Sunday, August 3, 2008

Think John McCain Is Too Old to Be President?

It's a common refrain from the left: "John McCain is too old to be President." Until recently, McCain supporters didn't have a way to refute it except to knock Barack Obama's youth and inexperience. That is, until now.

Anybody who stayed awake during civics class knows the Speaker of the House assumes the Presidency should the President and Vice President be incapable of performing the duties of their offices. But who takes over after that? The Senate Pro Tempore.

The man currently holding that position is West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd. As of this writing, Byrd is 90. Granted, the chances of him becoming President are slim, but he may still be in the mix should the Democrats retain control of the Senate after November's elections.
If John McCain wins the Presidency, he will be 72 when he takes the Oath of Office, and Byrd will be 91, barring retirement of one form or another.

If Democrats are so concerned about McCain's age and whether it will negatively impact his ability to be President, why haven't they forced Byrd, a man 19 years older than the "too old" McCain, to give up the Senate Pro Tempore position?

The next time a Democrat brings up McCain's age, bring up this little factoid and ask them to explain why McCain is too old to be President, but Byrd isn't too old to be in succession for the Presidency. You probably won't get an answer, but it'll be fun to ask nonetheless.

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