Ageism and John McCain: A Personal View

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George Bernard Shaw in middle age took a walk through a British village cemetery and came upon a gravestone which bore a remarkable inscription. It advised that the woman buried there had "Died - Age 76. Cut down in the prime of life." He was so smitten with the sentiment on that stone, and the beliefs of the people who lived in this village about the value of old age, that he determined to settle down there where he passed not only the prime of his life, but continued to live and work productively well into his nineties. Shaw never settled for the old canard that it was natural to be liberal in one's youth and a conservative in old age. The young Fabian reformer remained alive in the old Shaw.

I write this as a man in the prime of his life, and one who rejects John McCain not because he is a fellow septuagenarian but because he is an arrogant, ignorant, and dangerous politician. I take exception to the view that he is drifting into senility, or soon will, and that he will be a danger to the country because age will wither his brain and leave only a choleric warmonger to press a button that blows us all to smithereens. John McCain would be a danger to this country at 46; no, he would have been a danger at 25. What makes him a threat and a hazard to us all are his lifelong beliefs -- militaristic beliefs he held as a young man, and ones he shares with a lesser man, George W. Bush, about how to deal with domestic problems and foreign policy. He may be the real deal -- a true tough guy -- but we've had so many phony ones -- W. standing in flight jacket before "Mission Impossible" that we have come to suspect the alleged tough guy as leader. And we have every reason to do so. Domestically, these tough guys offer the poor tough love and the rich their true allegiance; their favorite wars are the class wars which they execute with great skill and subtlety. We might well call it trickle down compassion. In so many circumstances tough is a synonym for dumb -- it replaces posturing and bellicosity for thought and real policy. Americans can no longer afford such posturing and still hope that their families will be safe in this world -- but this has nothing to do with McCain's age -- unless all the John Wayne movies he was exposed to in his youth did something to warp his young brain. No, I don't dispute McCain's courage, his sacrifice and his past service to the country, but unfortunately that courage and service is irrelevant in today's world where intelligence, probity, and the ability to forge alliances are more meaningful than ever. We must not judge him on his age but on who he is and what he stands for today.

If we demand that people regard Barack Obama as an individual beyond his race -- and Hillary Clinton as a leader beyond her sex -- then we must give McCain his due and not judge him by his 72 years. Age does not make John McCain a threat to this country's future. John McCain's beliefs do.

Comments

[JoePalooka]

We are lucky that John McCain came from the John Wayne era. This country has gone to hell in a handbasket since cynical liberal crybabies infected our political discourse and the inherent pride in our masculine heritage gained in taming the Wild West. We need a straight shooter in the Whitehouse!

[MizJ]

John McCain should not be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office. Age aside, this guy has an agenda and it goes much further than Bush/Cheney. He wants an all out war with Iran which will set the entire Middle East on fire. That Armageddon we have been hearing about, stay tuned because that is where he and the "gang" are headed. And with the current imbalance of presidential powers that have been granted to Bush, he will do it without having to confer with congress. This is the danger that the last 8 years have wrought. Really scary and very dangerous.

[scepticalobserver]

I'm sixty, in good health and seem to have all of my cognitive functions intact and I damn sure don't think that I could handle the stress of the presidency. They age quickly and McCain doesn't have a lot of margin to play with.

The most powerful nation on the planet, with the greatest war machine in history, needs someone younger than him at the helm. If that's ageism, so be it. Just my opinion, but at my age I'm entitled to it.

[strifeknot]

Nader's pretty old, but still more qualified than McCain, Obama, and Clinton combined.

[stupidme]

John McCain's age will be the most often cited reason for his loss in the general election. He is going to make mistakes and get sloppy, as the demands of the campaign will be too much for him to overcome. It's that simple. The Media, that for the most part have been his enablers, will become his greatest adversary.

[outnow]

At the age of 72, there is a higher incidence of dementia. You state that John McCain shows no evidence of dementia; it is his beliefs that disqualify him. The early cognitive decline in dementia starts about three years prior to the second stage. Rather simple tests can be used to diagnose the onset. I see some signs of forgetfulness and confusion in John McCain's recent public statements. I also saw this mental decline in Ronald Reagan. Now I'm getting old enough to show some myself. The onset of dementia is typically between 50 and 80 in most individuals with the majority of the cases beginning around 70. Not all people get dementia. But age is a risk factor.

It is different to discriminate against a candidate on the basis of age which can increase the likelihood of age-related mental conditions than on the basis of gender and/or race. Ronald Reagan was unable to testify in a deposition about the Iran/Contra affair while William Casey, former director of the CIA, had a brain tumor and died. I don't want old gung ho John McCain getting confused in the White House. I beg to differ with you - I do see signs of dementia.

I favor complete neurological and psychological examination of any president before he takes office - and periodically thereafter for national security reasons. Who knows - the Vice President may actually take over unofficially as did George H.W. Bush or Dick Cheney.

[BlueAsh]

I have a lot of respect for Senator McCain. I voted for him in Virginia in 2004. And I do not think people should be discriminated against because of their age. That said, I am telling you that I will pay close attention to his choice of running mate, precisely because of his age. You may have an elderly parent, grandparent, or an in-law that you love dearly, but you may not be too thrilled with them driving themselves--you may strongly suggest (as many do) that they give up their driver's licenses. Is that fair to the elderly person? Does that mean you don't love them?

[appleknocker]

Age is not the only cause of cognitive impairment. Prolonged substance abuse (Bush), heart attacks (Cheney), serial concussions (Jack Kemp) can all cause brain damage. But whenever I suggest that all presidential and vice-presidential candidates undergo neurological screening, it's treated as a joke. Why?

[shaggles]

How much serious criticism has there been of McCain's age? I haven't heard much. I've heard it as the punch line to jokes and even though that's wrong it's probably not that damaging to his campaign.

[Steamboater]

Age DOES contribute to John McCain's irrational nbeliefs about victory in Iraq. Some people grow old and have learned from the past. McCain is old and hasn't learned a thing. He's frozen in a time warp of Vietnam where glorious and illustrious men also fought a war that should never have been fought but not having learned anything from Vietnam, McCain prides himself as a warrior still looking for a war he can win--at America's expense. So, ageism does come into play in his case.

[ponderman]

Great piece, Mr. Yellen. I certainly hope we see more of these kinds of blogs before November. As a 72 year old, I can't believe some of the crap I hear coming through John McCain's clenched teeth. He is a walking powder keg with a short fuse.

[Veronica]

Good post, Sherman. The McCain campaign will be sending you a complimentary copy of "John McCains Virtual Fireplace" as a gesture of thanks.

[chefrasta]

It is not so much that I judge him by his age it is what is age represent,glory thru war,honor even if its based on a lie and a immoral war, and a Euro centric view is good for the world. Boomers and the greatest generation thank you for your service but your time has passed and its time to exit and let the new generation solve the problems you created.

[grendl]

There's a profound difference between Senator John McCain and George W, the current king of America.

If, by some fluke, George W. had not served in the national guard in Texas, and actually had to serve alongside fellow soldiers in Viet Nam, and if he were captured by the enemy, do you think, upon them finding out his father was of some standing, an admiral in McCain's case, and offering to release him he would decline, and stay with his fellow POW's?

Hell no. George W. found a way not to serve. He would find any way he could out of that POW camp. He is a survivor, a self serving, live and let die survivor. John McCain has more honor than that.

But that doesn't mean John McCain is smarter. A sense of loyalty to ones platoon is important, but he never grasped the big picture in Viet Nam. The people were too busy starving, and weathering debilitating attacks upon their infrastructure, and families from the United States, to even consider what we were trying to deliver to them.

John McCain thinks maintaining the course in Viet Nam was the answer. He saw leaving as a disgrace, something no doubt taught to him by his father ( much higher in rank than he ). But pleasing your dad is no reason to stay in an unwinnable war. Nor is it a reason to declare war in the first place, as George Jr. did.

[Kundera]

Well tell that to all the bigots on this site. If you changed the word woman or black for old, maybe some of these hateful people would see the difference.