I am 73. I am still active (mentally) as a part-time technical consultant. Am I qualified to be President of the USA? The facts are that the mind may still be fit, but the body and resultant ambition is becoming dormant; just like the plants in the fall of their life. I don’t care what party the candidate represents; I won’t vote for anyone over 65 to be in charge of anything that influences what happens to me and my family (wife,children, grand-children, great-grand-children).

Only an idiot would place their destiny in the hands of McCain.

I know plenty of very healthy vibrant 70’s+, It is not a question of Age- it is a Question of Fitness. John Shows clear signs of a deterioration of his Cognitive abilities- mini Strokes, or Alzheimers like Ronny had long before he left office.
Physically he look like he’s ahd some Phyical therapy sessions- but weakness esp in his upper extremities is apparent. Tath are he’s wearing a brace of some sort. hell they hide Roosevelts infirmity- 60+ yrs later, they have new & improved Devices t increase Mobility following cerebral ‘accidents’
mac is nO ttoo Old- He’s Just Unfit for Duty any longer. retire and Enjoy some Personal Leave time, at the very least take care of yourself, we’ll be fine, We’ve managed with out your services before.But we do Thank You for what you have given US all these Years. Heal thyself

McCain saying that Iran is training al Qaeda even after being corrected and getting the factions in Iraq wrong would make you guess ignorant concerning the factions and either dishonest (like Bush) or confused regarding the al Qaeda statements. Anyway you look at it doesn’t bode well, to be saddled with another incompetent / lying / warlike president, whatever the reason.

Most of Venice’s great Doges were elected when they were near 80 or older than 80. That Republic knew what it was doing.

People in sensitive positions have mandatory retiring ages.Pilots and others.The rule should be if you have not stolen enough to retire by 70 you should be forced to retire because you are probably too stupid anyway.

It is known that US presidents that become incapacitated during their terms are succeeded by their handlers if they do not die outright.  If they do die then, of course the VP takes over.  That is why McCain’s VP choice will be extremely important.  But this is all moot since McCain will eventually lose to any of the Democrats though I suspect that it may be a closer race than expected.

I agree that it would be an excellent idea for Obama to invite, (maybe PLEDE?) with Al Gore to join our team.

I will appear on TD a couple years after the election to apologize to all of you repub/demo lovers who see our country’s salvation in one of the three candidates. 

They’re all to one degree or another responsible for the pitiful condition of our country, no matter how they try to distance themselves from that fact.

Conversely, I will be delighted to give you all a “See, I told you so.”  I would love to be able to do the former, however, the patriot that I am.

For starters, no matter what dems say, the occupation of Iraq will continue for years to come and justified/rationalized by a dem prez.  You will have been hoodwinked. Oil=war&occupation;

Thank you for raising this issue.  There is much talk about McCain’s recent “gaffes” and whether they are indicative of his being far less knowledgeable about foreign affairs and national security than one would have you believe or attempts to deceive the American people to lay the foundation for war with Iran.  Given his age and what I can only describe as a simple-mindedness; inability to see and understand nuances or complexity, incoherency in his speeches and positions, as well as a lack of consistency from one press op to the next, I don’t understand why no one seems willing to think it is due to failing cognitive abilities.  Why is it so inconceivable that the elected official population suffers, in the same proportion as the rest of the population, from the conditions and diseases that impair cognitive functioning as we age? 

Given the admissions of love and respect for McCain among journalists and their obvious protectiveness of him chances are we haven’t even seen the unvarnished McCain.  Do we really want Reagan redux?

Aegrus…

You should have KNOWN that McCain would be Howards choice.

Matter of fact, of the 20% of the population that still ‘supports’ Dick Bush, I’d put money on the fact that Howard is one of them.

Need we know more?

The Alzheimers care tips add on the page with this report?  Concidence?  I don’t think so.

Seriously, the few minutes I watched of McCain’s interminally long but terminally boring speach make me think he may be the new Reagan!  Complete with early stage Alzheimers!

Marshall K

My sentiments exactly!!

“...I’m beginning to think that the worst is already being thrown at him.  The Rove machine can’t be any slimier, so once he makes it through the crap the Clintons throw at him, the rest will seem relatively easy..”

Yes, this is the very same thing I’d been thinking in recent weeks. If Obama can make it through the Rovian-Clinton destruction machine, he’ll be back on level ground with the wind at his back by the time he gets to McCain.

But, I don’t think he should ingore them yet. One should never turn their backs on a snake, or any desperately caged animal, even if they’ve caged themselves. (actually, that just makes ‘em that more dangerous).

Nope, as unfair and time/stress consuming as it is, he can’t afford to ignore them.

They have lost, won’t admit it, are being enabled by the press, and want to take everyone down with them.  I guess Mr. Obama has his work cut out for him.  I’m beginning to think that the worst is already being thrown at him.  The Rove machine can’t be any slimier, so once he makes it through the crap the Clintons throw at him, the rest will seem relatively easy.  Maybe he should just ignore them and begin his campaign against McCain now.

Joe, that is an ooooooold argument, which has been beaten down with an ugly stick. In the last fifty years, America has only elected three ‘experienced’ presidents. George Bush Sr. and Richard Nixon are in that list. There is no mandate regarding the kind of experience a person needs to be president. If Hillary has 35 years of experience, Barack has 25.

Quality and Judgment experience is the only quantification. Does Hillary exhibit good judgment? Does John McCain? Both candidates can be answered plainly and equally with “NO.”

#edit: about being. Lose the not. sorry.

Hah!

Common sense? McCain is a man who felt we should have had a nuclear war with Russia and North Korea. He complained about not being restricted by his superiors in Vietnam regarding bombing targets. He’s an aggressor and aggression has little in common with sensibility.

Most likely will vote for him; more common sense and Experience than the others.  By far.

Go McCain !!

Cyrena - I thought of you last evening when I watched Bush’s War on Frontline. did you happen to see it?

Can you reassure me that what happened to Bush won’t happen to Obama? Bush was an inexperienced leader who put his trust in individuals bent on distorting reality to achieve their personal interests. Because Obama has no executive experience to draw upon, how will he be at say, refereeing a turf fight between DOD and State or worse CIA and DOD?

Any thoughts?

The issue of age is a joke IF ITS THE DECIDING FACTOR on voting for or against.

  To date Sen.McCain has not said or proposed any action that distinguishes him as the “man for the job”. He has repeatedly spent some days in Iraq; paid his respects to Joe Lieberman’s kinfolks in Israel; has informed the citizenry that they should NOT run to the government with the expectation of receiving hand-outs like the Bears on Wall Street.

  Given the mess and tragedies proferred by the present administration one would hope that regardless of whose photo is hung in every federal office in 2009 that saner and less special interest lobbies will be listened to by the socalled CinC.

  Thus the really primary issue is the intellect rather than the age of the candidate that is not a joke. So far the 4th estate has not seen fit to question the candidates in ways that would educate the voter as to who is worthy of being voted for.

Guess thats why we get to discuss “age” as a joke or no joke.

^ is one of them (a virtual gentle Noah in his senior years) but McCain, certainly, is not one of them at 71.  Age is no guarantee of anything; wisdom is not a matter of longevity.  It may be the result of intelligence and another quality that eludes politicians and my erudition/understanding.  I would suggest it’s a romantic fallacy that age breeds wisdom and mellowness.  That quality is only for those that truly care.

McCain IS as old as dirt and is the LAST thing this country needs.  What we really need in this country is new blood, new leadership!  I can’t think of a worse scenario than a 70+ year old white male being elected president during these fast-changing and difficult times.

Is this the best that Republicans can do? Talk about out-of-touch!  He brings his 90+ YO mother with him wherever he goes too?!  My God, I shudder to think of this guy with his finger on the button.

Here’s some advise for John McCain and his 90+ YO mother.  Go home and retire and let someone else have a chance at screwing up the country.  You’ve done enough already on that front.

There’s no litmus test I know of that will ferret out one being, simply, an ignorant, misguided, devious, miserable SOB.  But maybe it’d be worth developing.  America’s overloaded with brain power.
How about a prize for some genius who can come up with a test for presidential candidates. 

First question, “Can you read this exam?”
Second question, “Describe, briefly, your realtionship with your parents,” etc. 

“Pilot error” could be code for “lets not go there”
in our investigation of causes of some crashes.

The fact there are a lot of really sharp, socially responsible 70- and 80-year-olds out there might rule out arbitrary age discrimination.  Especially in men when most of the piss and vinegar has leached out and they can begin to think a little more rationally.  Look at Castro, a virtual gentle Noah in his senior years.

We can discuss ageism till the cows come home, it doesn’t mean McCain is qualified to take office right now. Slips of the tongue, drumming the war, admitting he knows nothing about economics, re-establishing ties with religious conservatives, forgetting every stance he took a hard position against and is now for (like the Bush tax cuts, torture and so on). Let’s not discuss McCain’s age, but his qualifications… of which are slim.

^ at 70.  Please don’t give me that PC crap about Ageism; McCain is an old man by any definition and has no business as President, period!  I’m no spring chicken and I want a young one: Under 50; male or female; Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Atheist; black, white, brown, red or yellow.  Just give us someone competent.

Good points, especially for those who’ve yet to experience the cognitive decline of a loved one, or even accept their own.

In reality, while the ‘tests’ may not be as defining as those for physical wellness, there ARE tests for cognitive functions, and they are routinely used by neurologists and geriatric clinicians.

I don’t see how it would be so unreasonable to expect John McCain to undergo such tests. Like Ellen has pointed out, airline pilots undergo these exams in addition to the physical exams. And, not just them. There are many occupations that require this. In California, health care professionals like psychiatrists are required to have their OWN psychiatrist. Makes sense to me.

Would this have saved us from George Bush? (he didn’t just become a socio-path) Probably not, because we still got Cheney. He would have been able to ‘trick’ the tests.

Besides, who knew, (besides a few) that he was going to be the one running the show to begin with?