Posted on 02/11/2008 8:52:59 PM PST by bshomoic
Did Obama Play the Age Card Against McCain?
February 11, 2008 8:51 PM
In Baltimore, Md., today, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said the following about presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.:
"Listen," Obama said, "I respect John McCain for his half century of service to this country. He is a genuine war hero, and we need to honor him for that. He has gone through things that most of us cannot even imagine. He deserves applause, he deserve our respect. But he is on the wrong side of history right now. He wants to perpetuate the Bush economic agenda that has failed working Americans ... I am happy to have a debate with John McCain, because we are the party of tomorrow, he’s the party of yesterday. He’s the past, we’re the future."
ABC News producer Andy Fies has covered Obama a great deal, and says that, while Obama has used this construction about John McCain before -- "I respect John McCain for his half century of service to this country" -- it didn't really stand out before.
Today, however, Obama, 46, punched the "half century" line just a little more at both of his rallies, Fies says -- and the crowd noticed and reacted with some laughter.
Fies adds that, in past speeches, this line slipped by. But today, it stood out, and the audience clearly seemed to think Obama was joking that McCain is too old ... even though the dig (if intended) was encased in words of praise.
The comment, Fies says, seemed designed to portray the 71-year-old McCain as a museum exhibit, a relic.
What do you think? We'll post the video as soon as we can.
McOldman is going to be pummeled on the age issue.
Get used to it, it ain’t going away. It’s also a negtive for McCain as it chould, can and will get people focused on his old age and he will lose votes for it.
The mind starts going after 23 years of age, at 72-80 you should be golfing, not the leader of the free world.
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