McCain Gets Prickly During Time Interview

Reporters have frequently commented on the degeneration of John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" policy throughout the campaign, but his lack of openness with the press came to the fore in a recent interview with Time Magazine. Below are some excerpts from the interview.

McCain at first seemed happy enough to do the interview. But his mood quickly soured. The McCain on display in the 24-minute interview was prickly, at times abrasive, and determined not to stray off message.

...

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.

...

In 2000, after the primaries, you went back to South Carolina to talk about what you felt was a mistake you had made on the Confederate flag. Is there anything so far about this campaign that you wish you could take back or you might revisit when it's over?
[Does not answer.]

Do I know you? [Says with a laugh.]
[Long pause.] I'm very happy with the way our campaign has been conducted, and I am very pleased and humbled to have the nomination of the Republican Party.

...

A lot of people know about your service from your books, but most people don't know that you have two sons currently in the military. Can you describe what it means to have Jack and Jimmy in uniform?
We don't discuss our sons.

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Comments

[Gene1]

If Sen. McBush is using what was usually said about other candidates in political primaries in his ad, I don’t understand why Sen. Obama can’t roll out the legion of things (most times true) that Rep. Paul, Mitt Romney and Gov. Huckabee said about this 72-year-old man. And while on it, don’t forget his Keating 5 scandal and his doctored security report on Iraq!!!

Sen. McBush, leave military issues alone, you can’t live, eat and breathe war, pain, torture, bombs, nuclear weapons, war prisoner all the time!!! Can’t you do some peace rallies for a change? There are other wonderful things in the world besides war, blood and destruction!!!

We don’t want to hear who is qualified to be a commander in chief. Enough of that nonsense.

[ResearchGuy]

Where is H a r o l d S ta s s e n now that the Republicans REALLY need him?

[JerryMerry]

Hearing McCain saying how strongly he believes in reconciliation and redemption. Makes you wonder why his first marriage failed.

[ResearchGuy]

Because he was a grasping philanderer?

[HadEnoughCrap]

He spent 5 years as a POW - he's allowed to cheat - he deserves to cheat!

[provgrays]

Very illuminating.

McCain is an arrogant, uncurious elite.

Just like King George himself.

[renatam]

Bush and McCain are bottom of their class, legacy boyz - propelled to the top of our culture via consortiums that packaged and fund them. That's why they mock intellectuals and real creativity. Watching Fox "News" is like becoming a ZOMBIE -- morphing watchers into what these men already are.

[renatam]

How does someone fail upward, refuse his service as a fortunate military reservist during Vietnam, spend 20 years drinking like a frat boy, get sweetheart deals courtesy of dad -- and, then get packaged for job as TX Gov courtesy of dad -- and then President?

Americans are asleep at the wheel and the world is BEGGING us to wake up. Even our enemies don't like what is happening.

[Grunty1]

Having the right family name has a lot of power.

[ssmit98]

Oh give the man a break! He only needed to be changed!

[darylfrancis]

Can anyone believe that McCain is sincere or even trying to sound sincere? The sarcasm is deliberate. That smirk and the line, "How perfect that this announcement should come on such an historic day." The spot was designed to point out Obama's "chutzpah," to which he would say indignantly to anyone questioning his motives, "Who? Me?" Give me a break. Really pathetic.

[maddie0001]

It worked for W.

[Dayahka]

Oh, come on, an old man has a right to be old and cranky.

[americanwomaninpa]

isn't Biden old?

[Grunty1]

Yeah, but, unlike Mc'Cain, Biden has full command of his mental facilities and hasn't sold his soul and integrity for a chance at the presidency.

[renatam]

It's not an age thing so much as a mindset. Biden is a young elder. He uses the Internet, text messages his grandkids, etc. He keeps IN TOUCH w/what's going on and stays involved w/real life. He does the HARD WORK of staying involved w/all of modern life and those who have less as well as those in the Senate and privleged. You can feel it. You can SEE it. You can hear it. He's his own, authentic man.

McCain is above it all -- and, by default, in his cocoon of privilege an entire generation has passed him by. He doesn't do the HARD WORK of staying involved w/those who don't look like him, think like him, are younger than him, etc. He is the pivot, the star - and his dated ideas are THE ONLY IDEAS. McCain is a prefab who missed the 00s, because he was at War. He is still there "Mad Men" like. Cindy looks like she belongs of that era as well...and she is a boomer, for goodness sake. McCain ages her -- by association.

[globality]

He didn't have his nap that day

the old man was a little cranky

[JiminNC]

Yeah, but he has nice teeth ... for a 72 year old man.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

And such a lovely shade of yellow.

[pkohan]

I can see the Obama opposition ad now - quoting various quotes about honor from McCain and then contrasting them with McCain's campaign statements and those from GOP surrogates at the upcoming convention next week.

[Gary47]

It's hard being a republican trying to stay on message, when there isn't one. Except, take all the money from the poor and middle class, rig voting machines, pollute like hell, and make the gates around our communities higer and higher. Don't want anyone to know that.

[RJII]

After all his attack ads, I image that he can't define the word "honor".

Time should have asked him to define "unhonorable". That's more descriptive of his rovian actions the last five months.


However, you'd think a presidential nominee would have no problem defining such a word on the spot.
That says alot.

[blackjack19]

If McCain can't handle the stress of dealing with the media, why should I believe he'll be able to handle the stress of being president?

On a side note, everyone who leaves the office has far more gray hair then when they entered. If McCain were to become president, would his hair turn translucent?

[chs1965]

Obviously a misspelling, isn't it pricky?

[RJII]

lmao. I think you're correct.

[ClevelandTom]

McCain's manner of dealing with the press is sounding more like Bush's every day.