I may be old but I'm good for two terms, McCain tells Republicans
I was under the impression that John McCain was planning to announce that he would only stand for one term, a little like Tony Blair's assurance to British voters before his last election. Considering the fact that McCain will be 72 when the US election takes place, to run for a second term would mean asking Americans to vote for a President statistically likely to die in office. Life expectancy in the US is around 77.8 years.
But McCain is insisting that he will, indeed, go for a second term if elected.
John McCain has ended speculation that he might seek a one-term presidency, despite widespread concerns among voters about his age.By making this statement he also allows discussion on what has been the taboo subject of this election. His age. It now turns out that four of every ten Americans worry that McCain is too old to be president.
The Republican nominee, who turns 72 next week, would be the oldest first-term president in United States history but is resisting calls from campaign advisers who say that a single term in the White House might play well with voters in November.
"No," Mr McCain flatly told the influential website Politico.com. "I'm not considering it."
Some of Mr McCain's allies believe that declaring himself a one-term candidate would support his campaign message of putting the country first and silence a drumbeat of questions about his age.I think this opens up a subject which McCain's camp have done very well to define as "ageist". The very fact that people are saying that the VP is especially important in case he dies in office says a lot about the age of the Republican nominee.
If elected, at the age of 72, he would be too old to fly a commercial jet or even be a judge in some states. Despite ruling out a single-term presidency, Mr McCain's age is expected to be a major factor in his choice of a vice-presidential running-mate.
Some say his age heightens the importance of choosing someone that voters would be comfortable with should he die or become incapacitated while in office. Eight vice-presidents have succeeded presidents in this manner.
By stating that he would not confine his presidency to one term McCain has signalled open season to satirists everywhere.
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2 comments:
It is interesting that the comparison with Churchill regular comes up when McCain's age is mentioned. I know a fair bit about Churchill having done a great deal of research for my book What Would Churchill Do?-Business advice from the man who saved the world, as I live in England my knowledge of John McCain is very limited.
The first obvious comparison is age at 71 McCain is 6 years older than Churchill was at the outbreak of war, but as Churchill said himself, one of the reasons why he was so successful at managing the war was because his experience had been EARNED, NOT LEARNED, so it could be that the knowledge and experience McCain has gained through his life could be to the advantage of the American people over a younger candidate.
The secret to Churchill's success in the war was the fact that he got involved with everything and put his own stamp on how things should be done. Whilst people often quote how Churchill inspired Britain with his speeches and courage, which is certainly true, it was his practical decision making, tough leadership and attention to detail that made the real difference.
If John McCain has these qualities along with his proven courage and experience then he might be good for America.
If John McCain has these qualities along with his proven courage and experience then he might be good for America.
I might agree with you Stuart had McCain not made so many gaffes during this campaign; imagining al Qaeda were in cahoots with Iran, speaking of the Iraq-Pakistan border, etc, etc.
Churchill always struck me as on top of his brief, even when sloshed.
And then there's McCain's policies, the continuation of the Iraq war, more tax cuts at a time when the US has an enormous deficit, and his aggression towards nations like Iran and, more recently, Russia.
I think he's quite a hot head and the last thing which the US needs at this point in time.
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