Political Punch

According to historians' rankings, our best presidents were older - Reagan (6th), Harry Truman (7th), Dwight Eisenhower (8th) vs. younger presidents John Kennedy (15th), Clinton (22nd), and Carter (34th).

I think talking about Sen. McCain's age is approprirate if it impacts his job performance. Talking about McCain's erratic behavior is relevant to the office he seeks, as is his outdated Cold War-era world view, or inability / unwilligness to embrace new technology.

Also, McCain himself made his age an issue by picking as his running mate Gov. Palin, who is utterly unqualified to be a 72-year old heartbeat away from the presidency.

Fact: McCain is 70 + years old.

By most standards, that's freakishly old. I'm glad the man is alive, but do I want him running our country? No.

Fact of the matter is, McCain could (heaven forbid) die at any moment. Sarah Palin as number 2? You gotta be kidding me.

It's not ageism, it's dealing with the fact that McCain's age is a bigtime con.

Proof positive that ageism exists:

McCain having to go on the Couric show to protect Palin and sort it out!! He looked far more energetic and intelligent than her deer-in-the-headlights silly look. Sorry-- but all you McCain bashers-- what the heck is this??!! McCain seems to be the brains and Palin the show. This is ageism.

I have seen it all the time in the corp world: they will give a junior "energy type" all the big projects and interface with the clients-- and the senior in the background has to bail the kid out! No joke!! This is AGEISM!

(( By the way, Mr. McCain- you have all my respect. Only thing- policies: Please get the Reb party to reform the corrupt health care plan. You'll get MORE votes that way. Because for now, Obama still has my vote because of pure economics. That's it. ))

Ageism is not about someone unfit.
Agesim is about two people who do an EQUAL job.

However, the one who is elder is perceived as doing less- having less ability-- and the younger one getting better support, opportunities and options.

I don't think McCain looks like he lacks energy at all!! He appears smart and energetic. Erratic-- that's been there for all the candidates at times-- the stress might be a factor at times for all. Sometimes McCain looks more energetic than Obama and Palin, in fact. He is a war hero-- and who could have done that much!

(( By the way, I am an intended Obama supporter.. but I have to call out ageism here in the play-- it's there. ))

As an Obama supporter,just some constructive criticism:

Image, sadly, counts far more than substance these days. Yes, youth and beauty is prized. Would Obama have been so widely supported if he lacked youth and beauty.... I wonder....

McCain first sends out a "bad ad" relating Obama to celebrity worship and him as a Paris Hilton type. Is this smear.. not really! (A lot of people were taken in by his image, not content). Then Paris, et all calls him old-- is this smear, yes! Then Obama's team sends out an ad about McCain's health (?) (bad bad bad- a real smear).

What does this result? The McCain campaign having to with young Sarah Palin over brilliant experienced Reb women. Because that's what the people want: youth and energy over substance.

Why do legitimate concerns about the ability of someone who is clearly a doddering old coot to run our country at one of the most dangerous times in its history have to get dismissed as "age-ism"? John McCain is old and sick and he is clearly unfit to be president. Age, in his case, is not the only factor, but it is a factor. If he seemed less infirm or more mentally together, then maybe it wouldn't be a factor. But it is not some sort of illegitimate discrimination for voters to consider whether his age is a problem.

First, I think there is a false equivalency here in reading into Obama's language to show them at the same level. While there may be a bit of ageism going around, it is nothing compared to the overt racism and sexism that have been apparent.

Second, just because it has to do with age doesn't make it ageist. Calling John McCain "erratic" isn't code for old, but a reflection of a campaign that is bouncing around, changing positions all of the time. It shows he's UNSURE of his position, not saying something about his age. Obama quoted USA Today in that ad. I know this is one example, but I feel that many are similarly distorted.

Third, I think the comments about McCain "forgetting" do cross the line and are unacceptable.

Fourth, competency is more related to age than gender or race. I believe that in general it is reasonable to ask whether someone of a certain age can handle the mental requirements of the Presidency, whereas I do not think it is reasonable to ask such a question about race. At this basis, it is therefore more acceptable to raise age as an issue than race (race may be raised in terms of, say, ability to gain support, but not in terms of competency).

Fifth, ageism is also more acceptable than other -isms like raceism and sexisms because it has nothing to do with a sociopolitical history of oppression. Black people were slaves. Women couldn't vote, work, or own property. What are the similar power structures that similarly kept the elderly down? There are none.

It is not ageist to say that McCain is too old to be behind the wheel; that is an opinion borne of fact. Age affects your mental acuity, race does not. Ageism would be laughing at McCain because he is old, but who is doing that? His age should be a major factor in this election, and he has done very little so far to give us confidence that he is up to the task of being the president.

Though am Obama supporter, am not blind to some of the subtleties of the sprint phase of this campaign. Yesterday in Philadephia on one stop covered by C Span my candidate said ... and that's why John McCain is out of time. I winced. All righty, it's a competition and everybody's using whatever they can but that's a moment Obama is responsible for. The polls are looking good for him and the voting starts any minute here in Oregon and the West Coast is certainly Obama's so why would I wince, disliking the tenor of the Other Campaign as I do? I thought better of Obama, that's all. The whole election was a long drama in the results of affirmative action ... all three major candidates represented different protected sectors, race, gender, age. So it's not easy to parse out the real issues. For me, as an certified elder, how much time John McCain's got only matters if he is president, which looks unlikely. So Obama needs to get back on his luminous high road and just keep running.

---JR. Come on, McCain is losing his 'BEARS'. Did he have them on a chain, in his car or on his couch?.
Talk about McCain and his brain draining. Seems those blastimg him are in more dire straights for intelligent thinking than he is. Also, remember Obama thought there were 57 states and dead soldiers in his audience. The comments of the Obama supporters are outright stupid. Any derogotory remarks against an opponent to help the great Obama is OK.

It's too darn bad Rep. John Lewis, or whoever, doesn't get his britches in a bunch over the nasty libels that fall out of Gibbs' mouth every time he goes on television.

Pretty-boy Obama may pretend to be the sweetest thing since sliced sugar cane, but every glimpse of Gibbs reminds the watchful voter that nobody represented by him is really more than a thug, rhetorically speaking.

Get up EARLY, little liberals, and catch this piggish white man on "Morning Joe" ...

It's too darn bad Rep. John Lewis, or whoever, doesn't get his britches in a bunch over the nasty libels that fall out of Gibbs' mouth every time he goes on television.

Pretty-boy Obama may pretend to be the sweetest thing since sliced sugar cane, but every glimpse of Gibbs reminds the watchful voter that nobody represented by him is really more than a thug, rhetorically speaking.

Get up EARLY, little liberals, and catch this piggish white man on "Morning Joe" ...

Mary writes "McCain Mom is up and about and she is in ther 90s. One family health history and age at death is a important factor by doctors, health insurance companies and even our government policies. "
________________________________________________

Using YOUR logic, McCain's father died at the age of 70 so McCain should have died two years ago.

I think most women would agree that ageism is not acceptable. Could we ever imagine a 72-year-old female, four time melanoma survivor, running for President?

However, I do think that McCain's age and medical history matters because if something happens to McCain, we're stuck with Palin.

The word "erratic" has nothing to do with McCain's age. It is the definition of his campaign: lack of consistency, regularity, or uniformity.

And McCain IS confused. Sunni/Shia, Prime Minister of Spain, Czechoslovakia still exists, Iraq/Pakistan border, etc.

But none of these words would incite people at Obama's rallies to say of McCain, "off with his head".

Josh ask "Where does this CHAIN SMOKER thing come from?"
_______________________________________________

Probably off the same brochure distributed by volunteers of the McCain campaign in Minnesota that said he was an Arab. That is where that lady got the information to ask the question in the townhall about Obama. Andrew Sullivan has the details at The Atlantic.

It is as wrong to condemn a person because of his age as it is race and gender but the Obama people ignore that completely. Senator McCain Mom is up and about and she is in ther 90s. One family health history and age at death is a important factor by doctors, health insurance companies and even our government policies. Remember, Obama's parents certainly died at a young age. That means that Obama is much more likely to die young.
Obama has made so many gaffes and misstatements, even policy decisions that he changes again and again, one must wonder if he has the intelligent capacity to be President. I think his high education creditials are over-rated. Common sense does not prevail in his campaign--truth like the Democrats are responsible for the sub-prime mortgage mess, not the Bush Administration. Yet on the stump yesterday and today, he keeps blaming the wrong party. That is not intelligence--that is stupidity.

"My fellow prisoners".... (McCain's bizarre words to the debate audience, during debate #2!!)

That's a clue, the end is near. Alzheimers.

*****
vs says "McCain with his active 96 years young mother HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF LIVING LONGER than Obama"
____________________________________________

Using your logic, since McCain's father died at the age of 70 then McCain should have been dead two years ago.

In truth, the exact past of McCain's two parents will not be replicated in McCain's lifetime. He spent five years in prison. The life we lead is another determining factor.

"My fellow prisoners".... (McCain's bizarre words to the debate audience, during debate #2!!)
That's a clue, the end is near. Alzheimers.

Palin abuses her employees. Did anyone notice that?
She makes them do illegal activities, on pain of being fired. That was in the report.

PS. A Republican is suing her, over her use of Yahoo to avoid the Freedom of Information Act. By making her employees use Yahoo, she is making them choose between doing illegal behavior and being fired for not being 'supportive'. <= her words about the police commissioner and about the librarian. Imagine a librarian being supportive of the mayor? What's that about? Not quick enough to go along with book banning, that's what!!
Palin is in denial now, and says she didnt break a law. No?! She broke a statute in the first case and three other statutes in the Yahoo case. Statutes are laws, Governor.
VOTE OBAMA in 08

vs says "McCain with his active 96 years young mother HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF LIVING LONGER than Obama"
____________________________________________

Using your logic, McCain's father died at the age of 70 so McCain should have been dead two years ago.