Politics of the Ages
Kevin Holsapple
Posted: 05.11.2008 / 10:05 AM EDT
How much should age matter in evaluating the candidates? Just watching them, both McCain and Obama seem to be younger than their ages. There has already been a good bit of attention to McCain’s advanced age … I think I heard it said that he would be the oldest president if he were to be elected. I have not noticed much discussion about Obama’s youth, although Clinton did try to build a case for his relative inexperience.
What put this into my mind was a Mother’s Day week interview with McCain and his mom I happened to catch a snippet of on the tube. McCain’s mom?? Some people might be shocked to hear that McCain’s mother is alive and well given that he is thought of as being in the great-grandfatherly generation himself. Surprise! She not only is alive and well, but she was very articulate and came across as decades younger than her age (I think they said she is 96). It struck me that this appearance was probably highly calculated to demonstrate resilience of the McCain stock.
I will be surprised if the contrast in age doesn’t become one of the storylines that will be replayed over and over in the coming months. In a practical sense, it does make me think of the importance of McCain’s vice-presidential choice given the increased odds in his case that the VP could end up as the President during his term(s). At first blush, it had me thinking about the need for Obama to be able to surround himself with great advisors and to be able to benefit from their advice. On second blush though, I think that concern would apply equally to both of them regardless of their age.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
I also saw the McCain & Mom piece. I have a 93 year old mother-in-law who is equally spry, articulate and young looking. She,like McCain’s mom, is impressive and it is a point that the McCain camp certainly needs to be making. The actuarial numbers are not in his favor, though genetics might be. It is a leap, however, to equate age with wisdom or to make other assumptions about things like judgment and character based on age or so-called experience. I am afraid the whole age and experience discussion is really a tangential issue that distracts us from the deeper and more critical aspects of this decision. The synergy, involvement and cautious optimism that has bubbled up from this primary season is a clear call for change in how our government works. The ONLY candidate who embodies that sort of genuine re-direction, for me, is Obama. As you say, any president needs to surround him or herself with talented, moral, articulate, balanced, wise people and then be humble and smart enough to use their counsel. There is no litmus test for which candidate will actually do this best. In the end, it will come down to a gut feeling in the voting booth.
May 12th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Media should not try to apply their favorite colors, black and white, to the question of age. It is such a nebulous measure that it can not be applied over a wide range of people, rather it can only be used to suggest the ability of individuals in a comparative manner. John McCain is 70 or so and seems capable of handling a busy schedule whereas an acquaintance of mine is in his 50s and couldn’t hold up for a week.
Is age a concern? Certainly. The electorate needs to watch McCain’s behavior and decisions over the next months to see if he makes errors that might indicate the onset of age-related diseases, but to make a blanket statement that he is too old is a disservice to the rest of the country’s senior citizens.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:54 am
I have diligently watched many interviews with both Senator Obama and Senator McCain. Neither man’s physical age is a concern to me. What is most striking is Obama’s lack of experience in national issues combined with his amazing ability to orate with great eloquence about simple, general ideas. It contrasts severely with McCain’s tremendous experience with national concerns and his direct speaking style about complex, multi-layered situations facing our country. I am worried that our nation will be choosing a president based on who would win a speech and beauty contest instead of who understands what is required to make tough, long term, far reaching decisions.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
If John McCain’s father were still alive, hale and hearty at age
90, I’d be a lot more confident. There are millions of American women
who, like the elder Mrs. McCain, have outlived their spouses by a decade or more. I think we need to know how long the men in the McCain family
maintain their ability to function. Note: His father made it to age 70.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Watching campaign interviews and speeches is not much of a test, they don’t go to much depth and are calculated for broad appeal. Voting records are a great place to look to help voters make intelligent decisions. See votesmart.org for a non-partisan compilation of candidates’ voting records.
I haven’t looked further than McCain’s voting record, so I don’t have in-depth knowledge of him. That was enough to make my choice clear: the Democratic candidate, whom I hope will be Obama. I’ve read many of his specific position statements, along with his books, and comments from others who are impressed with his grasp of details on national and international issues. The dismissal of Obama as just a pretty speechifier has been put to rest. Only opponents who don’t want to go head-to-head on issues, and superficial media commentary, still trot that one out.