McCain Debate Questioner: "I Actually Did" Know Fannie

MSNBC:

I tried to get in touch via Facebook with Oliver Clark, the man who McCain said probably didn't know what Fannie Mae was before the financial crisis (at Tuesday's debate). Apparently others have done the same. He just posted the following on his Facebook page:

How did I feel about Sen. McCain stating "You probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before this."
Well Senator, I actually did. I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I have a bachelor degree in Political Science from Tennessee State, so I try to keep myself up to date with current affairs. I have a Master degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University, a few years in law school, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from the University of Memphis. In defense of the Senator from Arizona I would say he is an older guy, and may have made an underestimation of my age. Honest mistake. However, it could be because I am a young African-American male. Whatever the case may be it was somewhat condescending regardless of my age to make an assumption regarding whether I was knowledgeable about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Read the whole story: MSNBC

Comments

[stevorama]

Didn't McC also get his name wrong? I seem to remember McC calling him "Al."

[libratine]

Poetic Justice Senator McCain.

Your legacy will be remembered by a SMEAR Campaign and Palin will not enjoy a second term back in AK.

[2cntswrth]

So, is it safe to say that Oliver wil be voting for "THAT ONE"?

[JBS]

Had McCain been speaking to the carefully screened republican base kool-aid drinkers that usually pack his staged "town hall" campaign appearances, his assumption would have been valid; the questioner would have been ignorant.

How often in this campaign has John McCain actually faced real world questions from real world people, and not from ditto-head's hand selected for their ignorance & malleability? It's all manufactured propaganda masquerading as news; Video News Releases, paid pundits like Armstrong Williams; fake journalists like James Guckert/Jeff Gannon, Astro-turf "grass roots" organizations and an unconscionable drive to self aggrandizement pretending to be "Straight Talk" [(c) 2000, 2008, registered trademark].

And what always happens if a real reporter asks questions that aren't in the script? The campaign goes immediately into attack mode to shut the questioner down and to bury the question under orchestrated ad hominem attacks. I expect young Mr. Clark is now in for the full court press.

The problem with living within this controlled media bubble is you lose the ability to deal with reality when it intrudes from outside. Confronted with a real world question, McCain fell back on the bubble's assumption the questioner was ignorant, didn't really care what the answer was, and was only there to provide the opening for McCain to deliver a canned attack on Obama.

So, if "elected", how will McCain deal with real world necessities that don't pay homage to the party line?

[lovable]

now mr clark go on morning joe/ cnn/ msnbc and try fox but they will turn you down and explain that to their audiance. see if this were obama who did this he would be on hannity now showing how obama assumes things he knows nothing about. THATS THE DIFFERENCE IN FOX AND EVERY ONE ELSE THATS WHY THEY ARE NUMBER 1.

[aussiegal77]

John McCain owes this gentleman an apology.

I find it a bit funny that McCain would be so rude to Mr. Clark when he himself stated that economics wasn't his strong suit.

I also think that Mr. Clark was being too nice when he said that McCain's comments may have been due to his being much older than Mr. Clark. I am privileged to know many seniors who have given me so much insight and wisdom into life. And I can say, from my experience, ALL of my elderly friends would be shocked at how rude McCain has behaved lately, not only to Mr. Clark but to Senator Obama.

And quite frankly - if I had behaved that way - my mum would slap the taste out of my mouth. Grow up John McCain and treat people with the same respect and courtesy that you demand from them.

[lmrgreen]

My mom too! The problem is that McCain really doesn't get how he sounds when he does this kind of thing. I shudder to think of him facing Putin.

[desertdweller]

There’s an old anecdote about a British naval commander, who, upon seeing a French cruiser on the horizon, would call for his red vest just in case he were to be wounded in battle;he wouldn’t want the sight of blood to demoralize his men.

The same British naval commander, just a few years hence, spotted an American frigate and promptly called for his brown trousers.

I think McCain has just called for his brown trousers just in case his “Depends” spring a leak.

[obamagal]

Oliver, you are a class act and a far better (and kinder) human being than many.

I was appalled at McCain's condescending remark, and mortified on your behalf. From reading the blogs in the last 36 hours, I think can safely say, most Americans felt the same.

It tickles my funny bone to learn you could probably teach McCain a few things about the subject. Just the thought puts a smile on my face.

[respectingothers]

this poster expressed my thoughts exactly! normally i would never suggest something like this but these are desperate times. I am very proud that this classy young man is supporting my candidate for president as opposed to the Mcsame/cheneyjr supporters in these videos:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/09/mccain-palin-rally-attend_n_133240.html

[Indieguy]

I actually cringed when McCain made his condescending remark to Mr. Clark. And then I thought about what I've read about how McCain relates and refers to his dark skinned adopted daughter Bridget and said to myself, "okay, I bet he treats all people of color that way". McCain is an anachronism living back in the age of "the white man's burden".

[BlueBoomer]

In all fairness (and we Dems must continue to try to be fair), I didn't get the condescending feeling from McCain's response... I would venture to guess that many people had not heard of Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae before this crisis... especially not the millions of apt. dwellers across the country.

Let's not nit-pik the way we accuse the repubics of doing...THERE ARE MUCH BIGGER ISSUES TO NAIL THAT REPUB ONE ON.

[respectingothers]

the way he treats others says everything about how he would govern. certainly enough people felt the put-down to validate it.

[SurrealPumpkin]

It is important because it speaks to McCain's view of the American People. He sees us as ignorant and incurious, only engaged in anything if it directly affects our lives. Sadly, the last 8 years have given him cause to think that. Fortunately this election is giving us a chance to say "No way, No how, No McCain."

[Oldbuck]

McCain keeps saying that Fannie and Freddie are big contributor to Obama which is a bold face lie because it is a federal law that these companies can't not make contribution of any candidates. The only contributions coming out of these company are from individuals employees. How can McCain get away with this BS.

[SurrealPumpkin]

He doesn't. He just keeps repeating stuff people know are lies. I guess he's hoping that those who are just now getting involved in the election won't find factcheck etc. It makes it easy to talk to people who use his talking points when you can point out that what he just said was proven false 2 or 3 months ago.

[liberalmomof7]

GO Oliver!!!

[LMT]

McBush is just an increasingly bitter (yes, BITTER) old man. He displays every day and in every circumstance why he doesn't have the sense to ever be POTUS.

[hellinahandbasket415]

Oliver posed an intelligent question that was well worded...No reason for the aged Senator to assume he was ignorant.

But, alas...

Stupid is as stupid does.

[greenwitch]

Thanks, Oliver---it was gracious of you to give McCain the benefit of the doubt, but, seriously, he was being condescending. I also thought it was strange that when an African-American woman asked him a question, he didn't even address his answer to her at all.

[LMT]

She only reminded him he needed to check the immigration status of the servants at his houses.

[BAVirago]

That's right! He didn't even look at her and he turned away before she was even finished asking her question. Unlike he did with the other questioners, he didn't even address her by name. It was so obviously rude. I thought, he's looking at her and thinking, "Oh, she's black. She's gonna vote for 'that one' anyway."

[Matt7]

Hmmmmm. I guess one should never assume. And we all know why.

Anybody remember a guy by the name of Derek Ashtong?

If they don't want to continue to be embarrassed, McCain & Co. are going to have to learn the lesson that you can't judge a book by its cover.

http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/video-interviewer-picks-the-wrong-obama-supporter-to-try-to-railroad/