iThink

John McCain’s age should have no effect on his run for the presidency; Obama’s age—inexperience, rather—should.

LIKE TWO brothers vying for a prize, John McCain, a Republican senator from New Mexico, and Barack Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, are likely to become their parties’ nominee for the presidential election later this year.  Recently, as McCain has become the clear front-runner among GOP candidates, media analysts and pundits have questioned his age and its possible impact on his ability to run the country should he become president.  Conversely, few have questioned or seemed to notice how young and, perhaps, inexperienced Barack Obama is, especially when compared to party elders like Al Gore or even Hillary Clinton.

As Jean Rostand, a French biologist and philosopher, once said, “A man is not old as long as he is seeking something.”  John McCain isn’t just seeking something—he is seeking the presidency of the United States of America.  At age 71, McCain, a veteran of World War II and a long-time congressman, would be the oldest president ever to be sworn into office.  However, liberal pundits have highlighted his age and made it a factor in the upcoming election.  So, if McCain is to win this battle, he must turn his age and experience—and his opponent’s—into a building block.

When it comes to experience and dedication, McCain is head and shoulders above Obama.  Educated at the U.S. Naval Academy, John McCain spent twenty-two years serving our nation as a navy aviator.  During his service, McCain was taken as a prisoner of war by the Northern Vietnamese and was held hostage for more than five and a half years.  Following his military service, he served two terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.  He was then elected to the U.S. Senate, where he continues to “[put] in long hours and [read] the legislative fine print in a way one wouldn’t necessarily expect from a senior citizen.”  Barack Obama, on the other hand, graduated from Columbia University and went on to earn a law degree from Harvard Law School.  He has served as a community organizer and civil rights attorney.  Obama was elected to the United States Senate, where he has served for three years.

Abraham Lincoln once stated, “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.  It’s the life in your years.”  For John McCain, public service has filled the years in his life, better preparing him to serve as president of the United States of America.  With years comes age, with age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes the power to make a change.  And in this election, change seems to be a pretty hot topic.

If anyone can survive the grueling campaigning process and the bid for their party’s nomination—as John McCain has done with relative ease, he should easily be able to survive the presidency.  As for Barack Obama, he would seem much more appealing if he had a few more years of experience under his belt.