Without knowing how much of that 47% is eager for a Sarah Palin presidency, I'm not sure how to take this polling.

My 80+ mother in law, a life long R, says McCain is old and confused. I think she is right.

And, Schmuck Talk still won't release his medical records. Will Obama hint at that in the final debate?

Not to worry. Most doctors think he'll be around for at least four years.

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. Poll finds that may be a political liability for McCain. Nearly half of the Americans surveyed, 47 percent, are concerned that McCain would not finish a four-year term as president in good health.

...which makes McCain's impulsive and reckless choice of that nitwit Palin another political liability for McCain.

Since the Palin nomination, the main consensus on the blogs have said, "ignore Palin, target McCain", which would be the SOP in a normal election year.

I've thought that was wrong all along. I think the Dems SHOULD target Palin and her complete inexperience and totally frightening life-view.

I doubt they will now, what-with Obama's lead in the polls - long may it last! - but I always thought the Palin unreadyness as a decrepit-heartbeat away from the Presidency was fair game.

Sorry, but I'm more worried about his prospects for completing his term, if he wins. This guy's more incompetent and dangerous than Bush - Bush is terminally lazy, remember, and doesn't actually do much - and Palin would simply be a caretaker until the next election.

47% is only slightly less than Obama's current poll numbers. I'd like to see how many Republicans and Independents thinks McCain wouldn't make it and are concerned about it.

McCain's erratic behavior and lazy schedule only feed into this. I doubt he gets any sharper by election day. Every gaffe, meander, and even angry moment will continue to be perceived as an effect of his advanced age.

Couple that with the fact that he's a crazy, unhinged, asshole and his running mate is a psychopathic half-wit, and you've got a really dangerous team.

Good for us they won't be winning anything in November, unless someone gives out an award for most embarrassing defeat.

That's the astonishing thing about this ticket. She makes him too old, and his age makes her too inexperienced. Each is a boat anchor around the other's neck.

"male menopause."

Pass it on.
.

Yeah, I think Palin is the huge issue here. Most Americans aren't dumb (the election of Dubya notwithstanding), and they have done the little mental exercise of pretending Palin is president when something like 9/11 happens or an economic crisis.

Dumb, dumb move on McCain's part. He would have been better off with Lieberman. Yeah, he probably still would have lost, but with Palin, the chances of losing are near certain. Her inexperience and lack of curiosity is too toxic.

Grand Moff Texan,

I believe it's 'manopause,' or more correctly 'andropause.'

Palin is to McCain what swaps are to the home mortgage industry.

His age alone is scary enough. But combine that with Palin and I bet these numbers will rise in the next four weeks. You betcha doggone it!

Isn't John McCain's basic argument against Obama that he is hiding evidence of his connections to radicals, terrorists and criminals?

If Obama would just fess up and admit it we could stop asking questions about it.

Oh, looking beyond the duopoly, if you want old, Nader's almost two full years older than McCain.

"Not to worry. Most doctors think he'll be around for at least four years."

Question is in what shape? Is his confusion out on the stump indicative of his reality? Alzheimer's is a slow killer. Initially the person may appear to be normal for a large part of the time.

How soon do those who idolize Palin think he's too sick to be President?

McCain has one of the most DANGEROUS running mates--EVER.

We hardly have the luxury to worry whether or not McCain could survive a first term subsequently subjugating the country to the whims of a Palin presidency - though the thought is quite chilling.

We need to worry if elected if this man has the faculty to conduct any necessary business. "Europe? My What?" and similar events might have him suspending everything while he flies to Brussels to get those little cabbages he loves so much.

He is borderline demented. Was no one else frightened by his behavior in the other nights debate. Gollum on steriods, just imagine.

Palin is not just the most ridiculous, she's the most dangerous.

Re Obama:
"This is not a man who sees America as you and I do.."

McCain could yet outlive Obama, for all we know. I am for more concerned about how WRONG he is and how dishonorably he has campaigned. His age is not an issue for me. He isn't cognitively impaired, he's just wrong.

What's noteworthy is that voters came to this opinion about McCain even though the Obama campaign and the media haven't talked about the issue much.

I wrote during the debate that the "townhall format" showed that McCain often moved like an old man.

Dude is old. And he picked a running mate who isn't remotely qualified to be POTUS.

Some quick facts about melanoma:

Malignant Melanoma (the kind McCain had) is an extremely fast moving cancer. It can kill you in mere weeks, long before you get to an annual (or semi-annual) dermatological exam. Malignant Melanoma spreads quickly, it metastasizes and moves first to the lymph nodes (like McCain had removed) and then to deeper tissues. Recurrence of MM is quite common in patients (like McCain) that have had melanomas and lymph nodes removed. There is no guarantee that McCain is cancer-free despite the surgery. No wonder he refuses to release his medical records.

I personally give 1/4 odds that McCain is incapacitated by a recurrence of cancer before Inauguration Day, let alone survives through 2012. I give 1/10 odds that McCain is currently being treated for Malignant Melanoma at this moment.

They're worried about him finishing a term in good health? How about his starting a term in good health. More people need to see those videos of him getting confused and unable to even walk off a stage without help. It may not be early stage Alzheimer's, there are a lot of other possible causes, but he is very, very clearly showing signs of senile dementia.

Or maybe, given all the stories of his uncontrolled rages, he's always had some form of dementia. Age, campaign stress and extensive coverage are exacerbating/revealing it.

I agree that if Obama was behind in the polls, this would be a legitimate issue. But I think he shows a lot more class by not picking on an old man's age and his not-ready-for-prime-time running mate.

We would be damned if he would make it for four years and damned if he would not.

So it is simply country be damned if McCain becomes president.

Jesus Christ, the anxiety meter is already pegged to the danger zone even without the thought of McCain becoming president. Two (maybe 3!) country wreckers in a row?. What are the odds? Too damned high for comfort.

McCain's worse moment in the second debate occurs at the 20:15 mark. That's when Brokaw asks the three candidates to prioritize health care, energy, and entitlement reform.

If you remember McCain is at his table and asks for a repeat. He writes them down with what school teachers once called "a left-handed hook." He looks very old at that moment. Doddering. Grandfatherish.

He can't remember a list of three, but it gets worse after that. He then proceeds to misinterpret the entire question. Even though I've not seen any blog highlight that instant, I think it was the key moment in a lot of minds.

You can see it here:

http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/debates/second-presidential-debate.html

Type in "priorities" into the search box.

His age is not an issue for me. He isn't cognitively impaired, he's just wrong.Posted by: Algernon

It's a huge fucking issue! You think McCain is bad? The country would be paralyzed with Palin as president if McCain croaked in office. It would be a perfect opportunity for another terrorist strike. You couldn't assemble a skilled enough cabinet to shepherd Palin through any kind of crisis. Cheney's an evil motherfucker, but he'd at least know what to do. Palin would first probably wet herself.

"Palin would first probably wet herself." Jeff II

Only if moose, salmon or caribou season was not in. She would make W's vacation schedule look almost responsible.

GET OFF MY LAWNS!!!

Your average, healthy 72 year old male has about a 2.5 to 3% chance of dying in the course of the next year. For a 73 year old the number, the number goes up marginally, as for a 74 year old, etc.

Based on that alone - excluding melanoma, and 'disabilty' from his time as a POW, etc. - there's a better than 10% chance McCain doesn't survive a four-year term.

For me, the in good health phrase is most relevant here.

Actuarial data suggests McCain has a very good chance of surviving his first term. The more likely problem is that his health will deteriorate, plunging the country into uncertainty. Confidence in his ability to serve would require voters to believe that he and his handlers would be transparent about his abilities and rational about transferring power.

The only thing that scares me more than a Palin vice presidency? Palin choosing the next vice president after ascending to the presidency.

Imagine the options... Grover Norquist. Monica Goodling. Donald Rumsfeld. Newt Gingrich. Alaska AG Talis Colberg. One of her grade school classmates from Wasilla.

Among other oddities, this will surely be the only presidential election in my lifetime in which one candidate is older than my father and the other is younger than me. The thing about that is, political positions aside, my father, though healthy for his age (71), is in no way fit enough to be an effective President.

Actuarial data suggests McCain has a very good chance of surviving his first term. Posted by: Bose

No. McCain's health history means he could die within weeks if the melanoma came back. Actuarial data assumes no serious pre-existing health conditions.

Not to worry; if they can keep him alive and on his trotters through January '09 (Inauguration), it'll be all palin sailin'. Brezhnev ruled USSR through a few weeks of coma and, possibly, even a couple of weeks after death... If Russians could do as much, surely, we can do better, given our strong MSM fundamentals and inventiveness?

McCain would be the oldest person ever elected to a first term as president. Reagan was 73 when he was re-elected.

Your average, healthy 72 year old male has about a 2.5 to 3% chance of dying in the course of the next year

And with his war injuries and cancer history, McCain isn't your average, healthy 72 year old male.

Considering Palin's ambition and history of ditching mentors, McCain would need a food taster.

And, could there be a "Wilder effect" analog for age, meaning that McCain will get fewer votes than polls indicate? Interesting, and relevant.

PS: "They say" Sarah Palin may imitate Tina Fey tonight for payback, on the new Thursday night SNL spin-off 21:30 EDT.

PS: "They say" Sarah Palin may imitate Tina Fey tonight for payback, on the new Thursday night SNL spin-off 21:30 EDT. Posted by: Neil B

That would be a mistake.

I can't remember where I read about this in the blogosphere, but during the primary season, someone researched voting bias to see which factor would cost the most votes: (A) being black, (B) being female, or (C) being over 70.

The answer was (C).

Hey "", you mean as in it's not really going to happen, or that it would be a mistake for her to do it? And sheesh, just pick something, anything; get a handle, dude/ess.

BTW I don't really think it's creepy to go anono, cutesy, partial (like me), or even totally blank - but I do admire the ones that post under real, full, names!

I'm deeply concerned about McCain's ability to finish out his term, due to his age and health. However, that won't stop me from voting for him.

What will stop me from voting for him are the facts that: first of all, I detest his politics; and, second, he has chosen a running mate who has politics that, if possible, I detest even more.

I am also deeply concerned about Obama's ability to finish out his term, due to the number of extremist right-winger bigots who hate him and who very well might attempt to assassinate him. But that, also, will not stop me from voting for him.

As for his politics, I have some fairly big problems with them, but they aren't enough to stop me from voting for him. Likewise with his running mate.

Your only as old as the VP you're feelin', right? Takin' hits and takin' shots from the left and right. My god, it's an AIG party.

"Then again, McCain would be the oldest president ever elected, and he does have the most ridiculous running mate in modern political times, so I suppose the question is hard to avoid."

I'd like to address your post by totally ignoring the scary Sarah Palin aspect, even though I'm pretty sure the last part of that sentence is true. I'll concentrate on McCain's age, period.

When the campaign started, I didn't think John McCain's age mattered. After all his mother is 90-something, very alert and seems to be an energetic woman. Even taking into consideration his skin cancer, I figured he was probably treated by the best doctors money can buy, so that wasn't a problem for me either. During the course of this General however, especially the last few weeks, I'm finding myself questioning his state of mind, age wise.

He has been erratic in the way he's handled his campaign. Running hither, thither and yon, attempting to embrace some message - any message - that would boost his poll numbers, but hasn't managed to do that yet, 27 days away from Nov 4th. That has caused me to doubt he would run the White House in an orderly fashion, but even that isn't my biggest concern: it's his THINKING.

He sees the world through the prism of Vietnam and the Cold War. Would he conduct foreign policy as though we are still the superpower of the world, and all other nations are dirt beneath his feet? (Except Georgia, of course!) My problem with John McCain are his "old" eyes and his "old" way of thinking.

Whether he likes it or not, the USA is now part of the Global Community and we will have to work WITH other countries and not imperially, as the present administration has done, but through the spirit mutual cooperation.

Think about this: if he can't even look Barack Obama in the eye, his own countryman - who had the audacity to run for POTUS when he (McCain) felt it was his due - how will he treat the World Leaders he doesn't agree with? He's of the "my way or the highway" mentality and after 8 years of that mentality, THAT'S what scares me about John McCain.

I could be wrong, but I don't recall this question being polled in any of the recent presidential campaigns.

I seem to remember Bob Dole's age being raised as an issue in 1996, but not to the extent it is with McCain now.

Hey "", you mean as in it's not really going to happen, or that it would be a mistake for her to do it? And sheesh, just pick something, anything; get a handle, dude/ess.

I mean it would be a mistake because most people who try their hands at comedy who aren't comedians fall very flat. Palin's not the kind of person who will do well with satire because that requires are great deal of talent and self-awareness, things she obviously lacks.

BTW I don't really think it's creepy to go anono, cutesy, partial (like me), or even totally blank - but I do admire the ones that post under real, full, names! Posted by: Neil B

Fuck off, Neil. I forgot to sign before I posted.

When the campaign started, I didn't think John McCain's age mattered. After all his mother is 90-something, very alert and seems to be an energetic woman. Even taking into consideration his skin cancer, I figured he was probably treated by the best doctors money can buy, so that wasn't a problem for me either. Posted by: mrspeel

Melanoma is one of the most deadly cancers for three reasons. One, there is no effective treatment for it. Two, it spreads rapidly once it has metastasized to an organ. Three, we survivors like to say that we aren't cured of melanoma until we die of something else. I know of lots of people who were in remission for 10 to 20 years and it came back to kill them.

Regardless of who has treated McCain, because of his age, the fact that he has had more than one lesion removed and, most important, the cancer spread to the lymph nodes, his chances for a recurrence are high.

In any case he looks weak and sickly.