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McCain’s Old Age Worse Than Rudy’s Divorces?
Race42008 ^ | 2/17/08

Posted on 02/17/2007 4:59:08 AM PST by areafiftyone

February 16, 2007

McCain’s Old Age Worse Than Rudy’s Divorces?

Could John McCain’s unprecedented old age (he would be 72 when elected) be more problematic for his presidential run than Rudy Giuliani’s rocky marital life (he has been married thrice) in 2008? The latest USA Today/Gallup Poll seems to suggest this might be the case.

The new survey asks voters what they think about certain presidential candidate quirks.

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 9-11, 2007. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

“Between now and the 2008 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates — their education, age, religion, race, and so on. If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be [see below], would you vote for that person?” Trend includes slight variation in wording.
Yes No Unsure
% % %
Catholic
2/9-11/07 95 4 1
5/30 - 6/1/03 93 5 2
2/19-21/99 94 4 2
2/3-8/37 60 30 10
Black
2/9-11/07 94 5 1
5/30 - 6/1/03 92 6 2
2/19-21/99 95 4 1
1/4 - 2/28/97 93 4 3
7/10-13/87 79 13 8
7/21-24/78 77 18 5
4/19-24/67 53 41 6
9/10-15/58 38 54 8
Jewish
2/9-11/07 92 7 2
5/30 - 6/1/03 89 8 3
2/19-21/99 92 6 2
9/10-15/58 63 29 8
2/10-15/37 46 47 8
A woman
2/9-11/07 88 11 1
5/30 - 6/1/03 87 12 1
2/19-21/99 92 7 1
7/10-13/87 82 12 6
7/21-24/78 76 19 5
4/19-24/67 57 39 4
9/10-15/58 54 41 5
1/27 - 2/1/37 33 64 3
Hispanic
2/9-11/07 87 12 1
Mormon
2/9-11/07 72 24 4
2/19-21/99 79 17 4
4/19-24/67 75 17 8
Married for the third time
2/9-11/07 67 30 3
Seventy-two years of age
2/9-11/07 57 42 1
A homosexual
2/9-11/07 55 43 2
2/19-21/99 59 37 4
4/29 - 5/2/83 29 64 7
7/21-24/78 26 66 8
Atheist
2/9-11/07 45 53 3
2/19-21/99 49 48 3
9/10-15/58 18 77 5
.
Asked of those who answered “yes” to each appropriate item above:
“Would you be completely comfortable voting for a qualified presidential candidate who was [see below], or would you have some reservations?” Combined results, based on total sample.

Completely
Comfortable
Some
Reservations
Would Not
Vote For

Unsure
% % % %

Black
2/9-11/07

84 9 5 1
A woman

2/9-11/07 78 10 11 1

Mormon
2/9-11/07 58

14 24 4
Married for the third time

2/9-11/07 54 13 30 3

Seventy-two years of age
2/9-11/07 43

15 42 1

Voters are more comfortable with an anonymous thrice-married candidate than an anonymous seventy-two year old candidate? Most serious pundits (including yours truly) have long dismissed the notion that McCain’s old age would harm his presidential prospects. This doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the elderly McCain, and the results might be different if Rudy’s name went along with the thrice-married tag and McCain’s with the 72-year-old tag, but these results do pose some interesting questions about what qualities the American electorate requires from their Commander in Chief in this especially trying and weighty era of history.



TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; electionpresident; giuliani; mccain; rudy
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To: zook

McCain/Kerry F the POWS/MIAS
McCain/Feingold F free speech
McCain/Kennedy F American Sovereignty
McCain/Gang of 14
McCain/Keating 5

More?


61 posted on 02/17/2007 6:53:09 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ("Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto")
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To: JCEccles

I just don't see him as unstable. Angry at times, yes. I think some of our good presidents in the past have had that quality as well.


62 posted on 02/17/2007 6:53:50 AM PST by zook (America going insane - "Do you read Sutter Caine?)
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To: zook
Ok, give me an example where McCain has said one thing but done another. Give me an example of where he has lied. I'm not claiming he's perfect, and you may indeed be able to find some flaws. But in general, I see him as one of our more principled politicians.

Simply doing what you said you would do isn't necessarily principled behavior.

63 posted on 02/17/2007 6:54:00 AM PST by NittanyLion
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To: zook

The difference between science and the fuzzy subjects is that science requires reasoning, while those other subjects merely require scholarship.

LAZARUS LONG


64 posted on 02/17/2007 6:55:07 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ("Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto")
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To: NewCenturions
It's not McCain's age, it's his "foot in both parties lack of conservatism" that bothers me.

It's his willingness to sidestep the Constitution that bothers me.......

65 posted on 02/17/2007 6:57:16 AM PST by Thermalseeker (Just the facts, ma'am)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

I think your list severely distorts McCain's record and position on these areas.

I find him to be a patriot; very strong on American defense and the war against Islamist extremists.

Ronald Reagan would, I believe, have agreed with me.


66 posted on 02/17/2007 6:57:42 AM PST by zook (America going insane - "Do you read Sutter Caine?)
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To: areafiftyone

"Married for the third time " question was skewed biased.

How about "Spouse with candidate's knowledge was having sex with an intern for which he was impeached?


67 posted on 02/17/2007 6:59:59 AM PST by TET1968 (SI MINOR PLUS EST ERGO NIHIL SUNT OMNIA)
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To: zook

I am not accusing him of lying, so please don't think I am. I could give you several examples, but what would that prove? Here is one small example since you asked. Lately McCain is making himself out to be a good friend of the religious right when clearly he was not in the past. He knows he needs them to win, so it's understandable he would shift gears now when he needs them. I agree, McCain is a good man, and if there were only two choices of who I could vote for between Rudy and McCain, I'd vote for McCain.


68 posted on 02/17/2007 7:01:09 AM PST by dmw (Aren't you glad you use common sense, don't you wish everybody did?)
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To: NittanyLion

No, but I do believe he does act out of principles; we may not always agree on them, but I'm convinced his are strong.


69 posted on 02/17/2007 7:01:30 AM PST by zook (America going insane - "Do you read Sutter Caine?)
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To: areafiftyone
McCain’s Old Age Worse Than Rudy’s Divorces?

Yes...and that's only the beginning.

70 posted on 02/17/2007 7:02:26 AM PST by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: zook
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1785736/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1782906/posts

71 posted on 02/17/2007 7:03:21 AM PST by Popman ("What I was doing wasn't living, it was dying. I really think God had better plans for me.")
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
I suspect that Lazzarus Long may have been a buffoon. I wonder if he every heard of social science? I wonder if he ever read Kerlinger's work on science and epistemology? Reasoning constitutes a major part of true social science and it pervades my work.

But you have me at a disadvantage, since I don't know, and frankly don't care, what you do for a living.
72 posted on 02/17/2007 7:04:23 AM PST by zook (America going insane - "Do you read Sutter Caine?)
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To: zook
social "science" A way to make good little robots. LOL
73 posted on 02/17/2007 7:06:57 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ("Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto")
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To: zook
No, but I do believe he does act out of principles; we may not always agree on them, but I'm convinced his are strong.

You make it sound as though so long as one has deeply-held beliefs and follows through on them, then one can be termed "principled". Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you, but what I'm hearing from you sounds a lot like moral relativism.

By way of example, McCain made undermining our First Amendment rights a cornerstone of his agenda. I don't care how deeply he believed that was right - his actions were unprincipled because they violated the highest laws of our nation.

74 posted on 02/17/2007 7:07:35 AM PST by NittanyLion
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

It seems you don't know enough about either science or social science. There are bad and twisted versions of both. But don't tell me that "hard science" is any more noble or reasoned than social science. Consider "global warming."


75 posted on 02/17/2007 7:11:31 AM PST by zook (America going insane - "Do you read Sutter Caine?)
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To: areafiftyone

Second time around now for 27 years!


76 posted on 02/17/2007 7:12:02 AM PST by Joan Wilder
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To: JCEccles

Every vote counts! No I haven't made up my mind yet. :)


77 posted on 02/17/2007 7:16:44 AM PST by Joan Wilder
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To: areafiftyone

I have inside information that soon all will be moot. There are forces pushing to have Rudy pull out of the race because of his extensive "closet."

Keep a good stock of popcorn.


78 posted on 02/17/2007 7:17:33 AM PST by jonrick46
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To: jonrick46
There are forces pushing to have Rudy pull out of the race because of his extensive "closet."

Straight out of the "Clinton FBI file Library" ???

79 posted on 02/17/2007 7:29:01 AM PST by Popman ("What I was doing wasn't living, it was dying. I really think God had better plans for me.")
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To: zook

Oh my, you are the only Freeper that I know that supports Mccain


80 posted on 02/17/2007 7:33:56 AM PST by MadelineZapeezda (Madeline Albright ZaPeezda, no doubt about it!)
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