Is John McCain too old?

March 5th, 2008 at 07:51pm Pat Cunningham

 

I was reading THIS POLL ANALYSIS today (good stuff, by the way) when something jumped out at me. It was this paragraph quoted from the Washington Post:

More than a quarter of those polled said they are less inclined to support McCain because, if elected, he would be the oldest person ever to become president.

Wow! I’ve read and heard a few jokes and snarky remarks about John McCain’s age (he’s 71), but I had no idea that one of every four American voters is concerned about the matter.

I’m a little troubled by this.  The thing is, McCain isn’t that much older than I. For a short while in the 1950s, he and I were teenagers at the same time. It bothers me that he’s deemed by some to be perhaps too old for the presidency purely because of his age. I mean, the man’s not drooling, is he?  He’s not shouting “Hey you kids, get outta my yard” all day, is he?

 You see, the notion, without evidence beyond mere chronology, that McCain is too old to be president suggests that I, myself, am on the verge of placement in the Babbling Brook Rest Home out on Highway 35.

You can imagine the offense I take at that, what with me being a hep cat and all.

But, of course, this isn’t about me.  It’s about McCain:

I don’t think it’s fair to arbitrarily assume that when one reaches a certain age, one is not qualified to be president. But on the other hand, McCain’s age — historic, if he gets elected —  is reason enough to weigh his actions, statements and judgments during the campaign with an eye to what they suggest about his sharpness and stamina.

Putting it another way: If McCain has any conspicuous senior moments on the campaign trail, the political impact will be significant.

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