The Age Card

John McCain is once again whining about people implying he's too old to be president. But unlike questionable criteria such as as race or gender, age (71!) seems to me a perfectly valid objection (among dozens) to McCain as president. After all, no president would ever need cede power to the VP because he's too black or she's too female (or, hell, because he's too female). None of those things affect one's performance in office. But age? You bet it does. There's an age requirement just to become president. Now, one shouldn't be disallowed from running because one is too old, nor should one necessarily be forbidden from serving because one is too old. But it is a perfectly legitimate issue to raise in a campaign. McCain may be a sharp old coot, but that can all change in an instant. We know how hard it is to impeach a fully cognizant president. Imagine how hard would it be to factor in the vague metrics of mental decline. It's tough enough keeping delusional old people from driving the wrong way down one-way streets. Now imagine those same folks heavily armed and with a near-limitless line of credit.