Ageism is still acceptable prejudice in our country

By Ellis Henican

It’s one of the real novelties of Election 2008: There’s someone for everyone to prejudge.

Prejudice against the white woman. Prejudice against the black man. Prejudice against the oldster. This year, we can all find someone to loathe or fear.

Barack Obama got the worst of things in West Virginia. It wasn’t just his 40-point drubbing by Hillary Rodham Clinton. It was the reason for the gargantuan margin, waiting in the exit polls.

Two out of 10 West Virginia Democrats said that race played a role in their choice. And you can be sure: If two of 10 would admit that to a stranger with a clipboard, four or five were thinking it to themselves.

That’s why John Edwards’ endorsement of Obama was so important. He speaks to the very same voters who prejudge the front-runner most.

Clinton knows something about prejudice. But oddly, the assumption that a woman can’t be commander in chief hasn’t been as vexing to her. Of all the ugly things that have been said about her, that’s the one she’s best managed to tame.

And oddly this year, it’s not the black man or the white woman who might suffer the most stubborn prejudice before we’re done. It’s the old guy.

Voter discomfort

More eye-popping poll data: Washington Post/ABC finds that only three in 10 voters say they are “entirely comfortable” with the prospect of a 72-year-old new president. By contrast, twice as many say they’re cool with a black or a female president.

And you know that’s true. People who never would make a racist or sexist joke in public are happy to poke fun at the “geezers” in their lives. Even John McCain knows he has to calm these presumptions about the old. He knows he’s vulnerable here.

Why else do you think he decided to go on “Saturday Night Live”?

Because he’s tickled by “Weekend Update”? Because he’s a huge Horatio Sanz fan?

X Henican is a columnist at Newsday.