McCain Suggests Wife Participate In Topless Contest

Yesterday evening John McCain took part in the Sturgis Rally 2008 at Buffalo Chip in South Dakota, an annual tribute to veterans. The candidate was so enthused, he told attendees, that he encouraged his wife to participate in the festivities: "I told her with a little luck, she could be the only woman ever to serve as both the first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip."

As the Huffington Post reported on Sunday, the Miss Buffalo Chip contest is more than a little risque -- not to mention bedeviled by violence:

ESPN's Jim Caple described the as "essentially a topless beauty pageant. And occasionally bottomless, too."

"During a drenching rain Wednesday night, the contest broke up into smaller groups and one woman wound up dancing naked on a bar top. Her boyfriend/husband saw her and angrily dragged her away as she struggled to put her pants back on and muttered something about how, "It's only this one week a year."

How sweet. Sadly, the pageant also sees its share of domestic abuse, which even the event's organizers admit to Caple is a major problem.

Here are some videos from last year's contest (warning: probably NSFW or young readers).

The beauty pageant:

The wet t-shirt contest:

The pickle-licking contest:

Comments

[elevando]

It is publicity stunts like this that will put McCain in step with the average American.

Flip on the TV, and check out what is available during prime time. These shows are dumb for a reason. Make this demographic of viewers understand you, and you take the election.

[TheSpider]

GOP this is the best you can do for President. What a Joke. John McSame the joke that keeps on giving.

[flatus]

No Senator McCain. This is a gathering of motorcyclist, not a tailhook party.

[AcitizenNJ]

Can anyone report that the visit by McCain was reported visually on any major news outlet. I heard a passing word on ABC Good Morning Amercia show Monday morning that he was making a campaign stop in South Dakota but no mention was made that it was the Sturgis Biker Rally. I have no problem that he went but the absence of any pictures, news coverage while at the event is very questionable. I went to the Sturgis web site and found nothing to show that he was even there. I was wondering if all the reporter that cover these guys had the day off or was a black out ordered.

[jtmqs]

j o h n m c c a i n has no charisma and that is the reason he gets very little coverage. some people can just show up at an event and it would be news, say o b a m a for instance. if o b a m a had showed at sturgis it would have made big news, simply because he has the charisma to carry a room.
those were j o h n m c c a i n ' s constiuents and they care so little about his appeal they didn't even have him on their web site for the event, so you say. i heard what m c c a i n said at the event and it made absolutely no sense - he was speaking extemporaneously. and if faux news made no mention of him from what you say above, then what does that tell you? i have no dog in this fight, but i feel a huge percentage of his support is simply based on the fact that he is white.

[perk]

Blackout????

Hello! The press doesn't travel with McCain. He certainly went as a stunt to get press attention, but it flopped. No one in the press came with him.

[mh01]

LIghten up people, it was a joke.

[HDR]

It's not a matter of lightening up so much as an inconsistency of the self-annointed moral authority
of Republicans. Has FOX run with the story? How would they have handled it if Obama had jokingly submitted his wife for the same boob fest?

[jpaultel]

Of course it is. Of course! Does that also say something about judgment?

[condew]

Stories like this hurt the credibility of Huff Po and the other Blogs who picked up this line. An off-hand remark is not an issue and does not speak to the credibility of the candidate. Other than the eye candy I don't see why this story is here.

[gulopartisan]

Rachel Maddow said it best: Which is worse, that he didn't know he was suggesting that his wife participate in a degrading sex Olympics, or that he did?

The key thing here is consistency. This is how McC*n sees women, including the wife who bought him. I hope the Clinton feminist diehards who are going to vote for him are sharing these videos.

[alphax]

McCain offers his wife as a Buffalo Chip girl

"A buffalo chip, also called a meadow muffin, is the name for a large, flat, dried piece of dung"


Things that make you go hmmm!

[Intelligentia]

And you wonder why I am nervous about this election? Obviously, McCain understands how his base thinks, that's why he had no problem supporting this depravity. To think that these are the people who will determine the outcome of our presidential election is disheartening! Welcome to the United States of America!

[Diablito]

I sense a double standard here. What if Obama spoke at a gay pride parade or something along the lines of Freaknik? Similar behavior goes down at these events. I think most of the critical posters here would say that Obama would be exercising tolerance / inclusion. What's wrong with a bunch of white people having fun, too?

[Deoliver47]

Double standard? You are equating raunchy sexist display with gay pride?

Never has a Presidential candidate - of any color - suggested in a "joke" that his wife should be in a topless, bottomless, drunken freak show.

What's wrong with a bunch of men, of any color - who demean women ( and the sad women who are part of the sickness).

Why'd you bring race into the issue? Good taste , and anti- sexism have no color.

[Diablito]

The stuff on these videos is relatively tame. I've seen stuff way raunchier in person at a gay pride parade and I got mugged at gunpoint at Freaknik in '94. Many of the criticisms by posters are very thinly veiled rascist attacks against the people attending this event (mostly white people). I'm for freedom of expression even when it involves women degrading themselves.

[ngannon]

If you don't see why a man offering up his spouse this way is demeaning, degrading and totally inappropriate then you don't have a standard. No one is saying anything about the biker group- they are fine and if willing participants choose to have any competition they want - fine. McCain however is running for President of the US and his suggestions were totally tasteless. For one thing, he doesn't own his wife - for another she hopefully would not consider entering and lastly she is far too old. The whole thing was just plan "yucky". McCain seems to think things are funny that just aren't. His people keep talking about a sense of humor but his is seriously flawed- or non existent. After the last 7 years we do not want another frat "boy" in office.

[BassMent]

What if Obama stomped a dozen baby bunnies to death at his next rally? What if Phil Graham breathed fire and smoke out of his nose? What if Hillary Clinton could fly?

Your post makes no sense, because you are postulating a partisan response to an even that did not happen. The event that happened is the Sturgis rally, and anyone who's been (I am raising my hand) knows that it is a riot of debauchery at best and a misogynistic ape-rape festival at worst. McCain was there, whooping it up with the testosterone-soaked crowd. That is real. Your Obama scenario is imaginary.

Someone once said that a man is known by the company he keeps....

[jtmqs]

the republican candidate has no charisma, one reason the press isn't interested in him. even the sturgis website (his constituency) had no mention of him yesterday. neither did faux news - yesterday. the democrat can announce or put on an event and people and the press will come i.e. germany, middle east etc. he can carry a room and is interesting. the republican did the same thing earlier and nobody cared. for the republican to get a crowd the event has to be planned around something other than the candidate (i.e. sturgis annual bikers event with hugh crowds). once the event is planned then the republican candidate shows up and proceeds to make a fool of himself. it never fails!

[gdaerin]

earth to mccain, she wouldn't win!

[AlwaysFairDem]

For him, Women had been and will always be a piece of ....what did he call his wife --"C*nt". The very reason that WOMEN better wise up and learn about this despicable man.

Read this article on Huffpost and let me know if you would give this man the free pass to own the red button??

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/01/mccain-asked-did-you-call_n_99744.html

[SENCvoter]

This whole event was a disgrace to ALL women. ALL women should be outraged to be exploited this way. I was so disgusted I was left speechless. PUMAs, this is where McCain is taking his campaign. Take note! He will do nothing for women's rights.

[ChiefJudgeGascoigne]

I would love to see a poll of GOP women in office and wives of GOP in office regarding how they view Miss Buffalo Chip

I would love to see a poll of the former first ladies on this issue

This should have been the media event of the year - and an instant downward spiral for the McCains and GOP

[Lupin77]

This is a very low thing to do to your wife.

[HopeGirl]

very low but not the lowest...

lowest is call her a C in public...o­r telling ape rape 'jokes'...­..or

[bogeygurl]

What do you expect from a man who called his wife a c*** and a trollop?

[Kimberly46]

This coming from a man that called his wife in public; c**t. So why be surprised.

What gets to me though are those saying; surely he did not know?

This man is applying for the job of POTUS. OUR President. OUR Commander in Chief. He SHOULD OF KNOWN. His advisers SHOULD OF KNOWN.

Instead of being with The Freedom Riders group that represent true Veterans, he chose a stage that is totally different.

I shudder at the thought of that man winning. If that happens, then it will be because we put him there by voting for him. If that happens, then we will deserve what we get.

[Lupin77]

What a vulgar thing to do, not to mention totally disrepectful towards his wife.