by Frank James
Earlier I wrote about the campaign of Sen. John McCain, the expected Republican nominee, using teenagers as a backdrop yesterday in an apparent effort to make his effort look a little more MySpace and a little less Leisure World.
Now we learn that McCain himself, evidently gives off a youthful vibe. Gallup has an interesting poll out. Evidently, McCain's age (he's 71) is less of an issue with voters than Sen. Bob Dole's was in 1996 when he was the GOP nominee.
Twenty-seven percent of American adults in February 1996 said Dole was too old to be president. Twenty percent this year say McCain is too old.
In fact, Dole was slightly older during his run for the presidency than McCain is this year. Dole was born in July 1923, making him 72 and 73 during the course of the 1996 campaign year. McCain was born in August 1936, making him 71 now and 72 in the fall. (McCain would be the oldest president to be elected for the first time if he were to win in November.)
Of some comfort to McCain is the fact that Americans on average perceive him to be slightly younger than his real age. When the public is asked to guess McCain's age, the average of all guesses puts McCain at 67. The majority of Americans -- 57% -- guess that he is 70 or younger, including 35% who say he is 65 or younger. A small 4% say he is 76 or older.
So maybe McCain doesn't need to use high schoolers as props, after all?
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Comments
It's the issues..not the age, why I won't vote for him.
Posted by: bill r. | February 28, 2008 12:46 PM
I will NOT be voting for senator John Mccain BOMB BOMB BOMB.
Why?
Becasue his policies are no different from that of George W. Bush.
We need to turn the page from BUSH/CLINTON/BUSH jr-MCCAIN/CLINTON.
Posted by: Amanda | February 28, 2008 1:00 PM
McCain looks like a doddering old man that wandered off from his nursing home. Take the old fool back home and put him to bed. You guys have GOT to be joking with this crap. That's your candidate? Ha Ha Ha Ha.....
Posted by: Mrs. Jesus | February 28, 2008 1:07 PM
"THE CHAIRMAN SPEAKS"
I CAN HANG WITH THE BEST OF THEM. I DRINK GERITOL, I GOT A BETTER MEDICARE D PACKAGE THAN MOST AMERICANS. I HAVE HEALTHCARE, I'VE BEEN TO THE DOCTOR. I'M GOOD TO GO!
"I WILL FOLLOW BIN LADEN TO THE GATES OF HELL"
I'VE BEEN THERE, I KNOW WHERE THE GATES ARE! I'VE HEARD THE VOICES TOO.
I'M 73 YEARS OLD, BORN IN A CANAL, I'M A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN, SO WHAT IF I DON'T QUALIFY FOR A "REAL ID" MY DNA SPEAKS FOR ITSELF 72-73 YEARS OLD DOCUMENTED AMERICAN CITIZEN!
I LOOK BETTER THAN A 40 YEAR OLD LOBBYIST I ONCE KNEW! SHOW ME 73 YEARS ON THIS OLD BODY OF MINE.
BARRACK IS A YOUNG MAN. HILLARY CLINTON IS STILL A YOUNG WOMAN IN AMERICA.
SO WHAT!, SO WHAT!
Posted by: Roger Morris | February 28, 2008 1:07 PM
Age isn't the issue.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | February 28, 2008 1:14 PM
John McCain/Bush gives off a youthful vibe???
They must have been polling a bunch of 90 year olds at a retirement home.
http://photobucket.com/mediadetail/?media=http%3A%2F%2Fi265.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii208%2Fchantel567%2Fjohn_mccain.jpg&searchTerm=john%20mccain&pageOffset=6
Posted by: John E | February 28, 2008 1:16 PM
Good thing he ditched his first wife after her horrific auto accident. The wealthy heiress he had an affair with can afford expensive face creams to give him a more youthful appearance and mask the signs of aging.
Posted by: john | February 28, 2008 1:49 PM
McCain was rated WAY ahead of both Hillary and Obama on the question of "who do you believe is the most effective at leadership" by a recent LA Times poll but you won't see that here. We're too busy discussing superficial polls like this one.
"I just think he's older, he's more experienced, and he's got the betterment of the country in mind," said Robert Fear, 79, a registered Democrat from Newton, Ill., who said he planned to support McCain in November.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-poll27feb27,0,5452138.story
Posted by: Jeff | February 28, 2008 2:03 PM
Frank James shows off his age-ist Bigot side in this article.
Can't we keep age-ism out of bounds in this campaign?
Posted by: Cronkite | February 28, 2008 3:28 PM
HAH HAH! Jeff quotes someone whose last name is Fear. He's voting for the GOP because their fear mongering has made him wet his pants. The notion he's a Democrat is laughable as well. In his quote he's implying neither Clinton nor Obama have the "betterment of the country in mind". That is something only a highly charged partisan would say. Rational people know Democrats don't hate America, Republicans don't hate America, they both have different ideas on how to best run America. Nice try Jeff.
Posted by: jethro | February 28, 2008 4:50 PM
Bruce,
Stop stealing the names of respected journalists! Use your own name. Pathetic.
Posted by: jethro | February 28, 2008 4:51 PM
I love reading comments here by the far left. I must confess that McCain polls way better than I ever would expect. If you consider how much supposedly the public hates the current administration, the dems should be steamrolling over any republican candidate especially at this time with the dems way outspending the republicans and the frenzy over Obama. So when I see above attacks that are just meant to smear and have nothing to do with policy, I would say many are worried that he is doing so well. Funny it is the liberal left and the righteous right that are the most worried. It is the average guy in the middle with some common sense that can wait to see how each issue is addressed by the two candidates and then make their choice.
Posted by: Verycold | February 28, 2008 4:54 PM
Not only is McCain nearly 100 years old and acting senile, he's also got his head so far up George W Bush's butt that you almost can't tell the difference between them when McCain is speaking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE3jLCC_rwo
McCain can surround himself with as many college Republicans as he want's, he not going to fool anyone into believeing that he's anything other than what he really is:
Old Time Crooked Washington Politics,
Posted by: justchuck | February 28, 2008 5:06 PM
Jethro, I do agree with this statement: "Rational people know Democrats don't hate America, Republicans don't hate America, they both have different ideas on how to best run America."
Posted by: Jeff | February 28, 2008 5:16 PM
So Jethro doesn't believe a single Democrat would vote for McCain? I suppose you also don't believe in Obama-cans, then? Many of them also use "highly charged partisan" phrases to explain their choice for president. Does that invalidate what they tell reporters?
Posted by: JB | February 28, 2008 9:30 PM
No JB, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying this guy is not much of a Democrat if he thinks that the 2 Democrat candidates don't have the "betterment of the country in mind". Get it?
Posted by: jethro | February 29, 2008 10:36 AM
Sen. McCain - strivectin SD. The question is if he does become a president- will he be carrying an oxygen tank by his 2nd year in office?
Posted by: shorty30 | March 5, 2008 9:15 AM