How Age Could Factor Into the General Election, and Why One Young Candidate Thinks His Youth Serves to His Advantage
On a superficial level, Senators McCain and Obama entered this world in a similar way. Both were born in tropical places outside of the continental US – Obama in Honolulu, Hawaii, and McCain at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the then American-controlled Panama Canal Zone. Both candidates were also born in August, only 25 days apart. However, this isn’t the only 25 separating the two presidential hopefuls. John McCain was born in 1936 – a full 25 years before Barack Obama. When you consider 25 years is a quarter of a century – or almost a lifetime walked in the filthy UGGs of Britney Spears – it seems as deep as a chasm.
Although it would be grossly premature to call anyone the “likely” candidate in this highly competitive and variable Democratic primary race, Barack Obama now leads Hillary with 1,611 total delegates to her 1,480 according to CNN , and seems the more likely candidate (at this point) to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination. If indeed Obama graduates to the general election, his contest with the presumed Republican nominee, John McCain, will be an epic clash of opposites. At 47, Barack Obama would be the 5th youngest President to assume office if elected. In contrast, John McCain would become the oldest elected President at 72, surpassing even Ronald Reagan, who was 69 at the time of his inauguration. Journalists aren’t exaggerating when they say McCain is old enough to be Obama’s father. Sidney McCain, John McCain eldest biological child, was born in 1966 – only 5 years after Barack Obama was born.
Because the difference in years between McCain and Obama is so staggering, it seems likely that age will play a factor in the national campaign, if these two candidates are their parties’ nominees, that is. However, it’s not clear which candidate will benefit more from a focus on age. Sen. Obama has been repeatedly criticized by Sen. Clinton for his lack of experience, as when Clinton told reporters at Fort Worth, Texas, that both she and Sen. McCain had the “lifetime” of experience necessary to run the country, but Sen. Obama can only offer “a speech he made in 2002.” If Obama wins the democratic nomination, it will be easy for McCain to question his youth and inexperience, now that Clinton has already opened up the conversation. McCain needs only to reference his substantial and impressive 26-year career in US Congress to draw a favorable comparison between himself and Obama.
On the other hand, questions about McCain’s senior status and his physical and mental viability still plague some voters. According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted last week, more than 25% of those surveyed said they were less inclined to vote for John McCain because, if elected, he would be the oldest president to assume office. Instead of hurting his electability, Obama’s young age may actually help foster the image of change and optimism that has driven his campaign. In a CBS News article entitled “Obama’s Youth Movement,” Cora Currier suggests that Obama has uniquely succeeded in engaging young people in the electoral process, possibly because younger Americans feel they can better relate to a candidate closer to their age. “The key to Obama's appeal to young voters may be that he resembles them… He has made a campaign theme out of being post-boomer, thus distancing himself from the generation Clinton represents.” At the very least, American voters seem to be less bothered with the prospect of a young president than an elderly one. In a Gallup poll conducted February 21-24, 20% of those polled said they thought John McCain was too old to be an effective president, as opposed to just 13% who thought Barack Obama was too young.
But the age debate isn’t only a factor in the national election. Ezra Temko, a University of Delaware graduate student and a candidate for the 5th District Seat in the Newark City Council, finds that his young age can be both an advantage and an obstacle in his campaign for local office in Delaware.
“I’ve gotten a lot of enthusiasm,” said Ezra. “The term I’ve been hearing a lot is ‘new blood.’ A lot of people are excited about getting new blood in the City Council. It’s not unprecedented – in 2004 Kevin Vonck, a [University of Delaware] Ph.D. student, served as the District 6 councilman for the city. He was 23 when he was elected and served for a term.”
If Temko wins the City Council election on April 8th, he will become the youngest ever Newark City Council member at 22. Fortunately for him, Delaware is no stranger to electing young legislators. In 1973 Joe Biden was elected to his first term in the U.S. Senate when he was still 29. By the time he was sworn into office, Biden had just passed his 30th birthday, making him the 5th youngest Senator in U.S. history. However, Ezra maintains that cases like this are the exception to the rule, and Delaware state government, like any other organization, tends to favor the “status quo.”
“There’s definitely a ‘good ol’ boys’ network in Newark. [My predecessor] is comfortable with the way they make decisions, and doesn’t want a fresh perspective.”
Temko’s opponent, Mike Mullen, is 42 – nearly double Ezra’s age. Although Mullen could not be reached for comment, he emphasizes his 20-plus years of business experience on his campaign website. “It is important to have someone with my credentials to represent District 5 on City Council. We need someone who has sound business experience.” Temko said in our interview that “age and experience don’t have a necessary link.” He believes it is paramount for a local policymaker to be responsive to the needs of the community and proactive in one’s decision-making. However, Temko also thinks his youth serves as an advantage in the election.
“I think a big advantage of being young is that you’re free to try something new – you’re more independent in that way...My plan [for City Council] has been called ambitious by some, but I think if you don’t have an ambitious plan, what’s the point in running? Young people have more of an ability to say, ‘Here’s where I want to go. Let’s get there.’”
In addition to being more proactive, Temko thinks that young people are more sensitive to certain issues such as civil rights and environmentalism. Because younger Americans are more educated about environmental issues and have a greater stake in global ecosystem change, Temko demands that the younger generation be active in environmental preservation.
“I see the environment as the cause of our generation. It’s not going to take care of itself. If you look at carbon emissions – they’re in the air for 50-200 years. If we don’t do something now – what are we going to do? We have global warming, peak oil prices, mountain top removal – and initiatives need to be taken here at the local level.”
His progressive thinking, high energy, and young age not only set Temko apart from other candidates for local office, but also draw a comparison with another “younger” candidate. In the University of Delaware student newspaper, The Review, Temko’s campaign manager Kat Caudle called Ezra “the candidate for change in Newark,” similar language to that used by the Obama campaign to describe their candidate. Certainly Temko’s young age and his focus on positive change could draw comparisons between himself and Sen. Obama. However, Temko, a regional coordinator for Hillary Clinton, insists that he shares qualities of both Democratic candidates.
“Take the best aspects of Hillary and Obama and mix them together,” Ezra laughs when asked if he could be compared to the Illinois Senator. “People are interested in fresh perspectives here – they’re interested in more proactive thinking – and that’s not happening now. Compared to my opponent, I have a lot of experience in public administration and working with the city government. Sometimes, Obama represents change without backing it up, whereas Hillary represents a lot more competence. I try to bring both to the table.”
Although he supports Hillary Clinton, Ezra acknowledges that Barack Obama’s energetic campaign has made people more receptive to the idea of young candidates seeking office.
On Obama’s affect on young voters, Temko said, “There’s definitely a strong tide across the country – and it’s great. Young people now are more prone to care about the environment and 21st century technology. We’ve been underrepresented.”
Temko has some simple, yet indispensable advice for other young Americans wishing to get involved in public administration and local government.
“If you want to get involved – whether it’s with your school board or the city council – you should start attending meetings. Make sure you know what’s going on in your community. It’s not good to have a top-down approach and try to impose your ideas. Try outreaching to members of the community and gaining their perspectives. Then – if you do decide to run for office – the keystone for running for local office is canvassing – going door-to-door. It’s important that you not only already demonstrated a commitment to community, but also outreach to people and express why you’re running. I think people understand that if you think there are problems that need to be addressed now and you can do a better job than what’s been happening, then there’s no need for you to wait 20-30 years to run.”
As we move closer to November 4, it still remains to be seen how age will factor into the 2008 presidential election. Whether it stems from a shared viewpoint or a shared identity, it seems many Americans may vote for the candidate closest to themselves in age. According to a Gallup poll taken from Feb 21-24, in a Hillary Clinton/John McCain general election, 55% of those polled between the ages of 18-29 would support Clinton, and 53% of those 65 and older would support McCain. However, when the age gap between the candidates is greater, the numbers are even more drastically divided. In a Barack Obama/John McCain match-up, 67% of those polled between the ages of 18-29 would vote for Obama, and 57% of those 65 and older would vote for McCain. In an election race of variables, one thing is for certain – age ain’t just a number, and young Americans are more involved today than ever before – whether they are on the ballot or in the booth.
- Stephanie Woods