Hillary is not contemplating giving up so she is saying but the problem with a further prolonged Democrat election is that they are damaging each other much to the glee of the McCain camp who must be thanking their lucky stars this set of unexpected circumstances fell in their lap.
When a Democrat successor does finally emerge an issue i am sure will be used to beat McCain around the head with is his age which begs the observation, will the Republican senator being 72 by Election Day be his downfall?
For a man of his years, John McCain does look good and as yet there have been no gaffes or slips that can be used as a pointer to an aging mind but you can guarantee that the first one he does make will be leaped upon with relish.
The Liberal Democrats recently removed Menzies Campbell from the party leadership because the constant harping at his 69 years overshadowed anything he had to say and was especially bought into focus when he lined up alongside his comparativly youthful opposition.
McCain's age, it seems, joins Hillary's gender and Obamas colour as issues to be danced around but ageism is not such a taboo subject so the comedians, talk show hosts and media can be relied upon to keep it at the forefront of voters mind and could well be driven home if Obama wins as looks more and more likely, and the two of them do a stage debate that the politicians seem to enjoy doing over there.
Obama will be 47 this August and looks fresh, fit and youthful while McCain will look everyone of his 72 years alongside him and from another political era. His Vietnam adventures that his team look to drop into conversations only age him further.
Maybe his age won't be the deciding factor but it will be an issue and in Obama, the Democrats have a latte man to the Republicans hot cocoa man.
10 comments:
McCain's age, it seems, joins Hillary's gender and Obamas colour as issues to be danced around...
Really? Maybe the for the former two, but the 'Thuglicans and the MSM have been taking positive glee in non-stop coverage of the Jeremiah Wright issue while giving McCain's cozying up to that cracker John Hagee a complete pass.
Seems race is still a fine way to tar someone as long as it's done obliquely.
I agree with Kvatch. The age issue is much more out-in-the-open. It'll either put people off voting for McCain (and many won't mind admitting this) or it won't. There won't be much 'dog whistling' about it. I think that's because (a) age comes to us all, and (b) there's no potential for nudge-nudge-wink-wink implications of 'otherness' or 'unAmericaness' about someone who's simply long in the tooth.
Age is one of those taboo things that attracts the 'i'm not ageist but...'
starting quotes but it is nowhere near as taboo as 'i'm not sexist but..' or 'i'm not racist but...'.
Kvatch is right that it is fine as long as its done obliquely but it still has to be danced around.
I hope the Dems make an issue out of Cindy McCain refusing to release her tax returns like the other spouses did. What's she hiding? We know she's rich, and so ...? I thought McCain was all about teh honesty thing.
I didn't know about Cindy and her tax return. Does seem suspicious and she is trying to hide something straight away.
FILTHY rich.
as for senator mccain's best...what might that be? :)
Annie,
You see no admirable traits in McCain?
Lucy,
I met him briefly. In person, in mid afternoon, he looks and acts vibrant. But, he is way past his peek physical condition and the job of President has physically destroyed all of them...
Q
Q - I know we all moan and bitch about our leaders, and with good reason most of the time, but the stress of running a country has to be massive. The strain of responsibilty would test anyone of any age.
At this point, there is something to be said for limiting the embarrassment to Obama from the West Virginia and Kentucky contests. Obviously, Obama has won the nomination, but I wouldn't be surprised if the DNC and Obama told Hillary to stay in it because they knew Obama would get crushed in WV and, probably, Kentucky. Imagine the headlines if Hillary dropped out after North Carolina and Indiana and voters returned a crushing defeat in the next two states for the unopposed nominee. That would be a miserable disaster for the Democratic Party.
The funny thing is, the Democrats are supposed to be the party of toleration and equal rights, blah blah blah. So why do they display such overtly racist voting habits? How could a party that claims to represent America's poor and disenfranchised still return a defeat for a candidate who can't loose the nomination based so clearly on racial lines? I'm not saying the Republicans would be better, in fact I'm sure they would be worse, but lets demolish the lie that the Democrats are everyman's party.
I think you may have a very good point about why Hillary hasn't pulled out effay.
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