Manager: When Sullivan was passed over for promotion, people said that the deciding factor was his being much older than the competition. But this is clearly not the case. Several recent promotions have been given to people older than Sullivan. The manager's argument is most vulnerable to criticism because it fails to consider the possibility that ['the people older than Sullivan who were promoted had no younger competitors', 'age is only one of a number of factors that kept Sullivan from being promoted', 'people often associate age with experience and good judgment', "Sullivan's employer tries to keep deliberations involving promotion decisions confidential"]