McCain’s Old Age Worse Than Rudy’s Divorces?

Could John McCain’s unprecedented old age (he would be 72 when elected) be more problematic for his presidential run than Rudy Giuliani’s rocky marital life (he has been married thrice) in 2008? The latest USA Today/Gallup Poll seems to suggest this might be the case.

The new survey asks voters what they think about certain presidential candidate quirks.

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 9-11, 2007. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

“Between now and the 2008 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates — their education, age, religion, race, and so on. If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be [see below], would you vote for that person?” Trend includes slight variation in wording.

Yes No Unsure

% % %

Catholic

2/9-11/07 95 4 1

5/30 - 6/1/03 93 5 2

2/19-21/99 94 4 2

2/3-8/37 60 30 10

Black

2/9-11/07 94 5 1

5/30 - 6/1/03 92 6 2

2/19-21/99 95 4 1

1/4 - 2/28/97 93 4 3

7/10-13/87 79 13 8

7/21-24/78 77 18 5

4/19-24/67 53 41 6

9/10-15/58 38 54 8

Jewish

2/9-11/07 92 7 2

5/30 - 6/1/03 89 8 3

2/19-21/99 92 6 2

9/10-15/58 63 29 8

2/10-15/37 46 47 8

A woman

2/9-11/07 88 11 1

5/30 - 6/1/03 87 12 1

2/19-21/99 92 7 1

7/10-13/87 82 12 6

7/21-24/78 76 19 5

4/19-24/67 57 39 4

9/10-15/58 54 41 5

1/27 - 2/1/37 33 64 3

Hispanic

2/9-11/07 87 12 1

Mormon

2/9-11/07 72 24 4

2/19-21/99 79 17 4

4/19-24/67 75 17 8

Married for the third time

2/9-11/07 67 30 3

Seventy-two years of age

2/9-11/07 57 42 1

A homosexual

2/9-11/07 55 43 2

2/19-21/99 59 37 4

4/29 - 5/2/83 29 64 7

7/21-24/78 26 66 8

Atheist

2/9-11/07 45 53 3

2/19-21/99 49 48 3

9/10-15/58 18 77 5

.

Asked of those who answered “yes” to each appropriate item above:
“Would you be completely comfortable voting for a qualified presidential candidate who was [see below], or would you have some reservations?” Combined results, based on total sample.

Completely
Comfortable Some
Reservations Would Not
Vote For

Unsure

% % % %

Black

2/9-11/07

84 9 5 1

A woman

2/9-11/07 78 10 11 1

Mormon

2/9-11/07 58

14 24 4

Married for the third time

2/9-11/07 54 13 30 3

Seventy-two years of age

2/9-11/07 43

15 42 1

Voters are more comfortable with an anonymous thrice-married candidate than an anonymous seventy-two year old candidate? Most serious pundits (including yours truly) have long dismissed the notion that McCain’s old age would harm his presidential prospects. This doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the elderly McCain, and the results might be different if Rudy’s name went along with the thrice-married tag and McCain’s with the 72-year-old tag, but these results do pose some interesting questions about what qualities the American electorate requires from their Commander in Chief in this especially trying and weighty era of history.

To the FReepers in attendance and the millions watching around the world on Pay Per View…Ladies and Gentleman...

LLLLLLLets Get Ready to RRRumblllllllle!!!!

1,500,000,000 rounds of posts, arguments, insults, cheesy graphics, name calling, and debate for the FUTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!

"Introducing first, to my right, fighting out of the red corner, wearing their Sunday best with a gold crucifix...weighing in at 800 pounds...the social conservatives, the religious right, the champions of family values...from the Southern States...The Evangelicals!" (wild applause)

"And in the blue corner, wearing an off the rack suit, Goldwater ’64 lapel pin and a belt 2 sizes too small...weighing in at 140 pounds soaking wet...the fiscal conservatives, the last champions of limited government...from the Western States...The Libertarians!" (wild applause)

I don’t know how Rudy always manages to be in the wrong (right) place at the right (wrong) time. First in the middle of 9/11 and then this battle between the social and fiscal conservatives.

Chapter 1: Live From the Reagan Building

Yes, in the era of single parents, blended families, step families, gay families, easy divorce, Rudy's ok. Shoot, my "baby boomer" dad was married three times as well! I never thought he had anything in common with Rudy.

It's not abnormal to have "starter marriages", swap wives (on television for $), and have 3 different kids with 3 different daddies...

Gen X'ers and Y's have lived with the consequences for years - latchkey kids, which parent am I spending the weekend / summer with - that's why a lot of us wait longer to get married because we don't want to get married over and over and over again...

I'd rather have Rudy than McCain any day of the week!

Even Reagan was divorced and he got elected twice...and didn't McCain dump his first wife after he got out of Vietnam anyway - sorry, but three marriages doesn't bother me in the least.

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USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 9-11, 2007. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.
“Between now and the 2008 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates — their education, age, religion, race, and so on. If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be [see below], would you vote for that person?” Trend includes slight variation in wording.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	Catholic
	2/9-11/07	95	4	1
	5/30 - 6/1/03	93	5	2
	2/19-21/99	94	4	2
	2/3-8/37	60	30	10
	Black
	2/9-11/07	94	5	1
	5/30 - 6/1/03	92	6	2
	2/19-21/99	95	4	1
	1/4 - 2/28/97	93	4	3
	7/10-13/87	79	13	8
	7/21-24/78	77	18	5
	4/19-24/67	53	41	6
	9/10-15/58	38	54	8
	Jewish
	2/9-11/07	92	7	2
	5/30 - 6/1/03	89	8	3
	2/19-21/99	92	6	2
	9/10-15/58	63	29	8
	2/10-15/37	46	47	8
	A woman
	2/9-11/07	88	11	1
	5/30 - 6/1/03	87	12	1
	2/19-21/99	92	7	1
	7/10-13/87	82	12	6
	7/21-24/78	76	19	5
	4/19-24/67	57	39	4
	9/10-15/58	54	41	5
	1/27 - 2/1/37	33	64	3
	Hispanic
	2/9-11/07	87	12	1
	Mormon
	2/9-11/07	72	24	4
	2/19-21/99	79	17	4
	4/19-24/67	75	17	8
	Married for the third time
	2/9-11/07	67	30	3
	Seventy-two years of age
	2/9-11/07	57	42	1
	A homosexual
	2/9-11/07	55	43	2
	2/19-21/99	59	37	4
	4/29 - 5/2/83	29	64	7
	7/21-24/78	26	66	8
	Atheist
	2/9-11/07	45	53	3
	2/19-21/99	49	48	3
	9/10-15/58	18	77	5
						.
	Asked of those who answered “yes” to each appropriate item above: “Would you be completely comfortable voting for a qualified presidential candidate who was [see below], or would you have some reservations?” Combined results, based on total sample.
		Completely Comfortable	Some Reservations	Would Not Vote For		Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	Black
	2/9-11/07		84	9	5	1
	A woman
	2/9-11/07	78	10	11	1
	Mormon
	2/9-11/07	58		14	24	4
	Married for the third time
	2/9-11/07	54	13	30	3

	Seventy-two years of age
	2/9-11/07	43		15	42	1

February 16, 2007