McCain campaign more than a little touchy about the age issue

May 9, 2008

Barack Obama stopped by CNN’s “Situation Room” yesterday, and Wolf Blitzer asked about John McCain’s recent assertion that Hamas wants Obama to be president. Obama noted McCain is wrong on the substance (Obama and McCain have largely the same position on policy towards Hamas), and wrong on the style (McCain had vowed to take the high road in the campaign).

Obama concluded, “So for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination.”

Marc Salter, one of McCain’s top aides, soon after issued a memo, blasting Obama’s choice of words.

[L]et us be clear about the nature of Senator Obama’s attack today: He used the words ‘losing his bearings’ intentionally, a not particularly clever way of raising John McCain’s age as an issue. This is typical of the Obama style of campaigning.

We have all become familiar with Senator Obama’s new brand of politics. First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity. It is called hypocrisy, and it is the oldest kind of politics there is.

My, my, a little sensitive about the age issue, aren’t we?

Maybe Obama was making a subtle dig here, but I really doubt it. “Losing his marbles”? Sure. “Losing control of his faculties”? No doubt. But “losing his bearings” has nothing to do with age — it refers to someone who has lost their way. They’re off track. They’re moving in the wrong direction.

The McCain gang probably should have let this one go; it only serves to remind everyone that McCain would be the oldest president in American history, and that they’d prefer that this topic remain off limits.

A month ago, Jack Murtha (a Hillary Clinton supporter) said, “[T]his one guy running is about as old as me. And let me tell you something, it’s not [an] old man’s job.” That’s was a “not particularly clever way of raising John McCain’s age as an issue.”

The McCain campaign’s overheated response suggests his team is more than a little concerned about how voters will feel about electing a 72-year-old Washington insider in a time when Americans are desperate for change. Given the polls, I can’t say I blame them.

Post Script: I just have to add that the Salter memo excoriating Obama for using the word “bearings” also included this gem:

Senator Obama is hopeful that the media will continue to form a protective barrier around him, declaring serious limits to the questions, discussion and debate in this race.

Senator Obama has good reason to think this plan will succeed, as serious journalists have written of the need for ‘de-tox’ to cure ‘swooning’ over Senator Obama, and others have admitted to losing their objectivity while with him on the campaign trail.

Can’t … type … laughing … too … hard …

Protective barrier of the media?

One word: PROJECTION.

  • but has the AP delivered Obama doughnuts yet?

    Team Obama has to be laughing their asses off at the way McCain just gave legs to a story questioning his age. Sweet. Who needs help from the press when McCain’s rapid response team is helpful enough?

  • Salter should just talk to the press personally about all this at the next McCain-media barbecue.

  • I can only hope some wingnut actually tries to make this point to me in the next day so I too can laugh too hard to write.

    What a joke these McCan’tites are. They really don’t think the rules they concoct actually apply to them too.

    We really can’t have these people winning the White House. We’ve already had seven years of an Administration that thinks one set of rules apply to us and no rules apply to them.

  • “A little sensitive”? Try hyper-sensitive. If we get Grampy to get mad, and get him to continue mis-stating the facts, the public will draw their own conclusions about him. Let him get some young scary far-rightie for VP (like Jindal) and it’s over.

    Once you get past around 65 or so (I myself am close), it’s my experience that people age at vastly different rates. I can think of several people I know who are older than McCain who I would have no problem voting for, because in their case age has provided wisdom. In McCain’s case, there was never any intellect to expand into wisdom, and I think that physiologically he is – at 71 – “older” than the people in their mid/late 70s I am thinking of (such as a good friend who was a member of the Eagle Squadrons in World War 2 and is still an active pilot and flight instructor at age 85 – activities that require a lot of intelligence and judgement)

  • The proper response would be a press release stating, simply, “Hey, at least they didn’t bring me donuts.”

  • Back in the 19th Century, it was widely believed that the brain was a biological machine with millions of microscopic gears, pulleys, levers, and, yes, bearings. When McCain was growing up, “losing his bearings” was an explanation for dementia in the elderly, who, it was believed, had literally had the bearings of their brain break down like an old motor.

    Hence, McCain taking exception to this now archaic meaning of the phrase.

  • I heard the original quote before McCain’s team pounced on it. It hadn’t even occurred to me that it could be related to his age. “Lost his bearings” can easily be translated to “lost his moral compass” in this case, and that’s what Obama was saying. McCain was being the hypocritical one!!! McCain’s campaign definitely made a mistake this time.

  • As I have previously mentioned, my 85-year-old mother-in-law has been in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s for several years. During McCain’s moments of confusion (like when he can’t remember whether al Qaeda is Shi’a or Sunni) and his deer-in-the-headlights expression as he tries to remember what he was just saying, he looks exactly like my mother-in-law when she is having a dementia-induced lapse.

    Sad, but very scary for someone who could be the next president.

  • McCain can no more hide his age than Obama can hide his racial characteristics. The Clinton campaign has exposed the unfortunate fact that Obama’s race is a greater obstacle than McCain’s age.

    But if this is an example of the quality of rapid-response memos that will me coming out of the McCain campaign from now through November, we should expect Barak Obama to win the presidency in a historic landslide.

  • *Obama spokesman Bill Burton offers a quick counter-punch at Salter, but largely ignores the underlying issue to get at their larger message:

    “Clearly losing one’s bearings has no relation to age, given this bizarre rant that Mark Salter just sent out. It’s clear why a candidate offering a third term of George Bush’s disastrous economic policies and failed strategy in Iraq would want to distract and attack, but it’s not the kind of campaign John McCain has promised the American people that he would run,”

  • Do you realize this is a Rovian campaign tactic? McCain does exactly what he is accusing Obama of doing. Rove would often take his candidate’s weakness and accuse the opponent of doing just that.

  • To me he looks and acts like he’s had a stroke. Did you see him trying to get down the plane stairs the other day? There are many people well into their 70’s you are still vital, mentally and physically. John McCain seems like he’s rapidly failing in both areas.

    As sensitive as the McCain camp is to any suggestion of age, I have no difficulty imagining McCain derisively referring to Obama as “young Senator Obama” at some point during the campaign. “Young whippersnapper,” probably not, but I won’t be suprised to hear “young Senator Obama.”

    Once the general campaign begins in earnest, and this could be the opening salvo, the difference between the two will be incredibly stark, and that will not be good for a creaky, senile-sounding old man.

  • OK, so “losing your bearings” is now offensive. The list of offensive words and phrases keeps piling up. The Onion, as usual, nailed it:

    NEW YORK—After Sen. Barack Obama’s comments last week about what he typically eats for dinner were criticized by Sen. Hillary Clinton as being offensive to both herself and the American voters, the number of acceptable phrases presidential candidates can now say are officially down to four. “At the beginning of 2007 there were 38 things candidates could mention in public that wouldn’t be considered damaging to their campaigns, but now they are mostly limited to ‘Thank you all for coming,’ and ‘God bless America,'” ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos said on Sunday’s episode of This Week. “There would still be five phrases available to the candidates if the Obama camp hadn’t accused Clinton of saying ‘Glad to be here’ with a little tinge of sarcasm during a stump speech in North Carolina.” As of press time, the two additional phrases still considered appropriate for candidates are the often-quoted “These pancakes are great,” and “Death to the infidels.”

  • McCain can no more hide his age than Obama can hide his racial characteristics.

    Well, Obama isn’t getting any blacker. McCain, OTOH, may be wearing depends by 2012.

  • To me he looks and acts like he’s had a stroke.

    The good news for McCain is that he won’t be the first Republican to get caught drooling during a Presidential debate.

  • We shouldn’t be too hard on McCain for being a bit touchy about this. It’s natural that some people get a bit grouchy as they get old. Besides, the poor man probably just needed a quick nap.

  • I love how Obama’s campaign used the phrase “bizarre rant” in their response. It isn’t necessarily a jab at McCain’s age, but it does serve to further characterize him as Grandpa Simpson.

  • Jeez, the McCain camp is cranky. I think someone missed their nap.

    Get over it, Salter. McCain’s old. He wouldn’t be allowed to pilot a plane at his age…why should we allow him to pilot the country?

  • While I did not at first think of the second meaning till after the “bizarre rant” was issued, but the ‘lost his bearings has two meanings: 1) not sure where one is heading 2) experiencing the loss of friction-reduction on a hub (in other words, the wheels are about to come off).

  • Here is the deal: Obama says the old McCain of 2000 is gone. He is no longer a Maverick, he has changed his positions, etc., he has abandoned his high road campaign. To distract from this McCain’s camp has decided to interpret these comments as veiled ‘he is old’ comments.

    Maybe Obama, should just say: Yeah, McCain is old, so what? At his age he should know better. …

  • I suggest Democrats start a movement to amend the Constitution to prevent anyone 80 years or older from serving as President.

    While it would not stop McCain from running now, it would cause endless pundit head-scratching as they try to solve the question of whether McCain could run for re-election if elected or whether he would merely have to step down with 5 months left in his second term.

    I also suggest that Democrats throw McCain the hugest birthday party this Summer.

  • Interesting that you point that out, jhm– Obama has repeatedly used the metaphor of the wheels coming off the Straight Talk Express to describe McCain’s deviation from his initial promise of nothing-but-the-truth.

    I just wish Obama’s campaign could come back with, “We weren’t talking about McCain’s age . . . but, hey, if the shoe fits . . . “

  • It seems to me that ‘losing his bearings’ is a direct reminder of someone who is old and out of touch.

    But remember the old President older than McCain when he was (re)elected President was noticeably senile soon after he left office. Who knows how much his senility affected the last few years/months of his Presidency.

  • Space, I’d be all in favor of your McCain Birthday idea . . . except, if I recall correctly, his birthday is Katrina Day. Any celebration on that day would disrespect the victims of that disaster even further than the royal screwing-over that the Bush administration has given them!

  • You are all STUPID. Let me see Obama at 71 after he has spent 5 1/2 years as a POW. Oh, Obama has never served in the military………….he just wants to run it down.

  • Ahhh, TWP, here’s the sad part:

    “Obama’s may not be crazy and out of touch, but that’s cause he’s not a Patriot like McCain,” is an argument that could convince many not to vote for Obama, but it’s really partially an admission that McCain is crazy and out of touch. I’d rather have a President who is in touch, intelligent, and down to Earth, even if they didn’t serve in the military.

    PS- Obama is very much in favor of increasing the size of the military.

  • McCain campaign more than a little touchy about the age issue

    McCain to America: Shut up you c*nt. And leave my hair alone.

  • “losing his bearings”, “bizarre rant”, “the wheels coming off the Straight Talk Express”…

    I’m not sure they’re sniping at his age as much as their trying to goad him into a temper outburst.

  • McCain has been making fun of his age – and telling the same joke – for years. At the November 30, 2006 event with Republican governors in Florida, McCain offered up his now standard septuagenarian punchline:

    “I am older than dirt. More scars than Frankenstein.”

    Sadly, McCain duing during a December 2007 MTV/MySpace event violated the cardinal rule of deflecting the age issue by forgetting his punchline:

    “I’m older than Frankenstein. I gotta few scars. I’m older than dirt and I’ve got more scars than Frankenstein…Screwed up that line.”

    For more details, see:
    “McCain Tries to Make Age Issue a Laughing Matter.”

  • The high rate of orneriness among the elderly is never mentioned in Mr. Benen’s critique of McCain’s crankiness about his age.

  • space@23…

    Like your suggestions… also I think the Dems could promote the frequent use of the number 72, in close association with McSame. I dunno… 72 absences from the Senate? 72 this, 72 that… And obviously, we would never associate that with his AGE… that would be ageist.

    Seriously, I hit 70 a month today. I can do everything I’ve always been able to do — for about four hours a day. I need a nap most days. I couldn’t do the Presidents job, and neither can McSame. And that spells danger for America.

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