Should John McCain's age (he'll be 72 on election day) be a factor in the U.S. presidential election campaign?

No, not any more than McCain should emphasize his opponent`s youth and inexperience.

No question about it, McCain is too old. I'd say the same thing, regardless of his party. He may be healthy now, but if he is elected, he would be 76 at the end of his second term. Imagine if he decides to run for reelection and won. He'd be 80 in the last year of his presidency. There is no way that an 80-year-old man could cope with the rigor of being president, of dealing with crises. It's a physiological fact of life: a man that age is not physically or mentally as sharp.

At worst I see McCain at the end of his term looking like Pope John Paul II in the Oval Office. I can see him vetoing bills all hunched over and practically disabled. At best I see a senior citizen that is already older than 90% of the population and just a grouchy old man that has lost touch with the views and lifestyle of the average American.

it's definitely a factor in japanese politics...a kid of 72 would never stand a chance

72 is an old fart.

Imagine if we were to share the deliruim of the republicans and say he gets, heh, elected for 2 terms.

He'll be a sprightly 80 years of age.

That'sd no longer an old fart. That's geriatric.

Very good point madverts.

Chirac had the decency to step down at what - 75?

Rilly makes you wonder about Britain of half a century ago and the whole Churchill thing, wot?

The old coot was made PM at 76!

pathat ( 03:45 ) - I see you remember what Reagan said in a debate with Walter Mondale.

Obama and McCain have agreed to campaign together. They're billed as Ebony and History.

Uh, adverts:

I'd rather vote for an "old fart" than a young whippersnapper.

Hey, uh, sarge...it's your vote mate. I just think 72 is over the hill and out of touch with Reality.

Good point super-d;

Chirac stepped down at 75. Stepped down. An he was definitely and old fart.

So you won't be voting for McCain then?

Sarge: Yes, and I think the idea of the other candidate`s youth, and especially inexperience, is entirely relevant this time, and not a tongue-in-cheek remark to liven up a presidential election campaign whose outcome was pretty much already decided by the time of the remark in question.

In the end, I think it is sad that the two main choices we will have are McCain and Obama. My vote will probably be cast for a third-party candidate; exactly who I am not sure yet.

super-d;

"It goes without saying that a white, nominally Republican male of McCain's age is fair game for all sorts of inuendos and outright slurs."

At his age he should be quietly living out retirement in a Florida duplex.

Mr. McCain's may be a calculated risk, but I would rather go with a calculated risk than a certified risk that the democrats are proposing.

RR

Age is going to be a big factor to him with all the stress & strain he might receive, not to mention what he did receive before, if he becomes President-----far more they any of us can imagine. I speak a one to be 78 yrs of age come middle of July. I know my days of h/gun shooting & as an instructor are limited as are riding motorcycles of sportbike form to mowing my lawn, to many bones broken in my body to eye opertions still going on. One's system tends to break down when older.

Things start to hit you when your age is around the old side.

Sure it should, just as much as Obama's "race" or Hillary's "gender" should be a factor in the election

nobody care about US election...! Is Japantoday or US today?

If 76 year old Ted Kennedy isn't too young to be a senator, come January 72 year old McCain isn't too old to be president.

His age should be no problem, since Iran is going to be his "Viagra" for the next four years.

Tatanka - No, it's not.

Dementia should disqualify him

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/325.html

If Obama's race is a factor and Clinton's gender is a factor, then yes, McCain's age should be a factor

I think it is not just to tie the Senators qualification exclusively to his age. For example the first German post-war Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, was also 72 at the time of his inauguration and he stayed in office for twelve years. He was an experienced politician and, even though not very keen on opposition and a bit excentric in the end, he managed the gigantic tasks of the time with bravour.

Until he shows it's a problem, it shouldn't be assumed that it's going to be a problem. That could be called discrimination in a sense. And like Sebarashii said, there have been older people to go into office before, and for more than four years.

His age doesn't matter to me unless I really dislike his choice for VP.

It's the wrong question. It shouldn't be about age but about whether he has a character that is fit to lead his country. For one thing he has a vicious temper. He also lies like GW. See that url I posted a few posts back if you haven't already. No temper displayed but you do get the lies : ) Interestingly, he met with the Rothchilds in London a few weeks ago - never a good sign.

he will soon be old enough to hide his own easter eggs

In the US we have laws banning age discrimination, even if he is up there in age, he has a very good chance of surviving the next 8 years if he is elected into office.

treebeard, are you saying a women or a black person can suffer from demita as likly as a man in his mid 70s or a range of aother conditions for thst matter. everybody gets old but when you are old you are old

I think so. Gotta have a ship shape leader of the free world.