McCain To Female Audience: This Crowd Is So Emotional

Going into tonight's vice presidential debate, the chief concern among Democrats was that Sen. Joe Biden, whether accidentally or not, would somehow deliver a line against Sarah Palin that was deemed sexist.

Could John McCain just have beaten him to the punch?

At a town hall meeting in Denver late Thursday night, McCain addressed the predominantly female crowd (it was a women's town hall) with what was meant to be a comedic aside.

"My friends, I've had hundreds of town hall meetings around this country for many, many years and I've got to say, thanks to you and to you and to you this is one of the more impactful and emotional town hall meetings I've ever had. Maybe it's because it's a women's town hall."

Certainly, with the sensitivities surrounding race and gender in this campaign, off-the-cuff remarks like this have the potential to blow up. The McCain campaign will likely portray the comment as a joke, or perhaps even complimentary. But many women will undoubtedly see it as sexist and/or patronizing.

Comments

[ObamaProud]

Oh come on Sam... it may have been a divisive gesture in total, but he wasn't talking about the women being emotional, he was talking about being touched by their reception.

I certainly don't want this guy to be pres, but you can't misconstrue every word out of his mouth and expect to retain any kind of real credibility. You're making petty non-issues out of nothing and that sir, makes you no better than the campaign you vilify.

[ionu]

Agree! There are so many more nuggets in the mine...don't bother hammering on this rock.

[awhilliard]

Let's not waste our time creating sexist remarks where they don't exist. The McCain/Palin camp has given us plenty of real nuggets of offense to worry about without turning verbal molehills into mountains of offense. My biggest problem with McCain's campaign has been his twisting and decontextualizing of Obama's words in his ads and speeches. Followed in a close second by their shedding of crocodile tears at the Democrats' imagined "sexist slights" against Palin. Let's not fall into the same bad gamesmanship. We can be better than that.

[Passenger57]

Ah,come on...I read the headline and I thought, "WTF?" But after reading the story, I felt like I had been flim-flammed. He didn't mean it the way the headline would suggest. I don't want these guys near the White House - not even for a tour - but this is a reach.

[karela]

You might be right if McCain hadn't added the tag line about "Maybe because it's a women's town hall." Is McCain saying he's a woman under your theory or that he just gets so extremely emotional any time he's around women?

[sisteract]

I have to disagree. If McCain can sling the race card (even as he uses it) every time Obama calls him on his scare tactics, why is it inappropriate for McCain to get called for the patronizing tone he uses with women? His clearest example of this attitude is his VP pick.

[neurologymatters]

The most offensive part to me was "My friends".

[pubs4o]

He's a joke. Has no respect for women, as evidenced by his voting record, his deplorable jokes, his anti-choice stance and his reported disrespect to his wife.

[NamelessGenXer]

Well said.... but you forgot to include his choice of the TOKEN Palin as running mate. Speaking as a true feminist: McCain's "executive decision" is the singular greatest act of sexism I have witnessed in 47 years of being female and 15 years of being an executive.

[Enid]

so fair so imparcial

[the964kid]

Right after the Palin pick McCain was 5% up with women, and now he's 10% down - a net 15% loss. It's pretty obvious that McCain is sexist. Just look at his completely anti-woman voting record in his 26 year career in the senate.

[Trittydi]

Re-thuglics do not understand Women and they never will. They simply DO NOT get it.
*

[stayyoungmyfriends]

Not sure it will come off as negative, and the did cheer;) But then again, this is a man speaking.

[Gary47]

Make this viral - send the link to everyone you know.

[000Jade000]

Oh God, Palin has rubbed off on him: he is now using the word, "impactful."

Please, McCampaign, stop trying to dumb down the population!

[just a fellow human]

It's funny that this came up because of what he said earlier today on fox and friends:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFPh3RhAQVs

During the last 30 seconds of this clip, John McCain makes a pretty funny comment:

Ducey: What do you have on tap the rest of the day? Just going to go out and hit some golf balls? Take it easy?

McCain: Gonna do a Woman's thing out in Denver. A Women's Business conference that I think will be good.

[ I wonder if McCain ever has to do any Men's things. - jafh]

[pons1595]

Unfit to lead:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp39wqOjAtE

[hcbuck]

This will not go anywhere because for whatever reason, McCain is not scrutinized. But if Biden or Obama had said this, they would be expected to apologize until the cows come home.

And let me say this -- in the Katie Couric interview when John McCain didn't even let Sarah Palin answer the question addressed to her and he had to step in like the bad, bad man that he is? SEXIST as anything I have ever seen.

I am sick and tired of this double-standard in non-journalism. (Grow a pair media-types or hand over your pen to someone else who has a pair.) Nobody calls the Republicans on being sexist or racist, but they do whatever they can to try and twist ANYTHING by the Democrats to be so.

On November 5th, i will be celebrating for a myriad of reasons.

[sean6886]

No doubt. He acted like her Daddy who didn't think she could form her own thoughts or opinions. He wanted to step in and beat up Katie Couric.

[karela]

As anyone but me noticed that McCain always makes a point of hugging Palin---and that her body language is always really uncomfortable when he does? I think McCain is getting some joy from playing the older wiser man who is going to teach her everything she knows and he likes it that she's young and pretty. That's a type that many women have had to deal with at some point in their lives. And it's about as far as you can get from treating a woman like an equal.

[whit4brains]

I agree. I thought that looked very bad on his part. If she is so qualified to be VP why can't she answer the question that Katie asked her directly.

If O had done that with Pa lin or with Hill ary the McCampaign would have gone nuts telling us how sexist he is and how he isn't right for women...blah blah blah!

[edwarvir]

It's very clear to see that mccain does not think too highly of women

[LITU]

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain/page/6

Says it all.

[patianneb]

McMillipede...he should have run out of feet a long time ago.

[misspat]

The people in THAT crowd wouldn't understand that it was sexist remark. They make excuses for McCain. They way they treat Palin is so Paternalistic and sexist. But they don't have a clue. No big deal to them.

[brenner21]

red herring

[TroubleNYC]

If I had to sit through a McCain townhall meeting I'd be crying as well.

[DCdweller]

Me too... and can you imagine that crowd of bigots you'd be sitting amongst?!?! UGH!