Prickly McCain Refuses To Define "Honor" In Interview
John McCain gave an odd interview to Time magazine in which he got testy and irritable when asked to define the word "honor"...
There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us?Read it in my books.
I've read your books.
No, I'm not going to define it.
But honor in politics?
I defined it in five books. Read my books.
This is pretty interesting, because in many ways the word "honor" is central to McCain's political persona and his campaign's efforts to draw a contrast with Obama.
McCain has repeatedly said that our goal in Iraq is for the troops to return with "honor." The McCain campaign's main premise has been to suggest that his motives are honorable while his opponent's are suspect. He's repeatedly promised an honorable campaign, too -- even as his campaign regularly accuses Obama of treason.
So asking McCain to define "honor" seems like a fair question.
Shorter McCain: Who the heck are you to ask me to define the platitudes that my entire campaign is built on?
Okay, so... um.... weeeeeeeird.
McCain is increasingly giving these strange interviews (see: Jay Leno). What's going on?
http://thepajamapundit.com/
August 28, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
DAMN YOU CLOUD!!!!!!!!!!
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
August 28, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
You hit it right on the head.
The answer strikes me as being a "YOU KIDS, GET OUT OF MY YARD" moment. Clearly the question was a softball. The John McCain everybody used to know would have hit out of the park. For some reason he couldn't think of an answer, so he lashed out. The only reason I can think of is he is getting a little senile.
August 28, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
mccain can't tell a softball from a gotcha. what a maroon.
i'm surprised that everyone talks about his idiocy in terms of his old age. from where i stand it looks more like he's just plain stupid. why don't more people talk about how dumb mccain is?? especially when compared to obama who seems to me to be smarter than rhodes scholar bill clinton.
August 28, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
He is stupid. But it's not just plain stupid. He didn't used to be that way.
Check out Ageism and McCain's Senescence. It has a link to a video showing him in 2004 and 2008. In 2004 he was a lot brighter, much more alert. It's obvious in the video.
He's gotten a bit stupid over the last four years. That means he's suffering from advancing stupidity, and it's likely to get worse. That's the scary thing about age-related stupidity. It only gets worse.
Whether his advancing stupidity is due to Alzheimer's or just the ravages of time, well, I can't say. How about untreated POW PTSD?
August 28, 2008 12:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is one STRANGE interview! All he had to do was say something innocuous like "honor is serving your country, putting your country first before your own interests, like I did when I was a POW in Vietnam."
See how easy that is? He gets to slip "POW" into the sentence naturally.
I wonder how the lack of sleep and pressure on the campaign trail is getting to McGrumpy.
He really IS too old to be President! God forbid that he would ever be in the oval office and start making irrational decisions because he was tired and cranky because damn Russians were causing problems right when he wanted to take a nap!
August 28, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
I just read a longer excerpt of the interview. It is just plain scary.
August 28, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
This keg is gonna blow!
August 28, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
can't attack him on in because hes a POW
New McCain Fear Mongering Ad
August 28, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Only people who have spent 5 1/2 years as a POW know what honor is. I'd explain it to you, but then I'd have to kill you.
August 28, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes! He doesn't have to define it, he's an honorable man, so by definition, whatever he does, no matter how slimy, is automatically honorable!
August 28, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorta like anything Bush does is legal, as long as he says it is?
August 28, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mmmm...not really. Clearly, the problem is that he DOES NOT WRITE HIS OWN BOOKS. It's like facing a pop quiz on material when you haven't attended the class (another situation McCain's probably quite familiar with).
McCain hasn't a clue - he is truly Bush warmed over. Please, Lord, have mercy on this country.
August 28, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oooooo.... that's a super interesting point! Right-- it is a gotcha question, in the sense that he has no clue what is in his ghostwritten books.
August 28, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Obama campaign needs to get this up in a commercial. "McCain can't even define honor. With the campaign he's been running, it's probably because he doesn't even know what it is anymore."
August 28, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not bad, Connor!!
August 28, 2008 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Perfect.
August 28, 2008 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe use Kerry's line, Senator McCain might be able to define honor, but candidate McCain seems to be confused about what honor is.
August 28, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
ooohhhh...that's good.
August 28, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Heck yeah!
August 28, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's worse than that - he knows what it is, but he's abandoned it.
August 28, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
We have a winner. Hoist him on his own petard with his own words.
August 28, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Commander, I believe in God and his son Jesus Christ and because I do I can say this: Private Santiago is dead and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no code. He is dead because he had no honor. And God was watching."
August 28, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOVE it! I was thinking the exact same thing.
August 28, 2008 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
In Obama's speech tonight he did something along these lines. He said to the country, who does John McCain think he is in saying country first, as if he is the only one who says this? We all put our country first.
If Obama's words take hold, McCain's claim will now annoy people and anger them. (Subtext: we don't have to be POWs to love our country.)
Obama's speech was really something.
"A Dozen Reasons Why Obama will be the Next President: Money-Back Guarantee”
http://msa4.wordpress.com/
August 29, 2008 4:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
He knows that his current Swift Boating misconduct will violate any broady accepted definition of honor, so he stands mute.
August 28, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
See also: Kevin James when pressed by Chris Matthews for a definition of "appeasement" that wasn't "what Neville Chamberlain did".
August 28, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
...or Dana Perino not knowing what the Cuban missile crisis was...
August 28, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
She's a real rocket scientist, isn't she?
August 28, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don' know much about history.
August 28, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
The less she knows, the less she can talk about. Information is an anathema to this administration.
August 28, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
How many times did he blink?
I'm fascinated with watching this guy blink like mad when he's spewing crap everyone, him included, knows is crap.
Oh, why can't there be a McPOW blink counter at the top of TPM?
August 28, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think there are some technical limitations involving cache size.
August 28, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK, it's true that older 32-bit machines could only natively handle unsigned integers smaller than 4,294,967,296, but surely TPM could spring for 64-bit machines that could natively handle unsigned integers as large as 18,446,744,073,709,551,615—don't you think? (For the record, if McCain has blinked on average twice a second for his 72 years on this planet, he's blinked about 4,544,294,400&mash;which would overflow the 32-bit counter but not a 64-bit one.
Or maybe I've over-analyzed this one?
August 28, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a SMOP.
August 28, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anybody know Morse code? Maybe the old McCain is trying to send a message...
August 28, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've noticed the blinking too. Started calling him Ol' Blinky but it didn't seem to catch on.
August 28, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Honor obviously means he was a POW for 5 1/2 years.
August 28, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
McPTSD: "Define honor? DEFINE HONOR?! I lived in a cage for 5 1/2 years as a POW!!! I don't have to define honor! I didn't have honor!.... Oh shit, look what you celebrity-loving media made me do"
August 28, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your comment reminds me of a movie clip. Ooooh it is sooo John McCain:
Colonel Jessup did you order the code red?
Jessup: YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT I DID!
Oooh the similarities between McCain and the clip are just too eerie.
August 28, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Although Colonel Jessup had the distinction of being competent....
August 28, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
It does seem like a fair question. The MSM sometimes actually does it job. Wow.
Incidently, Larry King asked Michael Reagan the same question on Monday, what does that mean? win with honor? (and this after a question about does being a POW automatically equate quality president) And Michael just hemmed and hawed nonsense and got irritated and told Larry, "you're just playing around with me," and Larry shot back irritated "well, you're just playing around me."
August 28, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Every once in a while, Larry King managed to awaken from his fog. The interview with the PUMA crackpot after Hillary's speech was pretty good, too.
August 28, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
One can just hope that fog lifts for some sustained period time. The last time I flipped over to King (to see how the general public is getting the general election filtered to them) he framed a question about McCain to Repub about who McCain would pick for the VP, seeing that he IS a maverick.
August 28, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
That pretty much sums up why I don't watch him all that often. His questions, more often than note, are cringe inducing.
August 28, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
NOT, NOT, NOT.....
We seriously need an edit function.
August 28, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
You mean like, "If evolution is true, how come there are still monkeys?" The poor biologist he shot that one at looked like she'd been pole-axed.
August 28, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Haha, just pathetic.
August 28, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
And Get Off My Lawn.....
August 28, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
...."lawnS", I think you meant.
August 28, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
OBAMA CAMPAIGN: This is a great opening, don't waste it! What can he do? Come back with "POW POW POW"? The media's already tired of that card, so draw it out!
Hell, throw in that recent Joe Klein quote "I used to think McCain was an honorable man. I was wrong."
August 28, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dear American Citizens and the mass media of U.S.A.
As a concerned disabled American Veteran and American citizen, I consider it my duty and responsibility to bring following critical characteristics of so called Maverick McCain to you for proving me wrong or right.
"The citizens of the United States of America have the ultimate responsibility to elect the " Right Candidate with the right temperament" to lead our nation' to address our nations present and future moral, democratic, economic, educational, health care, energy, military, and foundational soul of our nation.
In my firm professional opinion that the media should help the common voter to explore and discuss following attributes of Hon. Senator McCain.
1. Does he have a calm, cool, and collected " temper " [ Presidential Temperament ]?
2. Does he have a sound and sustained "Judgment and Caliber"?
3. Does he have a reveal a presidential "Thought-fullness and togetherness" of purpose, policies, and positions?
4. Does he lot or little "ex-poser and exploitation" around Washington"?
5. Does he poses enough " Vigor, wisdom and Vision " for our Great-grand Nation?
6. Does he poses foreign policy exploit-es based on " American Values, Virtuous, Vastness"?
7. Does his campaign talk. slogans and ads are based of facts and free of fiction, deception, seduction, and unfair attacks?
If your answer to the above questions is yes then recommend and vote for him.
But in my professional. political, and personal opinion that vote is against the common interests majority of American people, against the world humanity, continuation of status qua and possibly dangerous world order.
Long live U.S.A and its democratic people and their common sense.
COL.. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., Colonel, USAR / MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran and Iraq Freedom team. { So called Grassroot leader for McCain from California}.
PS: Why Media and Democrates talk about Senator McCain's Temper. Just google McCain and Temper you will get the extensive results.
August 28, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
"The thought of him being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."
Senator Thad Cochran, Republican-Mississippi
August 28, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Cochran also gave a wonderfully ringing endorsement of McCain: "I am supporting John McCain for the Republican nomination for President. I supported Romney because I thought he would be the better choice for President." This was just two weeks after he'd endorsed Romney, after endorsing Fred Thompson early on. Bad luck with candidates, I guess.
August 28, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is why his aides have limited his press availability............he's an idiot.
August 28, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome avatar...
August 28, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
That really is a great avatar.
August 28, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Platitudes" = well said.
McCain has no policies, no substance, and no ideas. Just empty platitudes.
August 28, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. A Prisoner of W can't even define honor? That's just sad.
August 28, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is a little like Forrest Gump.
Honor is as honor does.
Just replace the word "stupid" with the word "honor" and there you go.
Which is to say that it means nothing.
August 28, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Prison of W"
Perfectly describes his being attached to the hip of Bush's policies (and fund raising Rolodex.)
August 28, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's because the guy doens't know jack and he's been living off of his biography.
August 28, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
This isn't a big deal.
It's the job of a president to promote policies, not to define abstract words like "honor."
August 28, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's not a big deal, but it is weird as hell. Obviously somebody is a little touchy about this whole "being honorable" business....Hmmmm. Why so defensive, Senator?
August 28, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, this guy is routinely seen hugging the man who smeared his adopted daughter.
Honor?
August 28, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I often wonder how she feels about the fact that her father embraced those who brutally attacked her.
August 28, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe he told her "you've gotta keep a sense of humor about these things." Creep.
August 28, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, okay, but the deeper reality is what I said: He knows his Swift Boating misconduct violates any broady accepted definition of honor, or anything he can reasonably invent. That's because Swift Boating is just dishonorable and to use the older but I believe still apt term, Un-American. Since stating any definition of honor leads to the unanswerable question (Well, why then, Senator McCain..."), he's mum.
August 28, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
it's not about abstract definitions. it's about knowing what honor means. if you know about something as much as mccain claims to know about 'honor'. if you care about something as much as mccain tells us he cares about 'honor'. if you are all the time talking about something as much as mccain talks about 'honor'. and you are trying to persuade the american people to elect you president. it is not unreasonable to expect that you should be able to throw a few words together on the subject.
the point isn't that mccain isn't a dictionary.
the point is that mccain is not honorable.
August 28, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is a big deal, actually. Honor has been a running theme in the McCain campaign, and he claims his reason for us staying in Iraq is so we can "return with honor." But if a voter wants to know what he means when he uses the word, they have to read his five books? Absurd is not even a strong enough word for this.
August 28, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's also about the fact that it's such a vague concept that you can get away with saying it means almost anything. That particularly goes for someone like McCain who is routinely acclaimed as "honorable". So that makes it even weirder that he just says "read my books".
August 28, 2008 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
The thought just occurred to me: Obama was put through the ringer in the primaries. He had the Clinton team, and some pretty swell guys like Biden, Edwards, etc., and he had to fight to get ahead of the pack.
McCain had weak candidates and clowns. He was the best the Republicans had to offer. And all he had to do was make some right-wing noise to get the base to get behind him.
McCain really hasn't had to build up any strength as a campaigner, and as a debater. It's probably why the campaign is keeping access to him limited, and is putting so much reliance on ridiculously negative ads.
August 28, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
And the general election ain't no Senatorial election.
August 28, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely right. He won the primary by default.
And with the media fluffing him for the last eight years, he's never had to learn how deal with critical coverage or tough questions, either. Obviously, with this example, he never even learned how to hit a high hanging curveball, too.
Plus, it's obvious, the man is UNHINGED.
August 28, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whoa, that is bizarre.
He can't define 'honor'...?
Major weirdness.
August 28, 2008 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I appreciate Greg's use of the root word "prick" in the title in reference to McCain.
Freudian...hmmmm...perhaps...
August 28, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Prickly" is in the title of the Time piece, so you can thank them....
August 28, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
K! We should use that word a lot to describe McCain, I think. Maybe the Press is starting to get it...
August 28, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think this gives a clue for how Obama gets him to blow up in a debate.
August 28, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
What, show him a deck where every card is the Queen of Diamonds?
August 28, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ooh, nice brainwashing/Manchurian Candidate reference!
August 28, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. McLame is just one pointed question away from losing it and blowing his stack. When that happens, and it seems inevitable, let's just hope that a video camera is rolling.
August 28, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Live - with no campaign-friendly editors around to whitewash it away.
August 28, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is that a preview of how John McCain will handle questions - not even tough questions - as president?
http://pufferfish.typepad.com/
August 28, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
DIGG up the Time interview. Really. Please. (~50 DIGGs at time of writing.)
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Incredible_McCain_s_Prickly_TIME_Interview?
August 28, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
"read it in my books"
you mean those books that you didn't actually write yourself?? i'm more interested in knowing what you think 'honor' means, not what your ghost-writer thinks...
he's such a terrible campaigner. how do you not have a pat answer for what 'honorable' means??? even if it's as vapid as 'honor means doing what's right'. like the how many houses do you own question, by not giving some sort of answer to a question that he doesn't like or might be embarrassing he only gives the question (and the embarrassing truth the question is getting at) more heat than it would otherwise have.
August 28, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're right about him being a terrible campaigner. Unfortunately, this hasn't seemed to hurt him too badly, at least not yet. I'm hoping he gets exposed in the debates.
August 28, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's face it, the way that his campaign is being run, he doesn't really have to do much of anything. He can sit at home in one of his 7 houses, maybe throw a barbeque or two, while his people lob grenade after grenade.
Clearly, the decision was made to keep McCain away from the spotlight. Let him ride his rep as much as possible, and do what can be done to keep that intact.
Just destroy Obama. That's it. That's the "campaign".
August 28, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
BINGO!
Exacto-mundo!
August 28, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
They did it the same way in '04. The have been keeping Commander Coocoo away from the general public for almost the whole 8 years. During that campaign they just let him speak at very carefully scripted events with heavily screened audiences.
August 28, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not only a terrible campaigner, but a terrible politician. The irony is that all those years of the media covering for McCain never forced him to become a solid politician on the national scene. He was allowed to be lazy with details and facts and off color jokes because he knew the media would cover for him. The media continues to try to protect McCain by offering excuses and rationalizing his behavior, but he constantly puts his foot in his mouth and he will continue to do so.
August 28, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awesomeness. This is why they can spew on MSNBC about how the Dems aren't throwing out enough red meat...but our guys are doing great. It doesn't take much to get McCain in a rage.
Also, hats off to holyhandgrenaid for McPTSD. That and McMansions (somebody earlier today) top the list of McNicknames. So fun, so easy, collect them all!
August 28, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think the reason McStain's been off the campaign trail this week is that his staffers are experimenting with the right balance of meds for the debates. Too much Xanax and McStain falls asleep. Too little and he lets fly the raging lunatic within.
But he's a POW, dontchaknow.
PEACE
August 28, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I like the raging McCain model best! Bring him on, please - in time for the debates, if possible.
August 28, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I disagree. I think McPTSD is in poor taste because it's unrelated to the overusing-POW charge. He's not linked with PTSD, so using it as an epithet makes it sound like having PTSD is the problem.
McSailor? Now that's funny.
August 28, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
OT, but does anybody have a link to a video of CSM Michelle S. Jones' speech? Steve Benen said it was great, but I missed it and have been searching for a video link all morning.
Thanks!
August 28, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Go here:
http://gallery1.demconvention.com/
You'll have to download a couple of plug-ins at the prompts, but they only take a couple of minutes to do so.
At the bottom of the screen, on the left, click on video gallery.
Choose Day 3 from the Links on the left. Michelle Jones is on the second page of the Gallery (select the page links from the bottom).
Note: it appears that they have video for all of the speeches here, if you missed any.
August 28, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
If anyone missed the incredible Veterans video, directed by Spielberg and narrated by Tom Hanks, that was presented at yesterday's convention, it's also available at the link above. Just go to the 3rd page for Day 3 and it's in the 2nd row of thumbnails. See it and share if you know Veterans or families of Veterans.
August 28, 2008 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bless you, my dear!
August 28, 2008 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, there was a time when John McCain had to live with people that had no honor. He was a POW and lived among the honorless!
August 28, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain probably can't remember what the ghostwriters said in his books about honor! McShame has no honor just look at how he has lived his life and how he has run his campaign! This is a golden opportunity for Obama's campaign to drill him over and over..What is honor to John McShame???
August 28, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
"McCain probably can't remember what the ghostwriters said in his books about honor!"
Oh, that was cold! Tsk, tsk!
August 28, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
FRankly, I think Sen. Leahy is on to something equating McCain's confusion, disorientation, misstatements, etc. with Reagan's last few years in the presidency when he was exhibiting the early stages of Alzheimer's. Maybe McCain can't define honor because he doesn't remember what it means to be honorable.
August 28, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do sincerely worry about this. I have nothing whatsoever against McCain as a person. I thought his remark about Georgia was plainly bizarre, no snark intended. I don't wish anyone bad health.
August 28, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
If it gets McGoos diapers in a wad having to explain something like "honor," imagine when Obama asks him to explain Keating fucking Five.
August 28, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
McPrickly.
McHonor (sing to the theme of MacGruder on SNL).
August 28, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
from a campaigning point of view, sen. john mccain must be the most maddening candidate ever.
he doesn't stick to talking points
he creates negative soundbites
he defers questions to his staff or doesn't answer them
not that i feel bad for the republicans, but john mccain sucks as a presidential candidate
August 28, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe he had no response because Mark Salter wasn't there to write it.
August 28, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Salter's crib notes for McCain: written in the sand with a stick.
August 28, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
or sandal.
August 28, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK, so someone at Time asks McCain the sort of softball question that makes Democrats throw things and curse the MSM, and he... flips out and refuses to answer it.
He has completely lost it. That's the only explanation.
August 28, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Define honor? I'll tell you how I define honor;
I love our flag, I will always love our flag!
August 28, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did you know he was a POW? He had no table and no chair.
He ate dirt n bugs.... He ate fat juicy flies for AMerica... that's honor.
.... and GET OFF MY LAWNZEZ!!
August 28, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, and I will never raise the white flag of surrender in Iraq! I will never raise the white flag of surrender in Iraq!
August 28, 2008 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone else find it a huge deal that Time used the term "prickly"?
PRICKLY!
August 28, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is the adjective form of the word. The noun is much more poignant though. :)
August 28, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Somewhere Beavis and Butthead are laughing.
August 28, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yup.
August 28, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Two problems here:
1) The obvious one -- McCain isn't quick on his feet. The smart thing to do would have been to define by example.
2) The more important one -- "honor" is often in practice the same thing as self-regard, which is why it can be easily abused to justify stupid and unjust courses of action. "My honor compels me to duel." "Honor demands that I never admit I was wrong," etc etc.
Our side talks instead about honesty, justice, judgment, candor, and integrity -- and there are good reasons why we prefer those words.
August 28, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Point 2's a good one. African potentates explain they can never make peace with neighbors so blood must flow endlessly because of "honor." Gulf Arabs stone to death their daughters because of "honor."
August 28, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Has anyone seen the movie "Gaslight"? Maybe the 'ol Maverick has met his match in John McCain.
August 28, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
How would McLame know the first thing about honor? He knows nothing about honor and it's no suprise he can't tell you what it is.
Seriously - that's like asking Satan to define "goodness". It ain't in him and honor ain't in John McLame.
August 28, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed how one can be a veteran, and I think I've heard a POW (?), and then consistently vote AGAINST veteran's issues shows a complete lack of honor and decency. There's a word for it- hypocrite.
August 28, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
He went to the naval academy. Honor is a big deal there. He knew the definition of honor back then.
August 28, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Most people start out knowing things like that. The trick is to actually live like you know what honor is and McLame has failed, spectacularly.
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
McInsane graduated fifth or so from the bottom of his class. He might not have ever known what the word "HONOR" meant.
August 28, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
spelling it might be difficult for him too. what with the silent 'h' and all...
August 28, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, he probably skipped that class.
August 28, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Given that McCain is also this kind of POW (http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Graphic/2008/08/27/1219810416_5281.jpg)
it is not surprising that he does not know what honor is.
[the link to the political cartoon is from Froomkin's White House Watch in the WaPo's online edition)
August 28, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
More evidence that McCain is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
His anger is a cry for help.
August 28, 2008 11:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
if you ask McCain one more time to define 'honor' he'll call you a cunt.
August 28, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ooh. McC**t
August 28, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
That was so arrogant! Truly arrogant! Can you imagine what people would say if Obama dimissed a question by simply asking the interviewer to read his books?
August 28, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but the talking heads and writers never mention McCain's arrogance. Obama Arrogance Watch is always on high alert. See Carrie Budoff Brown today at politico. Here's the caption:
Self-assurance has carried Barack Obama to the
pinnacle of American politics. But skeptics
believe confidence can curdle into arrogance.
August 28, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
excellent point.
August 28, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey guys -- I just went and read the original Time article. Greg's excerpt isn't necessarily the best part!
First of all, bigbee is right -- "Prickly" is the headline!
Second, the whole thing suggests that the press corps may have gotten the memo -- that McCain's character deserves the same kind of close examination they have been giving other "celebrities."
Get ready for this meme to keep repeating. Senators have already been talking about McCain's temper, and I think we're going to keep it up. As Josh says, it's a line of attack that has the merit of being true.
August 28, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's a two-headed monster meme: arrogant and angry.
I think we're reaching the tipping point on this. Good timing.
August 28, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think it is possible that now the Clinton-Obama rift storyline has largely played itself out (I know, there will be minor flare-ups going forward, but it has lost most of its punch at this point and it is getting old and tired anyway), the press needs a new and exciting storyline to pitch to its viewers. The best one out there is "when will McCain lose it?" So perhaps the MSM will start to run with this ball to advance their own agenda of serving up constant drama. I, for one, would not mind at all if they did.
August 28, 2008 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
McSame is toast in November.
August 28, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
McToast.
August 28, 2008 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
If I recall correctly, he was also incapable of defining "victory" in Iraq.
August 28, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
When you run an obviously dishonorable campaign in which a major element is offering to conduct the Presidency with honor, obviously any question regarding how you define honor is questioning the candidate's honor.
When you get questioned about something you feel ashamed of and can't answer, the usual response for a lot of people is to get angry. It's a way of reacting to a threat by threatening back. It's also been a response McCain has used all his life.
That should be a question during the debates, with follow-up.
August 28, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
America has had 43 Presidents. Each has been studied rather thoroughly.
No doubt the Presidents can be ranked in order of effectiveness (most to least), and a similar ranking could be made of self-control and temper (even-tempered to hot-head.)
I wonder if there is any correlation?
August 28, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
That interview is amazing - McLame wouldn't answer one question.
His infamous temper is destroying him - he's obviously angry with the media.
Wow.
August 28, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
There has been an awful lot of over-reaction from McCain, since the Obama camp brought attention to his "can't remember how many houses I have" snafu. McCain is taking it out on the media. And they haven't begun to give him actual objective treatment.
Let's hope we're seeing the beginning of an avalanche here that will unfold in real, objective scrutiny on the part of the media in examining who McCain is and what he actually stands for and a meltdown on McCain's part once he's held under examination.
August 28, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
We'll be seeing a lot more of the Prickly Prick when Biden and the other surrogates get under his skin. I trust Mr. O will have ways of subtly sticking the knife into Mac's ribs during the debates. It won't take much to piss off the old coot if Time's interview asking a legitimate question riled him.
John McCain: an existential threat if elected President
Just a cranky rich Senator if not.
August 28, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if they won't sedate him for the debates, to avoid such a scene. If we get the dazed and confused McCain in the debates, that's what I will suspect.
August 28, 2008 12:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
the Obama campaign absolutely has to exploit this "hot head" issue with ads as well as provocations that might get McCain to explode in public. I saw a poll today that has 80% of the public trusting McCain on foreign policy: knock off even 10% and you have a nice margin of victory in November
August 28, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
A - fuckin - men.
August 28, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
It must've been pretty infuriating for Doug McCain, John's son, to find out that his dad was not only violating Naval regulations regarding adultery by cheating again on his mother, who was seriously injured after a car accident.
It must've been worse to find out that he was screwing around with a rich former cheerleader / beer heiress just 5 years older than he was!
Of course, John McManboy was about 44 at the time... the same age as Barack Obama when he became a U.S. Senator, after eight years in the Illinois State Senate.
John McCain knows about honor, alright. He just can't personally relate to it.
August 28, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Go read the interview, and see the testy answer about his sons, after a fairly softball question about them: "We don't talk about our sons."
Has anyone seen the McCain offspring interviewed? Anything written about them? Have they turned up by his side on the campaign, at any time since it began last year?
I know there was that cute professionally produced video blog by a daughter, but what about the sons? Anything?
August 28, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nope - at least I haven't. I don't even know how many kids McLame has.
He's such a family man -
August 28, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Should someone ask him how many children he has?
August 28, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe his staff knows.
August 28, 2008 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, they had to buy a new condo because all the kids were crowding Cindy out of the old one!
August 28, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
From what I've been able to tell, all parties involved from the first marriage have been suitably paid off in one way or another from Cindy McCain's millions, with the possible exception of his eldest daughter, who lives in Canada, runs a record label, and reportedly votes Democrat.
One of them even plays a major role in running the beer distributor company that Cindy inherited. Reportedly, he played a leading role in opposing legislation championed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, requiring labels on beer, telling consumers about alcohol quantity, calories, ingredients, etc.
So yeah... the family business has a problem with efforts to promote responsible drinking, too.
John McCain wasn't able drink responsibly when he was a P.O.W., I bet...
August 28, 2008 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
A MILF!
August 28, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
If McCain gets all out of shape on being asked for one definition of one word how in the world is he going to perform in an open live debate?
They'll have to wire him and I'm not certain that would be of total help . . . he's not too fast on his feet and would probably ask that they repeat out loud!
August 28, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes! Look for the rectangular box shape on his back, under his suit jacket. Rove, Lieberman, Cheney, Salter, will each have a radio microphone, with his assorted lobbyist pals feeding them pointers.
August 28, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I betcha the Obama camp is tech-savvy enough to have one or two people in the audience (or backstage?) with jamming equipment :-)
August 28, 2008 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
By Thursday or Friday last week, a noun, a verb and POW was gaining traction.
Now the angry and arrogant meme.
Plus our top speakers calling out McCain's hypocrisy, but always with the sorrow and the pity.
Plus you know Barack won't go low.
The Dope has been Roped.
August 28, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
You are one of my fave commenters and that one really rocks.
August 28, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Blushing. That's high praise coming from HTX.
Thx.
August 28, 2008 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
1. John McCain does not have a ghost writer. He has a fully visible collaborator and hagiographer named Mark Salter who is also his closest aide and his most vicious attack dog. Whether McCain has read Salter's book, I don't know. I'm sure Salter is the one who writes them.
2. John McCain does understand what honor means in terms to men in uniform, during war. Even if he has abused the privilege of his life story, we can still accord him some respect.
2. He clearly does not have, nor understand honor in a political sense, and one wonders even in a personal sense. He understand how to make excuses, and he understands how to move in the opposite direction when his previous heading gets him in trouble. He is one of the most willing politicians in history to say he is sorry. Of course when you have to say it as often as he does it stops becoming a virtue and turns in to an obvious excuse for someone without true principles.
He was sorry about his first marriage. He was sorry about the Keating 5 scandal, he was sorry about not supporting MLK's birthday, about lying to voters during his 2000 campaign. If he wins I am sure he'll want to apologize for the viscious slander he personally approved of in his latest ad mocking Obama for things he never said about Iran.
If and when an issue is made of his contempt for workers when he says that unionized American construction workers are too lazy to do for $50an hour what some migrants from Mexico are willing to do for $5, I'm sure he'll apologize, my friends.
Maybe I am wrong. Maybe he understands honor in politics perfectly, maybe he is just so ashamed that he sold his to Karl Rove's lackeys in the pursuit of power and glory, that he doesn't want to admit it.
What is interesting is the person who knows this as well as anyone is Joe Biden (Kerry too of course). I wonder when and how he will tell that to America.
August 28, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
That is one brutal interview in how McShame answers the questions and for the life of me I can't see any messages that are clear and positive in his responses. Please read the full interview and you can see that the term "prickly" was being polite IMHO.
August 28, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can't count his houses. Can't define "honor." Thinks Iraq borders Pakistan. Can't define "victory."
I don't think McCain could pass the GED.
August 28, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!!!!!!!
August 28, 2008 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you meant "YOU KIDS, GET OUT OF MY YARD(S)"
August 28, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Read my books. No. New. HONOR!"
August 28, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain can't define the word honor, otherwise, he would have stood there and defined it with his head high and standing on his tipies every 5secs like he likes to do.
I hope he gets press about the question even more not only that but the Obama camp isn't raising enough questions about McCain.
1)Is McCain really safe for this country?
2)Is his old, cold war, thinking what we need for the future?
3) Why doesn't McCain know that Czechoslovakia has not been a country in over a decade?
August 28, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
How dare you dishonor this great American by attacking his honor? Now we must blame this all on
Obama and send out a lame press release.
August 28, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am waiting for McCain to completely lose it and slug a reporter. He has an extensive track record of punching people who anger him. The press is definitely getting to him, so he might just let fly. That would be a pretty picture.
August 28, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
"You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
August 28, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do not think what I think it means is what you think I think it means.
August 28, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, ok, so "honor" didn't go so well. Can we try "victory?" Oh, ok. How about "values?" Gee...what about "patriotism?"
So your campaign is an incoherent crock, trading upon numbing buzzwords that weirdly evoke inane, jingoistic reflexes of meaningless self-congratulation among your narrow-minded and bigoted constituents, whenever such buzzwords emerge from your mouth when someone pulls the string with the ring, on your back...
August 28, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR MCCAIN!!!
!!JohnSidneyMcManymansionsMENTUM™!!!
August 28, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
You mean !!JohnSidneyMcManymansionsMENTUM™!!!The Third!!!!
Don't forget the "III"!
August 28, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do believe this Prickly interview isn't just going to go viral, it's in dead-tree Time next week: the McCain convention week cover story.
His aides must be flop-sweatin' to the oldie.
August 28, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well let's help the ol' fart out. Just answer yes or no.
Is is honorable to smear someone's character when you said you wouldn't? Just nod.
Is it honorable to cheat on and then dump your wife after she has been injured for a younger, wealthier one?
Is it honorable to use your POW experience for personal political gain? You can ask another POW if that helps.
Is it honorable to keep your word, stand up for your principles, and tell the truth to those who trust you?
take your time, my friend.
August 28, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nicely done, sir (or madame).
August 28, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Free advice for Obama:
The campaign should start asking "John McCain used to be an honorable man. What happened to him?"
Then just sit back and enjoy McCain's campaign ending meltdown.
August 28, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Do not tell me who I have to respect. I have no respect for McLame and I have no respect for his POW status, either. For one simple reason - he stood there on the floor of Congress and voted YES to allowing our military to torture POWs.
I have 0 respect for McLame - he learned NOTHING from being a POW except how to whine.
August 28, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll go ya one better...
I just can't get it out of my head that there in Dumbfuckistan sits an Undecided Voter, watching Barack Obama... or a campaign friend... or a liberal pundit, even... all of whom must automatically genuflect to McCain, before even opening their mouths and daring to discuss him in any less-than-shining way:
"Senator McCain is a heroic American, whose service to our country is unassailable, and we are all grateful to him for his bravery and his honor. But..."
Mister Sixpack stops listening at the word "honor", and says to himself, "Well, he sounds like a pretty good guy! I think I'll vote for HIM!"
WHY THE DEVIL ARE THE DEMS DOING THIS? Other than because we've all been intimidated into accepting the GOP frame that McCain is the finest example of America, evah, and if you think you can run against the very definition of "patriotism", good luck with that?
It's like entering the swimming competition, wrapped in duct tape. But such is the fear of being smeared by the 'thugs, that we'd prefer to operate in the enemy's very frame.
August 28, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's almost stunning the MSM has succeeded in guarding the grumpy angry McCain from the public.
August 28, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps a more probing question: "What is the relationship between Honor and Integrity?".
Military types throw Honor around all the time, and contextually it seems to have a public rather than a private meaning; and a rather primitive ring as well. If you cheat on your wife, you lose your integrity; If your wife cheats on you, you lose your honor. Especially if the world finds out. Or something to that effect. It's a term from the Middle Ages.
August 28, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
One of the things I'm waiting desperately for is the debates, because there, surely, we'll see him lose it -- we'll see Senator Hothead in all his splendor. But his campaign must certainly fear this too. So, now I'm worrying they're going to medicate him in some way to suppress his rage. I don't know much about meds, but does that seem possible? Or am I just spinning paranoid fantasies?
August 28, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
You and me both.
They'll drug McLame to the gills. They drugged Commander Coocoo Bananas to the gills - in the effort to get him sober.
I'll bet anything anyone wants to bet that they've had Commander Coocoo on librium for 8 years to damp down the effects of his drinking.
I know he started again the minute he was inaugurated. He has done nothing but deteriorate exactly the way I've seen every drunk I've known deteriorate, starting with my dad.
August 28, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't want them to get good advice, but Propranolol (a/k/a Inderal), a beta blocker, supresses fight-or-flight symptoms, slows the pulse, lowers blood pressure and eliminates the clammy palms/blushing/sweating associated with performance stress. Lots of people use it in public speaking/stressful meeting settings. Perhaps the drug of choice in this situation, but that is one hot head; might make him merely maniacal vs. ultra-maniacal.
August 28, 2008 1:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe they could make it into a HOUSE episode...
Aides for a white-haired presidential candidate secretly asks Dr. House if he can make the candidate better so he can confidently lead the GOP to victory...
WWCS - What Would Cutty Say??
August 28, 2008 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Funny how life unfolds. Perhaps the best thing McCain ever did in his life was crash that plane. Otherwise, where would he be right now?
August 28, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Shorter McCain?
More like longer McCain.
His reponse was practically a grunt.
August 28, 2008 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can I mention in concerned tones that uncontrollable outbursts of anger can be one of the early symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's?
Not that McSame is mentally enfeebled or anything...
Just sayin'.
August 28, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
REPORTER: "Senator, some have speculated that your behavior on the campaign trail has manifested some symptoms of what might be an onset of Alzheimer's Disease. Has your physician raised this possibility with you?"
MCCAIN: [Face lights up, head explodes]
August 28, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
My father died of Alzheimer's, but the fun part was the dozen-year (!!) run-up to that.
Characterized by regular outbursts of temper (sometimes violent) FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
You know. Like a BBQ-eating, "tire-swinging" MSM reporter, lobbing friggin' softballs at McCain... and getting shit on???
This is what the docs described to me as "early onset dementia". Not that you'll ever read this in print about McCain , anywhere but on these Far Left [tm] blogs on the internets.
But, take it to the bank... THEY KNOW. The GOP knows. It is the scandal that dare not speak its name, that a GOP candidate is in La-La Land, and being "handled", while Bush/Cheney gets ready to assume the puppet strings of a McCain administration.
August 28, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
As well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
August 28, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Prickly McCain Refuses To Define "Honor" In Interview"
You can drop the ly from the end of the first word in the headline.
August 28, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain's problem in defining the word "honor" is that he's over used the word to the extent that it has become nothing other a string of 5 letters forming 2 syllables.
For him, "honor" has become nothing other than a word used to draw a distinction between himself (he has it) and his opponent (he does not have it). He can no more define the word "honor" than any GOP'er can define "values," "ethics," "responsibility," or "morality," other than to claim that their opponent doesn't have it.
August 28, 2008 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is this "honor" something you can still possess even if you have behaved dishonorably? That's what we're being led to believe about McLame isn't it? Despite his dishonorable behavior on many occasions he is still being called an honorable man.
Too bad it wasn't that way for this guy I knew in high school 50 years ago. He admitted to having oral sex ONCE with another guy and was called a cocksucker from then on.
August 28, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn damn damn...
Anyone get the audio?
I went to the story, saw a "podcast" version was linked. I read the story, then tried to listen. Nothing.
Reloaded the page, saw the audio link had been taken down.
We really need the sounds of John Sidney McCain the Third being a prick.
August 28, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm downloaded the audio and it's playing just fine. If you right-click on this link and save the file to your machine before playing it, it should play for you.
August 28, 2008 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks.
For some reason that option vanished from the page I was looking at.
August 28, 2008 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
"When I was in Vietnam, I didn't have any books. Or kitchen tables, my friends."
August 28, 2008 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McInsane and republiscums are currently honoring our soldiers with campaign ribbons, medals and promises of continuing wars.
Barack Obama and Democrats will honor our soldiers by ending the wars, bringing them home and treating them with respect while providing the medical treatment, benefits and services they have earned.
August 28, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beautiful! I love this.
August 28, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
"We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the very blanket of freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it...either way I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."
- Col. Jessup
A Few Good Men
In the movie, he gets arrested. In the real world this kind of person is seriously considered for president of the US. Scary isn't it?
August 28, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
my father - who also is a hotheaded asshole and from whom I am estranged - used to pull that same crap when he was caught in a rhetorical trap.
"You know what I mean!"
"No, I don't."
"Yes you do."
"No, really, I don't. What do you mean?"
"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
it's a common trait of those with a sense of entitlement, thin skins and hot tempers.
August 28, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Has anybody read the full interview? I can't decide if it's real or if it's fake. Some answers seem real, others just surreal:
And on and on... I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. This man could become POTUS...
August 28, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ummm...you didn't make that up?
Good Lord, McCain needs a check up. That poor interviewer.
It reads like a parody.
August 28, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's why I asked if anybody else read that Time article. If it's a real interview... I'm speechless.
August 28, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I read it. It's real.
August 28, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm... am I the only one who hears these answers, like they're coming from a Prisoner Of War [tm], who has turned off his brain and is disciplining himself to give terse, perfunctory replies to his captors?
August 28, 2008 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Like the [tm] ;-)
August 28, 2008 11:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Have you seen McCain's racist ad?
http://www.fox14tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8912513
August 28, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Holy crap..it says HANG?
August 28, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can you imagine the furor if someone asked Obama to define "change" and he angrily told them to read his book?
It never ceases to amaze me what McSidekick can get away with saying. Maybe the media really is starting to wake up, but I'm not holding my breath.
August 28, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Ending the war with honor" is the biggest crock of shit expression he's ever uttered. I didn't realize our armed forces operated under samurai code.
August 28, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can you imagine the furor if someone asked Obama to define "change" and he angrily told them to read his book?
It never ceases to amaze me what McSidekick can get away with saying. Maybe the media really is starting to wake up, but I'm not holding my breath.
August 28, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shorter McCain: How dare you ask me to define
what my ghost writers wrote in my five books!
August 28, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Having lived with three relatives who suffered from dementia, I can tell you that this is one of the signs. Anger and prickliness are common ways of dealing with the frustration of no longer being sure what's going on around you.
I'm not saying it's a sure thing that McCain is losing it, but this sort of reaction sounds really familiar.
August 28, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
From McCain's prickish interview:
This fool clearly has the mind of a toddler, with no understanding of cause and effect.
If we hadn't invaded Iraq, oil would still be priced at about $40 a barrel! The invasion of Iraq -- and the massive increase in its oil wealth -- is one of the biggest reasons Russia has started feeling its imperialist oats.
August 28, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
there's a video of barbara boxer on politico on how temperamental mccain is. the senators know this. boxer said she herself was the object of mccain's temper a couple of times. why isnt this being made an issue?
August 28, 2008 1:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, that is the stragest thing about that silly exchange. The newsie threw McCain a soft ball and in McCain's answer, he had to show his snide side. So lets see, what profoubnd statement does McCain make? Duh? He blows the soft ball question and shows how churlish and childish he can be, Imagine this guy meeting any head of state, Nah, on second thought, imagining that would make anyone TERRIBLY afraid. It is akin to a bad nightmare.
August 28, 2008 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, that is the stragest thing about that silly exchange. The newsie threw McCain a soft ball and in McCain's answer, he had to show his snide side. So lets see, what profoubnd statement does McCain make? Duh? He blows the soft ball question and shows how churlish and childish he can be, Imagine this guy meeting any head of state, Nah, on second thought, imagining that would make anyone TERRIBLY afraid. It is akin to a bad nightmare.
August 28, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain cannot possibly define Honor
Whatever he'd come up with wouldn't sound like Honor, or it wouldn't sound like John McCain.
OTOH, he could easily define exploitation. Or adultery. Or self-pity.
August 28, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
POW! POW! POW!
August 28, 2008 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it is possible that now the Clinton-Obama rift storyline has largely played itself out (I know, there will be minor flare-ups going forward, but it has lost most of its punch at this point and it is getting old and tired anyway), the press needs a new and exciting storyline to pitch to its viewers. The best one out there is "when will McCain lose it?" So perhaps the MSM will start to run with this ball to advance their own agenda of serving up constant drama. I, for one, would not mind at all if they did.
August 28, 2008 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
POW POW POW POW
August 28, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
He can't define it becasue he doesnt have it
August 28, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain is LOSING HIS BEARINGS.
August 28, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Most of the interview sounds like "the less you know about me the better off I am". Pretty damn stupid when you consider the fluff piece this was no doubt intended to be. Richard Nixon showed more warmth.
August 28, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
On the honor topic - I learned from Tammy Duckworth's speech last night (I watched only cspan) that mccain wants to privatize the Veterans' Administration. Is it honorable for private companies to PROFIT from the long term injuries and traumas of veterans. I certainly do not think so. It's immoral. Here's a quote from her speech:
"And Barack Obama will have a simple principle for homeless veterans: zero tolerance, because we are all dishonored when those who’ve worn the uniform sleep on our streets. But here’s what he won’t do: President Obama will reject John McCain’s plan to privatize the VA system. We won’t force veterans to search for medical care with nothing but a plastic card and the promise of payment. We won’t have means testing for access to the VA. Why? Because Barack Obama knows this: no one asked us where we lived or how much money we had when we enlisted, and no one should ask us that after we’ve bled for our country."
You can read all the speeches from the DNC convention web site. But they of course hit much stronger when seen live.
August 28, 2008 2:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's another thought - If the VA is privatized under a mccain admin - will all of the jobs be outsourced to India?
August 28, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Grouchy old bastard, losing his marbles.
August 28, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not that I lack sympathy for those losing their marbles. I may well lose a few, maybe a bunch of them, at some point. Many of us will, barring some amazing advance in neuroscience.
The point is, if/when that happens, I WON'T BE QUALIFIED to do a lot of the stuff I do now.
August 28, 2008 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Reading the interview on the link, I can see now why they push the foreign policy thing even after he gets so much wrong - it seems to be the only subject he can make a coherent statement about.
August 28, 2008 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
As we can tell from this article just like a prescription drug, John McCain has some side effects.
So I put it in a video earlier today:
THE SIDE EFFECTS OF JOHN MCCAIN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBqs26mpg8o
August 29, 2008 5:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
"McCain has repeatedly said that our goal in Iraq is for the troops to return with 'honor.'"
The typical Republican anti-Americanism:
One does not participate in, or "return" from, a crime against humainsity with "honor," as the entire enterprise is illegal and dishonorable.
When will the chickenhawk and failed/fake-"heroic" Republicans stop lying that criminality is an acceptable foundation from which arises "honor"?
McCain hasn't a clue as to the meaning of the word "honor" -- regardless in how many books he misused/abused the term. One doesn't willingly participate in such as the illegal intervention in Vietnam, the illegal bombing of civilian targets in North Vietnam, getting shot down, rescued from drowning by the "enemy," and being made a failed-one's-mission POW, and at the same time know the correct meaning of the word "honor".
McCain is "heroic" only in his continued running from his being a phony and a failure for at least 40 years without a break. But that is about as "heroic" as Bushit waking up the next day under the drunk's table while he's avoidng actual military service -- and being sent to Vietnam.
It is quintessentially elitist to lie about being honorable.
August 29, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink