Why My Grandparents Are Voting for McCain

In the U.S., the voting range is 18 and over. This means that the youngest voters were born in the early nineties, while the oldest voters could have been around as early as the late 1800's. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, much is to be said about the life experience one gains after having lived through two world wars and everything after, vs. 9/11 exclusively. Since the two current candidates are largely separated by age, this difference makes it easy for voters to connect with a candidate. To a certain extent, many Americans will like one candidate over another simply because of their age; younger people and Obama, versus older people and McCain. In the speech he gave at the Republican National Convention, McCain spoke directly to the older audience, as he frequently mentioned his experience in many fields, including as a war veteran and POW. 

He opens his speech by talking about 'tough times.' Yes, everyone in America who is old enough to vote is experiencing the effects of 9/11, but it seems as though McCain was speaking about our tough times in reference to other infamous low points in American history, such as the Great Depression. He wants his audience to recall situations that they've been in before, and to compare them to now. Causing people to remember past events makes them remember the eventual outcome, which has always been good or else the U.S. wouldn't be here any more. Also, his wording is clearly aimed toward those who are raising a family. He says "You're worried about keeping your job or finding a new one, and you're struggling to put food on the table and stay in your home." Many young people aren't as concerned about these issues as a father or mother would be. 

Soon after McCain introduces Sarah Palin, he follows up by complimenting several other women. For each person he talks about, he makes a specific point to state their age. Why would this matter? For two reasons. He wants people to recognize the charm and helpfulness of his choice of a woman Vice President by comparing her to other familiar women, all of which are either near Palin's own age, or older. He mentions their ages secondly so that he can reveal the amount of experience that comes with old age. 

First he talks about the current first Lady, Laura Bush. He describes her as " a model of grace and kindness in public and in private." Other than this he only says that she is 63 years old. 

Then he mentions his wife Cindy. He doesn't mention her age, partially so that his pattern isn't so obvious, but it is well known that she is close to his age. He proceeds to talk about how caring and concerned she is for the needy, and says that she is his source of inspiration. 

Lastly he honors his mother, and commends her for spreading her 'love of life' and belief that "we're all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country." Then, seemingly out of nowhere he adds that she is 96 years old. 

The commonalities between all three of these introductions is that they are all meaningful to John McCain, are supportive of him, and are about people over 50. He clearly feels as though their age is an important feature that has increased their understanding of the world. Presenting these women to his audience demonstrates his appeal to baby boomers and above. By complimenting these specific woman, he is also indirectly complimenting the majority of men and women in the same age bracket, and drawing a likeness between them. 

Finally, an important act to be noted is that McCain ends his speech by telling his P.O.W. story. He made this move for many reasons, and the story appeals to audiences of all ages, but he knew it would be the most captivating to his companions who fought by his side during the war. War veterans more than anyone else feel the most connected to McCain because they've endured many of the same struggles he described on stage, and feel personally commemorated by McCain's image as a hero. During his war story McCain uses descriptive imagery and makes sure to give details of his location and surroundings, to evoke sentimental memories from the listening veterans. 

After he had their full attention with his personal story, he began to explain why he loved his country so much. Since he had just finished speaking about leaving the foreign prison, many of the reasons he gave for loving America were because he and many others had personally fought for their right to live there. He ends by encouraging Americans to use their freedom to benefit the lives of others, by doing things such as enlisting in the army, becoming a teacher or entering the ministry. What's interesting about this is that he finally switches from speaking to an older age audience, to a young audience. He's telling the young audience to take after the elders, and enhance the country by following in their footsteps. Because many young Americans cannot connect personally with McCain, he clarifies why they should listen to those who are older and more wise. This way, he can give reason to lead both age groups. However, those who can relate to McCain through similar personal experiences are much more likely to vote for him, making older voters the most inclined to do so.