Newsweek raises the age question

After his sensational victory in the Florida GOP primary overnight John McCain has become an even more firm odds-on favourite to take the nomination. By 0430 GMT the Betfair price in response to the result had tightened to 0.15/1 which given the fact the the market won’t be settled until September looks crazy.

You only bet at such odds-on prices when the market will be resolved in a few days – to lock up your stake for more than seven months for such a small return doesn’t make sense.

For anything can happen in the meantime especially as the one negative feature about the Arizona senator has yet to been become a campaign issue – that he’ll be 72 years old by the time of the election.

The Newsweek article, reproduced above, by Anna Quindlen puts it like this: “..Political operatives say that his age makes McCain’s choice of a running mate particularly critical. But if you enter the process stressing a hedge against mortality or incapacity, shouldn’t that suggest something about suitability for the job in the first place? The senator’s pursuit of the presidency reminds me a bit of those women who decide to have a baby in their late 50s. The impulse is understandable, the goal possible. But, looking at all the facts, and the actuarial tables, is it really sensible?”

Romney and his millions are still there and will be throwing a massive amount of money at the Super Tuesday primaries next week. No doubt, his team are looking at ways of touching on McCain’s age in a way that won’t re-bound. Difficult – but that’s what you hire expensive PR people for.

Just look a the way the Clinton gang in their unlovely way switched the focus onto Obama’s skin colour. Think what they could do with McCain’s 72 years?

Mike Smithson