Reading The Pictures: Not Till You've Walked In My Shoes

"The day that Senator Obama decided to cast a vote to not fund my son while he was serving sent a cold chill through my body, let me tell you,'' Mrs. McCain said, in an introduction before Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin delivered speeches at Lehigh. "I would suggest that Senator Obama change shoes with me for just one day.'' -- (McCain, Palin Step Up Attacks on Obama - NYT)

It's just desperate and sad the way McCain uses daughter Meghan to create this all-female front, while employing Cindy to try and emasculate Obama, suggesting he isn't up to wearing his wife's heels.

What's interesting -- this being the shot the NYT editors chose to illustrate the latest onslaught -- is how Meghan, the most disarming player, is placed front-and-center tempering McCain's six-shooter gesture while the enforcers serve as bookends.  Of course, the shoes are clearly of interest, Cindy's as well as Palin's taller, spikier, glossier, sexier and scarier pair.

If yesterday's "prisoners" gaffe (playing out the same day as Cindy's eruption) was indeed spawned by McCain feeling embattled or somehow imprisoned by this campaign, his behavior right now might be understood -- demonstrated by the vicious racist and dehumanizing attacks coming out of his camp (almost exclusively by women, I might add) --  as a turning of the tables, seeking to impose on Obama an experience of humiliation.

Besides McCain hiding behind the skirts, does anyone else hear "torture complex?"

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(image:  Stephen Crowley/The New York Times.  Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.  October 8, 2008)

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Comments

[victorsays]

How disingenuous! I would love to walk in her shoes. It used to be that kind of statements are reserved for people who actually struggles, now the rich are touting it?

Her sons doesn't have any option but serve. Imaging 3 generation weighing down on you, two of that are admirals.

[davidinct]

What I find so disingenuous about Cindy McCain's comment is that her husband voted AGAINST the funding bill too!

Apparently, according to Rachel Maddow (a woman with whom I am currently falling in love), Obama voted AGAINST a version of the bill because it did NOT contain a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq, while McCain voted against another version of the SAME BILL because it DID have a timetable for withdrawal.

[maumeeone]

Yeah, but she only gets "chills" from Obama. Hmmmm...Maybe she meant to say "thrills"? I mean, look what she's saddled with!

[WhiteHat]

Joe Biden says, "never question someone's motives," but a better suggestion might be to never speculate on someone's personal psychology. Their political strategy and tactics are fair game, sure, but suggesting mental illness is unproductive if you really want to have a discussion about issues.

Personally, I'm voting for Obama because his platform makes more sense to me. But really, by any normal human standard, BOTH candidates are nuts for wanting the job.

[Cloball]

Obviously the splendor of Sedona has never rubbed off on its most famous residents.

The regular people in that beautiful town must be horrified at McCain's campaign.

[dagdavid]

It is amazing to me that Cindy McCain has not been subject to press scrutiny of any kind. When she speaks it is with the forced inflection and blank stare of a Stepford Wife not programmed for human emotion. She is uber-rich and dresses like a Hollywood fashionista elite. Have you seen her walking factory floors dressed in outfits worth more than those same workers make in a month or a year? She refused to disclose her financial information as though she is somehow above it all and John McCain has been riding her financial coattails ever since he cheated on his first wife with Cindy whose family offered much better connections.

[schatsie]

heck Cindy's shoes cost more than they make in a week.....Just like Imelda (let them eat cake) Marcos.

[qtpi410]

Maybe Obama could afford to walk in Cindy's shoe but I can't. What does she wear-Jimmy Choo.
Let's talk about the real issues. Economy, pulling troops out of Iraqi, health care, energy alternatives. McCain voted against the vet bill and rates a D on the vets score card.
Sen. Biden is a real friend of the vets.

[BuzzingAlong]

Senator John McCain's Record on Troop and Veterans' Issues

http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1973

Pass this on whereever you can.

[highlyblessed]

They're all spiteful, angry people. I truly McCain wll go off the day he loses the election. He will be erratiuc and outrage. I can't see him giving an concession spech.

[caligirl48]

My significant other who was growing up in the 50's told me that he was troubled by the Cindy McCain assertions because that type of telling reminded him of what got a lot of black men lynched in the south--an accusation made by white women. I after seeing it on the second go 'round, I agreed but did not further his thought but instead tried to take the high road and told him that people would ignore that crap. I agree that this is getting quite ugly, but I think it's a tactic that will only work with the base. I have hope that America will see through the farce.

[hrayovac]

The idea of the "high road" is to look beyond a personal attack aimed at you and to choose to respect the other person while being critical on issues only...It DOES'NT mean pretending that the problem doesn't exist. You must fight for your own country because as sure as I write this, fascsim is appearing. When it does, you must fight smart...Not just hope.

[Marnie21]

I am tuly disturbed by the campaign McCain has been running. Its made me face some harsh realities about the people who live in our country. Why some ppl so quick to tear another person down? Why arent we doing more to lift eachother up and show our children how lucky they are to be born in such a wonderful country?

[redirish]

I have to agree. I think Obama has done a great job trying to keep the negativity down and try to stick to the facts. I think Obama is classier,elegant,eloquent and most of all presidential. Stick to the issues only and don't allow opinions only facts. I want my children to to have a role model like Obama who is intelligent , has come from a single parent home and made it above the odds. Let the democratic party be the leaders in stopping the mud slinging!

[littlepuffycloud]

I can't wait to never have to see any of these people again after Senator Barack Hussein Obama is elected President of the United States.

[LS1958]

Gotta wonder how Cindy McCain felt the day her husband cast a vote not to fund the troops.

I would think that might have bothered her more.

Maybe it's just me.

[Gidster]

Or the 23 other times he voted not to fund the troops

[hrayovac]

It is just you. Of course Cindy McCain knows the game. It's show business in an election to equate votes in congress to personal beliefs. When the cameras are off, strategy and favors are the game. But to the bigger point: These people are fascists and simply will lie as a martter of course to maintain power that they gained illegally in 2000.

[dadw5boys]

It would be nice to see the whole McCain family on stage !

[RocDG]

The McCain campagn is out of control and founded on nothing more than winning at any cost.
Heck, they may as well get Palins pregnant kid up there too. If a sonogram's already indicated that she's having a girl, why, there'd be even more family females to push and exploit.

[demfriend]

I am getting more desperate to hear about issues rather than the hate insanity the McCain crowd is promoting about lies and insisting there is something sinister about Obama when he has been more vetted than anyone ever. After Hillary tried and tried to get this out the nuts are out there and making worse the insanity. I watched BBC this am and they actually talked about the issues and the crisis in the economy and what the countries are doing all over the world but here. Bush and McCain have some kind of agreement to draw this out longer?

[Sparty1]

You are right to watch the BBC news. That's the only way to hear about the issues. With them you get honest reports on the 2 wars that we're waging and the global economy.

[AnneElk]

Another thought... The camera angle/ perspective of this shot makes McCain look taller...
Quite an achievement actually...given the height of his back-up singers! (not to mention their shoes!)