Let's Talk Age

When asked about his age, McCain usually offers a cool retort...that most people seem to expect to see the septuagenarian drooling into a paper cup. Far from it, Senator McCain is a survivor. He has been more up front with his medical history than any recent candidate for the office, often noting how his nonagenarian mother toured Europe last year...and when the rental agency would not give her a car due to her age, she bought one.

Despite the anecdotal evidence, we know Americans are living longer. And the longevity breeds experience, the kind of long-view experience that only McCain offers in this election cycle. He has seen it all, as a combat veteran (the ONLY top tier combat veteran in the election, on both sides) and as a career public servant. For some reason however, the idea of someone serving over 50 is scaring pollsters. So much so, that by age alone, most Americans think that anyone over 70 is too old for the White House.

Too old? Reagan was 68 and served into his midseventies and did not miss a beat. We have had in recent memory "older" presidents. Only since the baby boomers began running for office as the idea of a 48 year-old president become a model. And the truth is, when you think of the blunders of Bush and Clinton, maybe an extra decade on the clock is what we need, a seasoned leader, who has seen it all several times, who knows exactly what does not work in government and has been around long enough to know when to reach across the aisle, and when to throw fire.