Bill Maher delivered a strong endorsement of California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) to close Real Time on Friday, saying that only ageism prevented him from being considered for higher office, despite managing to turn California into the state creating the most jobs and winning re-election this week.
"If Jerry Brown was 55, that accomplishment in this giant state would have Democrats hyping him for president," he argued. "But they're not. Because he's 76, and ageism is the last acceptable prejudice in America -- well, that and Asian drivers."
Maher said sarcastically that Brown must have taken "governing Viagra" to help lead California's economic resurgence, while conceding it is easy to make a joke about age.
"But to seriously assume that, just because Jerry Brown is 76, he can't be president? That is a terrible prejudice," he said. "And stupid. Because age is always relative. [76-year-old] Jane Fonda looks like she's 40. And [17-year-old] Lorde looks like she's 40."
America, he said, is still a "teenager" of a nation. But he was willing to concede movies and music to younger generations.
"You know what? You can have it all. But not governing," he demanded. "Seventy-eight should not be too old to be president. Wisdom isn't something you can just google. And governing is where we need wisdom. A concept that wise, ancient cultures already know. Chinese people would no more disrespect their elders than they would use the left-turn signal. See what I mean?"
Watch Maher's commentary, as posted online on Friday, below.
