Feisty Republican candidate John McCain (72 today) has chosen more or less unknown Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in the forthcoming presidential election.
Sarah is 44, bringing the average age of the Republican ticket to 58. Democrat opponent Barack Obama (47) chose Joe Biden (65) as his vice-presidential partner, averaging his ticket at 56.
Is this politics by focus group, or what?
No-one seems to know much about Ms Palin, apart from the obvious, that she’s likely to outlast McCain. But let’s not be ageist about these things.
And let’s hope we get a proper campaign now, with candidates presenting a credible case for restoring America’s good name in the world.