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Playing the age card against McCain — 22 Comments

  1. I dont know that Romney is a theist. He certainly does appear to be a better conservative.

  2. The age issue seems to be a peculiar American invention and defies the time in which we live (people live longer) and the world at large (age is good and means experience and wisdom). One can think of Franklin, Andy Jackson who seems to have always been old, Churchill, DeGaul, Conrad Adenauer of Germany, Nelson Mandela, David Ben Gurion, Neru, Indira Ghandi, even Krushchev as older and wiser and respected for their experience. America seems confined too much to youthful callowness and fresh rather than lined faces.

    If only “Fast Willy” had the more maturity of age, perhaps he would have avoided the Monica “problem.” But then he would already have had the Flowers or Jones problem, or the other trouser issues that seems to have confronted him constantly.

    I suspect that I prefer a President with maturity and a “settled” libido, along with a fierce determination to follow long held convictions. I prefer a healthy argument over real issues and not inexperience and superficiality. So I suspect I will take “Old” John McCain, who in an interview observed about himself that, ” I am as old as dirt and have more scars than Frankenstein, but I do what I belive is right for America.”

  3. I’m three years older than McCain and I am amazed at the energy he has. The Presidency need not be a job that requires robust physical health (ala Roosevelt) but it certainly requires a sharp mind and the ability to delegate wisely. It also requires the resolve to be able to make the decision to send young men and women into harm’s way. I hope McCain has those qualities. I don’t think he’s particularly demonstrated them during the debates.

    As a libertarian leaning conservative, I have many differences with McCain. Because of that I am literally amazed at the votes he is getting in the primaries. I guess it shows that we conservatives are not as numerous as we thought. I see so many conservatives who, like Limbaugh and Coulter, would not vote for him. Obviously someone is voting for him, unless, conspiracy alert, the primaries are rigged. (LOL) There are apparently a lot of moderate or middle of the road Republicans who seem to think he’s great.

    Well, if he’s the choice I will certainly support him over Obama or Clinton’s Mama.

  4. Perhaps it’s a sign of my age, but I see the age of McCain compared to Obama as an advantage. Of course, I think Democrats are essentially adolescents anyway, with appearance merely emphasizing that.

  5. We need McCain as the nominee. Events on the groound are picking back up in Iraq.

    Already, however, radical antiwar types are celebrating the carnage, proclaiming today’s violence as proof that the surge not only failed, but that the shift in U.S. strategy under General David Petraeus was a scam, an “unscrupulous” bait-and-switch promotion full of “artificial manipulations” and “relative metrics” designed to hoodwink American public opinion.

    See, “Security in Iraq: Will Surge Gains Hold?”

    http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/security-in-iraq-will-surge-gains-hold.html

  6. Yeah, I knew liberals would celebrate the deaths of 70 human beings because of how they would be able to use that as a reason for why we should abandon the rest of the population to that fate. Because shoving democracy down a liberals throat is worse for them than the idea of using mentally retarded women as remote controlled bombs. This is why real leadership in the White House is so important. I mean real leadership.

    If McCain is all we have left and Obama is the Democrat front runner, you will see me at the polls marking my ballot for McCain. However, if its a contest between Hillary and McCain, I dont know that there’s enough of a difference between the two to tear me away from a beer commercial.

  7. JimmyJ is right. Where do I sign up for AltaKockers for McCain? Not that Romney is evil, despite being from Michigan, but I can’t see how our pudits can get so whoopsed-up about Mac’s transgressions. I mean, for God’s sake, Mitt was governor of freakin’ Mass! What about all his left-leaning leadership there?

    Those threatening to head for the hills and wait for the mothership need to live in a blue state or area and enjoy our crime and taxes and third-worldie folderol. Then go to vote and see their dream come true, no other candidate to vote for but left wing Dems.

  8. McCain’s melanoma history, based on my search, is that he had a 1st melanoma removed from “a” shoulder (side not specified) in 1993. Melanomas 2 and 3 were simultaneously excised from skin of left temple and left arm August 2000, with “widely clear” margins. The left temple must’ve been of more concern to the Mayo docs, since he had lymphoscintigraphy-guided lymph node sampling for that one—node(s) were negative. Thus the post-surgical distortion of his left lower face.

    But depth of invasion of the 2000 melanomas was not stated in anything I found, and that is critical data: as depth of skin invasion doubles, from 0.4 millimeters to 0.8, survival is halved, from ~80% to ~40%.

    Melanomas are notorious for late (>5 yr interval) recurrences.

  9. Well Cappy, what I’m asking for the mothership to beam down, is a Republican candidate that isnt offering amnesty to illegal aliens, threatening to close down Gitmo, extend civil rights to Achmed the bomb-maker and pretend global warming is real and taxing me for it the best way to solve it. I feel a conservative mother ship ought to produce conservative candidates, and right now Romney appears to be that guy, and not Juan McCain, “the Maverick” who quite frankly in my opinion is too old, wears bad ties and has only been somewhat conservative sounding only very recently.

    If this is all the mothership is going to send me, it needn’t have bothered making the trip.

    Oh, and BTW, I live in Oregon.

  10. I’m surprised that more neo-cons aren’t actively pushing for Romney. Romney’s main problem seems to be that he’s too neat or plastic or somesuch. Yet, in this very curious election time, with all the flawed candidates, Romney seems to be fairly well suited to the job of President. McCain strikes me as a cranky loose cannon, Obama is an empty suit, and Clinton is a replay of Clintoniansim, whatever that is.

    I’d love to get some feedback from commenters on this site about why Romney is or isn’t the best candidate. Thank you, thoughtful commenters.

  11. Regarding the age issue–I’ve noticed that people age at quite different rates and that outward appearance doesn’t really reflect stamina or mental acuity. I could give many examples from my own family and friends, and I’m sure you could all do the same. For me, age is–in itself–not an issue.

  12. I worked with melanoma patients in a laboratory devoted to curing this form of cancer and studied literature on the subject. While it certainly most aggressive among solid tumors, it also most easily diagnosted and operated, and if still limited to skin, has very good chances for complete cure. I also seen several cases of spontaneous remission long enough to consider them full recovery.

  13. McCain’s age doesn’t really bother me. However, I’m in my mid-50s and I have trouble thinking as quickly as I once did. It must be harder even when you’re a good 71.

    In this week’s Republican debate, McCain seemed to lose his train of thought at least once, maybe twice. He recovered somewhat, but only by repeating the same response he began the discussion with. I was watching not all that attentively, but I did notice that slightly blank look on his face and it actually surprised me.

    If he is having trouble physically, that’s another problem. Its true Roosevelt was in a wheelchair and Kennedy had debilitating back problems. But the media didn’t generally show those physical weaknesses to the public with either presidents.

    MSM is not going to shield a president’s obvious physical ailment from the public these days, particularly a Republican president, even though right now they’re all thumbs up for McCain.

    An American president must appear strong and capable to the world stage. If McCain needs help entering a limo or climbing stairs to a helicopter, the impression is of feebleness.

    If the Newsweek report that McCain has problems walking or climbing stairs is true, when will we see it in the media?

    After the Republican party nomination, most likely.

  14. “I will not make an issue of my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” —Ronald Reagan

  15. Personally I was expected McCain will get good position running to the election and here he is no longer dead horse,

    The age issue for some may like to play this issue but all in all shouldn’t be an issue neoneo right when she brought Dick Cheney as an example with all his health problem he still in the office carry his responsibilities despite frequent check in/out of hospitals.
    Ahead for McCain or the other side winner a hard time from economy crises and unemployment all these big issues need energy and wise sharp sited man. Who will be fits these?

    But what interesting about McCain with his politic life he is a savvier, from POW in vitamin, now his son serving with US trop in Iraq these an added values to him.

    The other interesting thing about him in 2001 when McCain nearly abandoned GOP! May be this why those moderate democrats encouraged voting for him.

    But in the end there is one factor will stand to the race for presidency this is Israeli factor

    http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2008/feb/01/clinton_obama_the_anti_israel_factor

    So what is a candidate to say, particularly about the Arab-Israeli conflict?
    I’ve written this before. A candidate should say: “If I am elected President, I will do everything in my power to bring about negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of achieving peace and security for Israel and a secure state for the Palestinians. As a supporter of Israel, I believe that Israel’s surest route to security is by reaching an agreement with the Palestinians. Furthermore, I believe that achieving an equitable Israeli-Palestinian agreement will advance America’s interests throughout the Middle East and the Muslim world. Peace between Israel and the Arabs will only be achieved by means of US leadership and I intend to provide it.”
    That should be the basic message just as it should be our basic policy.
    By M.J. Rosenberg
    M.J. Rosenberg is the Director of Policy Analysis for Israel Policy Forum (IPF), a position he has held since the spring of 1998.

    http://www.ipforum.org/display.cfm?rid=1384

  16. We have seen recently that every action of US diplomacy to revive so-called “peace process” in Israel-Palestinian conflict have produced only negative results – escalation of Palestinian terror. It is time to understand that this horse is dead, no sense to beat it. Only unambiguos defence of Israel right to defence herself, without any reservations and conditions, can reign in terrorists. The real goal is produce desperation among them, to kill any hope that their cause can succeed.

  17. As all polls show, in 2009 there will be a new premier-minister in Israel, and his name is Netanyahu. So next US president should explain how he/she will cooperate with Likud government, not with Kadima government.

  18. I thought that the Quindlen piece was inexcusable. It will get worse. Think of the stamina it would take just to travel the country again and again to campaign in person. Running for president is not for the infirm.
    Still I don’t know if I totally buy your comparisons to FDR and LBJ. 64 may not be old by our standards, but I hardly think that in 1945 a 64 year old could expect to live twenty more years either. My grandfather died a few years after LBJ at the age of 64 or 65 of a heart attack. Had he lived 20 years later even, the level of care he would have received likely would have kept him alive longer as any doctor would have made him change his lifestyle.
    For their times FDR and LBJ were old. It’s just that the media respected the President’s privacy somewhat. Now we know a lot more, perhaps even too much, about our candidates.

  19. I may post this again if a good opportunity occurs …

    The Republican purists are talking about the need for a disaster–a Democratic administration–to transform the Republican party. They are seemingly oblivious to the opportunity created as the Democrats flay themselves in the primary.

    Right now, previously lukewarm AND loyal Democrats are questioning their own party as an apparently good-hearted candidate running a clean and uplifting campaign is smeared again and again by the very champions that most of that party supported enthusiastically in the past. They are hurting themselves before being elected; it will make no sense at all to give them the election. People who are grateful they could vote for an Obama will be slow to question him; people who accepted the necessity to vote for Hillary will be even slower to question her. Why let it get that far?

    Use the opportunities your opponent gives you, not the ones you hope he might.

  20. I think this site is doomed because Neoneocon is making way too much sense. I hope that Republican and other voters get a grip because the either Democrat would be a disaster for the country.

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