Ageism

ILC-CEO Talks to The Economist on Ageism & the Election

Sunday, August 24, 2008 — In our last post, we polled readers on how much of a factor McCain's age is in the upcoming Presidential election. While most people believed age was not as important as function, others felt that, while age wasn't everything, it was a factor.

Taking the issue to task, The Economist recently sat down with the ILC's President & CEO Dr. Robert Butler, interviewing him for their Democracy in America blog. The magazine wanted to know — in “very real medical terms” — how McCain’s age might affect his presidency and how much ageism is a factor in this election.

Butler responded that he has not personally noticed anything in McCain’s behavior that is symptomatic of aging. On the contrary, Butler said, McCain seems remarkably energetic. However, he noted, if McCain were to say something incoherent, fuzzy, or take a long time to answer, it would be very quickly judged, and not only by younger people, but by older people, too.

Older people, Butler reminded, can sometimes be extremely ageist — a projection of their own fears of becoming dependent and sick.

Butler did concede that McCain’s melanoma was certainly a symptom of his age and something to be followed, and that, statisfically as we get older, we are simply more vultnerable to disease and death.

Butler also reinforced the idea put forth in his new book The Longevity Revolution, that the elderly generally don't vote as a block, and don't recognize their own interests the way other groups do.

Listen to the full 10-minute audio interview, including Dr. Butler's thoughts on older people and the internet, social security, and more.