John McCain: Age Is No Barrier
May 16, 2008
By Gerald C. Davison
In a speech earlier this year, Barack Obama commended John McCain as an American hero with a “half-century of service to this nation.” His emphasis on the “half-century” drew a smattering of chuckles from the crowd, leading pundits to interpret it as a jab against the 71-year-old Republican candidate’s age.
Such comments lay bare the issue of stereotyping and prejudice against our elders. Ageism is so widely accepted in American mores that it has become the mild-mannered cousin to the more serious labels of sexism and racism. According to a 2007 Pew Research Center poll, Americans are less comfortable voting for a man in his 70s for president than they are voting for a woman or an African American.
Aging has varying effects on cognitive processing and functioning. Someone who is 70 could perform as well at a given job as a 40-year-old, or, alternately, as poorly as a 100-year-old. In other words, a person’s age isn’t necessarily a reflection of his mental capabilities, physical well-being or even longevity.
“I’m older than dirt, more scars than Frankenstein, but I learned a few things along the way,” McCain once joked.
And McCain will continue to learn throughout his entire lifespan, if he stays healthy. Evidence suggests that seniors today are more mentally fit than their counterparts in previous generations. A recent study, published by my colleague Elizabeth Zelinski at the USC Davis School of Gerontology, found that contemporary 74-year-olds performed better on cognitive tests than individuals tested 16 years ago. For example, in a test of word recall, today’s septuagenarians performed as well as the earlier generation did at 59.
Seventy-one is not that old by today’s standards, as the maximum lifespan extends into the hundreds and people 85 and up become the fastest growing population in America. According to the Department of Human Health and Human Services, the average life expectancy of men who live to age 70 is 82.4 and that of women who live to 70 is 85.5. It would take McCain two terms in the Oval Office to reach the average life expectancy of a man his current age.
Despite injuries sustained in Vietnam and three bouts with skin cancer, McCain says he works seven days a week, 16-plus hours a day. He’s known for his high-energy lifestyle, and recently hiked the Grand Canyon. His civic engagement should be held up as an example of healthy aging and the productive role that individuals can play for society past the typical age of retirement.
Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia is 90, Rep. Ralph Hall of West Virginia is 85, and Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner is 73. If their states deem them capable of representing the people, why should we hold McCain to any different standard?
If McCain wins the 2008 election, he will be 72 years old when he takes office, more than two years older than Ronald Reagan was when he became president in the 1980s. If McCain is healthy, as his updated campaign health records seem to indicate, then his age shouldn’t be a gauge of his ability to perform as president.
Gerontological science indicates that people can feel comfortable voting for McCain if they think he is best qualified to lead our country. Voting for someone else just because of McCain’s years would be ageism.
Gerald C. Davison, Ph.D., is dean of the USC Davis School of Gerontology and executive director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center. He is also a professor of Gerontology and Psychology in the Davis School, with expertise in healthy aging and the mental health of older adults.