Matt Watson is the opinion editor of The Reflector. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Less than a year ago, I wrote an opinion piece with the headline “Edwards’ wife: a non-issue” in which I proposed that political discourse in America is too concerned with the personal lives of politicians. Instead of imitating our grandparents by respecting politicians’ and government officials’ privacy, we tend to analyze things that shouldn’t matter and aren’t any of our business. The memory of my old article was stirred in me once more upon reading more of the “John-McCain-is-too-old-to-be-the-president” argument, which has been covered largely by The Los Angeles Times.
In a recent article, The Los Angeles Times uncovered that McCain’s tax returns for 2007 included a disability pension of $58,358. The newspaper also uncovered that McCain’s knee bothers him in cold weather and that he has trouble raising his arms above his head. However, the most important detail The Los Angeles Times uncovered is that McCain’s age puts doubt on his ability to perform the work of president.
While I agree that $58,000-plus sounds like a little much, doubt arising out of the fact that McCain is 71 years old and would be the oldest president in U.S. history if elected is too analytically overbearing. And while late night commentators may joke about McCain’s age, there are people who really do think he is too old to serve.
Chuck Norris is a ripe example. In late January, before McCain practically won his party’s nomination, Norris, who supported Mike Huckabee, said that McCain would have to be replaced in about four years if elected, meaning McCain would die. Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.) was also one to opine that McCain is old and the presidency is “no old man’s job.”
First of all, I would like to point out that McCain could whip Norris’ butt any day. McCain was tortured for five-and-a-half years in a POW camp. While taking on 60 ninjas at once is pretty cool, late-night gym equipment commercials with a 68-year-old aren’t, and that’s a Chuck Norris fact.
On a broader level, the argument over McCain’s age underscores a vital part of American cultural values: youth and vitality. These values are often to the exclusion of old age and feebleness. While many other institutions on Earth consider wisdom and eldership to be important leadership qualities (e.g., the Catholic Church and 80-year-old pontiffs), folks in America seem not to realize how decision-making and age could possibly be related. Yes, we have to have someone young and handsome so that he can be the face of America.
And that’s what scares me.
Every four years, the country denigrates into a fascist frenzy. Politicians argue over which of them is more American or patriotic, or which of them dodged the most bullets in enemy territory. A friend of mine from India once told me he thought it was crazy that Americans place so much importance on military experience during elections. His point got me to thinking.
Politicians will do anything to be able to say they fought for their country, while a man who really has fought (and suffered) for America is said to be unqualified due to war injuries in Vietnam. This country doesn’t support its troops. In fact, we don’t support a number of things, from black presidents to good schools, from elderly people to young working immigrants. Sometimes we need to straighten our priorities.