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 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?

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!

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.

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.

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.