"another sleepy old man " - not referring specifically to McCain, but there's another way of looking at the assumption behind that phrase.

The assumption is often made that being young means being in a hurry, whereas being old means take your time - but it can work the other way round. "Young" can mean all the time in the world, why rush things, whereas "old" can mean do it now, because time is running out.

It's a matter of temperament. Plenty of examples of old men (and women) in a hurry, turning over the tables to get things sorted for good or ill - Gandhi, Mandela, Mao Tse Tung, Ayatollah Khomeini, Pope John XXIII, Gladstone... "Sleepy" isn't really the right word.