The Delicate Subject of John McCain's Marbles

"Evil must be defeated!" -- John McCain 8/16/08

"Enough is enough! We're going to put an end to greed!" -- John McCain 9/17/08

It's inspiring to know that John McCain has a plan to end greed. I just hope it doesn't distract him from his mission to defeat evil. Either way, it has to kick the shit out of whatever Barack Obama's got on the docket, with his empty words and pie-in-the-sky promises.

America's choice is clear. Barack Obama, a messianic egomaniac who thinks he's, like, our savior or something, or John McCain, who will defeat evil and put an end to greed.

John McCain will not only take on special interests and Washington insiders, he'll fundamentally alter human nature. And without raising taxes, either. He'll lead us to a sort of martial nirvana where all other emotions are replaced with patriotism, and turn the United States into a shining, selfless, bipartisan cross between heaven and Sparta.

Or maybe he's just a desperate shell of a man, babbling glorp.

If Reverend Wright went around shouting stuff like "We're going to put an end to greed!" people would start thinking he was some kind of fruitcake.

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You might think "I'll end greed" would be the most mortifying thing John McCain could say at one sitting. You'd be wrong. At Wednesday's town hall -- his first with Sarah Palin -- he topped himself with this explanation of her credentials:

"She has been commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard. Fact. On September 11 a contingent of the Guard deployed to Iraq and her son happened to be one of them so I think she understands national security challenges."

Which is fine except:

The governor of Alaska doesn't command the National Guard in combat overseas.

Sarah Palin didn't deploy anyone anywhere on September 11th. She was a guest speaker at an Army deployment ceremony.

Track Palin isn't in the National Guard; he's in the Army.

Sometimes it seems like it's more than John McCain can handle, just keeping all the lies about Sarah Palin straight in his head. Tomorrow he'll say she's in the Air Force herself, on a plane she bought on eBay, bombing the bridges at Toko-Ri.

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It's all Shiites and Sunnis to John McCain. So what's your problem? We're told that Lord Raglan fought the entire Crimean War believing the Russians were the French. And that worked out okay because, uh, everyone under his command died.

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"I know how to win wars! I know how to win wars!" -- John McCain 7/15/08

I know this is a sort of threadbare exercise -- the old switcheroo -- but imagine what would happen if Barack Obama got the Army and the National Guard mixed up.

Comments

[roxn]

When George Bush got in he couldn't even string a sentence together - and look at the state of the economy today - enter Palin - McCain is 72 years old and hasn't been in good health. Likely Palin will success him before his office is up.

Under Bush [when they said intelligence was not needed in a President]
_ the economy ends up going off like fireworks

Under Palin_we might end up being the fireworks.

Like Bush she is coming out talking about war ~ not with China or Iraq ~ but with Russia! This combined with Palin’s belief that she is a part of Joel's Army or the Third Wave (underground church movement) here to set God's kingdom up on earth - after some sort of Holy War _ we could realistically be looking at the taking out of one or two major cities.

Everyone laughed when Bush was trying to get in ~ it's time take Palin's beliefs and ideology serious.

Oh and she doesn’t believe in the separation of church and state.

[mady]

GREAT ARTICLE!! BTW, can someone explain why we've been sending national guard troops to overseas wars?

[rwt1138]

It's called the Abrams Doctrine, after the general who came up with it. With the country so divided by and after the Vietnam War, Abrams wanted to ensure that no future military conflicts were enjoined without the full support of the people. To this end, forces were restructured so that no major military offensive overseas could be launched without significant National Guard involvement. The idea was that taking soldiers from the core of communities would not be possible without significant public support.

The heavy use of mercenaries in this war has somewhat bypassed the Abrams Doctrine, which isn't held in high regard by the administration.

[DanteLabon]

Mccain is a typical Repug. Lower taxes for the rich...and prosperity will trickle down to the poor. Invest our Social Security money into the stock market... and we'll all be RICH. Let oil company CEO's write the energy policy....and gas prices will go down. Give insurance companies no rules ...and everybody will get wonderful, affordable health care for whatever ails you. Give pharmaceutical companies everything on their wish list...and we'll never have to get medicine from Canada. Of course they aren't dumb enough to really believe any of this...they just hope some of us are...and they are right.

[tedeger]

Well, we thought the Cheney-Bush Administration was the wprst in history for the American Experiment; just wait till we see the "Palin-McCain" Administration. That's miles below the nadir for us.

[waitforme]

Part 2 Memory and Old Age -- McCain

It isn't age, with John McCain, it's likely age plus severe trauma, the TOTAL lack of psychotherapy and, I would guess, lack of nutritonal support. I am betting John McCain holds the unfortunate belief, prevalent in the military even today, that therapy is for sissies or crazies; he may even 'have tried it and it didn't work' -- in the '70s. (But, nowadays, past traumatic events can be virtually completely processed away, resulting in better brain and physical health and increased energy and lack of symptoms like irritability, rage attacks and depression (and compulsively using one's past victimization as an excuse for non-accountability and lying.) (Find a 'trauma-trained therapy specialist'.) McCain seems to have allowed himself to deteriorate.

[Atomicjim]

I agree in part with your post; however, the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder did not appear until the late 1980's. Even then, a lot of Vietnam Veterans were reluctant to go to the VA and ask for help. I know, I was one of them. It wasn't until I watched a Nightline segment on PTSD that I recognized the symptoms as my own. It still took me another six months to seek treatment from the VA.

I also disagree that the past events can be "virtually completely processed away." Its been nearly five years and I'm still not cured. According to the VA, I will never be completely cured.

I don't know if McCain has ever sought treatment, but if we ever get to see his medical records, then maybe we will all know. McCain is no ordinary veteran with PTSD. He wants to be the leader of the free world and that is a scary prospect. There is drug therapy available, but to we want a president who is taking anti-depressants or other drugs? Not me.

[waitforme]

Part I Memory isn't necessarily lost in old age:

Come on, people, those of you who think over-60s-70s couldn't be president, Margaret Mead said (in -- oh, I've forgotten the title) (oh yes, Coming of Age), that people don't lose their memory in old age, if they've been keeping up their nutrition (and there are many nutrients that, it's been discovered, aid in making dendritic connections in the brain) (I've added that about nutrition); she says that people pointed out when her parents were ' beginning to forget things' that 'they've ALWAYS forgotten things!'

I am 'of an age' and my memory is better than it's ever been; I forget people's names sometimes, and titles of books (often). This is no different from how I ALWAYS have been. BUT I am much better at remembering if I pay attention to the name in the first place (I was so scattered I didn't take time to do that), then make a connection from it to something you already know (mnemonics) and it will be easier to remember (if you have been taking your vitamins -- and other nutrients). Because I've trained my memory, I can trust what I remember better and have a whole lot more to know and TO remember -- because I've been paying attention. And because I 'don't believe the hype' about people losing their memories in their old age. Take care of your bodies and your brain.

See PART II for the relation to John McCain

[Beca]

OK, so how exactly does McCain "know how to win wars"? He was involved in the Vietnam War! does he not remember? the US did not "win" that war, not even close! it was a national disgrace, just like the Iraq war is today. He spent almost all of his time in prison, how does he figure he learned how to "win a war"? in his dreams perhaps but not in reality!

And to lie about Palin's duties as a governor just to deceive the American people into thinking she has even some qualification for the second highest office in the land is an insult to Americans! He has proven that he does not care about what is good for America, he only cares that he win--for him it's "Me first, America Last!"
McCain/Palin??Thanks But No Thanks!

Obama/Buden 08

[repubsrbad]

I can't believe the polls are still even close! On one side we have a thoughtful, insightful, intelligent man in Obama explaining his positions, having vast knowledge on many issues, domestic and international, speaking without notes, and able to convey confidence and reason through his calming words. On the other side, we have "we're going to end greed!" which, by the way, McCain had to read off notes. Ridiculous.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Corporate Media is in the tank for McCain, like they were for the war for Bush.

[tedeger]

Simple. H.L.Mencken said it best; "No-one ever went broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American People." I have a really good, intelligent, capable friend, who will vote for McCain becausee he heads the Republican Ticket! Party loyalty destroys common sense.

[KenNY]

"America's choice is clear. Barack Obama, a messianic egomaniac who thinks he's, like, our savior or something, or John McCain, who will defeat evil and put an end to greed."
Good assessment of situation. Where did the political process go wrong in that these are our two choices? I am for pro-life, but couldn't the republicans have found someone with a little more experience than Governor Sara Palin?
You want to elect John McCain since he has dedicated his life to the US, but do you want to turn the keys to the car over to someone with dementia? Worse yet, do you want to give the keys to an inexperienced person? Both Palin and Obama fall in this category. Palin seems to have a lot of common sense on issues, but her ambition scares me. Firing people because they disagree with you will lead to a dictatorship with a lot of "yes men/women". Not sure what Obama will do with people who disagree with him, but was not impressed that he did not even vet Hillary as vp.
I want what is best for the country and am not sure which candidates will do the better job at this time.

[BenDover52]

Are you for the death penalty? If so, then you are not pro-life - just anti-abortion.

[robgo2]

McCain has become such an embarrassment that even his once adoring fans in the media are beginning to wince. He is completely clueless about the financial turmoil and can only fall back on tired nostrums that are being proved ineffective with every passing day.

It's not news that greed is a driving force in the world of finance; greed and fear are the dominant emotions that affect investment decision making. But it is because greed is ever-present that regulation and oversight are needed to prevent the kind of extreme distortions and imbalances that are now causing panic and possibly a depression. This is the point that free market fundamentalists simply cannot understand or accept: Unregulated greed is ultimately bad for any society. Even those few who become very wealthy suffer in one way or another.

[jsinclair]

And don't forget, he also knows how to find bin Laden -- and will go after him personally.

All these delusions of grandeur (REALLY delusional) and the broadcast media is mum.

Hard to believe these are the same people who convinced us Kerry was an elitist windsurfer and Gore was a prevaricater who thought he "invented the Internet".

Now we have someone TRULY delusional and---- silence.

[RedKnuckles]

It never ceases to amaze me how this bumbling old fool, staggering through the campaign like a lost soul, never seems to get called out on his ineptness. Practically a gaffe a day tumbles out into his slobber-encrusted microphone. I cringe everytime, almost pulling for him. Naaaah....

[jadedat51]

The media would then be blasted for "age discrimination"

[steveward14]

I learned a new word today - "glorp". Thanks for explaining. I was wondering what to call the daily disinformation stream coming out of the Republican camp. I was leaning toward "horseshit", but that seemed unfair to the horses.

[Nexxtech]

Dear JM. You have served your country well and we admire you for that. Now each day I see you are looking more tired and confused on the campaign trail. I think you need some rest. If I were you I will retire and spend some quality time with the family. Enjoy your children and grandchildren. Please leave the Commander of Chief business to someone younger. You dont need to take on the stress of this country. I think you have done enough. Relax

[Fudgefase]

Palin's younger. Do you want her?

[JerseyBob]

The Dodgy Guy and His Electrifying Selection

He does seem a tad dodgy. Rumor has that he was mumbling something to himself when he was asked by staff who his selection was. Staff thought he sad "Palin, Alaska" when actually he said "Pain in the ass..." (He was thinking out loud about the electorate). Staff went ahead and did what it needed to do to make McCane's announcement, etc. a smash.

When his staff advised him that everything was set for him to make the big announcement about Palin, he realized what he had done. But he considered it a fait accompli and just went ahead with it. Hey, everyone was saying it was a stroke of genius so he figured what the hell.