Posted on 01/29/2008 7:59:02 PM PST by Plutarch
Race, gender—they're both up for grabs in this presidential election. It's age that has become the new taboo in a vitality culture.
Here's my unscientific theory about the presidency: it ages a person in dog years. Each year in office is roughly equivalent to seven years in the life of an ordinary citizen. I base this on before-and-after photographs of the occupants of the Oval Office, who frequently look as though they've spent their time in captivity, being beaten with sticks. Which may help explain why 71-year-old John McCain, who actually has been beaten in captivity, may think that the fact that he would be the oldest person ever to enter the job is immaterial. In this, alas, he is mistaken....[edit]
But the senator is not your average man of his age. He takes stairs slowly and cannot lift his arms to comb his hair. One reason few people want to address his age, or his infirmity, is the valor of his Vietnam service. It's humbling to consider that he broke both arms and a leg when his fighter jet was shot down, then suffered fractured shoulders and broken ribs when he was tortured during five and a half years as a POW. You can tell he thinks it should be humbling, too: when a boy at one event asked him respectfully if he was too old for the job, he responded with his trademark acerbic humor, "Thanks for the question, you little jerk." ....[see more at link]
You’re right, I’m sure, but I doubt the media needs any help. McCain’s nomination is an absolute guarantee that the Democrat wins. He’s a pro-war liberal, and that means he’s not getting elected. Democrats will crawl back to the Clinton trough in November while McCain will cause enough people to stay home.
The case needs to be made to people thinking about “electability” that it’s time to start thinking about what the general election debate is going to look like.
No matter who the Democrat is, they’re going to be talking about the economy, they’re going to be talking about health care.
John McCain can talk about few issues. He is less conversant than even President Bush. McCain can talk about Iraq and the surge. These aren’t going to be big issues, and to the extent that they are, they are going to hurt him specifically. Mitt Romney is supportive of victory every bit as much as McCain is, but he’s based his campaign on other things. The Democrats can’t hang “war hawk” around his neck like they will with McCain. Romney doesn’t rely on hiding behind Ronald Reagan every answer. This is McCain’s tactic. Conflate himself with Ronald Reagan. The problem with this is two-fold. The first, most obvious one is he ain’t Ronald Reagan. The second problem, something Republicans seem to forget, is that the average voter doesn’t care one way or another about Ronald Reagan. The mere mention of his name doesn’t make them tear up. They just say “why is this guy talking about 20 or 30 years ago?”
McCain can’t speak beyond his recycled one line dismissals of universal healthcare, or his answer that the way to strengthen our 14 trillion dollar economy is to cut a couple billion dollars in congressional earmarks.
Romney is extremely conversant on both of these issues, and far more knowledgeable and articulate than McCain. He can explain exactly what the right economic policy is, and why it’s the best. He can give a very detailed plan for expanding health care coverage through the private sector, rather than socialized medicine. He can explain why universal healthcare is bad, rather than just saying it is.
What we need right now is someone who believes in conservative, free market principles who can make the case for them, after 7 years of President Bush feeling he doesn’t need to articulate himself, or just can’t.
Conservatism has taken a hit over the Bush presidency, not just in his policies, but also because he hasn’t advanced it from the bully pulpit. Saying “it’s hard work” over and over is no substitution for that.
And then finally of course, there is the border. McCain has been obfuscating this fact, but he was and still is for amnesty for illegals. He has not changed his position. His endorsement from Mel Martinez and the open-borders establishment in the GOP has reminded us all of that.
We need to remind people of McCain-Kennedy every chance we get, in fact, for now on, we should refer to Senator McCain-Kennedy as Senator McCain-Kennedy.
Every national poll I’ve seen on the subject shows McCain beating Hillary in a general election, just fwiw. Maybe that doesn’t mean much this far out, but it is what it is.
How many of these stories are we going to see between now and November? The media is just setting up the GOP for the kill. The minute McCain gets the nomination he is going to get hammered by every news outlet from every direction. We better hope that some level-headed Republicans will be in the voting booths on Super Tuesday.
Sure the MSM loves McCain when he's fighting conservatives. But not when he's facing St. Obama or Madame Hillary.
Tonight the GOP voters in Florida made it up to the Democrats for what happened in 2000. The Democrats must be SO HAPPY with their win of the White House tonight.
He won’t do it with my vote.
Regards
I would think this would be part of the post nomination attack work .
Second thoughts for me would be who he would select as VP. At his age, this has to be a consideration.
When dementia sets it one is too old
ie. McCrazy
I resemble that! I think, than again … what was the question? ;-)
At my age, I stop thinking about a gal when she reaches the mid to late 50s, but then that is the other end of the window. She has to be really hot at 60 to get my attention.
Nevermind
If you’re 60 and both your parents died at 62, you’re old. McCain’s mother is still going strong in up 90’s. For McCain’s line, he might just be on the old side of “middle age”...
When you sit on the toilet, and your cajones dip into the water. ;)
My stab at humor on this disappointing night.
and THEN she says that Reagan had Alzheimer’s during his Presidency—as noticed by his Press contingent. That slam just burns me up. Reagan may have suffered from fatigue by 1988—and who wouldn’t’t after 8 years of Press jackals such as Sam Donaldson— but that’s all. He still gave a major speech as late as 1994. He suffered from Alzheimers in the last 10 years of his life. And he didn’t pass to the great ranch in the sky until June of 2004. Shame on this Anna Quindlen presstitute for insinuating Ronaldus Maximus Reaganus was anything but during his presidency!
Older people still vote. What’s the big deal?
Hey, something just occurred to me. If Gore really won in 2000, maybe that explains why Bush still looks great and Al looks like he's ready for a bypass.
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