Asked If He Questions Obama's Patriotism, McCain Doesn't Directly Answer
This is noteworthy: Asked directly at today's presser whether he questioned Obama's patriotism, McCain actually didn't give a direct answer.
Here's the exchange:
QUESTION: "Do you question at all his patriotism and secondly do you think your idea of patriotism and his are any different and is that something that you share?"McCAIN: "I think that Senator Obama is a great American success story. I think his family is. I think he's someone who is admired and respected throughout this country and the world. I think our differences are how we intend to move forward in conducting the affairs of this country. We have very different views and very different positions, and I look forward to ventilating those.
"But I think all Americans are proud of Senator Obama and what he's been able to accomplish, he and his entire family have been able to accomplish, in this nation, and I think it's living proof of some of the greatness of America."
What McCain didn't say: "Of course I don't question Obama's patriotism. We both love our country and are both running for president only to serve it. End of story."
No direct answer.
Late Update: Here's the video:
Comments (25)
Eh - I dislike Johnny Mac as much as the next guy, but this answer doesn't strike me as particularly terrible. I would have liked a "no" but it's not excessively scurrilous.
June 30, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Never mind, just saw this response to Obama camp's statement about Clark:
Bitch-slap theory indeed. Obama just got schooled.
June 30, 2008 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh no! The Republicans are saying mean things! We're doomed!
It amazes me how those who claim to want a more aggressive candidate are, at the same time, such thin-skinned worrywarts.
June 30, 2008 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
What do you mean he just got schooled? McCain's said this every day since May.
June 30, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did he really say "ventillating"? That doesn't make any sense.
June 30, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Ventillating" as in "airing out" those issues?
June 30, 2008 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Duh, I wasn't thinking. I was thinking of a ventilator in a hospital.
June 30, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Like Josh said--lame. Bitch-slap politics at play again...boy, I am getting disillusioned with Obama fast. He could've handled this much more artfully, without the outright rejection of Clark. Look at McCain's reply to this!
Playing not to lose, indeed. My cautious optimism about November is dissipating rapidly.
June 30, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
McStain sez:
Obama patriotic?
Pretty much, i guess, for a half-breed parvenu.
Not a "Prisoner-of-war" patriot, of course.
But not bad, for trailer/ghetto trash...
June 30, 2008 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I bet he forgot the question by the time he said, "think"
June 30, 2008 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
One can only speak for oneself. It is not McCain's duty to defend Obama's patriotism. It is Obama's duty. McCain is not Obama's character witness.
June 30, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whatever. Obama qualifies every sentence he speaks about McCain with praise for his military service and heroism. The least that McCain - the guy who made all the noise about a "civil campaign" - could do is return the favor.
June 30, 2008 1:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
And THIS is how you play offense on a controversial issues. Wes Clark should take notes.
Insinuate. Don't say.
June 30, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Transcript of Obama's speech is up on his website now, the video will be up soon i assume.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gG55dC
June 30, 2008 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems like Kerry-redux when all we are talking about is patriotism and faith with the Democrat on the defensive as usual. How depressing.
But these issues along with "character" are the currency of low information voters, the republican party's favorite independant demographic. But since '98 low information voters are a shrinking percentage of the electorate.
I am hoping that these speeches by Obama on patriotism and faith just shows that he is unwilling to cede any sector of the electorate to McCain. But if this is the tone that he is going to set for the rest of the campaign then he might lose the enthusiasm of the expanding base of high information voters that carried him to the nomination.
June 30, 2008 2:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course not. This way, he gets to have it both ways, which is the entire approach of his general election campaign.
June 30, 2008 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
"some of the greatness of America."
Why does John McCain hate America?
June 30, 2008 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama needs to turn the tables on McCain for questioning Obama's patriotism after Obama's patriotism speech, ie: don't stand idly by when Obama's patriotism is questioned.
The longer McCain doesn't say Obama's a patriot, the more Obama can denounce McCain as the kind of politician Obama decried in his patriotism speech. Reinforce change.
June 30, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly, but don't hold your breath waiting for Captain Courageous to do any such thing. Can't wait to see how artfully he handles FISA when it comes up for vote in the Senate in a few weeks.
June 30, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shorter (in best baby talk voice): We're all so proud of Sen. Obama and his adorable family. They're so cute!
June 30, 2008 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
CALL and TELL Em what you think
I just did...Option 6 gets you a real person
June 30, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least by not saying "Yes" or "No", McCain can't flip-flop.
June 30, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Typical Republican reply . . . went around the bend multiple times but never really answered the question. Shows his inability to commit.
July 7, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
He avoids any "tough" question until he finds out from his advisers what he's supposed to say. It's always what McCain doesn't say and how he changes subjects that are so telling. Keeep him talking long enough and he says nothing, but keep him answering questions long enough and his angry insanity suddenly reaches the surface.
July 7, 2008 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with Aimey and Moose. McCain's job isn't to carry water for the Obama campaign. Any lack of coviction in McCain's response is a reflection on McCain's character, not Obama's. I mean, don't we all KNOW that Obama's a patriot? Shouldn't the American people understand for a FACT that the Democratic nominee for president is a de facto patriot, by his words and deeds? And if they don't, and McCain can equivocate on the matter, what does that say about America?
July 10, 2008 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink