Well one thing seems certain: Whoever raises his right hand and places his left on the Bible to take the oath of office for the president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2021, will be white, a male and a septuagenarian.

Two out of the three candidates left standing would be octogenarians at the end of their first four-year term, assuming they could remain upright and breathing for that long.

How is that for diversity?

Actually, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden and Donald Trump do offer diversity, not in age, gender and race, but in political thought, which runs from the far left to the far right.

One at a time:

— Sanders, who would be 79 on inauguration day, is an avowed socialist, someone who we are sure hates this capitalistic country as it is currently constructed. He has snuggled with dictators such as Fidel Castro, and when challenged only recently, pointed out that Cuba was good at promoting literacy, so big deal that thousands went missing or were jailed for their speech under his regime. We have no doubt that America would be barely recognizable — assuming, and this is a rather large if, he had a friendly Congress — at the end of a Sanders term. But free stuff resonates mightily with millennials, so he has a constituency. If only a vote could be cast by cell phone.

— Biden, who would be 78 on the day he is inaugurated, has spent his entire adult life in politics, and the wear and tear is evident. Even after an hour in makeup, he has a ghostly appearance, and those who are worried about his acuity worry more when he starts talking. He is a gaffe machine. He has a history that many progressives highlight to disqualify, but can’t that be said of most white politicians who have been going at it since before desegregation? His vice presidential pick, we believe, is critical because the public needs some assurance should the worst happen. For those who see trouble left and right, he is the pick.

— Trump, who would be a sprightly 74 on inauguration day, is, of course, a politician like we have never seen before — and about half the country doesn’t want to see again. Whether or not the economy is his, Obama’s or an organic creation, it will — assuming it doesn’t get knocked off by the coronavirus — work to Trump’s advantage on Nov. 3. He can count heavily on evangelical Christians, but most Americans vote with their pocketbooks, and unemployment is at a record low, and wages are up. Trump would probably be a landslide winner, except he opens his mouth and busies his fingers on Twitter. Never has there been a president who told more lies and did so so profanely. There remain people who find that off-putting.

So there is diversity of thought, which should matter most, but no longer does.

It was left to the Democrats to provide someone at the top of the ticket that looks different from presidents Nos. 1 through 43, and 45. But any chance for diversity now rests with the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket.

The Democratic Party, faced with the awful reality of a Sanders candidacy, closed ranks this week around Biden, running off all the women, the gay guy and the billionaire. It serves the party right, as it allowed someone who is not a Democrat to run as a Democrat. But the troops have huddled around Biden as the party’s best chance to evict Trump from the White House — and it’s clear that he is now the favorite for the Democratic nomination.

So we can watch over the next eight months as two old white guys duke it out, and we expect the ugliness to set a new standard.

But what we really wonder is, why in a country with 330 million people, can we do no better than a socialist, a retread and a serial liar?