Would Kossacks accept stereotyped cracks about a Black president? From Democrats, Republicans, anyone?
So why are so many eager to jump on John McCain's age with stupid and insensitive jokes about the elderly?
You will all know what I am talking about, because there is a continuous stream of joking comments on John McCain invoking memory loss, Matlock, incontinence, Polident, and the like. Every unpleasant stereotype about the elderly is dragged out and rubbed on John McCain. And it makes me uncomfortable, as uncomfortable as a depiction of watermelon-eatin', cakewalkin', jive-talkin', gangbangin' Barack Obama would.
I am not suggesting we should be fair to John McCain. Far from it. I am 100% in favour of taking McCain completely apart on every flaw in his policy positions, every shortcoming in his political past, every defect in his character.
But being old is not a character defect.
I am not saying that there is nothing wrong with electing a very old president, or that it isn't better to elect a younger and more vigorous one. It is better. If John McCain displays forgetfulness, lack of energy, and so forth, by all means, let's ATTACK him and not stop.
But if we don't, as supporters of Barack Obama, Democratic Nominee for President, we risk alienating one of what should be our most reliable support groups - seniors. People who remember what presidents with integrity were like, people on fixed incomes who are most at risk from spiralling prices, people who have been roundly ignored by this Administration. Many Democratic seniors are already uncomfortable enough with Sen. Obama - why alienate them further by implying that they are valued less? Why would we attack John McCain simply for being old, when there are so many important flaws to attack?
Lay off the Depends jokes, folks - there's serious work to do.