John McCain Doesn't Know the Price of Gas/Can't Remember the Last Time He Bought Any

John McCain kind of stepped in it the other day, here in California, but luckily no one noticed. He was being driven from John Wayne airport to a fundraiser, and he took a quick call from Martin Wisckol of the Orange County Register. Wisckol asked him a series of softball questions so tedious McCain's driver had to crack the window so the breeze would keep him from passing out, but then this:

WISCKOL: I'd like to ask you a couple questions suggested by voters here. They're not reporter-type questions.

McCAIN: Sure. It'd be a pleasure.

WISCKOL: When was the last time you pumped your own gas and how much did it cost? 


McCAIN: Oh, I don't remember. Now there's Secret Service protection. But I've done it for many, many years. I don't recall and frankly, I don't see how it matters. I've had hundreds and hundreds of town hall meetings, many as short a time ago as yesterday. I communicate with the people and they communicate with me very effectively.

... I'm going through a tunnel... ... bzzzzzzzztttttt bzzzzzztttttt...I'm gonna lose you... bzzzztttttt... bye!

No, I added that last part.

Okay. A few things here.

1) John McCain doesn't know what gas costs, because the Secret Service protects him from finding out, possibly because they're afraid the knowledge will kill him. Not a healthy man.

2) John McCain isn't an elitist or a big government bureaucrat. He's a maverick who has certainly pumped his own gas at some point in his life, perhaps during the single 18-month period when he wasn't in the navy or in congress, but was living off his wife.

3) It doesn't matter. How do we know it doesn't matter? Because John McCain says it doesn't matter.

4) John McCain may not know what gas costs or when he last pumped any, or performed any other act not connected to politics or outpatient care, but he's had hundreds of town hall meetings, many as short a time ago as yesterday. Which somehow answers questions about gas prices, but it's not clear exactly how.

5) John McCain communicates with people and they communicate with him very effectively.

6) John McCain is an excellent driver. Dad lets him drive slow down the driveway every Saturday.

7) Fifteen minutes to Wapner.

--

Asking a politician about groceries is a dusty old trick. Mitt Romney doesn't know what Saran Wrap costs, and why should he? Unless it's important to the image he's trying to build, as a regular guy, or at least someone who gives a shit.

But some gotcha questions do matter.

For instance, back in 1999, when Andy Hiller had this exchange with then-Governor George W. Bush:

HILLER: Can you name the president of Chechnya?"

BUSH: No, can you?

HILLER: Can you name the president of Taiwan?

BUSH: Yeah, Lee.

HILLER: Can you name the general who's in charge of Pakistan?

BUSH: Wait, wait, is this 50 questions?

HILLER: No, it's four questions of four leaders in four hot spots.

BUSH: The new Pakistani general, he's just been elected -- not elected, this guy took over office. It appears this guy is going to bring stability to the country and I think that's good news for the subcontinent.

HILLER: Can you name him?

BUSH: General. I can name the general. General.

HILLER: And the prime minister of India?

BUSH: The new prime minister of India is -- no. Can you name the foreign minister of Mexico?

HILLER: No sir, but I would say to that, I'm not running for president.

BUSH: What I'm suggesting to you is, if you can't name the foreign minister of Mexico, therefore, you know, you're not capable about what you do. But the truth of the matter is you are, whether you can or not.

You'd think that the candidacy was over at "I can name the general. General," but it turns out it wasn't. These questions might not have mattered. (Pakistan? Come on! As if the president really needs to know about Pakistan!) What was important was the way the candidate answered.

Which was like a belligerent dick.

--

As opposed to John McCain on the question of pumping his own gas. Who comes off as a floundering panderer who's lost a step.

--

I'm not even sure Martin Wisckol was trying to play gotcha with John McCain. I think he was fishing for a colorful anecdote. If you read the rest of the interview, you'll see he certainly didn't ask any other questions that couldn't be answered by a press release.

John McCain has spent the last three months -- since he floated his gas tax holiday -- pretending to care about the cost of driving. He should have had a slightly better answer than "I've had hundreds of town halls."

He knows it, too. Which is why he panics after a few more questions, when Wisckol is trying to wind things up.

WISCKOL: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me.

McCAIN: Thank you. It's a pleasure.... Hang on just one second. I think the last time that I ... I've been on the campaign trail for so long I don't remember when I last filled up my own gas tank, but I certainly did for many, many, many years and I understand the difficulties and challenges that it poses for the people of California and my home state of Arizona. I thank you, my friend.

And the name of the general is General.

Comments

[ibsteve2u]

I read stuff like this, and end up thinking "Why can't the Republicans be just a sitcom on TV about bad government? So I could just turn them off?".

[Insideout143]

Even when McCain wasn't under Secret Service protection, he didn't pump gas. His wife, Cindy has said that he rarely drove, that she did most of the driving, that he wasn't the best driver. My guess is that he'd be guilty of road rage if he drove. With his mistakes as a pilot, and his apparent poor driving skills, I guess it makes sense not to have him at the wheel... nor at the helm.

[TrueBlueMajority]

He doesn't even notice the prices as he rides by the gas stations? He knows that gas prices are a big deal and as he is being driven around he doesn't even look out the window and see the gas prices? That is really out of touch.

[RFBorjal]

But you heard him. It doesn't matter to him. The price of gas, something that Americans are very concerned about, doesn't matter to him.

So, all you Hillary supporters out there who want to vote for McCain, the Carmella Lewises of the world, you think you matter to him? You think your $4/gallon problem matters to him? No, what only matters to him are his hundreds of town halls.

[Raymondf]

It goes up so much so fast neither can I.

[mabinog]

Elitist or not elitist? Pffft, why quibble, we are not supposed to have royalty but we do, and McCain is one of them.

[HunterSThompson]

"They gave their lives so that oil can be free. No, I mean so that Iraqis can be free. Oil is $140 per barrel, exactly as planned"

Resident George W. Bush

see here for HST:
http://www.youtube.com/user/hdavis21ch


Hunter S Hussein Thompson

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

gonzo from beyond? sweet!

[Mogamboguru]

The music hasn't even begun to play - read (You must copy and paste the URL to your browser) :

http://www.forbes.com/finance/2008/06/23/crude-biderman-margin-pf-etf-in_tt_0623trimtabs_inl.html

Sky-High Oil Will Make U.S. Go Broke
Charles Biderman, TrimTabs 06.23.08, 7:00 PM ET

Stratospheric crude oil prices precipitated by speculation are wreaking havoc on the U.S. economy.

https://www.kitcomm.com/showthread.php?t=19066

Fortis is a large bank and insurer in the Netherlands and Belgium. It took over ABN Amro last year, together with RBS and another bank. Last Thursday, its share lost 17% because Fortis attracted foreign capital. I was shocked when I read the following, which was brought out 4hours ago:

American 'meltdown' reason for money injection Fortis. 28th of June, 9:10 RUSSELS/AMSTERDAM - Fortis expects a complete collapse of the US financial markets within a few days to weeks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/06/27/cnbarclays127.xml

Barclays warns of a financial storm as Federal Reserve's credibility crumbles
US central bank accused of unleashing an inflation shock that will rock financial markets, reports Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

If this was the Titanic, I would start heading fo the lifeboats NOW!

[gage]

Two recent McCain quotes:

"Opponents of domestic production cling to their position even as the price of foreign oil has doubled and doubled again. They were against it when a gallon of gas cost two dollars. They are still against it when a gallon of gas cost well above four dollars."

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/Speeches/1b708e23-5496-42a3-8771-aec271bf823e.htm

"Gas is 5 dollars a gallon in Santa Barbara...

http://lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2008/jun/26/transcript-mccain-interview/

[darker]

The PRICE OF GAS?
MCCAIN does not know THE PRICE OF WAR!

McCain is ANOTHER ignorant republican "DUH" MAN.
He doesn't have the brains for the job.

[Indubio]

McCain probably doesn't understand that America cannot drill its way out of the present dire circumstance. We aren't drilling in 28 million acres of existing leaseholds and we lack the internal refining capabilities to refine more oil even it were to miraculously become available. More domestic drilling is a simplistic response to a complex problem but it makes for a great sound byte so conservatives will continue to harp on it because they have no ideas.

If you voted for Reagan in 1980, you cast a vote to ignore the lessons of the 1973 Oil Embargo. The Carter, administrations put into place a basic energy policy that had we maintained would have today made us less dependent on foreign oil. Reagan and subsequent political leaders of both parties ignored obvious warnings about a pending "Peak Oil" crisis; the only thing that mattered to them was short term gain and we will pay the price now for their misguided leadership. The price of gas should have been set high years ago to discourage use and to generate tax dollars to build a national mass transportation system but our leadership opted for "market forces" rather than sound government policies. We might ask ourselves who made such poor choices and hold them accountable but if we did that McCain would be one of those responsible.

[bIgTeX]

John McCain is out of touch! He doesn't have clue about the obvious gasoline crises. He stole his idea to reward success with $300 million for innovation in the automotive industry from the Dewey Foundation!!

http://www.dawsontimes.com/news30534/presidential-candidate-mccain-embraces-the-victory.shtml

[Bozwellian]

McCain, so intent on achieving his ambitious goal, says whatever is figured will get that job for him . Have lost respect for him, as he grovels for this job and embarasses himself time after time while exposing just how totally OUT of touch he truly is. We can sincerely thank him for his military service , give him due credit for his endurance as a POW but that does NOT equate to being fit for command of these United States. He comes off as doddering and NOT fully "attuned" to what IS the reality ..repeating, He is embarassing himself and embarassing even those that try to give him support out of some sense of misplaced loyalty which should indeed be to the NATION FIRST AND FOREMOST. The McCain attempted campaign is like some sort of twisted/perverted joke..its like the Gops really are NOT trying to win thou would take it if somehow came their way. Perhaps the GOP is figuring that so many roosters coming home to roost , conequeces yet to unfold due to the mismanagement by Bush/Cheney, would be to their advantage to have Dems holding the reins and therefore easier to blame in order to regain positions in the future. Almost feel sorry for McCain, but his ambition is blinding him to those willing to use him for the pathetic sieshow going on.

[Syco]

since when do the rich care about price?

[starboymikey]

Last time John McCain probably pumped his own gas was when it was twenty-five cents a gallon.

But he's held thousands of *town hall* meetings since then, so why should we pester him about a little thing like the price of gas?

[AnaisKarim]

McCain has never pumped his gas then. Because back when gas was 25 cents/gallon, attendants pumped it for everyone. Self service gas - just one more thing that's younger than John McCain.

[DCtrain]

I think that McCain is very in touch, in touch with Gas-X

[loax]

Prrof Positive OUT OF TOUCH!!!

[3verest]

This is option B for those of you not considering Obama.

[leduck]

most of all...,
WE NEED TO STOP USING DEPLETION TO GET ELECTED