Senioritis?

Like sexism and racism, ageism can be pernicious. So I don't think his advanced age is a good enough reason to not vote for John McCain, even though he would be the oldest man we've ever elected to the presidency. If he was still sharp, and you felt he was the best man for the job, and he'd nominated a vice-president who you felt was competent enough to take over for him should he die in office, I don't see a problem.

However, when he starts saying this like this (from a CNN transcript today, found via Digby), it may be time for the GOP to start considering other options NOW. You really want to run a massive presidential campaign for a guy who forgets how public school works on national TV?

Also, I do not believe in mandates. I believe that every American should have affordable and available health care and I'd like to talk just an additional minute about that. But I'm not going to mandate that they do. I want every American to have affordable and available education. But I'm not going to mandate that they do.

But that's...actually exactly what we do with education. We mandate that you get it, at least until you're, what, 16? 17? I mean, you don't necessarily have to go to public school, but you have to do enroll in some kind of verifiable education process. We even have a word for people who avoid this process - truants.

This isn't just a slip of the tongue, mind you. He's using this example to argue against legally mandating health insurance. So are we to assume that his argument is based on a fallacy? Or that this isn't the real reason he opposes health care mandates, and he's simply using it to disguise some ulterior motive. Neither is attractive for a presidential candidate.