As was painfully obvious from last Sunday’s 60 Minutes
segment on John McCain, the Arizona senator doesn’t like to be
asked about his age.
“I don’t like this line of questioning at all,” McCain said when
asked by Scott Pelley what percentage of Americans thought in a
recent poll the ideal age for a president was in their 70s. “I find
it offensive.”
The answer, by the way, was zero.
With the 2008 Presidential race well underway, candidates are
facing questions of race (Barack Obama), gender (Hillary Clinton),
and religious affiliation (Mitt Romney). But for candidate McCain,
whether he thinks it is offensive or not, the golden question is
one of age.
As has been noted endlessly, if elected, John McCain would be 72
at the time of his presidential inauguration and the oldest
first-term president in American history. Unlike questions of race,
gender, and religion, the age question is one that directly relates
to McCain’s ability to perform as leader of the free world.
While McCain would be entering uncharted territory in the United
States, people his age and older have led other countries —
sometimes with distinction, during times of great consequence.
One example is Ariel Sharon. In 2001, Sharon was elected Israeli
prime minister the month of his 73rd birthday. At the time he
assumed his country’s top post, Israel was in the midst of an
escalating Palestinian uprising. Israeli citizens were routinely
victims of violent terrorist attacks, which were wreaking great
havoc on the tiny Jewish state.
Sharon was remarkably effective. Through intelligence gathering,
targeted attacks against terrorist leaders, and the partial
construction of an anti-terrorism security barrier, he effectively
ended the Palestinian intifada. In due time, terror
attacks within Israel proper dropped drastically from their high,
allowing Israel to get back on its feet, both emotionally and
economically.
Indeed, sometimes Sharon’s age was an advantage. His proposal to
withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank was controversial
among his own supporters. It likely would have fallen upon deaf
ears had it not been advocated by a lifelong warrior and father of
the settler movement. But instead of being rejected, Sharon’s
disengagement policy sparked a national political realignment —
something that could only have been accomplished through
credibility gained over a lifetime.
OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE TRUSTED older leaders at the helm. Fifty years
before Sharon’s election, Great Britain returned Winston Churchill
to 10 Downing Street at the age of 76. More recently, the last two
Prime Ministers of India, the world’s most populous democracy, were
also over 70 when they assumed power.
Most remarkably, Ronald Reagan served almost his whole
presidency over the age of 70. He endured carping about his age.
But then again, all Reagan accomplished was victory in the Cold War
and the replacement of stagflation with tremendous economic
growth.
As average life expectancies increase, more Americans are
continuing to play vital leadership roles and make important
decisions in their golden years. This is true in the private sector
as well.
Since turning 70 in 2003, Sheldon Adelson has accumulated an
unfathomable amount of wealth by expanding his casino enterprise
into Asia. In 2003, Forbes listed his net worth at just
under $2 billion. More recently, the magazine pegged his net worth
at $26.5 billion, making him the third richest man in the United
States and the sixth richest in the world. Late in life, Adelson is
still making aggressive business decisions which have increased his
wealth by 1,000 percent in just three years.
There are similar tales of mega business leaders still punching
the clock and aggressively building upon their fortunes past 72,
from Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett (76) to News Corps’ Rupert
Murdoch (76). Sumner Redstone chairs both Viacom and CBS Corp. at
83. Kirk Kerkorian is a major financial player just months away
from his 90th birthday.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t things McCain could do to help
alleviate concerns about his age. He would be wise to select a
young, energetic, and able running mate. He could pledge to serve
only one term. After all, there’s no requirement that he run for
two.
Yet McCain could turn his age to his advantage, arguing that his
foreign policy experience is exactly what America needs during
these dangerous times. With Iran pursuing nuclear weapons, Iraq in
danger of falling into total chaos, and the looming terrorist
threat, such an appeal could find many takers — like the four
former Republican secretaries of state who endorsed McCain just
this week.
Health matters more than age. Skeptics may counter that Ariel
Sharon saw his career end prematurely after a debilitating stroke,
which left him in a coma. Yet it was Sharon’s health and weight
more than his age that was at issue. As a physical fitness
specimen, no one ever confused the former prime minister with
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
McCain, on the other hand, seems to be fit, despite a recent
bout with skin cancer. And if you don’t believe it, just look at
the schedule he put himself through stumping for congressional
candidates during the midterm elections. He claims to work “seven
days a week, 12, 14, 16 hours a day,” as he told 60
Minutes. If true, it would be hard to find people a third his
age that are as active.
At the end of the day, McCain’s age should only be an issue if
his health falters. If he is vigorous on the campaign trail and
looks healthy and strong in television appearances, voters will
probably tend to ignore the age question. And if he is politically
astute enough, McCain could do Ronald Reagan one better — he could
exploit his opponents’ youth and inexperience.
