If you were in your 70s...  

Wow, I didn't know that life did not begin until a person turned 46.

John McCain is not a lifelong politician. He served his country in the military for 22 years.

He wants to serve.

Politicians have a long history of working well into their dotage. Check out John Admas, Thomas Jefferson, etc. And that was in an age when a 50-year-old man was considered old.

What motivates politicians is a mystery to most of us. Very few of us would go through what they do in order to be elected. And the two candidates will end up spending well over $700,000,000 to get a job that pays only $400,000. Something is wrong there!

My apologies sarahp

Work is a blessing I think. I can't see myself retiring, but I am quite a ways from retirement. I think work gives one a reason to get up in the morning.

As long as the person has a clean bill of health, I don't see why not.

There is something addictive about politics, people who work in politics either hate it and get out quick or thrive on it. It encompasses your whole life, to the extent that most politicians only give it up when made to for health issues or when their family threaten to leave them because they never see them.

To me someone who loves their job like that should be doing what they love, even if it is not fishing!

Both my husband and I had grandparents in their 70's playing tennis weekly and traveling the country and being extremely active. They were filled with energy and could keep up with any grandkid or great grandkid no problem! I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss someone just based on age alone IMO.

When I am in my 70's, I hope I will still be very active and always learning and loving life, I have had some good examples.

If you look at the pictures of presidents before they were elected and once their term is up, it is obvious that it can really age a person. It's the hardest job in the world. But power gets control over politicians and I can see why he wouldn't want to quit.

Personally? I want to retire as young as possible. I'm bummed that I lost 50% of my retirement money when the market crashed. Just makes me work that much longer.

I remember watching Joe Scarborough once and he was talking about how some politicians just love the perks and the lifestyle and the power so much that they don't want to leave DC. It is not always an altruistic calling.
Personally at 72 I hope to be traveling and loving a stress free life.
He is doing it because it is the holy grail of politics. Some people are so ambitious that nothing is going to stop them from trying to achieve the very top of their profession.
My ex FIL worked in his businesses until he was 87. He said it kept him sharp and I have seen a marked deterioration since he no longer is involved.

So it would never be my thing. But go on with your bad self if in your 70s if you have the energy to do a rigorous job.

As long as a person has all of their mental facilities about them and they are physically able to handle the requirements of a job that demanding (and can do a good job), I see no reason why age should hinder them from persuing a life long dream. I think it's great that McCain (and other folks like him) is not letting his age hold him back from trying to do something that he is passionate about and has fought for. Keep in mind, that age is just a number,...some 70 and 80 yr olds lead more active and demanding lives than some 40 yrs olds do...to me, true age matters more than a number does. True age in my opinion being how you take care of yourself by how you eat,exercise, and do things to improve your quality of life. If someone of an older age is responsible and takes good care of themselves then why should they not be able to do the things a younger person might be doing? In the opposite direction, if say a 40 yr old doesn't watch what they eat, never exercise, never challenges themselves and just really "lets themself go" then I think that ages them more so and those choices they make disable them in a way. Just because McCain is 72, that does not mean that he should retire to Florida, check out of life and stop persuing his dreams (or anyones else who is older for that matter). I think as long as he is capable and up to the job, his age should not hold him back.

I hope that if I'm blessed enough to live to an avanced age, I will have the energy and drive to still persue the things in life that make me happy and that i'm that passionate about.

Me personally, I would like to retire and spend my golden years with my husband (and hopefully kids and grandkids) doing family things, going on vacations, and just enjoying life how we see fit. That to me would be wonderful. That being said, I don't think I could ever see myself choosing to "retire" from caring for animals or from floral design...I think that if I ever gave those things up, it would really take away from my quality of life, because it's such a huge passion for me- so in that sense, I plan to "work" somewhere in those areas for as long as I'm able to

IMO, i don't believe in working that late in life, not full time anyway.

I'm only 49, but after losing 4 family members in the last 3 years, 3 who were all still quite young, i decided that life was too short and that theres more to life than work, so i've handed in my notice and i leave in December

I'm fortunate that i don't need the money, but to keep my brain active i'm going to work 5 hours a day as a receptionist for my friends business in January, but at least i can still have the afternoons to do what i want. I have family and friends that work part time, so i want to spend as much time with them, and my cats of course! where possible

Weve just had someone leave here last week aged 79. He didn't want to go either, he's married but has no hobbies what so ever, and i'd hate to be like that where you think that work is the be all and end all

I think it is just a matter of "Different strokes for different folks." Maybe he knows the life he has now is the one he would enjoy the most and so he knows retirement wouldn't be a change for the better.

I like my work but it isn't what I enjoy the most in life. I'm looking forward to not having to go to work every day but I understand how other people might feel differently.

McCain may well just not be able to imagine a life without work. I think that is common with people who have accomplished a lot in life. Retirement to them means a stop to accomplishment and they feel they still have a lot to accomplish.

I can understand working well past retirement age. I'm 70 and if you would have asked me 30yrs. ago, I would have stopped working then if possible. As one ages something has to replace work. At my age your children are settled and the grandchildren are just about on their own. They are starting to lead their own lives and they really don't hang out with you like they did when little. I'm looking at some surgery so I know in 2009 I will join the ranks of retired person. I then need to find something meaningful to do. I do think that we change as we age, like it or not. McCain is wearing well but he is still 72.

I see myself working for most of my life, but that is looking at my life as it is right now. I am not married, do not have any children and honestly do not see that changing, but I've been wrong before I like working, I've found that if I don't work I get lazy

That being said though, I don't think I would want as high a stress and an all encompassing job like president when I was 72

I've said the same thing. Presidents seem to age a lot more rapidly than other people in the same period of time. I can't imagine wanting to be president when times are relatively stable, let alone the way they are now. I guess either they're addicted to the power and prestige, or they honestly think they can do some good and help the country. It's not a job I would take under any circumstances.

I look at it this way. John McCain spent 5 1/2 years being tortured at the Hanoi Hilton in Viet Nam. There is no way being President could be worse than that.

The man is Steel.


I like Steel.