John McCain is older than the state of Israel (If you will it, Dude, it isn't a dream.")

John McCain is older than disco.

And John McCain is older than the Pill.

John McCain is older than:

- the states of Alaska and Hawaii
- Monopoly
- LaGuardia Airport
- The Hoover Dam
- THe NBA

First of all I will not be voting for John McCain in this fall's election, because he just does not line up at all with my ideology, especially as it relates to foreign policy.

That said, this mockery of his age is becoming rather juvenile and pejorative, and quite frankly stinks of ageism.

Debating whether he is capable of handling the stresses of the Oval Office is one thing, but a couple of kids laughing at how old the warmongering Senator from Arizona is, is just plain asinine.

Yet another blemish in my opinion in the Western understanding of the human experience. Whereas in Eastern societies, the elderly are respected and placed high in society from a lifetimes experience, i.e. wisdom, we here in the West think anyone over [insert youth culture's predetermined cutoff age here] needs to be swept under the rug and tossed aside as useless/silly

And I wonder why our nation is financially bankrupt, getting fatter from fast-food induced type II diabetes, and is hell bent on playing war like it is a video game.

Lets keep fiddling while Rome burns.

Respectfully,

Allison

If age realy is an issue lets get rid of all the over 60 folks of both parties in Congress as well.Id rather have a person with age and experience than one thats young and inexperienced.

Carry on
Caty

Wow. I guess we can't even take a moment out to crack a joke or be sarcastic in this campaign.

At least when it comes to McCain...

Well don't worry, I'm sure if all of you keep complaining enough the gay media will fall in line and give him a free ride, just like "mainstream" media has. Maybe you'll even get an invitation to his barbecue.

Lighten up. It's called political humor and satire. His age really isn’t the issue as much as his HUGE disconnect and “old-time” thinking. This is simply a humorous way to talk about it and point it out.

We can't help ourselves. We are vain from having so much experience. Or is it that we are cranky because our lower back hurts and we haven't lifted anything. I forget, what were we talking about?

Waymon, it is also partly McCain's "hero" factor. I cannot imagine being imprisoned and tortured for five and a half years. This does not mean that I agree with the fellow politically, but in a gentler age one could respect another and disagree with them. That is gone now and everyone overreacts as though they are under slept.

I myself, only got ten hours last night in my magic bed in Asia where age is revered and my 79 (July) year old partner has happily taken on sage like adoration. Except from me of course.

I really don't think that whether he "gets a free pass" or not with regards to his age is all that big of a deal; I'm more concerned with him getting a free pass on his war-mongering and lack of expertise in several key areas and his corruption. I'm also concerned with people who ask for free passes themselves under the guise of "just a joke! Jeez, lighten up!"

I'm also not that surprised to find out that he's older than a lot of those things. Dick Cheney's younger than Hillary too, isn't he? I think she's also older than GWB.

I find it interesting that the "ageist" folks are going after Waymon for posting this and yet no where in his post did he say that being old was bad.

People make fun of Hillary's pantsuits, Obama's messianic followers and McCain's age. It's 3 easily lampoonable distinguishing characteristics.

I agree with Waymon. Just a joke! Jeez, lighten up! And I don't need a free pass to say so...

John McCain is older than . . . . . me.

I am older than the State of Israel, the presence of U.S. Troops along the DMZ in Korea, Pearl Harbor Day, but not quite older than the premier of "Wizard of Oz". (The latter would put me in the "ancient" category, I think.)

Soooooo?

I laugh at some, probably most, age jokes, because excessive tears and grouchiness over a back that yells "ouch" a lot more constantly than it used to wouldn't produce much more than even more tears and grouchiness.

Yet I have some sympanthy with what Allison says. I can sometimes feel an attitude toward the elderly that is demeaning. Everyone under 40 ought to spend three hours in the average nursing home before they consider themselves experts at age humor. But I won't chastize Waymon; the issue of what is or what isn't tasteful age humor is a pretty complex one.

It is just a joke in another line of "just jokes" and just because the sexist comments directed at Hilary's fashion sense were not subject to my reply does not equate to a free pass on sexism either. It simply was not the focus of this post in particular.

The simple fact of the matter is that politics may be a bloodsport but do we really want to argue in favor of frivolous attacks based on appearance, age, race, gender, etc? Or worse promote the continuance of such absurdity.

Do any of those criteria really matter when it comes to debating who should be the 44th President of the United States?

And just because it has always been this way is not a reason nor an excuse to keep sliding down to beneath the gutter, lest we are trying to debase the election to the electoral equivalent to Project Runway.

Because the useless puerile focus on such superficial aspects is neither "fierce" nor felicitous when it comes to electing the next aristocrat to the throne.

Okay.

So if we want to have a discussion on ageism, let's do it.

I would ask that all of those crying "foul" over this post (meant as a lighthearted dig at a man who himself jokes that he is "older than dirt") look at their own comments. It all smacks of the same ageism you decry. To all of you youth=inexperience. It is the same argument they are using against Obama.

Even Don, who I LOOVE, used demeaning language like "chastise", further trying to put this young buck in his place as less knowledgeable or uneducated. Yes, I could never grasp a complex issue like this at my tender age. Thank god I have all of you to show me the light.

Ageism works both ways. Younger folks can sometimes overlook the wisdom of older generations, but the older generations in turn feel that younger folks have nothing useful to contribute or are below them.

So much for a funny post. I guess I'll just go back playing video games or whatever it is kids are doing these days...

Wow, Allison, I guess saying that I only think in terms of Project Runway and "fierceness" isn't insulting, ageist, or a gutter attack at all.

Thanks for taking the high road...

Mr. Hudson, the "Project Runway" remark was not specifically directed at you, its purpose was to serve as a general comparison to the frivolousness of the show and whether or not the contemplation regarding the election for the Office of the Presidency was to become as ridiculous in the grand scheme of the things.

My sincere apologies if you felt it was aimed at you.

Sincerely,

Allison

No worries, Allison.

And you can call me Waymon. I'm not THAT uptight... LOL

I agree that some of the extraneous, unimportant things that are focused on in campaigns can be distracting. That's why I often post on serious issues like McCain's pandering to bigoted fundies, his support of the Arizona marriage amendment, etc. Those are the important issues, along with his lack of plans for healthcare, the war, the economy, and all the rest.

I will say, however, that this post was not meant as a serious discussion on any of those things. Not every post has to be an in-depth look at the issues. Sometimes our minds need a bit of a break (especially on the weekends, IMHO) and we can enjoy the frivolous.

Is McCain's age the most important issue in the campaign? Of course not. I never said it was. Just like I poke fun of other public figures occasionally, I feel like McCain is fair game for parody and humor.

So I actually think we agree. This post was frivolous and unimportant… just as it was intended to be.

Waymon, you know I support you 100% on the youth = inexperience argument.

Don, you know I heart you.

Seriously, why has every joke that Waymon has posted for the past few weeks been so scrutinized? Did ya'll loose your sense of humor on the way to the haters ball?

Here's a good age joke (as long as we're on the subject) . . . John McCain is so old, he still owes Jesus $5. Suck on it!

Never one to let the dead horse lie without one more swift kick, I offer my final analysis to why I really need to lighten up, but cannot...

I am seriously worried about the state of our Union. All I hear whether it is CNN, MSNBC, FOX, or their local affiliates is mindless mindlessness about Senator Clinton's "wide hips", Senator Obama's "race", and Senator Mccain's "older than..".

However, I have not heard one reporter ask, nor have I heard the candidates directly address how they intend to handle all of the new and numerous powers granted to the Executive branch by President Bush.

Not once have any of the candidates spoke of sunsetting the revised provisions of FISA, restoring Posse Comatatus, restoring Gubernatorial control over the National Guard, sunsetting the Patriot Act, restoring Due Process for all citizens, etc.

Apparently, while Senator Obama thinks going into Iraq was a boneheaded move in the first place (of which I agree) he and his fellow aristocrats seem all to willing to accept the erosion of Constitutional checks and balances between the three branches of government.

What I did hear two years ago were Democrats yelling from the rooftops that President Bush was becoming King, yet not one word about any of the aforementioned from the two Democrats who would be King or Queen respectively. Just ha-ha lol's, rofl, etc, etc...

Folowed by more wide hip jokes, followed by race baiting, followed by ageism.

And thus our Dollar continues to decline and our civil liberties continue to erode as we laugh our way off into the sunset of our Republic.

Respectfully,

Allison

"And there is no more joy in Whoville, for the Grinch has come to town..."

I really want to type lol, but that would throw my credibility right under the bus. - Of course that also assumes I had any credibility to begin with.

Well if stating my concerns for our nation as what I view should be the meat and potatoes issues of the campaign makes me the Grinch (trust me, I have been called far worse), then paint me green and find our dog Molly a set of antlers. Because somebody needs to take Washington D.C. and its royal cronies back to the workshop for repair.

While President Bush in my view is an awful President, we already know what he has done with the new Executive authority and it has not been pretty. What worries me more is what the next President will do, or the President after that. Therefore, the silence on these specific issues should be deafening to well-educated voters, Democrat, Republic, or Independent.

The erosion of Constitutional restraints on any branch of our Federal government "divinely" bestowed upon them by their predcessors only equates to less liberty for us all.

As the main author of the Constitution,

James Madison said the following:

"There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

Respectfully,

Alli "The Grinch"