Age, Gender, and Race: Which is the deal breaker?

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Thursday March 27, 2008 · 6:50 AM PDT

2008/03/27 · 06:50

They all are for different people and to differing degrees. An LA Times blog dissects the recent NBC/WSJ poll. Interesting results below the break.

The figures that really grabbed our attention, however, concern the electability of a candidate who is black, a woman or ... over 70 years old.

In the first two categories, the figures were almost exactly the same -- among all voters, 72% said the country is ready to elect a black person; 71% said the same for a woman (the negatives for those two categories were 18% and 20%, respectively).

But the "yes" responses dropped to 61% on the age question -- with 29% saying no, the nation would not opt to send a candidate over 70 to the White House.

Many political analysts long have held that results on race and gender electability may not be reliable; that some voters may not be willing to admit, even when being interviewed anonymously by a pollster, such a bias.

McCain, who turns 72 on Aug. 29 and is vying to become the oldest person to first assume the presidency, had better hope that's the case -- and that the same principle doesn't apply on the age matter.

LA Times

I'll refer you all to this diary by Granny Doc for context on the importance of age in judgment, reason, and decision-making. That diary's information has stuck with me, and I'd suggest you take a look.

Some here have lamented McCain's age as non-issue. I don't think it would be, judging the man in any other capacity - but he's running for the Presidency of the United States. The importance of that position, and the clarity of vision and purpose required for it, shouldn't be up for debate. Further, if McCain's presidency would be a continuation of GWB, we might see some dark-horse VP taking over before 2012. For this and other reasons, I think McCain's age does matter.

Thoughts?

Poll
43 votes Show Results
Does John McCain's age matter?

Yes!

No!

I'm not sure/Maybe!

43 votes Vote Now!
Does John McCain's age matter?

Yes!

31 votes

No!

8 votes

I'm not sure/Maybe!

9%

4 votes

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