Senator McCain Isn't Funny, So Stop Encouraging Him
As we approach the August vacation season, naturally our thoughts turn to President Bush who has a just-a-regular-guy penchant for both five-week paid vacations and participating in unrelated tomfoolery during times of crisis.
This week, for instance, as the stock market spazzed and the price of everything climbed higher; as disaster struck American soldiers in Afghanistan; and as more Americans lost their homes to foreclosures due to the effects of Reaganomics... President Bush played t-ball.
In the past, it's been guitar-strumming and cake-eating during hurricanes. It's been golfing while Bin Laden planned to attack inside the U.S. It's been pontoon-boating trips, Barney-Cam videos and hilarious slideshows during some of the bloodiest days of the Iraq occupation.
And during Tuesday's press conference, as the DJIA sank below 11,000 for the first time in years, here are some of the president's facial expressions while mumbling his way through questions about bank bailouts, lost savings and $5/gallon gasoline:
The only explanations for these faces are, 1) the president doesn't take his job seriously -- like always, or 2) he's being tickled.
Undignified displays of grinning nonsense coinciding with times in which he ought to be acting like a president will hopefully be recorded as significant part of his legacy. To be fair, however, President Hoover was almost as bad -- participating in an All-American Grabasstic League exhibition game while the stock market crashed. (Historical sporting note: the Dale City "Blustery Pips" won the day, 32-10. However, their team leader, Festus "Long Whiskers" Pennypacker, suffered from tired blood and had to take three penalties for "infield respites." None of this is Hoover story is true.)
And now it's clear that the president's would-be Republican successor, Senator McJackie the McJokeman, will prove to be even less serious and dignified in the role of Smirker-in-Chief. If that were even possible.
Last week, in response to a serious question about Iran, the Republican presumptive nominee joked about killing Iranians with weaponized cancer. This week, it's news about a joke involving gorillas and rape.
"Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, 'Where is that marvelous ape?'"
Get it? Women like to be beaten and raped. Hoo-hoo! In days past, it's been jokes about wife-beating, bombing Iran, Chelsea Clinton's looks, and Alzheimer's Disease. Based on these precedents, I can only imagine Senator McCain's forthcoming zingers about still-births, burn victims and Thalidomide.
But not unlike the president's overly jocular behavior during serious questions or serious crisis, for Senator McCain it's all about context and tone. How should a president behave in public? No one expects the presidency to be monastical of course. In fact, many of our greatest presidents were able to use comedy to their advantage, and more than a few of them knew how to make with the profanity. But, like anything, there's a time and place for such behavior. There's a context.
--The president isn't you and me. You and I can tell whatever joke we want whenever we want because we don't have to represent 300 million people on the world stage. Your personal behavior doesn't necessarily get passed on to posterity as a reflection of an entire era in American history. So if you want to tell that gorilla rape joke to your spouse or parents, have at it. If Senator McCain wants to tell a joke like that, he embarrasses more than just himself.
--The president ought to have good judgment. No shocker there. Judgment in this regard is the difference between, say, an invasion of Cuba leading to thermonuclear war or, on the other hand, a smarter, more sensible quarantine option. (Historians will forever hypothesize how Nixon, for instance, would have handled those 13 days.) Is certain behavior appropriate or obnoxious? If a candidate is unable to control himself and blurts out a joke about bestial rape or killing civilians despite the fact that there are reporters everywhere and he happens to be running for president, it goes a long way towards determining whether he's someone who we can trust to make snap decisions with global implications or whether he's simply a tweaking street loon who talks to invisible shadow people.
--The president should know the difference between funny and not funny, or else -- stay away from the comedy. A sense of humor doesn't literally mean "the ability to recite a joke." Anyone can repeat a joke. But politicians like Senator McCain have managed to accumulate a captive audience of reporters who have to laugh at his jokes or else be tossed out of the barbeque loop. Consequently, he can tell one of his awful jokes and everyone in the corp snarfs up their cole slaw. This reaction has thusly given the senator the false impression that he's funny, when he's really not. The gorilla rape joke, for example, is only funny in the context of, say, a larger bit about unfunny jokes -- or bad comics who try way too hard to be funny.
There was a classic episode of The Larry Sanders Show in which Hank, played by Jeffrey Tambor, guest-hosts the show. The first night during the opening monologue, the audience laughs along with him because he's genuinely nervous and humbled. However, the next night, the novelty of Hank is worn away due to his enormous ego and so he bombs. Then everything goes to hell when Hank, still in the monologue, calls the head writer "a hopeless retard" -- thinking it would get a laugh. Instead, the audience is shocked into silence until someone yells out, "You suck!" Artie (Rip Torn) stops the show and airs a Best of Larry in its place.
Artie's advice to Hank: "Now Hank, what have we learned here? When you're vulnerable and humble, people like you. When you act like an asshole, people tend to think of you as an asshole."
President Bush has been Hank for a long, long time. Senator McCain, if elected, will be far worse.
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There was an ABC anchorman in the 70's named Tex Antoine. He made a similar "joke" on a broadcast. Specifically, he said, "If rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it." Needless to say, he was fired. I hope all the women (and men, too) never vote for this man again for ANY election. If what McCain did could get an anchorman fired almost 40 years ago, either we are regressing as a country or McCain has to go!
"either we are regressing as a country or McCain has to go!"
My vote is that both statements are true.
Actually Tex was a weatherman, if I'm not mistaken, and yes the jerk got fired, never to be heard from again.
What bothers me about your question though;
Around that same time, the comedian Pee Wee Herman got McCarthy-ised by everyone for attending an X-Rated movie theater. So the answer to your question (while being a fair one) seems to escape me?!?
Just think...th
Seriously, as though there weren't enough similarities between the twins already !
McCain's joke, offensive as told, is actually a bowdlerized version of the original and quite racist version. The victim is black, and the attack puts her in the hospital. When a friend comes to visit and says, "Are you hurt?", the victim says, "Am I hurt? Am I hurt? He ain't wrote, he ain't called..."
These are your old white uncles telling ass-slapping jokes while drinking their Scotch, smoking cigars, and laughing at poor people and minorities. I think eight years of this shit has been quite enough.
Agreed!
During the height of the Vietnam war, we had Lyndon Johnson pulling his dogs by the ears while saying that they 'liked it' (dogs were never heard from so we don't really know). Mr. Johnson also crassly raised his shirt to the press to show off a lovely scar on his mid-right abdomen (result of recent surgery).
Lately it's been all the rage in political circles to demonstrate one's 'warmth' factor. Remember friends-W. was voted into office largely because a good number of the voting public thought he'd be a 'nice guy to sit around and have a beer with'. We liked Bill Clinton because he played the Saxophone and admittedly loved Big Macs. John McCain is trying to create some of that 'warmth factor'. Unfortunately, his humor, along with W's. leaves much to be desired and, although several regulars in the media disagree by calling it the opposite, IS UNACCEPTABLE! It is the kind of humor reserved for the barracks or for VFW halls on 'stag' nightsor for stag parties for that matter. They would NEVER let him forget it. And rightly so. McCain is seeking to follow a guy who believes that introducing himself to the G8 conference as 'the world's biggest polluter' is FUNNY! 'Tain't funny! Authenticity is NOT measured by who can tell the most tasteless jokes and get away with it. If it really is, we're in deeper trouble than I thought.
I say keep on giving him rope so he hangs himself. One of these days he is going to make the wrong joke when someone is paying attention and his campaign will be over. I already think his level of insincerity is unbecoming any president. Even Reagan was not this tasteless. I really don't understand people that make cruel jokes, never did. I'm no prude I like dirty comedy but McBush's jokes are way over the line and unbecoming for a man in his position. Worse it shows a man who is behind the time if he thinks those jokes are acceptable for public consumption.
I'm with you. Let him keep on talking. Eventually these people who insist on supporting him are going to have to come to grips with the reality that he is not fit to be POTUS. He is in a time warp and doesn't realize that this kind of public trash talk is no longer acceptable the majority of the voting public at least not from someone who expects to hold the highest office in the land. And when compared to the dignified composure of his competition he becomes almost laughable.
How anyone running for the power and capabilities to launch global nuclear war could find that sick joke funny or appropriate is an indictment of the whole political system. So much for the notion that the quest for wealth and competition produce quality and efficiency and diversity of choice.
The parallels between Bush and MCCaine in their apparent pathologies, flow from the parallels in their lives as pampered legacies of wealth and privilege they had nothing o do with except to exploit.
Bob, you are perfect at making the point!
It's just teen-age toilet humor, he might be one of those men whose emotional and social development freezes at about the age of 12.
Abby McBush is emotionally 12 just like Bush. They grew up sheltered children and after that it really did not matter what happened to them their emotional development was stunted.
Bush hasn't been told, because no one dares, that his jokes, followed by his snicker, are not funny.
McCain needs to be told that juvenile "jokes", followed by his baring all his teeth at once, approximating a smile, followed by a really creepy laugh is really inappropriate.
Neither Bush, nor McCain has the maturity, despite their ages, necessary dignity, or gravitas that Obama has in his little finger.
Bush and McCain are, themselves, jokes on the world stage.
Yes, Bob. We have a President that jokes during disasters. Plays guitar with a country band, and has cake with McCain as Katrina hits New Orleans. Plays bongos, does his little dances, deliberately mis pronounces words to give that "ole country boy" effect, all with that "lovable" smirk, as thousands die in Iraq. Its been said by even his closest that he always seems happy, and the bigger disaster, the more happy he seems. Putting on a courageous front?? Or perhaps something else. Something the MSM refuses to see. I've seen our President jogging with legless soldiers, waving and smiling all the way.
I've heard him talk about supporting the troops as he votes against a better GI bill, with better educational benefits. He promised never to play golf while our soldiers fight, and then we see him golfing, smiling, smirking. And now we have McCain, who seems to have the same twisted idea of humor. Bombing Iran, sending Cancer to Iranian citizens. Gorilla Rape. I know others see the same thing. I can read the rage in your writing. But yet it all continues. We sit at home, blogging, commenting about our rage, but
the insanity continues. Nothing is stopping it. The opposing party removed their spine, and sit quietly as all this horror takes place. What would our forefathers say..and who would receive their anger. Our leaders, or "us" for letting it all continue. We all sit in quiet desperation, as this national tragedy keeps unfolding.
The Justice Department is under Bush and hand picked just like the rest of the administration, anyone that stands up to him gets booted out soooooooooo now all we can do is wait until he gets booted out. It's a sad state of affairs but that's how it is when regulators are let go, attorneys are let go, Generals are let go all because they are doing their job to which they were hired while the firgure heads and a** kissers get rewarded with big paychecks and promotion.
I was wondering when his tasteless "Chelsea" joke whould be exposed. It's been out there for a long time and yet the media and Hillary Clinton chose to ignore it. It was such a horrible thing for an old man to make fun of such a lovely young woman. I could never understand how Hillary could call him a "friend". Anyone who spoke in that manner about my child could never even be acknowledged in my presence let alone called a "friend". .
Today Rachel Maddow had Politco writer Ben Smith on. He wrote a piece about MCaine and his "jokes", the rape one inculded. The poor man (Smith) was actually trying to excuse McCaine's creepy sense of humor by saying he was just from another generation. He was almost apologizing for having written the piece. I guess he caught some flack. If this doesn't get the media's attention nothing will. I take that back, they know about it they choose not to address it. And then they ask why has McCaine closed the gap in the polling? Whatever could it be? Well maybe 24/7 coverage of Obama changing his socks and choosing to ignore and even defend McCaines stupidity has a little something to do with it..
Not exactly, that is part of a broader pattern of the press qualifying and apologizing the senator.
It's a hard truth to handle, but the fact of the matter is simple: George W. Bush is a very happy man. He is enviable in his absolute imperviousness to any sort of chagrin or embarrassment. Think of him: he never succeeded in business, yet now he has a job at a $400,000/year salary, with a generous pension to follow, which you and I will pay for, and even though he's kneecapped the economy, left New Orleans to rot, destroyed Iraq and shredded the Constitution, he never loses a moment's sleep. Asleep at 9 pm or so, indifferent to his dull wife's needs, he dreams only of the next day's bike ride and maybe an early morning cup of coffee with Condi. Although he has access to any entertainer, artist, academic, world leader or anyone else he wants to talk to, he prefers to work out and think about his next vacation. He'll be rich when he retires from office, content in his assurance that he did nothing wrong, absolutely nothing, and that the stupid public, including all leftist bloggers, simply don't understand the world in the same simple, correct terms as he does.
wldswmmr
WOW!
You deserve a regular column, just for this comment!!!
Flawless, I couldn't have said it better myself!
I am in 100% agreement with Munkeyfuk.
This should be a HuffPost Pick!
I would say I wish my life were as simple....
Reagan and Bush 1 too. Ignorance is bliss. They are even impervious to the verdict of "history." We elected them though and we deserve the consequences.
WELL SAID, wldnswmmr!
"George W. Bush is a very happy man."
Well who wouldn't be happy doing God's work ...
"I have this belief, strong belief, that freedom is not this country's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty's gift to every man and woman in this world. And as the greatest power on the face of the Earth, we have an obligation to help the spread of freedom."
Let's all put our hands together for our beloved smirker-in-chief (God's gift to mankind) keeping us safe by spreading democracy one drop of blood and oil at a time!
It's a tough job...but somebody has to do it!
very well said.... consider me a fan of yours, because EVERYTHING you said is 100% dead-on
I appreciate the praise. And to think I was drunk when I wrote it, having returned from a session at the Left Bank saloon in "downtown" Larkspur, California. It was somewhere in the middle of a Maker's Mark Manhattan, which the bartender makes to utter perfection, that I had a conversation with a buddy that followed along the lines of the post. Neither of us can stand Bush, his incompetence is such an embarrassment and his misallocation of scarce American resources so dangerous to our future, yet there it is. We can't deny we live in a country that takes guys like Bush seriously as "Chief Executives," even though he could not manage his way out of a wet paper bag. And now Here Comes McCain, gaining ground in national polls, another mouth breather who thinks al-Qaeda may be sending its Shiite operatives to Czechoslovakia for training. Why did I sober up?
bob you are 100% right and the msm laps it up like they do his bbq and booze if not for you people at the huffingtonpost the msm and cable beside ko and rm we will never here about it so thanks and i don't think how the so call newsmen that we have now can look at thier kids say say with a stright face that the sould always tell the truth to power a bunch of suckers
He doesn't have a clue. No a good quality for a president. Just look what we got right now, and the condition of the country.
You know, if the average American told the same Chelsea Clinton/Janet Reno "joke" that McCain told, but substituted his own co-workers and one co-worker's high school-age daughter, he'd be filing for unemployment by the end of that week. I wish the Senate worked that way.
GORILLA MY DREAMS...
Not! So there was this guerrilla, see....
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