If 70 is 'too old' to be VP...
By Steve Benen Wednesday May 14, 2008 5:00pm
The Hill conducted a survey last week of all 97 senators who aren’t currently running for president. A few expressed interest, though the most enthusiastic responses came from those who aren’t likely to be considered. Delaware’s Tom Carper said, “I’ve been kidding people for years: The hours are better, the wages are just as good — whoever heard of a vice president getting shot at? — and it’s a great opportunity to travel.... Anybody here would [accept a VP offer], if they’re going to be honest.”
Speaking of honesty, TPM posted an item noting the responses from some of the Republican caucus’ septuagenarians: “Don’t you find it odd that three Republican Senators (Thad Cochran, 70; Pete Domenici, 76; Chuck Grassley, 74) all noted that they were too old to be Vice President. Kind of odd given the circumstances of the current Republican nominee…”
Good point. Here are the specific responses:
* Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) — “When I was much younger I would have probably said, ‘Sure, I’ll be glad to accept it,’ but I’m 70 years [old] and they need a younger person for the job. I would probably tell them, ‘Look for somebody else.’ ”
* Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) — “No. I’m too old.”
* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) — “I’m too old to be vice president. But I am young enough to be reelected to the Senate.”
Given that John McCain will be 72 this year, and is already running to be the oldest person ever elected president, his colleagues’ comments probably aren’t entirely welcome at McCain HQ. After all, if someone in his 70s is too old to be vice president, what does it say about the candidate in his 70s running to be president?
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Woops.
Latest Bush reviews swell. "Malarkey, bullshit, insult to the white house." I mean McCain should get a chance. Im sure he can top it.
How old is Cheney?
McLame's age isn't the issue, it's his senility!
McCain probably lost his temper a few too many times and the old boys are playin a little payback.
Yes, too old.
And to flaky. Too wimpy. Too flippity-floppity.
Too GOP.
Have you watched McOld give a speech? Too, too obvious that he is reading every word. Very boring. Really hard to sit and listen to him and you soon forget what he is talking about. Makes Bush sound like John Kerry!
BTW Think Cheney is only in his 60's.
I think he got shot down 6 times over Vietnam. And these are communists.
I wish we on the left would adhere to our own standards and not make this race about age :(
Dang.
It's like subconciously none of them want McCain to be elected.
I'm not nearly as old as Senator McCain but I sure as hell wouldn't want such a demanding new career even at my age. It has to be an ego trip for him and our country can't afford right now to fulfill anyones ego desires, especially a person of his age. We need someone eager to look forward with aspirations based on what we can do, not what we have done in the past. Sure McCain has years of experience, we all do, but could he take his experiences of the long ago past and find remedies for the future? I don't think so. A person today who has not learned the basic skills of operating a computer shows they have no desire to keep up and move ahead.
Kuparuk @ 9:
Carlin "I say fuck the children!" ;p
CD @ 10:
No, rats don't board a sinking ship!
He just doesn't have what it takes, independent of his age.
[Deleted. On Topic Commenting=good. Off Topic Blogwhoring=bad. Site Monitor]
I don't know how old is too old, but that dude is old.
And if Obama can't beat him in November with this political climate, then that will indicate just one thing-
Racism is far from dead. Did any of you see those West Virginians on The Daily Show the other night? I'm afraid people like that are going to come out of the woodwork en masse come November, just to vote against a black guy.
Kuparuk @ 9:
Well, there is some evidence to suggest that reduced capacity goes hand in hand with old age. I know - it's quite controversial.
EliteLemming @ 3:
35. He hasn't aged well.
Blue Lensman @ 4:
I'd have to agree with this. I don't care so much about his age, as I do about his condition, which tends to affect most of the people who, say, were also against the creation of a national MLK day.
They're freakin nuts.
Captain Bitter Elitist Husein Kangaroo @ 18:
Hilarious!
People are going to pussy foot around this issue but let's face it, a man that age probably can't handle the daily strain of being President of the most powerful nation in the world.
There has to come a time when a person realizes that they just are to old to do the job. This is common in a lot of jobs such as professional football, police work (especially when working as a street cop), etc. Still other jobs, such as the Presidency require a high level of critical decision making. McCain may have those abilities now, but the odds are pretty good that he will lose them at some point in his term. McCain has reached the age where the likelihood of him succumbing to a medical or mental condition is extremely high. That just comes with old age. McCain would be wise to look at how his colleagues reacted to those VP questions and learn from them.
Age is not the issue -- not since Bush proved that you could be terminally stupid at any age.
mrplow @ 16:
My sister in law who is a dark skinned Filipina married to a white guy said to me "how can you vote for a black guy for president". I said look in the mirror. You think you turned white when you married a white guy. There's racists all over the place in this country.
EliteLemming @ 13:
I can't wait to see McCain debate Obama.
Please, PLEASE don't jump on his age - I agree with you, but please, democrats everywhere, please don't make his age an issue. We have waaaaay too much riding on this election, we do not need to piss off senior citizens. Senior citizens take politics and voting very seriously, and saying that McCain can't be president because he's too old is libel to piss them off. There is a plethora of reasons McCain shouldn't be elected, we don't need to call him out because he's old. That's playing with fire - that with everything going on right now we don't need to be screwing with. We've already got a congress that seems to be dead set on losing this election, a long with a joke of a president busting out Nazi references, and a media that just adores republicans, arguing about his age is only going to hurt us.
What about Larry Craig's bizarro answer?
"I would say ‘No, Hillary.'"
The worlds oldest man-whore with the sugar momma to prove it!
Sean-B @ 27:
Is there anything about Craig that's NOT bizarre?
living-abomination @ 26:
It has to be said that the seniors in this country have added nothing to advancement of democracy. I say its time to let the youth decide- they could not do anymore damage than has already been done and besides its really their future anyway!
Chuck U @ 24:
Oh, I know it. I live in Idaho. But the thing that give me hope is the Democrats out here and the surrounding states overwhelmingly went for Obama in the primaries. That's a good sign. Again, I'd like to state he wasn't my top pick of the Dems. But that primary/caucus gave me hope for the first time in a long time.
Blue Lensman @ 29:
The more I think about that question the more bizarre things I think of.
His family, his military service, his sex life, his being part of the singing senators.
Every thing about that man is weird.
As someone who has just turned 61, I find the comment that McCain is too old to be President pretty insulting. I'm voting against him not because of his age but because I think Obama would be a better President. As I get older, I also realize that people don't age at the same rate. I'm a pretty young 61 but I know people of my chronological age who are considerably "older". I also know people in their 70s who are "young" and perfectly capable of being President. The three Republican senators who said they wouldn't be V.P. because of their age were talking about themselves and not making a categoric pronouncement about age.
It has to be said that the seniors in this country have added nothing to advancement of democracy. I say its time to let the youth decide- they could not do anymore damage than has already been done and besides its really their future anyway!
My dad fought in WWII. Are you claiming that this didn't add to the advancement of democracy? If you just want to let the youth decide, then you are going to alienate the "aged" (who actually turn out and vote) and will lose every election.
Kuparuk @ 9:
I agree with you but then again, we have to take into context the position that McCain is seeking. He wants to be the President of the United States. His advanced age could become just as much of a problem for the United States (either physically or mentally) at some point as youth is to inexperience. The very last thing this country needs is a President that responds to the statement "We need a decision right now Mr. President." with "What is the problem again. I forgot." I'm not trying to be ageist here, just thinking realistically is all.
Joe O. @ 35:
I know 40-year-olds who are senile and 80-year-olds who are razor sharp. I too hope the Dems retake the white house and start cleaning up the terrible mess Bush & Co have made, but this isn't the way.
There are many MANY legitimate, issues-based reasons to vote Democratic, but this isn't one of them. We're better than that.
Nostradamus McCain sees the future.
I see him giving up "gulf" to show solidarity with the parents of soldiers lost in the war with Iran.
Good thing for us it will never happen.
Everyone else here who's said we need to get off the age thing is right, since the point is that he's senile, not that he's old. I'd much rather have a sharp minded 90-year-old as president than, say, Rick Santorum.
Regarding this post specifically, I don't think you've really hit on anything, since VP is of course a lower position than president. Sort of the inverse of how a person at 40 may be considered too to be a Chairman of the Board, but is fine as a vice-chairman, a person who's 70 may be too old to be vice-president but not too old to be president.
Besides, McCain is simply not fit to be president (or a senator, for that matter). Not because he's old, but because he's uninformed, extremely short-tempered, willing to change his position at the drop of a hat for political mobility, and just an all-around awful human being. He may be looking to be the oldest president ever, but that's really quite irrelevant.
Sven @ 36:
This.
Different people age differently. When I worked with Arthur Miller, he was 82 years old. His mind was sharper than anyone's I'd known. My grandmother was bright as a whip until late into her eighties. Others I've known to show diminished capacity in their fifties.
For democrats to set an arbitrary age that's "too old" to be of public service is for us to embrace prejudice. If/when McCain shows that diminished capacity, jump on it, by all means -- just as we did when Reagan was going nuts. In the meantime, there are too many other issues -- real issues -- that makes McCain unsuitable to run our country, issues for which Democrats have better goals, ideas, and solutions. That should be our focus.
John McCain talks about his mother's age as a testament to how he has the genes to live a long life. Does anyone know how old his father was when he passed?
Darrell Kern @ 30:
Ok, you're absolutely right, and thats fine in theory - but that's not what's going to happen, senior citizens will vote in this election whether we like it or not, so we don't need to be pissing them off. We need their votes, period.
it ain't the age, it's the corruption and the
inconsistencylies.Age? Ronald Reagan. 'Nuff said. You want THAT again? Just because someone is older, does not make them wiser.
There are a ton of reasons not to vote for McCain, but age is not one of them.
There are plenty of people in their seventies who have more brains in their little finger than
Obama has in his whole carcass.
Ralph Nader, for one.
(uh oh - here come the "Nader cost us the election" brigades.)
He's definitely too old as has been discussed on C&L for quite some time. McFeeble can not be president, he's a warmonger and would destroy this country.
Richard @ 33:
But McCain is 72, not too fit and not too sane either or at least has serious anger issues.
PLus theres a lot of reasons for many people to distrust and dislike him for the various things he has participated in over the years.
If Arizonians want a doddery old Senator representing them in DC, thats their prerogative and misdooing, McCain as POTUS would be a major cluster F%$#, and prob the final nail in the coffin of the USA.
Kuparuk @ 39:
One of the reasons that people who consider themselves to be liberal are making McCain's age the issue is
because on many substantive issues, Hamas for one, Obama is no different than McCain.
McCain says out of Iraq by 2013. Obama says 2012. Whew! That's exciting.
Obama is shifting to the right as far as his little legs will carry him.
So his flock of devotees talk about McCain's age.
They would rather be buggered by the younger guy.
We are not going to be in Iraq for 100 years, a lame candidate for president, McDole, does not determine what the foreign policy of this country will be long after he is dead and Bush is hopefully executed for war crimes. Obama will try to get us out of Iraq in 2009, he has said this many times in his stump speeches.
PeterRabbit @ 47:
If you are worried about Obama's campaign points, you should be hiding under the covers in your bed after listening to Hill's talking points. She wants to bomb everyone including McCain's Iraqistan.
Geo @ 48:
Ya, ok. That is one place where I truly don't believe any of these lying bastards but McCain. At least he gives an honest timeline. Dems are lying. The US will be in Iraq until the oil is sucked dry, or they are kicked out forcefully by someone, or for decades whatever comes first.
ConcernedCanuck @ 49:
Yeah Cannuck. That’s all you got. Hillary is worse than Obanter. Even there, I think you’re wrong. Obummer says that nuking Iran ain’t all that bad an idea - and let’s hop over into Pakistan while we’re at it.
On a good day, he'd bomb his own grandma.
But, I digress. Hillary is not going to be the nominee of the party.
The big eared phony from Illinois is going to be the one flushing us down the toilet.
Look McCain has PTSD and is in the first stages of Alzheimer, what is so hard to understand
still waiting for the medical/military records john.
ConcernedCanuck @ 49:
then obamas statement about him sending troops across the border into pakistan after osama bin laddin and alkida training camps is out of the question then?
Dwight David Eisenhower:
No one should ever sit in this office over 70 years old, and that I know.
Granted that he said it before 80 turned into the new 40, but I can personally say that my 63-year-old father refers to mcsame as an old fart...
Well, in all fairness, the "maximum age" for VP should probably be younger than the "maximum age" for POTUS, as it's become the custom (mostly) for Vice-Presidents to run for President after the sitting POTUS's term is expired.
To give these gents their due, the VP job is rougher than the P job in terms of age. A President need only be available for 4-8 years -- VPs may step up to the presideny in 7 or 8 years, then be expected to lead their party to the presidency. It is a worse deal, possibly involving a 16 year span.
McCain will lose the first few formal debates to Obama, maybe even big time. But...once the fall debates have reached the looser, more informal style, people unfamiliar with McCain will see his shoot-from-the-hip town hall style, his ability to think on his feet, and the age issue will go away. You might not like his politics, but the guy is pretty sharp. NOBODY else opens himself up for scrutiny from the media like he does, marathon give-and-take sessions -- and they love him for it. Yes, it means they get him with 'gotcha' gaffes, but he's they only one that is secure enough to not test every comment with a focus group before he says it. Somebody asked David Gregory about the age thing, and he laughed and said that journalists in their 30s and 40s couldn't keep up with him. I'm not crazy about somebody over the age of 70 in the White House myself, unless the guy is a notable exception that still has his mojo --I think McCain actually does. Two terms? Probably not. But probably one for sure.
And the accusation about him changing positions in the name of political expediency sounds a little off to me. Remember, MCain's the guy who went to Michigan -TWICE - and told out-of-work carmakers that "the jobs aren't coming back, you have to learn new skills." He lost the Michigan primary to Romney days later, who pandered with "I'll fight for every job until they come back.".....I saw McCain about a week ago, back in Michigan, and was glad to see him still telling the truth: "your jobs aren't coming back. You have to adapt." Not politically expedient, but truthful. I'm not as crazy about McCain as I was in 1999-2000, but I still respect him.
That being said, he's not my guy this year. I'm writing in Ron Paul.
living-abomination @ 41:
Sorry but you are wrong. The seniors in this country have been indoctrinated and brainwashed old school style when it worked effectively. I love my parents but the truth is they don't really know what is going on in this country. When I try to tell them they literally nod off, get up and leave, or tell me I have become too cynical. They believe that the president really thought there were weapons of mass destruction! They and nor do their friends believe that there is anything suspicious about 9/11 and they believe the official commission report!
Because of their own mortality and their usefulness as a senior is how an assbag like McCain could get elected.
Also I would not worry too much about the comments section in Crooks and Liars because most of the seniors today still get their news via the television.
My comment here will not alienate seniors because they will not likely see this or even know about Crooks and Liars.
i spent hours last month, organizing, so i could do my taxes, which i did, and i found this old AARP newsletter interview with mccain. these are the last few paragraphs, march 2001:
Americans without deep pockets don't have a voice, McCain says "The rich and powerful special interests sit in the front of the room with a megaphone and [ordinary people] are in the back of the room whispering, because of the influence of huge amounts of money that wash around this town in a wave that continues to grow."
How could reform change that? It would encourage grass-roots activity, he says. Candidates would do more one-on-one campaigning at factory gates, town halls and neighborhood rallies. Without soft money, he says, we could have "a far more level playing field...between the very rich and average citizens."
That's the way it was. he says. when he first ran for a House seat, in 1982. Speaking of campaigns, does he plan another bid for the White House?
"No, " he laughs. "Perhaps I shouldn't say this to AARP, but Father Time is catching up with me a little bit. Frankly, I think I had my shot at it."
What constitutes a senior in your definition, by the way? When we marched in DC three times in the last 2 and a half years, there was a lot of grey hair there.....
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