I was just a kid in the 80s....so

Did everyone have a cow over Regan being in his 70s too?

What’s with all this “grandpa” stuff? You know we don’t’ discriminate anymore on age, race, or gender. Get with the program….;-)

There was a flap over RR's age, and ageism is rampant today, you for one being guilty of it when you consider it more wrong for a thirty year old to impregnate a fourteen year old than it is for an eighteen year old to do the same. Wrong is wrong. Now explain to me how a Demi Moore is considered cool, but the reverse would be goldigging? Weird times when such shit is even an issue.

...that is how his age was a "problem" - that and old people tend to spontaneously die much more frequently that younger, thus precipitating a sudden change in presidents.

That's why they say the best job in Washington would be McCain's Veep ( except that's not going to happen).

Yes, some people did have a cow about Reagan's increasingly inattentive mind. It wasn't a big issue in the '80 race although Reagan did promise to be tested for "senility" ; it was a larger one in '84 and during the 2nd term...Now, McCain will be nearly as old the FIRST time as Ronnie was the 2nd time around...


<link>


Why did the issue of President Reagan's fitness for office because of his age and health vault into headlines this week?

Mr. Reagan, at 73 years of age, is the oldest United States President, and his age has been an issue since before he took office. But only since his debate with Walter F. Mondale Sunday night has the issue been dealt with at length this year by newspapers and television reporters.

The questions led the Reagan campaign yesterday to release details of last spring's medical report that found Mr. Reagan to be in good health. One of the President's physicians said yesterday, ''Mr. Reagan is a mentally alert, robust man who appears younger than his stated age.''

The President's performance in the debate, which even his aides described as ''tentative,'' seems to have been the catalyst for the emergence of the issue. But an article in the Tuesday issue of The Wall Street Journal, as well as the aggressive efforts of some Democratic officeholders and members of the Democratic campaign staff, also seem to have played a large role. Importance of Journal Article

''The Journal article was an important element in making the age element an issue,'' said John Chancellor, senior commentator for NBC News, but House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill Jr., Representative Tony Coelho of California and other Democrats ''were already starting to push it before the Journal article appeared.''

He was a liberal turncoat and every liberal knew that it the beginning of the end. 30 years later, the "Reagan Revolution" has brought this country to her knees. We're ripe for the pickings. Time for real leadership.

I don't remember anyone caring about how old Reagan did (his detractors probably did) but it's just a campaign ploy......anything to disparage him

Notice, though.........they can call McCain "old" and "gramps", but nobody can say a single negative thing about Obama's race.

So yes........there IS discrimination.

Reagan was 70 the first time right?

McCain is 72?

What's the diff?

They hid the fact that he may have been suffering the effects of Alzheimer's in his second term. Remember one of his most famous statements is "I do not recall".

Sadly it may have been the truth.

....."nigger", how droll;)

Then why does he have such a high approval rating now RS?....in fact his approval rating is higher now than it was during his presidency, so evidently Americans think he was a great President.

70 shortly thereafter. The difference is 2 1/2 years and two bouts with cancer...

Well the reverse argument would be that Hussein is too young and inexperienced. Of course that argument has a certain elegance to it, that will be lost on the liberals, who are in love with his rhetoric and ignore his lack of depth.

jackg

mookex fighting the urge to call Jen a "cracker"

How droll

Hypocrite

Positive. Hopeful.

The Reaganites have endlessly promoted him as great. He was a sweet dunderhead doing corporate bidding...and had a CIA agent as his VP. He worked happily with terrorists...and failed to respond to attacks on our soil.

Great? Not in my book...but yes, sunny, positive...hopeful and charasmatic.

Yes, that is the counter argument...and Ronnie laid a great bon mot on Mondale to that effect during one of the debates...

Obama however would not be the youngest ever...so the extreme argument cannot be made.