There are already posts trying to dismiss rebuttals to the McCain is senile meme from the left.
So we have this actual, relevant problem with older human beings, in that they start to not be so good at what they do. They don’t run, jump, or think as ably as they did when they had more functioning cells. Make every concession you want…indeed, many a 72 year-old has more horsepower upstairs than 99% of the population younger than them. But if the brain starts to go on them, it is 99% out of their hands.
As somebody who just lived through the hell of watching a parent deteriorate, I feel qualified to comment on this point. Yes, watching older folks decline is rough and it's worse watching a loved one who can't remember who you are than helping them get to the bathroom. But that's not really what Jeromy Brown is discussing here.
What Jeromy is arguing is that John McCain at 72 just isn't mentally up to the challenges of the presidency. While he doesn't offer any proof of this, he does elude to various gaffes made by McCain as evidence that the old guy isn't up to the job. Such an argument would be more substantive if we didn't have the various examples of Barack Obama making numerous gaffes and misstatements himself. Sure, Obama can't blame his fumbles and bumbles on age. He's just "tired." But here's another thought: if Obama is so tired at 47 that he can't remember the importance of Jerusalem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, just how would he handle the 3:00 a.m. call on the Batphone?
One of the other arguments made in comments at that post is that McCain's experience as a soldier and politician are not relevant in modern times. There's not really much in our history to support that view. Voters have always looked at military service, however limited, as an asset for anyone seeking to be Commander in Chief. The idea that it no longer applies seems self-serving and designed to dismiss Obama's lack of service. After all, Democrats thought Al Gore's picture-taking in Vietnam was a valuable asset for the CoC job in 2000 and completely dismissed George W. Bush's service in the National Guard because he didn't see combat. Why is combat experience less relevant now than eight years ago?
I don't really have a problem with John McCain's age being an issue in the campaign. Indeed, I think his age and experience are assets we should be seeking in a president.
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