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

[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.

[Mister Mets]

Her age is more likely to hurt her in the Democratic primary than in the general election (only two candidates over 60 had ever been nominated by the dems since the 1820s).

I think this ploy is to make Democrats turn against her and pick someone else the Republicans would have a better chance at beating.

Yeah. I'm sure part of it is reminding voters who thought that Dole and McCain were too old that Clinton's pretty close to that.

[Mister Mets]

In 1904 they nominated an 80 year old for VP.

And they almost got 40% of the popular vote.

[Mister Mets]

This is just interesting in retrospect since Republicans nominated someone even older than HRC.