What's The Right Age For A President?

CBS News' Kathy Frankovic: Americans Say Best Decade Is 50s; Only 2 Percent Say McCain's Decade Ideal

(CBS)  This column was written by CBS News director of surveys Kathy Frankovic.

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Is John McCain too old to be President? More to the point: do people think he is too old?

When we ask Americans, “In general, what is the best age for a president of the United States?” as a CBS News/New York Times poll did last February, we get some surprising results, although it just might show their ignorance about how old the candidates are.

Just about half, 48 percent, said the “best” age for a president was the 50s, even though neither of the presumptive nominees is in his fifties (nor is Hillary Clinton). Barack Obama is 46, and just 20 percent of registered voters said the 40s was the right age for a president. But far fewer - only 2 percent -- thought McCain’s decade (70’s) was the best for the job. But even that 2 percent was higher than what Americans said in 2007, when zero percent thought being in one’s 70s was the best age for the job.

There was little difference between the parties, too, in those poll results. Republicans, Democrats and independents all said the 50’s was best, though Republicans had a slight preference for an older president: 28 percent of them said the 60’s was the right presidential age, compared with just 10 percent of Democrats. On the other hand, Democrats were willing to go younger: three times as many Democrats (30 percent) as Republicans (10 percent) looked for a 40-ish candidate.

Partisanship shows up more when we specify names and ages. In the most recent CBS News Poll, we asked: “If John McCain is elected president (in 2008) he will be 72 years old when he takes office. Do you think his age would help him be an effective president, or do you think his age would be an obstacle to being an effective president, or wouldn't his age matter that much?”

Thirty percent of registered voters said McCain’s age would be an obstacle. But here there were partisan answers: just 9 percent of Republicans viewed McCain’s age as an obstacle, compared with 42 percent of Democrats. The vast majority of Republicans thought age wouldn’t make a difference - and 13 percent said it even would be a help to McCain as President.

The surprise we found is that, although one might expect younger voters to be least forgiving about an older Americans running for President, that was not true. Voters under the age of 30 were less likely to say McCain’s age is an obstacle than older voters were, and 18-29 year olds were also more likely to say that his age will help. Eleven percent of young voters think McCain’s age will help (compared with 7 percent of older voters); 23 percent of them say it will be an obstacle.

Youth and age impact one’s perception of the optimal presidential age, however. Only 9 percent of those under 30 said a president should be 60 or older - something 30 percent of those over 60 believed. But few young people were willing to have a president just a little bit older than they were - in his 30’s. For all age groups, the 50’s were best.

People have been asking whether a presidential candidate is “too old” for a long time. In 1944, 34 percent told the Gallup Poll that Franklin Roosevelt’s age would hurt him in that year’s election. Roosevelt was just 62 that year. In 1955, as in 2008, the fifties were thought of as the ideal presidential age. Forty three percent (also in a Gallup poll) thought anyone 70 or older was “too old” to run for president (76 percent thought being 65 or older should disqualify you). In the fall of 1979, 36 percent of registered voters told CBS News said they would be less likely to vote for someone over the age of 65 for the office of president.

Ronald Reagan was able to deflect this criticism in 1984, when he was 73, and his opponent, Walter Mondale was 56 (a popular presidential age, according to the voters). In a debate, Reagan was asked if there was any doubt in his mind that he could function if world events forced him to work several days with very little sleep. To this, Reagan famously responded: “Not at all ….and I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience…. I might add that it was Seneca or it was Cicero, I don't know which, that said if it was not for the elders correcting the mistakes of the young, there would be no state.”

In 1996, 72-year-old Bob Dole was also older than most candidates have ever been. In January of that year, 30 percent said his age would be an obstacle for him as president; the number rose to 37 percent in August, and fell slightly to 33 percent in October, just before the election.

So asking about a candidate’s age is not a new thing. Although nearly a third might say McCain is too old, about the same percentage of voters thought Ronald Reagan and Franklin Roosevelt were too old. And they won!

I don''t know exactly how old is too old... or too young. But what I do know is that if McCain is elected, we will continue with many of the same failed and unsuccessful policies of the Bush administration. Obama is the only viable choice for anyone who doesn''t want the same ole same ole. Even if you bring Clinton into the mix... I think it''s time someone who''s not a Bush or a Clinton was in office. We''ve had 20 years of them. It''s time for a new voice to be heard.

[tejasdemo]

Geezer plus doesnt need to run the country. Just sit back and enjoy the cash you have screwed the public out of all these years.

[mswolfestock]

McLame is old in his attitude and his mindset. This does not have anything to do with how many years he has lived. He''s just out of touch with how the rest of us younger Americans live. He''s out of touch with everybody who is not exactly like him, and that is a lot of us. His attitude is particularly frightening when it comes to women''s issues.

However I also think he is too old because of the number of years he has lived. And what if his cancer comes back, what if he gets sick with something else? At least Reagan was half-way active and vigorous for an older guy - he was always riding his horse and he even rode horses with the Queen of England. Reagan didn''t look or act like he had one foot in the grave, and McSame does.

I also don''t see how his being a POW gives him a vast amount of experience in anything except helping other POWs get over it and get on with their lives. His being a POW did not leave him with an open mind or a tolerant attitude. He has neither. There are a lot of POWs out there who don''t go out of their way to use their POW status for any kind of sympathy or personal gain. They just suck it up and keep on going.

[demwatcher]

Thank you, Liberal lemmings, for PROVING that DISCRIMINATION is alive and well in the hearts of DEMOCRATS.

By AMERICAN law, it is illegal to discriminate based on age, gender, race, religeon, etc. . . However, Democrats have ALWAYS been the party of hate.

Thank you for showing the WORLD your true colors.

[joyous88]

reagan was old and look at all the damage he managed to do to our country, McSAME will do the same,

the republicons are Anti American, simply greed driven

politicians

[doctor--o]

McCain is too old and his (Republican) world view is dangerously too old.

[omaar-101]

McCain said `For as long as it takes, Even if its 100 years`

You Gung Ho Arm Chair & TV Set Patriots, should Enlist now or Enlist your love ones, that are of Legal Age and tell us how long you`d like the War to last....Please

Or Shut The F--K Up about Mundane, Plain and Forever the Same, John McCain



Male, Ages Between 45-59 and thats it !!!

No Senior Citizens...No Senior Citizens, at all.

McCain is Too Old an We All Know it.

Noone knows when Reagan was Truly Effected with Alzheimers and You just don`t all of a sudden aquire this disease.

Alzheimers & Dementia is a Gradual Declining of the Mind.

[Marie Zarankevich]

With the rate of technological innovations and advances happening at the moment, we really need a president who can keep up with the REAL modern world. -- McCain does not use a computer at all. -- Therefore it is not possible for him to have any understanding of the actual dynamics of the modern culture of our planet. -- He is not a viable selection for our president. -- We NEED someone who knows what is going on around him. -- Sorry, folks.

[newsjunky5]

McCain has been infused with epoxy. The aging process has been halted.

[omaar-101]

McCain said `For as long as it takes, Even if its 100 years`

You Gung Ho Arm Chair & TV Set Patriots, should Enlist now or Enlist your love ones, that are of Legal Age and tell us how long you`d like the War to last....Please

Or Shut The F--K Up about Mundane, Plain and Forever the Same, John McCain



Male, Ages Between 45-59 and thats it !!!

No Senior Citizens...No Senior Citizens, at all.

McCain is Too Old an We All Know it.

Noone knows when Reagan was Truly Effected with Alzheimers and You just don`t all of a sudden aquire this disease.

Alzheimers & Dementia is a Gradual Declining of the Mind.

[sgtrds-e4]

No one with a brain would think he really thinks we would be there 100 yrs.

You liberals should have your hands full trying to find the 57 states that obama visited. Who knows he might get a lot of votes in those states.

Posted by dmw1167 at 03:40 PM : Jun 19, 2008

My poiont exactly. McCain thinks we''ll be there 100 years because he said so, so in your opinion he hasnb''t a brain.

As for the 57 in your Barack comments he was referring to the total number of primaries and caucuses, 57.

[sgtrds-e4]

Age isn''t the issue, mental stability and clarity is. McCain is not too old to be the president, he''s too senile.

[omaar-101]

Male, Ages Between 45-59 and thats it !!!

No Senior Citizens...No Senior Citizens, at all.

McCain is Too Old an We All Know it.

Noone knows when Reagan was Truly Effected with Alzheimers and You just don`t all of a sudden aquire this disease.

Alzheimers & Dementia is a Gradual Declining of the Mind.

[omaar-101]

An Old Wise man is far better than a young foolish man.

Ans: Are you saying that John McCain is a Wise Man ..Puh-Lease

Posted by guysdigdirt: Judging someone just based on age shows ones own insecurities based on their own faults.

Ans: Speak for Yourself...The Old Man is Not Wise, He`s Ancient, Geriatric, A Senior Citizen...Thats it.

Look at what they have done and what they stand for, now just what party they belong to.

Ans: Like Mccain with his Lobbyist Ridden & Special Interest Group Campaign. His Lobbyist Lover and all the other Women that have yet to be Exposed.

Just like 3-Times Married Newt Gingrich & Rush Limbaugh...McCain is under just by one. But his Lobbyist Lover is on his Trail.

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Just say you want Whites only in the White House, all this Wise an Un-Wise Bull-Spit is making me Puke !!

[jedi080808]

I can''t beleive that they made Hillary #1 on the choices for VP. What a frikin joke. That evil women has NO chance at getting the VP spot, If she did republicans and Independents would flock to McCain faster then he could handle.

I guess thats why they call CBS the Clinton Broadcast System!

[ixoye_02]

Age does not guarantee wisdom or good judgement, and age increases the risk of mental lapses and memory issues. Despite his age, McCain has displayed bad judgement in his political record, so I don''t think McCain''s age is really what bother people...McCain''s policies don''t necessarily reflect a wisdom that comes with age. There are no sages in politics, not even the oldest among our congress people. Political wisdom is usually shared by those who are out of politics. I would want a president who can get the details correct such as knowing the difference between Shiites and Sunnis and the role of Al Quaeda in Iraq. McCain didn''t instill any trust in his military leadership when McCain couldn''t get his facts correct. And the fact that McCain is getting his military "intelligence" from Bush-placed generals doesn''t tell me that McCain is getting an independent view of the situation in Iraq, just more of the same window-dressing that Bush wants the American people to see. So, it''s not merely McCain''s age that could be an issue...it''s McCain''s judgement and recent actions that are McCains problem. And unfortunately, you can''t teach an old dog new tricks. Fresh leadership...better ideas....no more Bush/Cheney or the republicans. America deserves better.

[downsteamjim]

Ideally is would be someone who isn''t 46 or 71.

[omaar-101]

An Old Wise man is far better than a young foolish man.

Ans: Are you saying that John McCain is a Wise Man ..Puh-Lease

Posted by guysdigdirt: Judging someone just based on age shows ones own insecurities based on their own faults.

Ans: Speak for Yourself...The Old Man is Not Wide, He`s Ancient, Geriatric, A Senior Citizen...Thats it.

Look at what they have done and what they stand for, now just what party they belong to.

Ans: Like Mccain with his Lobbyist Ridden & Special interst Group Campaign. His Lobbyist Lover and all the other Women that have yet to be Exposed.

Just like 3-Times Married Newt Gingrich & Rush Limbaugh...McCain is under just by one. But his Lobbyist Lover is on his Trail.

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Just say you want Whites only in the White House, all this Wise an Un-Wise Bull-Spit is making me Puke !!

[omaar-101]

Male, Ages Between 45-59 and thats it !!!

No Senior Citizens...No Senior Citizens, at all.

McCain is Too Old an We All Know it.

Noone knows when Reagan was Truly Effected with Alzheimers and You just don`t all of a sudden aquire this disease.

Alzheimers & Dementia is a Gradual Declining of the Mind.

[Torilin]

I don''''''''t believe age has anything to do with one''''s ability to be a good president. However the cognitive ability on the other hand has everything to do with in charge of thousands of nuke! I really don''''''''t think John "bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran" McSame has the right mentality to be in charge of our nuclear arsonal! We need someone who reserves the right to use but only as last resort to be in charge. Sound judgement and good common sense is much more important issue than age!
There is no doubt in my mind that you have to love this country very much to risk everything including your life to run for president. I really would appreciate both the right and left wing bloggers to stop using smear campaign on these comment section.