Not because CNN anchor Don Lemon’s criticism of Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is exceptional, but because his attitude about women and ageing is. Although his remarks have been criticised as insulting, women in politics think his beliefs are surprisingly widespread.

1. Nikki Haley's prime? Women candidates are exposed by Don Lemon's remarks.
Is she beyond her prime?
Not because CNN anchor Don Lemon's criticism of Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is
exceptional, but because his attitude about women and ageing is. Although his remarks have been
criticised as insulting, women in politics think his beliefs are surprisingly widespread.
Female politicians are frequently considered as reaching their expiry date at an age when male
politicians might be seen as gaining influence as their grey hairs grow.
"It's considerably worse for women, and it hasn't gotten any better," Democratic pollster Celinda Lake,
who has researched the challenges women face while running for government, said. She claims that the
tendency is not restricted to politics. Age discrimination is a big problem for women over 50, according
to focus groups she has done for AARP.
Particularly in television news, where age and gender discrimination cases have been made against local
stations, claiming that becoming older was considered as a benefit for male anchors but a liability for
female anchors.
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Lemon broached the subject on "CNN This Morning" on Thursday, when he questioned Haley's idea to
require mental fitness testing for legislators above the age of 75. "She believes individuals, like
politicians or anything, are beyond their prime," he said. "Sorry, Nikki Haley is beyond her prime. In her
20s, 30s, and maybe 40s, a woman is regarded to be in her prime."
When co-host Poppy Harlow objected, he suggested Googling the query.
Likewise, if you Google "What age is women's prime?" you'll get "the oft-cited myth that ages 30-39 are
a woman's alleged 'peak' - socially, professionally, physically, sexually, and emotionally."
Haley answered with biting wit.
"To be clear, I am NOT advocating for competence testing for sexist middle-aged CNN hosts," she
tweeted.
Lemon expressed "regret" on Twitter over his statements, which he described as "inartful and
irrelevant." During Friday morning's CNN editorial conference call, he apologised to his network
colleagues, calling his remarks "a mistake."

2. He's 56, by the way. Haley is 51 years old.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who declared her candidature for President of the United
States through Twitter yesterday, speaks to supporters at the Visitors Center in Charleston, S.C. on
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
The former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor is younger than most of the expected
Republican presidential candidates in 2024, and she has used her youth to advocate for a "new
generation" of political leaders.
Former President Donald Trump is 76 years old; former Vice President Mike Pence is 63 years old; and
former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is 59 years old. Only Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 44, is younger
than she is among those presently viewed as significant Republican prospects.
People have a preferred age for a president, and Haley falls within that category. In a December USA
TODAY/Suffolk poll of 1,000 registered voters, half thought the ideal president would be between the
ages of 51 and 65, with another one in four choosing someone between the ages of 35 and 50.
Yet, being female remains a barrier for certain voters, particularly in the Republican Party.

3. A 55% majority of those asked said gender didn't matter, but those who did selected a male over a
woman by a margin of more than 2-1, 28%-12%. Half of Republicans believe the perfect president would
be a man. Just 2% of Republicans thought a female president would be ideal, falling short of the survey's
3.1 percentage-point margin of error.
Just one of the ten oldest senators in the United States Senate is a woman, Dianne Feinstein of
California, who is 89. Concerns about her age and mental acuity aided her decision not to run for a sixth
term next year, which she revealed Tuesday.
Her male counterpart, 89-year-old Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, was elected to his ninth Senate term in
November.
There are presently 25 women in the Senate and a total of 124 in the House. Vice President Kamala
Harris is the country's first female president. Nancy Pelosi, aged 82, stood down as the House's first
female speaker last month.
But, the gap in opinions regarding ageing, which is often bound up in criticisms of their looks, might
provide a double bind for women seeking the presidency.
By the time of their first inauguration, presidents are on average 55 years old. Bill Clinton's election as
president at the age of 46 in 1993 provoked significant debate over whether he was too young. But, by
the time women are regarded seasoned enough for the Oval Office, they have reached the point when
many wonder if they are already outmoded.