Is 72 Too Old To Be President?

John McCain Would Be Nation's Oldest President; Some Voters Uneasy

(AP)  So how old is John McCain? Six-packs, automatic transmissions and the American Express card were all introduced after he was born - not to mention computers, which McCain admits he doesn't use.

McCain, himself, jokes that he's older than dirt. And while his age is being raised as a campaign issue, medical experts say voters shouldn't be concerned that, if elected, McCain would be the oldest man to assume the presidency, at 72.

In politics and other fields, they explain, it's not unusual for talented people to do signature work late in life, when they can apply the cumulative wisdom of experience, and leverage personal connections cultivated over time.

Nonetheless, a significant slice of the electorate has qualms about McCain's age. The presumed Republican nominee will celebrate his 72nd birthday shortly before his party's convention. Polls show the age question isn't going away, despite the Arizona senator's efforts to deflect it with self-deprecating humor, or disprove it by keeping a grueling schedule.

"Sure, people live to be 90, but you are not as sharp," said Virginia Bailey, 73, a retired administrative assistant who lives near Schenectady, N.Y., and is a Republican. "I'm not as sharp as I was ten years ago, and I'm sure (McCain) isn't either - even though he wouldn't admit it."

McCain's senior-citizen status raises more concerns among voters than Sen. Barack Obama's relative youthfulness, a new AP-Yahoo News poll indicates. Twenty percent said "too old" describes McCain "very well," compared with 14 percent who felt strongly that Obama is "too young." Overall, 38 percent said "too old" describes McCain somewhat or very well, compared with 30 percent who worried that the Illinois Democrat, who turns 47 this summer, is too young.

An expert on the presidency and professor of communications, Leonard Steinhorn, of American University in Washington, said McCain is "getting on the upper end of the comfort zone for Americans, who wonder whether he's going to have the vigor and the health as president. "

Capitalizing on such concerns, New York City graphics designer Joe Quint has launched an Internet site called thingsyoungerthanmccain.com. Quint, a Democrat, said he doesn't believe septuagenarians should be disqualified from the presidency, but age should be part of the discussion. He's planning a book of his Web site items before the election.

Medical science, however, suggests that concerns about McCain's age are exaggerated.

"The presidential campaign is full of chatter - much of it quite misinformed - about the role of age," said Dr. William Thomas, a geriatrician and professor at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus. Geriatrics is a medical specialty that focuses on the elderly.

"People in old age are fully capable of imaginative and skillful work," Thomas added. "A person's age is not a block to doing fantastic work."

Although U.S. life expectancy at birth is about 78 years, a person who reaches 70 can expect to live another 15 years. For a seventy-something president, that could work out to two terms in office, plus time for writing memoirsand cashing in on book sales.

But differences among people in their seventies can be stark, because some have already started into a steep decline.

Dr. David Reuben, chief of geriatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, said he sees no outward evidence of such a problem with McCain, despite the occasional gaffe.

"As a clinician, I look at whether they appear to be robust, whether their sentences flow, whether their thoughts connect, whether they are easily distractible," said Reuben. "McCain appears to be quite robust."

The main medical concern about McCain is not his age, but his history of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. If McCain is elected, Americans would have to get used to the idea of their president as a cancer survivor, closely followed by doctors for any sign of a recurrence.

But Reuben said there's very little difference in clinical terms between McCain's age and Ronald Reagan's, who turned 70 soon after he was sworn in for his first term. Reagan managed to avoid the "old" label by often riding horses and clearing brush on his ranch in California. But he could seem to be forgetful at times. In Iran-Contra testimony in 1990, a year after leaving office, he couldn't remember that Gen. John W. Vessey served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for three years in his administration.

Reagan's Alzheimer's diagnosis came later, nearly six years after leaving the White House.

McCain has embraced what he calls his own "oldness." He jokes that he's older than dirt and has more scars than Frankenstein, but he's learned some useful things along the way. That seems to put many voters at ease. In the AP-Yahoo News poll, 58 percent said the term "too old" doesn't describe McCain at all well, or only slightly.

"I figure he's a very experienced man," said Robert Covarrubias, 38, a trucking company manager from Los Angeles, and a Republican. "We've had presidents who were up there in age before."

Mindful that it could backfire on them, Democrats have mostly broached the age issue indirectly, by trying to link McCain to festering problems that Washington hasn't resolved. That may resonate with some voters.

"McCain is old, but he wants to come off youthful and fears coming off outdated," said Steinhorn, the communication expert. "Obama is young. He wants to come off as wise, and he fears coming off as naive."

[mswolfestock]

Shoot, y''all -

Senator Byrd is into the Internet and he is about 90 years old. Check out his website. If you send him an e-mail, you will get some kind of response. I e-mailed him a couple of years ago, and he sent me an e-mail AND a letter. Just Google "Senator Robert C. Byrd," and then -

explain to poor old McCorpse what Google is.

There! Don''t you feel better for having been nice to an Old Guy?

[mswolfestock]

McLame is old in his thinking and his mind-set. It has nothing to do with how many years he has been breathing.

In the year 2008, nobody who does not use computers has any business in any sort of position of authority or leadership. For the fact that he refuses to learn about or take an interest in computers or IT issues speaks volumes about him being out of touch with the entire world.

He is setting a terrible example for seniors to follow and he is alienating everybody else.

He also seems to have lingering mental problems from his POW experience - he really needs some help with his out of touch attitude and he also has problems with anger control.

This man is not fit for much of anything as far as I am concerned.

Check these two webesites for some disturbing 411 on this dinosaur -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/10/mccains-birth-control-pro_n_112048.html

[anecdote1]

ghoecu.

[stn_sage]

various comments- his response to my post
Posted by dowell100 at 10:40 PM : Jul 14, 2008
---------------------
My response:
1. Your assertion- I don''t know he''s dumb! Mine - Buddy, the WHOLE world knows he''s dumb! I base that on my observations of him since he took office! His lies, failures, intrigue, deceit and inability to accept responsibility say a lot!

2. Yr assertion- Capability is irrelevant. Mine- Bush was appointed in 2000 on a 5-4 Supreme Court decision!
In 2004, he probably stole the election through the ballot box. I''m talking about capability to do positive things, NOT avoid prosecution for crimes! I have to say my friend, YOU are the one who''s crazy!

3. Yr assertion- Obama can''t be trusted. Mine- We are in partial agreement here. I say his actions suggest he can''t be, but the jury''s still out!

4. Yr assertion- He doesn''t have a high capability level. Refer to #5, it demonstrates he DOES!

5. Yr assertion- Capability REQUIRES substance & proven ability. Mine- By substance, I would refer to mind and the ability to learn. By ''p.a.'', I''d refer to results. He came from lower economic family, went through college, law school, worked defending citizens in Chicago, was elected to the Senate! And, YOU don''t think this is "proven ability"? You''re NUTS!

Finally, You placed me in the odd situation of defending Obama, and I don''t really much like him, but by comparison to Bush or McCain, he''s a genius!
Take care, my friend!

[wakeup60]

YES!

[anecdote1]

72 is middle aged%u2026.if you are a tortoise.

[suzyku]

It''s not just mcsame/mcbush''s age, it''s his views, HIS flip flopping, his forgetfulness and his hot temper! Wouldn''t want to trust him with his (trigger) finger on the red button!

[anecdote1]

McCain: "Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that''s a disgrace. It''s an absolute disgrace and it''s got to be fixed." --on Social Security, Denver, Colorado, July 7, 2008

[phonegirl300]

We have a law in this country that strictly forbids discremination based on age.

[anecdote1]

McCain: "Maybe that''s a way of killing them." --responding to a report that $158 million in cigarettes have been shipped to Iran during Bush''s presidency despite restrictions on U.S. exports to that country, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 8, 2008

[anecdote1]

So, are we now promoting age discrimination in the media? What''s next?
Posted by drputt45 at 10:01 AM

"Bomb, bomb, bomb, ...bomb, bomb Iran...."

[drputt45]

So, are we now promoting age discrimination in the media? What''s next?

[Marie Zarankevich]

A person who does not use email or the internet cannot understand how the modern world functions. -- He can not comprehend the speed at which things happen. -- Without this understanding, he is incapable of leading a country which is totally steeped in cyberspace, and technology. -- So much of our business and personal communication revolves around the internet, that we cannot separate it out as a distinct thing anymore. -- I am 63, and have a degree in Computer Information Systems, so age is not the issue here. -- What is the issue is simply willingness to participate in the modern world, and to interact with others using the same tools as they do. -- This is a serious deficit.

[minuteman-1]

zoe2006 at 09:40 AM

Frightening for someone who no freakin clue on the day to day operations of the presidency...Presidents don''t typically use computers and their aides and assistants, as well of Secret Service take care of all the communications. Isn''t it refreshing to know we will have an old-school President who will actually be working, who has 30+ years experience, not 2 like the Obamination.....

[chalres-2009]

Yes it is

[mcshame]

Experts have successfully identified some of the major causes of car accidents, and a driver distraction such as using a cell phone, is one of them. However, apart from driver distractions, another major factor that experts have identified as a cause of car accidents is the age of the driver. Studies have shown that there is a higher incidence of car accidents among drivers in certain age groups. These groups include young people between the ages of 16 and 20 who are inexperienced drivers and the elderly who are 70 years or older. The elderly have certain physiological manifestations that develop with old age that can hinder their driving ability.
-----------------

This is why they don''t let 16-20 year olds be President either.

[ianlou]

At the end of Reagan''s second term Wife Nancy and her astrologist were running the country.

[cattlekate]

I don''t think calendar age is a problem as much as the outdated beliefs he carries around. I was particularly offended at his hemming and hawing and utter befuddledness when trying to come up with a succinct answer to why insurers cover Viagra but not birth control pills. As an old lady, I found it insulting and uncomfortable that he couldn''t answer a basic question about reproduction without getting stupidly embarrassed.

[leftyintexas]

Age is not a problem. It''s the qualifications of the man running. McCain is not as mentally fit as Obama is to be President.

[jsl45]

McBush is to old and to much of the same old thing that Shrub the Dumbnificent gave us.