Is it fair to use age and infirmity to attack McCain?

[XemaSab]

He can't comb his own hair, and he's old enough to be Barack's dad. He's had skin cancer, and when I look at the videos on his website he looks like Reagan... circa 1987. My 80-year old grandma says he's too old to be president, and my friend's dad, who is a retired Marine, says he thinks McCain is messed up from being a POW.

I feel like an asshole holding these things against him, but damn... he's not going to look good up there next to Barack. :shrug:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Do you think some jobs should have a mandatory retirement age?

Teachers? Cops? Firemen? Judges? Pubic defenders?

If so, I see no reason why McCain's advanced age shouldn't be an issue.

[NotThisTime]

2. Of course it should be an issue, it's the most important job in the land!

[Seeker30]

3. All you guys did was bitch about Hillary attacking Obama

And now you want to attack someone because they had skin cancer? Fucking sick bunch of hypocrites.

[tekisui]

13. And Seeker30 swoops in to defend Grampy McDubya!

[SoonerPride]

16. There are valid issues and then there's the crap Hillary tossed out.

You wanna play guilt by assoiation games?

Fuck that.

You wanna tralk about someone's fitness to do the job?

Hell yeah that's germane to the discussion.

You're just bitter because Leona Hillary lost.

[Forkboy]

19. Having cancer doesn't make one a good person.

[DAGDA56]

21. You know skin cancer is not the issue, don't you? You can't be that stupid,

...so you're probably just trying to be argumentative. Whatever gets you off, seeker....

[kenny blankenship]

4. Ok so he's a little old, but he'll have Matlock on his ticket to appeal to the youth vote

Having a sexy talking pictures star as a running mate should pep things up!
That will balance the ticket out, and ensure that Pres. McCain will always have a fresh set of eyes around to give him a modern perspective on things when he needs it.

McCain & Matlock
The Future - Who Needs It Anyway!

[bluethruandthru]

5. Of course it's fair.

I wouldn't be opposed to some sort of competency test too! Every time I hear McCain speak..especially unscripted...he sounds like someone with early stage Alzheimers. I don't think we need another Reagan.

[DAGDA56]

6. Yes, it is absolutely fair...a President becoming incapacitated while

in office would be a traumatic event for this Nation. Policies aside, I am not willing to take that chance.

[panader0]

7. Not at all. It's a very valid issue.

Unlike race or sex, age has an effect on everyone when they get there. I find myself being impatient with a driver, and when I pull up next to him, it's a silverhair. In so many ways, people lose abilities when they age. I'm 57, and it's happening to me. mccain would be our oldest elected president. Remember how Ronnie Raygun lost it? Remember how he had to be woken up to tell him about world events? mccain is too old.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. He's going to use anything he's got against Obama or Hillary

So my gut reaction is screw him. He's got Rove on the payroll. Expect more "Curious George" racist bullshit if Obama is the nominee. Expect trashy white women doing the Harold Ford "call me" move on Fox News. Rove wants to win. Rove's already screwed McCain with the "illegitimate black baby" whisper campaign, and yet McCain just can't wait to see what Rove had for lunch.

He's at an age that gives me legitimate cause for concern. If he picks Huckabee as his veep, the American voters need to clearly understand the dangers of having that sick bastard take the reins.

I don't believe in ageism, but I do believe in taking all possible measures against a McCain presidency. I'll still be able to sleep at night and look myself in the mirror if George W. Bush doesn't get a 3rd term in office...believe me.

:patriot:

[graycem]

9. Obama won't have to,

it's already on people's minds. The press will probably focus on his medical records more, and I think McCain will continue to display signs of being wobbly on memory and things like that as we get further into the campaign. I don't think it would be wise for Obama to directly attack him on the issue though.

[Happyhippychick]

10. Of course it's relevant. Being POTUS takes an enormous amount of

cognitive ability and stamina.

How the hell did Boosh do it I wonder?

[Iris]

11. WWRD?

What would Republicans do?

[Smarmie Doofus]

22. They would bring it up in an oblique and underhanded way. nt

[cali]

12. His age speaks for itself and Obama should NEVER comment

on it except in the most oblique and complimentary way.

[RichardRay]

14. My 84 year old mother agrees with your 80 year old grandma.

She knows she has 'senior moments' and is careful as a result. She follows politics fanatically; she is certain she has seen McCain betray the same kinds of problems she knows she has. It worries her; a lot.

(on edit: Could Senator Obama get AARP's endorsement? How about a panel of elders who can gently point out the realities involved?)

[Forkboy]

15. I wouldn't touch the POW stuff with a ten foot poll. The age stuff is fair, but dangerous.

The elderly are a large voting bloc and I would think they'd be a little sensitive to age jokes.

[slackmaster]

17. Age, no. Health, yes.

Some people function quite well at McCain's age. He's not one of them.

[Smarmie Doofus]

18. Age: no; infirmity yes.

If he were in better shape... intellectually and emotionally... age wouldn't even come up.

Somw oldsters are sharp as a tack into their eighties and beyond. McCain is manifestly not one of these and it appears he was NEVER 'sharp as a tack.'

He's a goof. He seems to have always been one ( graduated number 788 out of 795?1?. That takes some doing.)

Leave age alone. We don't need it.

[sniffa]

20. Is it fair to attack his wife?

Michelle is being targeted, so it's only fair the Vicodin Wonder gets targeted too. And seriously, with the kind of cream she has, can't she buy her fix on the street like a regular Joe?

[XemaSab]

40. Speaking of vicodin...

Half the time McCain looks like he's in agonizing pain, and the other half of the time he looks out of it. :think:

[Pathwalker]

23. His age - yes. His inability to comb his own hair - all ten hairs -

is the result of injuries he suffered as a US Prisoner of War, and would blow up in the Democrat's face. Big Time. I'd rather focus on his age and growing cognitive dysfunction, which is VERY troublesome. But deriding him for the injuries is totally stupid, not to mention disgusting, IMO.

[Mimosa]

24. To be fair, he is too old

Mccain is too old to begin the arduous stressful job of the presidency.

[quakerboy]

25. Yes and No

Are we raising valid problems that are a result of his personal age and potential infirmity, Or are we attacking a caracature that we have created based on looking down on older people?

I have known some older people to stay sharp and I would trust them to run any sort of venture. I have known others to loose it in their 40's, and others who never had it, who I wouldn't trust to clean my carpet.

The skin cancer and health issues are an issue- not a determining factor for me, but I would prefer a president who is not distracted by health issues. The POW PTSD issue is, in my opinion, a very serious one. It would be problematic to me if he were 90 or 25.

[elehhhhna]

26. Only if he is old and infirm. Magic 8-Ball says "YES".

[BobRossi]

27. Hell yes.

And if he was young that would be fair game. When will we learn that the future of America depends on defeating these assholes?
Kick em' in the nuts, cut off their head, and piss down their neck.
The repukes have been stomping on Americans for years. It's time for some pay-back.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

28. It is indeed a factor,

just as a candidate's temperament is a fit subject for discussion. Woodrow Wilson had a stroke which incapacitated him--we know it had an effect on his administration. With McCain's known temper, any physical ailment could make it worse. And medications taken could very well interfere with judgment. So it is a legitimate concern.

[reflection]

29. It's probably an issue best left to surrogates, but

I know I'd make it a point at least once in the debate that he repeated his assertion FOUR TIMES that Al Qaeda was being trained by the Iranians. Four times in a few days either speaks to confusion or deception. And I would generously grant McCain the benefit of the doubt during said debate than he is not deceitful, that he is an honorable man, but clearly was confused, addle-brained, or whatever label you want to put on it. I think that is more than fair. My $0.02.

[rpannier]

30. Age No...Health yes

There are 70 years olds who are far healthier and more vibrant that many 40 year olds I know.

If their health is good then the rest shouldn't matter.
If their health (at any age) is poor then it's a valid question.

I have a great aunt who is 92. She still drives, prepares other people's income taxes and gets around quite nicely on her own.

The health of the individual should be the issue.

[Johnny__Motown]

31. I would stay away from the infirmities caused while being a POW. But age and cancer seem like fair

game


He can't comb his own hair because of the way he was bound while a POW. I don't think it is fair or wise to go there.




And I agree, he will look old and frail on stage next to Sen. Obama. It may be best to not bring these things up and just let the voters decide for themselves.

[Pathwalker]

32. I agrred with you upthread. I want to see him pissed off

about something, and have him spew obscenities ON AIR, the way he is known to do. Might shake up the election. But - leave the POW injuries alone.

[bhikkhu]

33. Competence is his big weakness, on the issues

Listening to him speak sometimes is almost painful - he really doesn't have much of a grasp.

I'd say that's the one angle that is most appropriate and where he is most weak, particularly against Obama. The more he speaks without a script the more apparent his problem with competence is.

I think the repugs would love to see him attacked on his age, and would really love to see him attacked for his military record - as those are two arguments where we don't win.

[ccharles000]

34. I am not sure...

we should attack his age when there are so many other things to attack him on.

[jwirr]

35. I am 67 years old and I am too old to be President. Remember it is

"hard work".

[dugggy]

36. All government jobs should have a mandatory retirement age of

70. We have no shortage of younger, talented and dedicated people
to do the jobs. A man over 70 has slowed down physically AND mentally.
Besides his/her idea's are bound to be out dated. McCain should retire
from senate and go home with a good supply of old people's diapers.

[dugggy]

37. When Bob Hope got older, he started forgetting to

zip up his zipper after a visit to the urinal.
When he got even older, he said he started
forgetting to zip it down.

Wonder what stage McCain is at LOL.

[Warren Stupidity]

38. Yes but we have to be clever about it.

We have to frame this as a republican party systemic problem: tired old stupid bankrupt ideas, with McCain as the standard bearer for the same old shit served up re-warmed again. Just pointing out tha McCain is old is not going to work.

[slinkerwink]

39. Yes, it's fair.

[papapi]

41. He's alrady showing signs of dementia, not to mention the...

...fact that his wife was a pill popping thief.

[loyalsister]

42. No