May 5, 2008
No Country For Old Men
The Nation: Age Is A Factor In The Race And Nowhere Is It So Important As In John Mccain's Vice-Presidential Choice
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Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., laughs during a town hall meeting Friday, May 2, 2008 in Denver, Colo. (AP)
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Photo Essay John McCain Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
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Would President John McCain forget who made that 3 am call to the special White House phone? I suspect that his aides would not just let him nod off back to sleep, even if they were intimidated by the prospect of one of his alleged intemperate outbursts, but might our septuagenarian President be less than fully focused?
Most likely he would be, although as someone born in the same year as the senator, I too bristle at suggestions that age has made me less perfect than I once was. But it has. Sadly, those brain cells do go, and "senior moments" of befuddlement are more than a joke. But that shouldn't automatically disqualify one of us still-agile silver foxes from the White House, as few of my contemporaries are likely to turn in a worse performance than the much younger current occupant. However, looking at the top two men in the present Administration, the age question does make a compelling case for very carefully evaluating McCain's vice-presidential choice.
That was my point when I raised the age issue on a Los Angeles Times Book Festival panel last Sunday, and my sparring partner, right-wing radio pundit Hugh Hewitt, wanted me instantly voted off the island of constant noise. He compared my "ageist" comment to someone making a racist charge against Barack Obama.
I take his point, as absurd as it first appeared. Absurd because it is obviously true that aging, as opposed to skin color or gender, does have a deleterious effect on one's physical and mental functioning, and to deny this evident biological reality is as nonsensical as denying evolution itself. The species survives when each generation burns out and is replaced by a hopefully superior one, and while it is natural to want to linger on the scene as long as possible, we cannot insist on our personal indispensability to the continuation of the human experience.
Of course Hewitt was not doing anything of the sort, any more than he would genuinely embrace creationism, summarily dismiss fears of global warming or otherwise honestly endorse the tenet of the sort of phony science that right-wing pundits must from time to time condone. They do so for opportunistic reasons, and that is why the significance of McCain's age must be denied by those eager to maintain the GOP's hold on the presidency. They will hold their noses and vote for him despite the sensible positions he has at times had the temerity to advance, impervious to their blackmail. Impervious, that is, until he decided to make a second run for the presidency, leading him to sharply reverse his past principled stances and accommodate torture, tax cuts for the rich, Pat Robertson and other favored fetishes of the Republican base. The right-wing talk show bully boys still don't trust him, but he's the only horse left to ride.
While they continue to loathe him for his fatal flaw of occasionally embracing a moderate thought, they are dependent upon his electoral victory to extend their vastly disproportionate political power. They fully expect McCain to betray key points of their cryogenic agenda; on Sunday, Hewitt condemned most of McCain's Senate performance and in particular his reasonable stance on immigration.
Their hope of retaining influence rests on saddling McCain with a proven rightist as his vice-presidential choice. The hunt is now on for the new Cheney, but such a candidate has to be brought in under the radar because the public is for the first time in modern history keenly aware that the Vice President can play an enormously destructive role. That is particularly true if the potential President himself is, actuarially speaking, more likely to kick the bucket. Or, less dramatically, simply underperforms.
Let's not kid any longer. Age is a factor in this race and nowhere is it so important as in McCain's vice-presidential choice. If he picks from the very thin ranks of reasonable Republicans, it will be reassuring to more moderate voters attracted to McCain for his independence of thought as reflected in support of campaign finance reform and his opposition to some outrageously bloated military weapons expenditures that he has on occasion done much to expose. But if he turns to the loony wing for a running mate, we must become very concerned about the ability of a man in his 70s to fully perform in the world's most important office. Is there another Cheney lurking in the wings?
By Robert Scheer
Reprinted with permission from The Nation.
 | If you like this article, check out www.thenation.com for more investigative reports, timely editorials and incisive columns |
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
But they didn''t. Bush is doing what needed done for generations. McCain is the only one who isn''t giving hope to our enemy as they run for President.
Posted by ConserveVoic
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ConserveVoic, the rich mostly white intolerant liberal snobs at The Nation are ONLY interested to "promoting" their guy and party, Obama and the dirty Democrats.
This vile left-wing magazine knows nothing about tolerance for anyone that has a different view.
The staff at The Nation aren''t any different then the Nazi''s.
Really sad indeed................shun The Nation
START WAR CRIMES TRIALS NOW!
AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!
What is really interesting about this uh "story" is that your soros owned msm pushed mccain, said nice things about him. Now that he''s the candidate-BAM come the negative stories. Yep, he''s old, he''s a RHINO, probably won''t win but come on guys, his age!
As for the slams on his military service, real funny. When ole kerry ran no one could say a word about his "service" or what he did and said after he came back from Vietnam. Usual double standard from the left.
However, knowing that some voters would prefer someone a bit younger as his running mate, it is rumored that McCain is considering a woman for his running mate: PAULA ABDUL!!!!
"Bagdad John" feels that Abdul would be young enough to satisfy those voters "edgy" about McCain''s age, and appealing enough for the macho male neocons to "identify" with. Since Abdul is as "ditzy" as they come, she would compliment McCain''s "senior moments" with an "other worldly" flavor not seen since the Great Gonzo was the AG!
When asked about the possible prospective neocon Fascist Nazi Republican ticket, the Great Emperor Bush II gave everyone a dumb look and retreated to his throne in the Oval Office!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, more of the same, McCain!!!!
Probably one of America''''s most corrupt far left-wing magazine by a mile.
It''''s hard to believe that in America today we have a magazine that reminds us all of Germany in the 1930''''s
Very scary bunch...........shun them
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Posted by perceptions5 at 02:36 PM : May 05, 2008
+ report abuse
Now you see that''s the problem with you Nazi''s!! YOU don''t know your LEFT from your RIGHT. Germany in the 30''s?? NAZI Sparky... Radical RIGHT Wing. Say you know they have night classes in AMERICAN HISTORY don''t you... Now you can miss a couple of your Nazi Youth Rallies to attend can''t you??? It would help you greatly...but be prepared!! When YOU find out the Greatest Generation was "Liberal" you may need Medical Assistance! ROFMAO SIEG HEIL BUSH! You two really aren''t the sharpest tools in the old shed are ya now??? ROFLMAO
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Posted by perceptions5 at 02:34 PM : May 05, 2008
+ report abuse
Ahhhh Swastika Breath. ARE you living in a cave? Sir LIES-A-LOT and the Republican Administration were just sighted the other day by Scientist, saying THEY had delayed EPA Action because of Special Interest! LOOK at McSame... half his champaign crew are LOBBIEST!! Please take the swastika''s off your eyes... they are cutting off ANY view of honesty here! Now say Sieg Heil loud enough that the Reich and the Fuhrer can hear you!! READY??? SIEG HEIL BUSH! Good little Bootlicker!! ROFLMAO
Just what we really need: another stale old political fossil.
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Posted by mocaIeo at 01:04 PM : May 05, 2008
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How so? YOU Nazi''s call everyone "Liberal" anyway so what''s your point. The dudes OLD Sparky... it''s not about discrimination... have you LISTENED to the Old ***? He doesn''t even know the difference between the Sunni and the Shiite for God''s sake. He''ll be lucky to make it TO the election, let alone beyond it. Sieg Heil Bush
Winston Churchill was in his early 70''s when he led Britain during WW II, and in his late 70''s - early 80''s when he became Prime Minister again and faced the Maylay Emergency and the Mau Mau Rebellion.
LIEberals'' ageism is OK, but pointing out that Obama is the most left wing member of the Senate, whose friends and mentors include an unrepentent terrorist and a race-baiting preacher - oh, that''s off limits!
want to practice "age discrimination"
.
TYPICAL liberal hypocrisy
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Posted by mocaIeo at
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mocaIeo, this isn''t anything new at The Nation.
Probably one of America''s most corrupt far left-wing magazine by a mile.
It''s hard to believe that in America today we have a magazine that reminds us all of Germany in the 1930''s
Very scary bunch...........shun them
- by perceptions5 May 5, 2008 5:34 PM EDT
- Looks like Obama is pandering to America''s mob-run unions. See now how this unqualified junior Senator is pandering to this hate and divide group.
- Reply to this comment
See all 15 Comments"The campaign also brought up the Wall Street Journal article from this morning that reported Obama won the Teamsters endorsement earlier this year after telling the union he supported lifting strict federal oversight. The campaign''s issue, deputy communications director Phil Singer said, is not Obama''s stance on the issue, but rather that Obama''s stance was not known until the article was printed this morning.
Singer also claimed that Obama then backtracked on his stance when questioned this morning on ABC''s "Good Morning America." Singer said that Obama, upon questioning from Diane Sawyer, refused to make a "blanket commitment" to end the oversight, but rather that he would look into doing so."
Really sad indeed. Democrats are owned by the "special interests" in this country.