All the issues aside, it is very important for the safety of this nation to actually be cognizant of John McCain's age. The Senator from Arizona is currently at the age of 72, which is far above and beyond the average age of a United States President. I for one refuse to vote for John McCain unless i see an official physician's report. The man may not be able to carry out his first term, if he is to be elected president. The candidates are always arguing about each others economic policies, foreign policy, and stance on health care, when they should merely just take a look in the mirror. Barack Obama is a more presidential looking character. In my opinon, he is going to win this election due largely to the fact that people cannot see John McCain in the White House and are frankly too concerned about his old age. Another thing that is not going well for John McCain is his selection of his running mate, Governor Sarah Palin. To many people in the general voting public, she is too extreme and too off-the-wall to be this naitons's Vice President, let alone President if John McCain were to be incapable of continuing to hold office due to medical reasons.
It is very important for this country to read between the lines and realize the fact that John McCain may not be President if he is elected. Sometimes it is the most basic of things that can lose a candidate the presidency. John McCain may just be too old.
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15 comments:
Many people take issue with McCain on a variety of issues. Some Obama supporters disagree with his vow to finish the job in Iraq, others think Obama will be better for the economy. Very few people, however, have taken issue with McCain's age. In fact, in the beginning of the election race, a national poll was taken comparing the problems people had with Obama's inexperience vs. McCain's old age. The results showed that most people didn't take issue with either. That has become evident by the fact that the Obama campaign has not once questioned McCain's ability to lead on the basis of his age. If Obama doesn't attack McCain's age as a point of weakness, then surely he understands that the American people don't care about it. In addition, the results of McCain's physical are available on the internet to anyone who requires proof that he is healthy enough to become president of the United States.
I believe there is a public record of McCain's health. Believe it or not it is 1173 pages long. In contrast Obama's was one page long. This is understandable considering McCain's age, military health documents, and extensive cancer paperwork, but it still a lot of paper.
As far as Palin goes I actually believe that Palin will end up hurting McCain more than helping him. Yes, she has rallied the conservative base, but I believe she has scared off moderates by her extremely conservative viewpoints. Also, McCain is quite old, and there is a seemingly greater chance that Palin will become president than any other previous vice-president choice. This scares many people who view her as not nearly experienced or intelligent enough.
NOTE:
Actually the McCain's health records have not been released. A small group of reporters was allowed to review the 1173 page record but it has not been released to the general public.
Also I would disagree with estricker's comment on that just because Obama has not attacked McCain's age that it means the American people do not care about it. A parallel can be drawn to Obama's race. People may tell themselves (and others) that they don't care about, and McCain certainly will not openly attack Obama for being black, but it is a big factor in people's vote. Age is not race by any means, but similar behind the scenes influence does apply.
Although age does signify experience, I too am concerned about McCain's age. His stances towards policies are mildly conservative, yet if you want a real conservative, look at his vice president. If McCain becomes president and inconveniently cannot last his first term, let alone first year, in office, would the American people rather have Sarah Palin as the next president?
Overall I feel that McCain's age has given him an advantage in becoming a presidential nominee due to his vast array of experience and knowledge in politics. Nevertheless, it is also crucial to regard age as an important factor in productivity. Will the stress of McCain's potential presidency weaken McCain as he tries to win the fight in Iraq and save our economy? Or will his strength and pride be able to successfully lift our nation out of the recession?
If he becomes president, hopefully the latter.
McCain's age worries me slightly, mainly because I'm worried about what the country may look like under Palin. In my opinion, Palin was one of the worst running mates McCain could have chosen. He is basically telling the people of America "look if you vote for me then we can have a woman, however inexperienced and stupid she is, in office." However, McCain seems to be in good health and seems to have gotten his mom's longevity genes. I think the majority of the people who think McCain is too old are the youth, who like Obama because he's a better speaker, and as a result, "cooler".
I agree with Jake in that, just because Obama hasn't attacked McCain's age does not mean that the American people don't care about it. I'm sure that, while it's not a pressing issue, some people have taken into affect his age, but Obama would be heavily criticized if he made attacks about McCain's age.
I disagree with Alex in that, although there is some right to be skeptical about McCain's age, not voting for him until a physical report is released may not be the best way in going about picking your president. Many great presidents had health problems that were potentially life threatening --FDR had polio, JFK had Addison's disease, Teddy Roosevelt was bind in one eye, Grover Cleveland had a secret operation to remove a cancerous tumor removed from his jaw. Had the public seen these medical records and chosen not to vote for the candidates for these medical reasons, our country may be drastically different today. That being said, just because McCain is old, I do not believe that it makes him less qualified to be a great president. It would be a shame to see a potentially great president lose an election for medical reasons outside of his control.
I agree with Jake in that, just because Obama hasn't attacked McCain's age does not mean that the American people don't care about it. I'm sure that, while it's not a pressing issue, some people have taken into affect his age, but Obama would be heavily criticized if he made attacks about McCain's age.
I disagree with Alex in that, although there is some right to be skeptical about McCain's age, not voting for him until a physical report is released may not be the best way in going about picking your president. Many great presidents had health problems that were potentially life threatening --FDR had polio, JFK had Addison's disease, Teddy Roosevelt was bind in one eye, Grover Cleveland had a secret operation to remove a cancerous tumor removed from his jaw. Had the public seen these medical records and chosen not to vote for the candidates for these medical reasons, our country may be drastically different today. That being said, just because McCain is old, I do not believe that it makes him less qualified to be a great president. It would be a shame to see a potentially great president lose an election for medical reasons outside of his control.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/09/ftl.health.poll/index.html
This article talks about how a recent poll by CNN indicates that McCain's age does matter to voters, and that 47% of people polled are worried he will not finish his first term.
I agree there is an issue with McCain's age, but lets not forget why we elect a president. This is pretty much the same thing we have discussed in class. Should we pick these candidates based on their biographies? Should we pick a candidate based on his medical history?
If ,God forbid, something happened to McCain and he had been elected President then Palin will take his place. Palin is quite radical and many worry of this. But we must remember that the check on the president is Congress and right now the majority is Democrats. If people are unhappy with her, our democracy is designed to fight back on itself. And if things still aren't looking bright she can't do much damage in less than 4 years, considering how long it takes to get things implemented in the government. She could very well not be up for election, or elected again for that matter.
All things aside we have to focus on the issues and what each candidate can bring to the table. Not how "presidential" they look or how old and crippled they may seem.
I think once again this subject, follows the pattern of Americans focusing on the appearance of the candidates rather than the issues. In general, the Obama campaign is more approachable and therefor a campaign that many Americans feel more comfortable associating themselves with. In all aspects of American culture, people are looking for youth and that is what Obama has to offer. He is a young face that Americans have yet to see fill the shoes of President and although it is a "new" concept, Americans appear to be very comfortable with the idea. The idea of McCain's age brings fear to many Americans and maybe his "jokes" about experience arent so much as jokes but worries. Although Obama lacks experience, he makes up for it in his ability to connect with an audience and his public speaking. AMericans initially werent comfortable with the idea of a female taking office such as Hillary Clinton, and are especially uncomfortable with the idea of a potential Palin. Overall the disadvantage for the McCain-Palin campaign is their appearance and age.
McCain's age would not be such a great concern to me if he had picked a vice presidential candidate who is more acquainted with the way Washington works. Although I believe that McCain should be able to get through the first term in the White House if he is elected president but there is always that bit of uncertainty. If the president is for some reason ill while in office, it is essential for the vice president to stand up and lead the nation onward, and I just do not see that in Sarah Palin. Although she did prove to be better than what most people expected out of her at the VP debate, she is still not someone that is familiar with the way Washington operates. That aside, I do think Obama has the advantage over McCain when it comes to age. Not only does being younger make him look like the stronger candidate but it also allows more people to relate with him.
Lets face it, we all know McCain is old. But who are we to judge his ENTIRE presidency on the fact the he is old enough to be Jesus's big brother. Why cant we just forget about the very real possibility that he could literally die during next years state of the union address. Lets just HOPE for four safe years!! Isn’t that what Obama’s always saying?? Things I wrote may sound stupid, but that was intentional. Alex was right, no matter how good his policies are, they will mean nothing if McCain can’t finish out his term. We need to learn from the past. Take Lincoln’s reconstruction plan for example. Everything was going so much better for blacks under Lincoln’s reconstruction policy. They were voting and actually serving in political offices. But as soon as he dies BOOM black codes and Jim Crow laws put blacks in the same plight they were in during slavery. With that said, if McCain dies so does everything he stood for. At that point we’d be forced to rely on Palin’s judgment and decision making skills. Scary aint it?
I agree with Elon when it comes to McCain's age. I don't believe that voters will think about his age when they vote in November. As long as McCain continues to prove that he is competent in the political arena, then he people will decide based on the issues. When Reagan ran for his second term in office, a question was asked about his response to voters questions about his age. He responded, "I won't hold my opponent's youth and inexperience against him." Reagan was 73 years old when he ran for his second term.
I would also have to disagree with Jake and Alex on the issue of Sarah Palin. She has done a tremendous job of energizing the republican base and she also proved herself a capable debater in the first vice presidential debate. Moreover, many small town voters find her colloquial expressions rather appealing. Sure there will be questions about her experience, but she still represents the basic principles that republicans stand for, which makes hard core republicans more likely to vote for John McCain.
I think McCain's health is a valid issue to consider when voting. But, in my opinion, more important than that issue is the legitmimacy of his pick of Palin as his Vice Presidential Nominee. While John McCain's health can be debated, no one really knows if his health will affect his ability to carry out his duties as President. In contrast, the affect that Palin would have as potential president could be debated with knowledge of the potential consequences. Palin's often radical views could lead to a very different White House than one lead by John McCain. That is an issue that deserves to be debated.
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