers include personality change, depression, deterioration of chronic disease without explanation, and falls or balance issues.

Alzheimer鈥檚 Association spokesman Jim Herlihy declined to speak about either candidate, but said, in general, the greatest risk factor for dementia is age.

Herlihy said the percentage of people with Alzheimer鈥檚 dementia increases with age by 5% for people 65-74, 13.2% for those 75-84 and 33.4% for people age 85 and older.

Mac Rodriguez, who was at the North Valley Senior Center, said politicians should have age limits, regardless.

鈥淭hese people tend to get in power (then) just don鈥檛 want to give it up,鈥� the 84-year-old said.

There鈥檚 nothing wrong with younger people; they are smart, too, Rodriguez said.

Biden has said as recently as this week that he plans to remain in the race despite some people in his party suggesting that he step aside so someone else could be nominated.

Garcia said he thinks Biden will step down some time in the next couple of weeks.

鈥淲hat scares me is that I don鈥檛 really even know who is making the decisions right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t almost feels like Biden has somebody telling him what to say and do every time just to protect him from himself.鈥�

Myra Banks, 81, who said she will vote for Trump, added that Biden 鈥渘eeds to be out of there.鈥�

Feezell said candidate characteristics, including competence, leadership and honesty, are very important to voters鈥� decisions on whom to vote for and whether to vote at all. The primary factor influencing voting behavior is party identification.

鈥淗owever, issue positions and candidate characteristics are also significant predictors,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or low-information voters, those not deeply politically engaged, and first-time voters, candidate characteristics provide crucial cues that guide their decisions.鈥�

鈥榊ou got to make one鈥�

Garcia said he is not a fan of either Trump or Biden.

鈥淚鈥檓 Republican, but I don鈥檛 like my candidate,鈥� he added. 鈥淣obody does, it seems. But right now, it seems like a 鈥榣esser of the two evils.鈥� I don鈥檛 know what the lesser is, right now.

鈥淚f I have to choose between a guy who鈥檚 a jerk, which is Trump, but at least he still has his faculties, I think I will probably vote for him even though I don鈥檛 want to. I really don鈥檛.鈥�

After Garcia took another pool shot, he and Johnson pondered what they will do come November.

鈥淭he fact of the matter is, you only (have) two candidates and whether you like them or not, one of them is going to be in there,鈥� Johnson said.

鈥淓ven though you don鈥檛 like the choices,鈥� Garcia said.

Johnson pointed out: 鈥淵ou got to make one.鈥�