New leftist ad: You won’t believe how old John McCain is
posted at 8:58 pm on April 17, 2008 by Allahpundit
It’s not from the DNC, but blaming Howard Dean for it is at least arguably fair since the guy who made it moves in elite enough circles that he’d probably pull it if the party leaned hard on him to do so. Dean-o suggested not long ago that this line of attack is off limits (which it shouldn’t be), so maybe he’s had a change of heart? Or maybe he’s content to let the activists do his dirty work for him.
Follow the first link to Goldfarb’s post to see why I’m fine with the left trying to attack him on this point. There’s a reason the spot is so upbeat and jokey: Any serious suggestion that septuagenarians are incompetent per se could have dire consequences for the Democrats, AARP’s influence notwithstanding. This is already closer to that line than I’d be comfortable with were I in Dean’s position. It does, however, show that they’re already writing off Hillary’s chances of a comeback: She’s only 11 years younger than Maverick, which makes the “can you believe this geezer” gaping rather underwhelming in context. Only if Obama’s the nominee does the age gap turn stark.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Haha… start now, leftists. He’s going to wreck you guys this fall.
AbaddonsReign on April 17, 2008 at 9:03 PM
Ageists! If this were Canada, I’d haul them before the Canadian Human Rights Commission!
rbj on April 17, 2008 at 9:05 PM
Dumbest ad ever.
When PSAs attack?
OneGyT on April 17, 2008 at 9:06 PM
Nice. Baby Boomers start collecting Social Security this past year and the dems decide to insult the largest voting block in the nation. Sweet. Now’s that Gotti’s dead, there is a new teflon Don.
THE CHOSEN ONE on April 17, 2008 at 9:08 PM
Well, that was a waste of money.
I guess they don’t realize which age groups are more likely to get off their butts and vote.
reaganaut on April 17, 2008 at 9:09 PM
Prostate Specific Antigens? You making another age-ist remark?
mikeyboss on April 17, 2008 at 9:11 PM
McCain needs to make fun of it at every turn.
KBird on April 17, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Disgusting. This is the sh*t that actually has to make me DEFEND McShamnesty. And it has to be really sh**ty for me to defend the Dem’s Favorite Republican.
malan89 on April 17, 2008 at 9:13 PM
Yeah. A couple of teen-agers getting googly-eyed about how he’s even older than color TV! Only kids think we’ve ALWAYS had 500 channels and mp3 players and the Intertubes.
At which audience is this ad aimed? The all-important 18-24 yr old voters?
misterpeasea on April 17, 2008 at 9:14 PM
I think that was obnoxious and sophomoric…
CCRWM on April 17, 2008 at 9:16 PM
It had to be.
BTW…This is gonna a FUN general, isn’t it?
malan89 on April 17, 2008 at 9:17 PM
When it comes down to it, people over 50 vote in bigger blocks then the young, who are all hip for primaries, their first time to vote, it’s like Ecstasy for them, then they lose interest by November.
So, by all means, let the Dim-ocrats insult senior citizens, driving them right into McCain’s arms.
I have to wonder how the Left would react if the GOP ran an ad about Obama being black.
William Teach on April 17, 2008 at 9:19 PM
McCain needs to use this ad in his own ads and somehow, some way… get a response from AARP.
That would be interesting.
reaganaut on April 17, 2008 at 9:20 PM
Tolerance: Catch the fevuh!
its vintage duh on April 17, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Well, it certainly makes me want to change my vote!!!
NOT!
*snickers*
Mortis on April 17, 2008 at 9:22 PM
Once again, liberal stupidity is poised to give Republicans another election.
God help us if they ever start using a couple brain cells.
Way to insult one of the largest and fastest growing voting demographics! Way to engage in ageism – and simultaneously display basic hypocrisy on a grand scale! (Should we expect a video on things that are less black than Barack?)
Stupid ideologies only attract stupid people. They are politically inept.
Professor Blather on April 17, 2008 at 9:23 PM
I think it was tongue in cheek.
Well, I sure hope it was… if this airs as anything other than a viral video, like where it might wind up on TV in Florida, for example, you might as well just hand McCain the keys to the Oval Office. That’s a voting block you want to piss off only if your candidate is planning on fixing social security via soylent green. :p
E1701 on April 17, 2008 at 9:23 PM
Way too funny! Especially the part about Dick Cheney.
mycowardice on April 17, 2008 at 9:25 PM
This has to be a high school art project or something.
Vigilante on April 17, 2008 at 9:25 PM
Hmmmm. Tough choice. Compulsive liar, lefty racist, old war hero.
THE CHOSEN ONE on April 17, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Wow, the Left really does respect all people.
Clark1 on April 17, 2008 at 9:29 PM
It will be fun to watch McCain wipe the floor with whoever the Dems nominate, but the bad part is that afterwards we are stuck with McCain. We can’t afford to let this lefty in Republican clothing run amok once he gets to the White House, he can do too much damage.
Maxx on April 17, 2008 at 9:29 PM
McCain and Skynet have the same birthday. There must be some significance to that.
rw on April 17, 2008 at 9:31 PM
He can still kick their pot smoking behinds.
rockdog63 on April 17, 2008 at 9:31 PM
How old is Yoda? I’d rather have him on my side than Murtha.
AnthonyK on April 17, 2008 at 9:31 PM
Maxx, there also needs to be a real focus on getting fiscally conservative, small government types elected to Congress.
Unfortunately I live in Marcy Kaptur’s district. :-(
rbj on April 17, 2008 at 9:32 PM
Cute Ad. I’m also older than most of this stuff so it is obviously aimed at the 18 to 35 group. I thought Obama had this demographic all wrapped up. Older Dem’s are voting for Hill so does that mean that this ad was directed against Hillary older voters? I guess Obama is going to win it with kids, university professors, San Francisco multi-millionaires and Blacks. Yeah, that’s the ticket!
Oops! Forgot about the old 60′s radicals in our esteemed major cities. They will no doubt push him over the edge.
thatcher on April 17, 2008 at 9:33 PM
They tried the “age thing” with Reagan back in the day…worked out well for the Left, eh? Why not do it again.
If “age” is their ace in the hole, they lost already.
JetBoy on April 17, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Ummm,I cracked a joke a while back about McCain
being really old,so I flogged myself done good,and I
won’t do that again,but I think the Leftys are reading
the comments on Hot Air,duh ya think!
And yes,as soon as the Liberal nominee is official,
the MSM as I said before will within a nano-second,
on a dime turn on McCain!
And when that shot across the bow happens,so it begins!
canopfor on April 17, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Now that I know McCain is in my age group I’m certain to vote for him. He’s also the favorite of my grandson in law school . . . so, he obviously has appeal across many age groups and professions. Now, Democrats, please take your dumb ass add and put it where the sun doesn’t shine.
rplat on April 17, 2008 at 9:41 PM
When they start photoshop’ing him on the walls of the Alamo standing next to Davie and Jim, that’s when I’ll really get upset.
Zorro on April 17, 2008 at 9:41 PM
Yes Liberal’s, John McCain is old,but at least he really
has over THIRTY FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE!
John McCain is like aged nuclear wine,powered by American
Gung-ho Honour and love of Country,an everyready powered
bunny of Patriotism!
So Liberals go back to your basement bunkers have a bong
and try again,however the Charleston music wasn’t bad,not!
canopfor on April 17, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Well they already insulted people of faith, sportsmen, and now our elders. I wonder who’s next, perhaps married couples and people who pay their taxes?
THE CHOSEN ONE on April 17, 2008 at 9:52 PM
But isn’t John McCain younger than some of those supreme court judges ?!
jadedlady on April 17, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Maybe so, but he’s not a immature boob…
Hog Wild on April 17, 2008 at 10:01 PM
By the time election rolls around, McCain may have a little different attitude towards the dimocratics then he used to. I hope the old goat has a vengeance, temper, and get even attitude during his four years as president. Who knows, maybe he really will see the light and re-access his fondness towards the left.
trs on April 17, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Just like a liberal to attack the population demographic that has the highest voter percentage.
These are the people that want to run the country?
jukin on April 17, 2008 at 10:05 PM
1. The campaign is being run by the executive director of “America Coming Together.” Love that Dem doublespeak. (MoveOn.org, anyone?)
2. Clinton’s also older than Burger King (and, if you take the life-begins-at-conception point of view, Pakistan). Does that mean she’s too old, too?
calbear on April 17, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Silly ad, but I liked the looks of the old triple-patty Big Mac.
p40tiger on April 17, 2008 at 10:09 PM
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that age discrimination?
newton on April 17, 2008 at 10:21 PM
John McCain with Age comes wisdom and experience. >:}
Chakra Hammer on April 17, 2008 at 10:42 PM
Apparently her hubby thinks so. Bill remarked earlier in the campaign that (regrettably) he couldn’t make Hillary taller or younger, and just a few days ago he tried to blame her Tuzla fantasy on the fact that, at 60, she’s not as sharp as she used to be.
AZCoyote on April 17, 2008 at 10:42 PM
look at what liberals are doing..
discriminating based on age..
Chakra Hammer on April 17, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Racism and sexism, verboten! Ageism? Fair game this election!
Dr. Manhattan on April 17, 2008 at 10:46 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageism
Dr. Manhattan on April 17, 2008 at 10:47 PM
It would be nice if McCain could recycle the Reagan line on age, but it is such an iconic debate quip that he probably couldn’t make it fresh enough.
DaveS on April 17, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Good luck with Florida, morons.
Nessuno on April 17, 2008 at 10:56 PM
But when age, temper and all other derogatory tags fail to tilt the polls, Dems will resort to their last ditch weapon: calling McCain gay.
It’s a tactic they’ve used on Republicans since the Joe McCarthy era.
whitetop on April 17, 2008 at 10:59 PM
Hilarious! McCain is also older than You Tube and the Internet and AIDS and Rick Astley/rickrolling and the IPOD and the Chunnel and the Euro and Menudo and the XBox-360…oh wait so is Obama…never mind.
HawaiiLwyr on April 17, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Hmm. That was mildly amusing.
I just read this comment from dave98503 (6 minutes ago)
Gave it a +1.
Awesome, dave.
wise_man on April 17, 2008 at 11:39 PM
71 is only old to those under 30.. maybe 40.. when they hit 50, 70 ain’t gonna be old at all.
But 71 ain’t that old to Boomers.
As I was watching the Pope’s visit this week, I found it interesting that he’s ..what.. 82? That’s a decade older than McCain. Focusing on McCain’s age ain’t gonna help the Ds.. at all.
Texas Gal on April 17, 2008 at 11:42 PM
wow.. so hip.. fresh..
not like Letterman has been making fun of McCain’s age for about a year now..
DaveC on April 18, 2008 at 12:07 AM
I’ve stopped watching Letterman..
feel so much better.. now that TMZ is on at the same time on another channel :)
DaveC on April 18, 2008 at 12:08 AM
He’s like, way older than MADONNA, man!
TexasJew on April 18, 2008 at 12:13 AM
How old is that frigging gray-haired idiot Letterman? Johnny Carson didn’t have to wear reading glasses to do his damn show.
Word of advice: you should never act too adolescently snarky while you’re being prepped for your yearly colonoscopy.
TexasJew on April 18, 2008 at 12:17 AM
McCain has served his country longer than Obama has been alive.
I do not really see that as a handicap for McCain in a head to head battle.
EJDolbow on April 18, 2008 at 12:18 AM
Interesting question. And yes – he sure is. By comparison to John Paul Stevens, McCain is a child. And I mean that literally. When Stevens became a legal adult, McCain was not yet two years old.
Stevens is 87. McCain is 71.
I say again – EIGHTY SEVEN.
But, of course, Srevens is a darling of the leftist machine. So they probably won’t be pointing to his age any time soon. I mean, all he has to do is offer critical analysis of legal issues that will impact a whole country for decades or centuries. So who cares if he’s 87?
In fact, if McCain wins – they’ll be begging Stevens to stay on the Court, of course. Age will be forgotten.
By the way, Oliver Wendell Holmes, arguably the most respected Supreme Court Justice in history, served until he was NINETY.
When you take all that into account, the ageist hypocritical elitism of the left is shown for exactly what it is: an abandonment of all their own beliefs in favor of (perceived) political gain.
The fact that its politically stupid – bordering on suicidal – only makes the hypocrisy funnier.
The best part is that by attacking his age they only point out how experienced he truly is in comparison to their candidates.
Wikipedia provides a perfect illustration, no matter how biased they are. Here’s the first couple paragraph on McCain:
Just freakin’ LOOK at all the massive experience he’s acquired, in part BECAUSE of his age.
Now set ideology and politics aside for a minute. Look at it solely based on competence and experience.
Are we REALLY thinking of passing this guy over for a woman who was once married to an impeached President and who carpetbagged her way into a Senate term … or a guy who’s served about 5 minutes in the Senate after a few years as a local state senator nobody?
Seriously?
The disparity in qualifications – once you set aside politics – is so enormous that it defies comparison. It’s like comparing a snowball to a glacier; a firecracker to the sun. There is no comparison.
And pointing to his age only serves to underline the enormity of the qualification gap.
Professor Blather on April 18, 2008 at 12:19 AM
That one made my day!
Subsunk
Subsunk on April 18, 2008 at 12:35 AM
sniff sniff
You smell that, guys? It smells like……desperation.
Sekhmet on April 18, 2008 at 12:40 AM
I’m in the “target” group, and my grandpas are both much older than McCain. I’d love to see them running for president (trust me, it’d rawk), but this is what we have: a war hero. Not too bad, I suppose. Just wish he’s shape up on immigration.
pookysgirl on April 18, 2008 at 1:02 AM
All McCain’s people have to do in reply is make an ad with Barack in a baby carriage shaking a rattle and crying, with the line:
“Some people think Senator McCain is too old for the Presidency… maybe it’s time to CHANGE their diapers.”
profitsbeard on April 18, 2008 at 1:02 AM
If this is the best they can do they are in big trouble.
But we already knew that.
Nahanni on April 18, 2008 at 1:03 AM
ppbbt… did you see the ad from the enviros attacking McCain for supporting Nuclear energy?
That was funny, since the reason he does is because he wants to reduce coal and oil use to save us from global warming.
Sackett on April 18, 2008 at 2:06 AM
Remember, people: it is usually those 65 and older who show up at the polls the most.
We should make sure they all know that the DNC discriminates against McCain because of his age.
newton on April 18, 2008 at 2:19 AM
“john McCain is like, so old”
and he’d still kick the crap out of you, ya college hippie!
RMC1618 on April 18, 2008 at 2:36 AM
My dad will be 70 in a couple months..
Chakra Hammer on April 18, 2008 at 2:40 AM
for McCain being so old he has a Marine son around 18 or 19 and Son in the Navy a few years older than that..
and a daughter thats like 16 or something :}
Chakra Hammer on April 18, 2008 at 2:43 AM
So ageism is okay, but if someone even looks like they are going to call Obama something like “elite” then that is racism and even that hint of racism is bad.
John McCain is older then…..
(Good!)
Double standards are great aren’t they! If they weren’t then we would see this one:
Barack Obama is more elite then…..
(really bad cause we all know, “more elite,” is code for, “blacker!”)
DKK
LifeTrek on April 18, 2008 at 3:45 AM
My mother-in-law is about the same age (only 2 years younger than McCain), and she’s pretty dang active. She works for the CDC doing lab work.
Also, a nitpick: Plutonium is much, much older than McCain. Yes, it was first manufactured/discovered in 1940, but there have been eentsy-teensy traces around for billions of years. It gets created in supernovas, and appears in miniscule amounts of uranium ore.
When they kept mentioning things he was older than, I kept thinking “That’s not that old”. They’re going to have to try harder…
meep on April 18, 2008 at 5:16 AM
When I came on the job, you looked to the older guys because they had experience. And you didn’t dare insult them.
LtE126 on April 18, 2008 at 6:51 AM
Juvenile.
But if we really want to know about John McCain, I suppose we could ask his mother….
darkpixel on April 18, 2008 at 7:14 AM
McCain can counter with an ad saying Barry is so young he doesn’t know that his pal Bill Ayers is a terrorist.
Buy Danish on April 18, 2008 at 8:01 AM
So people that are ten years younger than Maverick are making fun of how old he is? Yah, that’ll work.
Anything but the facts, Dems.
Hening on April 18, 2008 at 8:06 AM
Professor Blather gets the Post of the Day award.
So far, only one other poster mentions that this juvenile attempt at humor was created by Steve Rosenthal, the founder of ACT, America Coming Together. One of Clinton Inc’s butt boys. It has the feel of a high school or college freshman attempt at humor. It would have been funny, if actual high schoolers had thought of it, but since it was a Klintoon Kool-Aid drinker responsible, childish is more apt a description.
geekrunner on April 18, 2008 at 8:15 AM
Also, to add to Prf. Blather’s analysis. If, instead of elections, the job of President was filled like any other job, with an interview and review of qualifications, McCain would be the hands-down choice for the job! However, since we the people vote for President, then qualifications mean nothing. Only thing that matters is getting 50% +1 vote in each state in sufficient quantities to get 270 electoral votes. So it becomes a popularity contest at best, or a contest to see who can be the most generous with taxpayer money.
geekrunner on April 18, 2008 at 8:35 AM
That means John McCain is older than the 1960s New Left and even hippies!!! Respect your elders.
http://www.culturism.us
culturism on April 18, 2008 at 8:40 AM
Substantive dialogue about the issues – this is why I love liberals. They seek reasonable discourse.
Grafted on April 18, 2008 at 9:05 AM
The young Klan leader went on to become one of the most powerful and enduring figures in modern Senate history. West Virginia Democrat Robert C. Byrd, current chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee (Born: November 20, 1917, in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, current age 91) in his Senate office last week, has written a new book about his half-century in elective office.
McCain is a young pup.
Maxx on April 18, 2008 at 9:30 AM
I’m a contemporary of John McCains and what’s wrong with being in your 70′s.Do the Dems REALLY want to offend elderly voters? There are a LOT of us out there and we vote!! Be careful!!
jeanie on April 18, 2008 at 10:05 AM
This is nothing but the new generation of socialists picking up on the ‘you can’t trust anybody over 30′ line from the 60′s. Problem is, nobody under their limit can run for President.. so… what about that 48 year old socialist Obama? What is he older than… hmmmmm Obama was born on 4 August 1961.. got list? The funny thing about the list offered by the loonies is that the things discussed are not ‘old’ at all. They have no clue about age as they are not old enough to qualify as mature to understand that we’ve only been basing our entire planet on oil for about a hundred years, and we’ve only been attacking each other on that internet thing for a few decades. The video and the ignorant ‘blog’ it comes from (they have a domain name does that make them believable, I don’t think so) … are made by children who would run this country and they are led by the socialist hollow candidate who like the Pied Piper will lure them all into their own demise.
For what Obama really is doing, sing along to the video at http://www.countryaboveself.com be a rock star like Barack.
ilitigant on April 18, 2008 at 11:49 AM
As an encore for Allahpundit to savor,
McCain is older than Fred Thompson.
McCain is too squishy. He is unreliable on everything domestic, meaning everything to do with us here and now.
While Obama and Hillary are having it out, NOW is the time to chest conservative hands of cards in order to pressure McCain to commit to secure borders and facilitation of legal immigrants already pursuing legal entry and residency according to current law.
The problem with any “new” law is that it only perpetuates the trajectory that much further off course from the original point, that point being the Constitution as Urtext, not as progressive liberal judges revised it to be as a “living” document, meaning whatever the new judge determines or wills by prejudice that it now dictates.
Beyond immigration, take another example, a light bulb, and start passing law after law legalizing only certain bulbs, and as others are invented, new laws must be created to determine their legal status, and that light bulbs must be used by all persons everywhere in public and in private, whether necessary or not, ad nauseum.
There’s truth to be had in envisioning contemporary practice. The fault seems to rest with the revision overwhelming the original forever thereafter. That need not be so.
Precedence should only be precedence, nothing more or less. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Supreme Court Justice, made a notorious decision that allowed the State of Virginia to a salpingectomy in Buck vs. Bell. Holmes “underscored how the health of the organic body politic trumped individual liberty.” (Jonah Goldberg, Liberal Fascism, pp252-3.) We hardly have state mandated lobotomies and sterilizations today. So precedence is only as valid or invalid as its particular case goes, and should NOT be wholesale reason for perpetually forcing the Constitution to “evolve” or mutate, as perspective determines changes from the original document to be.
maverick muse on April 18, 2008 at 1:25 PM
You would look old too, if you spent as much time at the Hanoi Hilton that John McCain did.
But looks deceive, McCain appears to have his “mind right”.
jimpv on April 18, 2008 at 1:56 PM
McCain Dole McCain Dole
Its 1996 all over again, except in the Congress.
LevStrauss on April 18, 2008 at 4:33 PM
This seems more like “fun facts” than “smear campaign” if this is the worst they got on him then this will be a short race.
His MOM is still living…. how does that even WORK?!
Capitana on April 18, 2008 at 5:11 PM