'Game Change': John McCain Blasts Movie, Defends Sarah Palin

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had harsh words for the HBO film "Game Change" as well the book it was based on, saying Sunday that he had no plans to watch a movie that he believes disparages his former running mate Sarah Palin.

"Of course I'm not going to watch it," McCain told host Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. "Why there continues to be such an assault on a fine and decent person, Sarah Palin ... They continue to disparage and attack her person. I admire and respect her, I'm proud of our campaign and I'm humbled by the fact that I was able to give her [the Republican vice-presidential nomination]."

Although the book "Game Change" covered all aspects of the 2008 presidential race, the film version focuses on the inner workings of the McCain-Palin campaign. McCain accused authors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin of painting an unfair portrait of the campaign, and he said that the movie would inevitably do the same.

McCain flatly denied that one scene in "Game Change" ever happened. In the film, when adviser Steve Schmidt tells McCain that a boring white male won't adequately spice up the GOP ticket, McCain responds, "So find me a woman."

Asked whether that happened, McCain said, "Of course not."

Schmidt himself has defended "Game Change" and been critical of his own decisions on the McCain-Palin campaign. "I regret playing a part in a process that yielded someone on the ticket who was not prepared to be president," Schmidt recently told the Washington Post, speaking of former Alaska Gov. Palin. Schmidt said that the film is "the true story" of what happened over the course of ten weeks.

In response to Schmidt, McCain simply said, "I regret that he would make such a comment."

McCain also took issue with the fact that his character, played by Ed Harris, happens to curse a lot in the movie.

"I don’t use coarse language very often," McCain said. "I have a larger vocabulary than that."

Comments

[mickey1960]

12:47 AM on 03/02/2013

A registered republican since 1980. Always voted republican since. I know what I saw on the news, all the political programs (Fox News, CNN's Crossfire, The O'Reilly Factor, Meet the Press, This Week, and so on) and SNL, and the Vice-Presidential Debate. I wasn't thrilled to see her trashed by the news networks and the so-called liberal media. However, she did and said absolutely nothing to impress me that would make me want to vote for John McCain. His political advisors screwed up by choosing Sarah Palin. She was a populist, an extremely narrow-minded Alaskan who failed to self-educate on simple foreign policy matters. I saw bits and pieces of the movie, however just enough to say that what I observed was more fact than fiction. You can lie to yourselves fellow Republicans. I, on the other hand, can't. Honestly, I failed to vote. She scared the bejesus out of me. I wanted John McCain to win, nevertheless. I'm not going to lie to myself. I know what I heard and saw. She was not qualified to be Vice-President or for that matter, the President of the United States.

[denicci1977]

02:18 AM on 11/14/2012

You know he watched it, just like the movie showed he and Palin were both glued to Msnbc. McCain crying over Katie Couric might not like him. This movie was priceless. Palin on a mental meltdown. I don't feel sorry for her. She is the one who started the racist talk that heated up toward Pres.Obama. We could clearly hear the crowds call for his life to be taken and she said she never heard it. Karma has gotten her. She didn't even know what the VP does. I thought she was joking, but seriously. She was this close to being President. That should scare us all.

[tomgee111]

10:20 PM on 03/17/2012

McCain absent from watching the movie not unlike absent from most the Vietnam war. His unfortunate shoot down does not make him an authority any more on GC than on his theory on winning the war in Vietnam. As a G.I. during that time, it is a disgrace to our boys and commanders that gave their all in that war. His time spent of 3 months all aboard an air craft carrier in Nam give him little insight to the ground war that determined that outcome. McCain is not someone to be admired.

[flyjeffj]

06:17 AM on 03/30/2012

If you were a GI, then I am deeply saddened by the fact that, to you, being shot down, and then a POW somehow doesn't constitute 'giving it their all?' He may have been well connected at that time, but he didn't skip out like most people of wealth and influence. Myself, having served in both Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom, suffer because to most of 'your' society, thinks that since I didn't get shot in my 20+ years of service, I guess I didn't give it my all either? I have been on the ground in Japan, Korea, Turkey, Kuwait, Qatar, and Iraq. I will pray for you my friend, to find peace.

[Toshiki Sasakura]

08:31 AM on 03/17/2012

Palin's mishandling of media scrutiny was the centerpiece of this movie, but didn't know she teetered on the brink of mental outburst...it goes on to highlight how rigorous the campaign became for her and showed why it spiraled out of control after labeling Obama `terrorist`, `socialist`, to name just a few; Palin lost the election but, the smear campaign against Obama still continues today with, thankfully, much less popular support....

[elizabeth gerteiny]

01:39 PM on 03/16/2012

In the deftly combined footage and docudrama GAME CHANGE, from the book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, the portrait of Sarah Palin, played by Julianne Moore, largely sympathetic, perhaps in an effort not to appear slanted, is of a woman thrust upon the national scene totally unprepared.

Her inhumane treatment of Alaskan wildlife, her ultimate disloyalty to McCain, played by Ed Harris, her signature vindictive verbal assaults, are avoided. Suspiciously overdrawn is her depicted devotion to family---so often serving as opportunistic props for her ambitions.

Palin claims the film is "based on a false narrative," while former campaign aide Nicolle Wallace, played by Sarah Paulson, says it's "true enough to make me squirm."

Neither Palin nor McCain granted interviews to screenwriter Danny Strong and McCain, who would not watch the film, is "proud of our campaign. . .I thought she was the most qualified person." Campaign chief strategist Steve Schmidt, played by Woody Harrelson, candidly admits that she wasn't, though he was most instrumental in choosing her for the ticket.

Ms. Palin has her own campaign
Apart from Senator McCain;
Since it seems likely he can't win,
Sarah's game plan can begin

By showing that she's not like him,
Her mentor's cherished goals to shelve
And head straight for 2012.
After a certain interim,

She'll take those voters for a ride
Who don't know she's unqualified.

Elizabeth Gerteiny
from The President Of War
www.bushandcompany.org

[Chickiej1]

11:59 AM on 03/15/2012

Johnny boy: ""Why there continues to be such an assault on a fine and decent person, Sarah Palin "
Really?
I guess in addition to not watching the movie, he also avoids watching anything else with her in it. It's the only explanation of his claim that she is fine and decent.

[Ken Griffey Junior Jr]

02:28 AM on 03/14/2012

Yeah, John -- why bother WATCHING it? Just make a ton of comments based on what you've heard about the movie! Seems like a solid, sound strategy.

[damn-slap-snap]

04:23 PM on 03/13/2012

I feel anger when I hear people talk of Palin's "political skills" as if that were some type of positive commodity devoid of any real consequence. Lots of vile people throughout history have had "political skills"...I'll let them remain nameless, but you know who they are.

[SueEll]

02:20 PM on 03/13/2012

In a cynical, self-serving effort to add a little sizzle to the McCain 2008 presidential campaign, Palin was chosen for Vice President of the United States without a thorough background check. Now, McCain himself, in a cynical and self-serving effort of his own, is coming out in defense of that same mistake of 2008.

[SueEll]

01:59 PM on 03/13/2012

There are a lot of decent and fine people in America that could use John McCain coming to their defense, P@lin is not one of them.

[94613]

05:17 AM on 03/13/2012

McCain should be happy. They portrayed him with less wrinkles and painted a portrait one hasn't seen since our, "Keating Five", was censured for high crimes and misdemeanors 30 years ago.

[Siebenstein]

03:37 AM on 03/13/2012

She didn't know then and she doesn't know now what she doesn't know.

Neither does the warmonger and opportunist McCain who would be a danger to this country as a person in a power position.

[FriscoDem]

12:11 AM on 03/13/2012

John, you are protesting way too much for some movie on HBO...starting to think schmitty might be right about how close it is to how you ran things

[diotima]

10:37 PM on 03/12/2012

The movie indicates that McCain was afraid to rein her in during the campaign. He recognized that she has the ethics and empathy of a viper, and would go after him if she suspected him of "doing her wrong." Think of what she could do to him if he crossed her now. The movie also revealed that he's afraid of dying if he gets out of politics. He's clinging to the shreds of his illusion of relevance like a life preserver. In other words, the monster he created still has him by the balls. Country First, indeed.

[HaroldHowe]

09:26 PM on 03/12/2012

Too bad McCain didn't pick Joe Lieberman instead of Sarah Palin.

So much comedic material for Jon Stewart was lost.

[stape45]

09:46 PM on 03/12/2012

But look how much was gained. Maybe it's a wash.

[HaroldHowe]

09:47 PM on 03/12/2012

Sarah and Joe are two of the most vile and repugnant people in politics.