Mitt Romney turned 65 on March 12th, making three of the four Republican candidates for president eligible for Medicare — Newt Gingrich is 68; Ron Paul is 76. Clearly, age is no disqualifier in the fast-paced campaign and its 24-hour news cycle. Romney, said a friend of mine who attended his recent Manhattan fundraiser, seemed “energetic and upbeat.” This should come as no surprise to those who watched Romney’s caffeinated New Hampshire victory speech.
But age matters less in the Republican primary, in which voters tend to be older and retail politics has taken a back seat to debates and other campaign methods. (Though the young buck of the group, Rick Santorum, has gained much ground through his barrage of whistle stops.)
In the general election, however, age could play a dominant role in messaging. So the Republican nominee would do well to learn from past elections.
First, tone matters. Ronald Reagan, whose sunny 1980 campaign posters featured his cowboy hat and broad smile, belied his then-69 years of age. Elder Ron Paul continues to draw the youngest crowds in the current race.
Second, perception is more important than actual age. The nominee should heed the optics lesson from the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates, where Nixon’s debating skills were overshadowed by Kennedy’s telegenic persona.
Optics can reinforce cliches on both ends of the age spectrum, however. George H.W. Bush peering at his watch during a fall 1992 debate symbolized that it was time to go, whereas the appearance of a young John Edwards as running-mate at the 2004 Democratic convention made some wonder if it wasn’t yet time. (As my dad said then, Edwards looked more like a “congressman” than a national statesman.)
Third, the nominee needs to present a forward-looking, modern vision. In 1996, Republican nominee Bob Dole promised a “bridge to a time of tranquility.” The younger Bill Clinton was able to contrast that with his “bridge to the 21st century.”
This year, the Republican nominee will need to find a way to reach the new generation of voters, in order to cut into Barack Obama’s huge advantage with them last time.
If it’s Romney, he’ll need to propose innovative policies, to dispel the notion that he’s an establishment politician who won’t shake up the system. He’ll also need to thoughtfully address complex social issues (like immigration and women’s issues) on which he shifted right in the primary.
The 2008 election underscores how difficult it is to predict whether age will affect the incumbent or opposition party. John McCain’s loss was caused by various other factors — though his age may have blunted his war hero and “maverick” persona.
That year’s Democratic race is a more apropos example of age-related imagery. Hillary Clinton was flanked by vintage figures like former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in her Iowa concession speech. This undercut the image of a fresh era and a potential historic first for a woman. Instead, it conjured up campaign chair Terry McCullough’s plan to restore the old Clinton White House.
She got it right in her New Hampshire victory speech less than a week later. The sea of college-aged faces behind her was crafted to co-opt Obama’s appeal.
This time around, any of the Republican candidates can withstand the daily grind of the primaries and the two-month general election sprint. Whether age affects the nominee will depend upon his ability to tailor his message to the times.
Adam Silbert, an attorney, served as a deputy field organizer for the 2008 Obama campaign
