New Republican talking-point about Hillary: "She's too old !"

[Tender Branson]

Republicans Paint Clinton as Old News for 2016 Presidential Election

By JONATHAN MARTIN
Published: June 29, 2013

WASHINGTON — Stuart Stevens, the top strategist for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, declared to an audience of reporters at a breakfast last month that electing Hillary Rodham Clinton would be like going back in time. “She’s been around since the ’70s,” he said.

 At a conservative conference earlier in the year, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, ridiculed the 2016 Democratic field as “a rerun of ‘The Golden Girls,’ ” referring to Mrs. Clinton and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who is 70.

And Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, seizing on the Fleetwood Mac song that became a Clinton family anthem, quipped to an audience in Washington, “If you want to keep thinking about tomorrow, maybe it’s time to put somebody new in.”

The 2016 election may be far off, but one theme is becoming clear: Republican strategists and presidential hopefuls, in ways subtle and overt, are eager to focus a spotlight on Mrs. Clinton’s age. The former secretary of state will be 69 by the next presidential election, a generation removed from most of the possible Republican candidates.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/us/politics/republicans-paint-clinton-as-old-news-for-2016-presidential-election.html?ref=politics&_r=0&pagewanted=all

...

I think this could backfire if they keep it up until 2016. The Clinton's are especially popular with the olds, so Republicans are not really clever here ...

[Frodo]

These two men beg to differ:

 

[Lincoln Republican]

The Golden Girls, ha ha, love it.

Apropos.

[Mister Mets]

McCain did lose.

And Reagan didn't become a major political figure until he was in his early 50s, and made the speech for Goldwater.

It could be a problem in the Democratic party that Hillary Clinton has been a public figure since her husband ran for Attorney General of Arkansas in 1976. Statements she made then might become controversial when someone digs it up in 2015.

Candidates who have been in office for a long time do tend to lose. Bill Clinton was one of the youngest Presidents ever. In '96, he defeated a guy who had been in Congress for 36 years. In 2000, George W Bush (whose political expertise was limited to six years as Governor and a failed congressional bid) beat a man who was elected to congress 24 years earlier. Then he beat Kerry, who had been a Senator for 14 years. Then Obama, who had been in Congress for four years, beat McCain, who had been in Congress for 26 years.

[progressive85]

Laughable- the Republicans have made Ronald Reagan into nothing less than a God, and he was the same age as Hillary will be in 2016 when he became President.

I can't wait for this campaign to start so Hillary can use her age to her advantage, especially if she becomes a Grandma soon.

I can see this actually becoming a question at a future debate.

Mrs. Clinton, Some people say that you've been around for too long, that frankly you're too old to be President.  What do you have to say to them?

Her Answer: "Well, I've got a few more wrinkles, it's true, but this Golden Girl's still kickin'."

And by the way,
Mitch McConnell.  Hillary Clinton.



Hillary is a Golden Girl.  Mitch McConnell's a cranky old turtle.

[Lincoln Republican]

Except she won't be running against Mitch McConnell.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The Republicans are right to criticize her for being around for so long but they have to avoid making critiques of her age in the process. Considering the history of GOP incompetence on splitting hairs though, we know what will happen here.

They will have a problem though if Jeb is nominee, which is one reason of many why he shouldn't be the nominee.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

"I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience," Ronald Reagan quipped during the 1984 presidential debates when asked if, at 73, he is too old to be President.

The nigga had Alzheimer's as President, and he's still hailed as a God.

[Maxwell]

Age was brought up by both sides, it all depends on how Hillary deals with it. She could be Reagan (elegant, laughed at himself) or McCain (doddering).

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Yeah, all Hillary need to do if they attack her for that is point to Reagan.

[bedstuy]

Some people are too old for political office when they're 70.  Dementia and Alzheimer's can start before that.   We've had political figures at are good examples of that: Reagan & Jim Bunning. 

Other people are completely fine at that age.  I know people in their 70s that are still brilliant and work 60 hour weeks.  So, it's just a matter of evaluating Hillary Clinton in the election process.  If she seems sharp and healthy, it's not going to be an issue.

[Cory]

Yeah, all Hillary need to do if they attack her for that is point to Reagan.

This. Her age is a non-issue that will backfire if the Republicans try to bring it up.

[NHI]

A stupid move by the GOP. I think this can only backfire. The age attacks did not prevent Reagan from winning to national landslides...

[pbrower2a]

McCain did lose.

And Reagan didn't become a major political figure until he was in his early 50s, and made the speech for Goldwater.

It could be a problem in the Democratic party that Hillary Clinton has been a public figure since her husband ran for Attorney General of Arkansas in 1976. Statements she made then might become controversial when someone digs it up in 2015.

Candidates who have been in office for a long time do tend to lose. Bill Clinton was one of the youngest Presidents ever. In '96, he defeated a guy who had been in Congress for 36 years. In 2000, George W Bush (whose political expertise was limited to six years as Governor and a failed congressional bid) beat a man who was elected to congress 24 years earlier. Then he beat Kerry, who had been a Senator for 14 years. Then Obama, who had been in Congress for four years, beat McCain, who had been in Congress for 26 years.

McCain might have won had it not been for the diplomatic debacles and economic meltdown associated with the incumbent President. Such created a unique opening for a President like no other in American history, one with a characteristic that would ordinarily cause him to lose.

[DS0816]

In 1980, Ronald Reagan set the record for the oldest first-term winner at age 69. Beginning with that election, take into consideration the ages of the Republican presidential nominees since.

1980: Ronald Reagan, elected, 69

1984: Ronald Reagan, re-elected, 73

1988: George Bush, elected, 64

1992: George Bush, unseated, 68

1996: Bob Dole, 73

2000: George W. Bush, elected (without the popular vote), 54

2004: George W. Bush, re-elected (with the popular vote), 58

2008: John McCain, 72

2012: Mitt Romney, 65


Take this "New Republican talking-point about Hillary: 'She's too old !'" and dismiss it immediately.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

A stupid move by the GOP. I think this can only backfire. The age attacks did not prevent Reagan from winning to national landslides...

I agree, as much as I DESPISE Clinton, it bewilders me that the Republicans are even using this attack, considering Reagan was 69 himself when he was elected... Bit disappointed that Governor Walker would get on this bandwagon as well.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

The Republicans are right to criticize her for being around for so long but

Spending a lifetime in public service=negative


Right. 

[Fuzzybigfoot]

The Republicans are right to criticize her for being around for so long but

Spending a lifetime in public service=negative


Right. 

I mean, all that dangerous experience! 

[Nichlemn]

Also, female 69 is like male 65.

[HAnnA MArin County]

This just goes to show how much the GOP fears her because they know that she will be a formidable candidate. I've even heard there's a Stop Hillary Clinton 2016 organization online now. It's quite pathetic.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

This just goes to show how much the GOP fears her because they know that she will be a formidable candidate. I've even heard there's a Stop Hillary Clinton 2016 organization online now. It's quite pathetic.

Well if this is all they've got, congrats to Hillary on her win.

[eric82oslo]

This just goes to show how much the GOP fears her because they know that she will be a formidable candidate. I've even heard there's a Stop Hillary Clinton 2016 organization online now. It's quite pathetic.

That's hilarious indeed. And only works to her advantage. The only thing that could stop her is voters being apathetic. And obviously they're not.

[eric82oslo]

Also, female 69 is like male 65.

Good point. Plus she's lived a healthy life, so she'll probably become 90 years old. At least.

[riceowl]

Also, female 69 is like male 65.

Tee hee.

[barfbag]

So we're talking about something based on an exaggerated claim by a liberal source in regards to something Mitt Romney's campaign manager said? I mean I could make threads all day based on things Sean Hannity  shows but Democrats would be so uptight they'd wet themselves.