Reading The Pictures: Has McCain Been Suffering From What The DSM-IV Classifies As Caffeine Intoxication?

"(F)or someone with a busy, stressful job, little stresses elicit big responses on caffeine, and big stresses elicit huge responses." Lane once did a study in which he compared caffeine's effects on type-A versus type-B personalities. "Caffeine tended to make type Bs into type As," he says. "Their blood pressure went up. They rose to challenges." The type As didn't get any more ambitious; they just became more excitable.

from: The Coffee Junkie's Guide to Caffeine Addiction (NY Mag)

Is it just coincidence John McCain is often depicted with a jumbo-sized Starbucks in or at hand?

People I've mentioned it to tend to write it off to the fact Mac is always being photographed. That said, however, I don't see other people in McCain's entourage clinging to the java, and I don't see those Ventis littering the Obama pics. (And then, I don't remember when another candidate telegraphed this kind of obsession with such attention-grabbing motorcade trips to Starbucks, either.)

In terms of just the recent visual data, take a look at this shot from two weeks ago, of Cindy boarding the flight to the first presidential debate. (Maybe something to note, as well, given Cindy's history of substance abuse -- despite the media's hesitancy to bring it up.) And then, there was this photo-op of McCain in his Arlington office just a few days later. The pic above, by the way, was taken Sunday at McCain's campaign HQ.

As I've been writing throughout the campaign, I think McCain's touchiness and erratic behavior is part of his nature. However, the penchant for caffeine certainly can't be doing anything to contribute greater balance of stability to an already hyperactive and jittery personality like McCain, who can hardly stand or sit still. In fact, in a post from the Concord Monitor blog back in June, McCain himself cites his caffeine intake as a problem, disclosing how its been a factor -- at least, during the Republican primaries -- in his debate performance. (In the recent presidential debates, in particular, there has been speculation about McCain's curious habits and disinhibition.) As the Concord Monitor quotes McCain:

"I have really learned that one of my biggest problems is I was having two or three cups just before I start," he said on his campaign bus this morning. "(I was) trying to talk too fast, to get too much out, and you can see that I did that in the first few debates consistently, so I was cut off of caffeine," he said.

Giving additional fuel to the concern is the fact that McCain, rather than toning down the intake, instead indicated he had to be cut off.

I recently read in a throw away line -- I believe, in a recent NYT article -- that McCain, besides downing coffee all day, hardly eats. That led me to this passage by Chris Jones written last February. Jones was traveling with the McCain campaign during the presidential primaries and published his trip diary, "John McCain's Last War," in Esquire. (The Buchanan referred to is McCain's press secretary Brooke Buchanan.)

McCain stirs. Buchanan worries aloud that he hasn't been eating enough. Apart from this morning's fritter and coffee, he's had a handful of potato chips and a can of Red Bull. (The barbecued chicken that came on board the bus in Des Moines was a shade of salmonella pink that could have derailed the candidate for days.) There are trays of chilled Chinese food stashed up front, fallout-shelter eats that are now dug out and served in plastic boxes on plastic trays. McCain picks at a bit of fruit, chokes back a cold egg roll. "I really don't eat well," he says. "I eat junk. I kinda get pumped up at these things and don't have much of an appetite."

Coffee and Red Bull? (Not to mention the sugar chaser.) Again, by McCain's own words, he has a habit of "getting pumped up" (although it's not clear how much, or to what extent, he's getting pumped up for or from public appearances). Either way, however, this account suggests that McCain has been regularly using not just coffee but stimulant drinks.

I understand Americans have a love affair with coffee. At the same time, this country -- in tandem with massive direct-to-consumer advertising by the pharmaceutical industry -- is consistently in denial about its reliance on drugs and alcohol (ranging from recreational drugs, sleeping drugs, sex performance drugs, athletic performance drugs and, yes, caffeine). When it comes right down to it though, substance abuse is substance abuse, whether the dependency involves caffeine -- caffeine intoxication being a clearly designated mental disorder in the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) -- or some other substance.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying John McCain is an addict, but it is interesting to consider the effects of the disease as compared to McCain's observable behavior on the campaign trail, with intoxication characterized by restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability and psychomotor agitation, and actual overdose exhibited by mania, depression, lapses in judgment and disinhibition. (And then, this is besides the issue of the pathological effects of caffeine abuse on both the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular system -- especially in a man of McCain's age.)

Over all, it's one thing for American's to consider whether to elect a man as hot-headed and erratic as McCain. It's even more worrisome, though -- especially as we're reminded through these regular, visual telegraphs -- that the man, through his penchant for this readily available drug, is consistently pouring oil on the fire.

Update: Hmm. This just came across the wire showing the McCains departing yesterday afternoon from Reagan Airport.

(click for full size)

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(image: Carlos Barria/Reuters. Arlington, Virginia, October 12, 2008. image 2: Carlos Barria/Reuters. Arlington, Virginia October 13, 2008. linked image: Brian Snyder/ Reuters. Arlington, Virginia September 27, 2008)

Comments

[snarkopolitan]

Oh the joy of coffee. When I was a teenager, a friend said, "If you keep drinking this much coffee, your sleep thing is going to break" --and he was right! Not to mention how it wrecks the stomach. So even I have had to cut down, and I'm several decades younger than Senator McCain.

Perhaps after the press of the campaign is over, he'll lay off the Red Bull and Starbucks, but it's alarming how he runs his body, much less his campaign.

And who but an heiress's husband could afford that much Starbucks? (Remember, though, that's where Sarah Palin finds her reading material)

[NoSandwiches]

I was cut off of caffeine," he said.

because he can't control himself?

he can't control his crowds.

he can't lead his own party in a crisis in order to pass the first bailout package

he can't contol he tone of his campaign

he can't even control his body enough to sit on his stool during the town hall "debate" and wanders around like a demented old man...

his wife doesn't trust him with her money...perhaps because he can't control his gambling habit?

yikes!

[MissKaren]

I took part in a research study years ago and we had to decaffeinate over the period of a week. I got grumpy but one of our team, a psychologist, got really hostile and headachy. She was 30. McCain is 72. By the time the study started, the psychologist was a wreck. Immediately after the study, she grabbed for a potful cf coffee. The next day, she was back to normal.

[shirleen01]

He needs something to keep him up. He's 72.

[LAB11]

You can't blame McSame's erratic lurches on coffee. Maybe Cindy's pharmaceuticals.

[ReesieKitty]

There is actually a great picture of Obama on the last page of the current issue of Saveur magainze. It's a cooking magazine and the last page is always a candid photo about food or drink, from all different places and times. This month's has Obama and the mayor of Washington DC heading to the bus carrying boxes of Dunkin' Donuts and a Box 'o Joe! NOW who looks elitist??

[luvronpaul]

Its because Sen. Obama knows, America runs on Dunkin's!

[ersf]

And the hopeful first lady Cindy wears $300,000 dresses at the RNC and wouldn't be caught dead at a Dunkin. She seems like an Americano and blueberry scone girl to me - at $6 a person.

Dunkin donut and coffee $3.50. Obama has two daughters to raise.

Back in 2005 when I was in Washington DC I saw Obama eating a hotdog at Union Station for a quick lunch. Really, this guy was raised by a single mom.

McCain, on the other hand, two generations of Admirals and now an heiress wife. McCain is the elite this election.

[dynagirl7371]

Just a thought... people who suffer from manic depression (or bipolar disorder) are encouraged to not use caffeine because the potential effects it has on their mood swings. Caffeine can exaggerate their manic swings, making them more unreasonable, agitated or angry. The effects aren't only immediate, either; the effect of caffeine can propel their manic episode to an even higher level or make the episode last longer than usual. By the way, lack of appetite and sleeplessness are also two major signs that someone has bipolar disorder (although I'm sure this is normal on the campaign trail...). They often speak impulsively, sometimes forgetting what they've previously said. Then they get defensive.

[BannedFromCommenting]

Your pic "and this" http://bagnewsnotes.typepad.com/misc/McCainArlington.jpg, didnt show any coffee in the pic, so not sure why you pointed it out..

Many of the current drinks could be decaf too, in fact they may not even tell him its decaf and just get it for him..
a man at 72 should NOT though, be living off chips, cold chinese food and Red Bulls!!!

Its like just to stay awake? and perked up?? Whats he gonna do? Be on redbulls daily for 4 years?

[PGHook]

In fact, there is a coffee cup in that photo. It's a white Starbucks cup placed on the desk in front of a white sheet of paper so it is a bit hard to see at first.

[luvronpaul]

red bull is full of all kinds of chemicals too, he really needs to take good care of his health. Even if I disagree with his politics I dont want anything bad to happen to him.

[marcelisa]

I'm a big Obama fan and have been incensed by McCain's campaigning but I, too, don't want anything bad to happen to him. You're right, he needs to take good care of himself. Hopefully he eliminates the junk food and sugar--not good.

[Dystopic]

maybe he should just use guarana like the hicks who "dip" skoal or whatever

[JohnDewey]

There's a Starbucks cup on the table/desk behind McCain, next to the phone. It sort of blends in with the background, but it's there.

[eden4barack08]

LOL. Your UPDATE really brought the case home.

That would answer all his erratic and changing behavior, I mean all that coffee AND Red Bull too? This is beyond preoccupying!

[nunzia]

Interesting.
I have wondered whether they pump him up on some drug or other just before the debates.
The wandering around the stage, the erratic phrasing and repetitions
Makes you go, hmmmm.

[bodo]

Is McCain perhaps a manic-depressive or bipolar? I noticed that on certain days he seems hyper-turned on, but on other days he appears depressed as in the last debate when he wandered about aimlessly and apparently confused, so that Brokaw actually was forced to repeat a question he had failed to grasp. Instead of his usual round of hand-shaking with the audience, Cindy whisked him away immediately. He also looked awful. Yet on the very next day he seemed rosy and high-spirited again.

[hortonhearsawho]

Perhaps he is putting together cheat notes for Palin.

[dozaa]

LOL good one

[littlepuffycloud]

So the McCains are latte sipping elitists? Hmmm...

[zuffaloo]

Cappuccino-sipping elitists...

[Dystopic]

I bet they eat arugala as well.

[whiteboyblues]

Why doesn't he support mom & pop coffee shops?

[coolmaiden]

He could at least support local coffee shops.

[irishgawdess]

Maybe they're drinking decaf... any chance? Not that I care either way.

Not eating at regular intervals will cause one's blood sugar level to drop, which has it's own set of symptoms (some similar and that overlap with caffeine intake and/or addiction.) Nausea, light-headedness, headache, shakiness, memory and concentration problems, and a tendency towards a quick-trigger temper are some of the symptoms of low blood sugar.

A fritter a day will NOT keep the doctor away. That sends the blood sugar way up, with a sudden drop a while later. If one ate like that all day long, the blood sugar levels would be wreaking havoc on one's body, causing the symptoms mentioned above to continue off and on until a well-balanced meal was consumed. Blood sugar levels drop overnight, in effect fasting while we sleep. Hence the term "break fast."

Must be a real joy to be around.