John McCain Gets Incoherent In Bailout Defense

Look, I'm just going to level with you. I have not got no explanation for what could possibly be going on in this clip of John McCain on today's Morning Joe. McCain came on the show today and riffed through a lot of his standard talking points and one liners: "BLAAARGH EARMARKS...YAAAHH PORK BARRELS! MAKE THEM FAMOUS! INSANITY, OBSCENITY, CORRUPTION! WASHINGTON CHANGED US! I AM THE SHERIFF." I'm sort of paraphrasing! But then, Mika Brzezinski asked McCain to put his vote for the bailout package into context with all of his anti-Washington ravings: "Given what you've been just saying on our broadcast right now, why then didn't you vote against a bill that is corrupting, and stand up to pork and all this spending during an economic crisis that some say puts this country on the brink of economic disaster?"

McCain responded:

Because of what you just said, Mika, that this bill is putting us on the brink of economic disaster there were plenty of other bills that I fought against, voted against. Well, the bill that the medicare prescription drug program, I voted against it, because it didn't -- because of the fact that it wasn't paid for. We're laying the cost on to future generations of Americans. I fought against plenty of bills. I am proud of my work, suspending my campaign, coming back to Washington, getting the Republicans at the table, which we were not, improving the bill, and I believe it will pass. Senator Obama phoned it in.

So the basic translation is: Barack Obama failed to put forth an effort to pass a bill that I hate because it "lays the cost on...future generations" and puts us on the "brink" of "disaster," but I am proud of the work I did to ensure its passage.

What? Is Sarah Palin Interview Syndrome communicable? Is this secret code for "We are going to bomb Pakistan?"

[WATCH.]

RELATED:
McCain on the bailout bill he supported last night: "This bill is putting us on the brink of economic disaster" [AMERICABlog]
McCain Says Bailout Bill He Voted For Is "Putting Us On The Brink Of Economic Disaster" [TPM Election Central]

Comments

[Jezreel]

I really don't think that McCain is well. He seems to be coming apart. I am not drawn to his candidacy, couldn't conceive of voting for him under any circumstances, I think he's dangerous. BUT, I can't help but feel sad for Mr. McCain.

[shengirl]

Today's HappyJohn incarnation has really creeped me out. There he is, smiling, laughing, joking, everything's so hilarious, plainly trying to undo the GrumpyJohn incarnation of recent days. Spooky and not a bit convincing. Wonder what JohnIncarnation we'll get tomorrow?

[women of a certain age]

I am a forensic psychologist. Regardless of McCain's response, which is, yes, confusing, please note this. About 5-10% of our communication is verbal, the rest is nonverbal - facial expressions/tics, gestures, body posture, eh-hem's, etc. Look at McCain's blink rate during his response -- it is significantly more rapid than a standard responder, regardless of whether that responder is in a high stress or a low stress environment when the questions were asked. (However, confounding evidence might be that it was too windy in the office where his segment was taped, or he had a mote in his eye). My friends, McCain DOES blink.

[shengirl]

He barely stopped blinking when he was in his debate with O. And that tongue-flicking thing was pretty weird, too.

[JulianJons]

Yeah he was tongue jutting like a monitor lizard. Nate Silver had a good explanation of the tongue jut as a poker player and invoked Joe Navarro's book on non verbal signals.

[retrocozayshin]

What would you say that rapid blinking (which he does every time he gives an interview) is a result of, or points to? I've always known that to represent lying. Interesting thing is, whenever he is clearly lying (which I know because the actual facts are right in front of me) he blinks even more.

I'm beginning to think that he actually believes his own lies though. I'm pretty convinced that he is extremely narcissistic.

[MsIKnowBetter]

How can you defend yourself when you are one of the causes of situations like this does anyone remember the Keating 5, McCain has a lot to answer for, it was the same type of banking scandal that we are seeing now. Cindy and her dad bought a piece of property with Keating for 350,000 and later after all the drama died down quietly sold it for upwards of 10 million

[DiBaskin]

Honestly, McCain is really starting to scare me.

[Freedum4all]

what do you mean starting lmao!!

wow it took you this long lol!!

[JulianJons]

Just now? wow you sure take your time.

[neenj]

took you long enough!

[butterworth]

Wow. Just wow. I think M c C a i n is imploding. He obviously no longer has the mental dexterity to juggle all the lies he is so fond of telling, so he is degenerating into incoherence.

Also, everytime I have seen him in the past week, he has seemed as though he is finding it increasingly difficult to contain some sort of rage. Sorry, this guy seems unstable. Is anything more unattractive than a 72 year old spoiled brat?

[JulianJons]

There is nothing more than I would love than Mac exploding on camera and throw his mic in frustration and walk away. It would make my day.

[dwillisno1]

John's way of defending anything he says or does is to claim that he is proud of what he has said or done. He doesn't defend it or explain it, he's just proud of it. Remember when Bush couldn't name any mistakes he had made? This the same thing.

[newpotusplease]

Proposal would exempt a specific kind of arrow from excise tax
Rum from Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands would get tax break
Filmmakers would get a $478 million in incentives to produce movies in U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 | [phone]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/02/bailout.pork/index.html

[Oballin]

Check this out:

It's so true:

http://www.oballin.com/shirts/gop.php

[Crumbysmom]

What? Mercy we just got done with 8 years of that nonsense. Where you can't understand anything that comes out of the presidents mouth. Do people want more of that?

[retrocozayshin]

I think that a lot of people think that if they can't understand what someone is saying that must mean that they are smarter than they are.

[grantlingel]

How could someone watch this video and think, 'gee, I want this man as my president.'
I don't know if forgot his meds but he was insanely wayward in his response.

http://grantlingel.blogspot.com

[walkaway]

If you look at the polls and crunch a few numbers you can determine how many morons live in the United States. It's staggering!

[doctordoubt]

Morning Joe jsut said she can only hope to stall for 90 minutes. Are they for real?

[mellene]

The ones that are incoherent over the bailout bill are the whacky dems and repubs that will continue to veto this. What the heck are they going to do when more and more become unemployed that originally put them into office.

[billbb]

"Senator Obama phoned it in."

Maybe he did. But at least Obama knows how to use long distance. McCain also phoned, but thought he had to go to his office. Either he was gangstanding, kinda dumb, or really needs to look into a better long-distance package. In any case, does this sound like a reasonable thing for a _president_ to do? Obama played McCain, made McCain start making some really public mistakes.

[BIG JOHN]

LETS SEE I VOTED FOR A BILL THAT WAS NO GOOD BUT I WAS RIGHT, OBAMA VOTED FOR THE SAME BILL BUT HE WAS WRONG. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT I UNDERDSTAND THAT OBAMA DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE UNDERSTANDS SO YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUE.

[doctordoubt]

I, for one, am worried. This is a party that makes no bones about breaking all the rules, laws, whatever, to win. They can't win a phony war, but they want another 4 or 8 years to make it happen. I feel like the common citizen is no longer a viable reality in the political world. We got lucky with Obama, but keep in mind, the machine that drives it all is as crooked as the day is long. In Florida, Ohio, and now in the latest scam. Someone who is so totally unqualified to hold the office she postures for, so totally inept on the issues we all face, and yet she is being shoved down our throats as the best thing since sliced moose. I can not believe it has come to this.