McCain to Me in 1999: Bush "As Dumb as a Stump"
As a lawyer might say (OK, I am one), I have no personal knowledge of whether John or Cindy McCain voted for George W. Bush in the 2000 election. However, now that that has been called into question by Arianna Huffington (who says no) and Huffington's truthfulness has in turn been questioned by the McCain campaign (although not yet by the McCains), I can offer the following anecdote as admissible hearsay shedding a little light on the subject:
Over the Fourth of July weekend of 1999, I had the good fortune to accompany my then fiancée (and now happily my wife) to the McCain vacation home in Sedona where she was interviewing them for a Home and Garden Television show. The interview itself was entirely apolitical, focusing on fabrics and furnishing in their lovely Oak Creek abode, topics about which I do recall the senator was less than comfortable discussing.
Always the goods hosts, the McCains also invited us to spend the day with them, including for barbeque, a favorite of John's. And as McCain flipped burgers, I could not help but ask his views about then candidate George W. Bush.
"He's as dumb as a stump," McCain offered. We then went on to discuss other matters (including Vietnam) but that quote remains seared in my memory.
So how the McCains actually voted that November is between them and their voting booth. But if John McCain did end up voting for Bush, then by his own admission he voted for a stump.
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Hey folks, Bush isn't dumb. He agreed to let the Oil Barons use him and his family name for a price.
He was selected to run by the Oil Barons who were pissed off that Gasoline in this country was too cheap and wanted someone to run whom they could control ( that's why the EVIL ONE was put in there , to control him and tell him what to do ).
When he leaves office next year ( if he leaves ), he'll be a multi, multi millionaire many times over.
I've never bought into the thing that he's dumb; he's an opportunist (a rich one), that's all
The Bush family is about making money any way they can, they don't care how they make it just as long as it's a lot of it.
Rich does not equate to smart. Cheny is the brains.
McCain was right in 1999. Bush is a dumb as a stump. Like Cheney who used to argue in the early 1990's that invading Iraq would have been a quaqmire, he was more right then than now, or just more honest.
Richard Perle & David Frum agree with McCain:
"The first time I met Bush 43, I knew he was different.
Richard Perle,
quoted in "Bush's Brain Trust" by Sam Tanenhaus, Vanity Fair, July 2003.
Bush "is impatient, quick to anger, sometimes glib, even dogmatic; often uncurious and as a result, ill informed; more conventional in his thinking than a leader should be."
David Frum, former Bush speechwriter,
from his book
The Right Man : The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush
by DAVID FRUM, page 272.
how much wood would a wood stump stump, if a wood stump could stump wood?
A number of weeks ago, when I was getting coffee at Starbucks, I overheard a conversation by
members of the King County Sheriff's Dept. (WA). They were complaining about the high cost
of police dogs ($1500), I remarked to the fellow next to me, "hell get a cat, I once had a cat smarter
than two of our presidents", he broke into a broad grin, and said "I take it one is our current one",
and I said "right and the other one was Ronald Reagan." Mind you Loki was a genius among
cats, and had a wicked sense of humor.
Sorry, I forgot to say, if McLame is elected president, that will make three, that were not as
smart as my cat.
Strange, all this time I have been saying that "myfriends" was dumber than a stump. The forest is getting thicker.
I think this is great. Let McCain get mired in useless crap that gets stuck to the bottom of his feet. It's his turn now.
You can be certain that this leak, was approved at the highest levels, of the Mc Cain campaign. they knew where to put this info. This story will not be likely to get a lot of attention in the right wing media, but they made sure that we, who are reading the HuffPost know about McCain not voting for Bush in 2000. If I voted for Bush, I'd deny it too !
yes, i agree.
i have yet to hear of one person admit they voted for W in either election.
I actually know ONE person who admits it! But I don't talk to her anymore. No point in hanging with someone that's dump as a stump.
Yep, just like Raygun, nobody voted for him, well how in the hell did he get there? I had lots of fun rubbing peoples noses in that one. Too bad the country went in the toilet for it.
I think the point is; did he break the 11th Commandment of speaking ill about another Republican? He will have some explaining to do. He must prove party loyalty to get the base and separate from Bush at the same time to show he is not Bush III.
Anyway it will be fun to see how he handles this without being exposed for what he is.
Isn't this the same guy who
--called Falwell an agent of intolerance
--lobbied for campaign reform
--opposed torture
But then did just the opposite when politically convenient?
When dealing with a hypocrite, it's best not to put too much stock in what he says.
Well, at least McCain had the good judgement to realize that Bush was dumb as a stump, then.
Personally, I am really angry that the people of the United States let someone with the intelligence and knowledge of a stump STEAL TWO ELECTIONS AND THEY DIDN'T TAKE TO THE STREETS AND TAKE THEIR COUNTRY BACK.
Bush applauded the Georgians when they did that and made the villains turn over the election to the rightfully elected candidate but what was good for them was not good enough for America.
Yeah? And the stump became POTUS twice.
Teresuh Heinz Kerry said we'd all be morons not to vote for Mr. Heinz Kerry.
Now people in OH, PA and WV who don't vote for Senator Obama are described as IQ lightweights.
Sorry, but buying into the he's-smart
I think it should be obvious by now that Mrs. Kerry was right.
And personally, I would rather our president have superior intelligence. I'm actually a bit embarrassed that it seems I live in the only country on earth where the people want a president with less intelligence than they, themselves, possess. Hopefully the country is ready for a smart president. Honesty would be a nice quality too.
Sorry, but if I read one more earnest "Well! I for one would be glad, nay! proud to have a smart president . . " I'm going to puke.
Read lwaxanatroi above. The smartest 2% crowd falls in love with the narrative of the brainy leader, and the rest of the country narrows its eyes in suspicion.
Now I see naive and inexperienced 20-somethings buoyed by the thrilling prospect of what they perceive to be a high-IQ president, but who seem to have no understanding of the historical pattern of American voting.
Yeah and buying into: vote for him, he's dumb as shit - but one of us - has nearly destroyed America. Hell, I remember when being smart was not an insult. I must be getting old.
I'm almost 62 and I don't remember when being smart in America was not an insult. I remember Adlai Stevenson being called an "egghead" while Eisenhower won the "regular guy" award despite being a general, not usually considered the most "regular guy" in the Army. And now it's no longer just a question of being too smart for the room, it's all about the candidate's choice of sport, coffee, etc. Style over substance every time. That's what allows the righties to label Obama and Michelle elitists in spite of the obvious truth that they were not born to wealth and privilege. Unlike the current occupant, they don't clear brush, they don't think the world was created in six days, they don't refer to "nuculur" power--so they aren't "like us." What a crock, and what a tragedy for a country that could really use a president with a brain.
Yes? When exactly was this golden era of intellectuality in the good ole USA? Paint a picture for us , if you could.
I read this anecdote about Adlai Stevenson, an intellectual or "egghead" as he was depicted by the Republicans - funny how this Repuke tactic was already a favorite in 1952.
During his first run for the presidency, Stevenson addressed a women's Democratic group. After his speech the chairlady of the group rushed up to Stevenson saying, "Oh Mr. Stevenson, I'm sure you will have the vote of every intelligent person in the country. Stevenson replied:
"Unfortunately Madam, I'll need a majority"
First how did this POTUS become president, HE FOR SURE ISN'T QUALIFIED
Wow. I never thought I'd see the time when I agreed with McCain TWICE. I too think Bush is as dumb as a stump and I too didn't vote for Bush in 2000. Freaky!
THIS is such an important issue! This must be investigated because it is so so so so important! The Democrat Party: going down in defeat, ONE MORE TIME...
Why isn't it an important issue? Could it possibly be because Republicans don't care whether or not their candidates are pandering, lying buffoons?
Actually, it's about the integrity of a man who dubs himself "the straight-talker". And integrity is important. Obviously, many Republicans (especially the 28% - which would include McCain) could care less about such things as honesty and honor, but most rational human beings do tend to care about such things.
There. Now you know.
Well well well chalk one up for McCain. Anybody that thinks bush is dumb as a stump can't be all bad...
I'm sure we can talk about something more important like the price of John Edwards' haircuts or Obama's bowling scores or Al Gore wearing earth tones.....
No investigation required. Just let johnny boy admit or deny it. Either way he's going to piss somebody off. My guess is he needs that 28% core who thinks Dubya is a great man. Deny deny deny. On the other hand there may be 1 or 2% of the Republicans who think telling the truth is a virtue. So most of the nation, including Independents and pissed off Democrats who are thinking of voting McCain have to do so knowing he's a lair.
I suspect it won't matter because we expect so little truth form our president and other leaders that lying is accepted as part of our culture.Th
Hillary finally had to claim sleep deprivation. McCain has to close this issue whether you think it's trivial or not. Let the fun begin. Flag pin anyone?
I wonder if McSame will let Stumpy go out stumping for him in the campaign?
Somehow I doubt it.
But what's most amazing to me, is that McSame missed his golden opportunity to distance himself from Stumpy. When he was confronted with his statement about not voting for Bush, he so easily could have declared, "Yes, even though I appreciate many qualities of Mr. Bush, I decided that we had enough policy differences that I couldn't feel comfortable voting for him in the 2000 elections".
It would have given him the perfect opportunity to put some distance between himself and Stumper. But no. What does he do instead? He lies, and embraces the very man who poisons him as a candidate. Maybe McSame isn't much brighter than the Stump he decried.
What an insult to stumps!!
Stumpy is Chimpy by any other name.
McCain is his own Reverend Wright. He's "wrighting" himself so the Dems don't have to swiftboat him. Where's the phone number of Merriam-Webster?
MCCAIN IS DAMNED...
If he did and damned if he didn't. Damned if he did vote for Bush (which I and anyone else with a brain seriously doubt) then he secretly despised Bush, which I can believe, given the kind of mud the Bush campaign slung his way in 2000, especially in NC. Because that makes McC into a contemptible bootlicker. Damned if he didn't because that means he didn't really support Bush as he claims, which also makes him a contemptible liar and political cad towards the America people whose trust he is supposedly seeking. So yep. Damned if he did vote for Bush in 2000 and damned if he didn't.
I hope the Dems keep pushing this story. The counter, too obvious for them to figure out, is to go back and see all the comments about how great the Clintons were compared to all the comments made about them now.
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