Off the Meds
So is this the real John McCain?
No question the man who turned up last night did a better job than he'd done at the previous two debates. But here's the problem for McCain: he's either last week's guy, who seems to be on medication, or he's this week's guy, who seems to have been abruptly taken off it.
He gave the game away in his first answer when, in talking about the economy, he said that Americans were angry. But Americans aren't angry, they're poleaxed. They're terrified. They're afraid they're going to lose their jobs or their homes or their pensions. They're worried they won't be able to send their kids to college. If John McCain thinks they're angry, it's either because he's projecting, or else he's simply been going to too many of his own rallies.
As he smirked and blinked and raised his eyebrows, I couldn't help wondering what tonight's McCain seemed like to all those conservative pundits who'd been hoping a different McCain would show up. Is this what they meant? Is this the John McCain of Bill Kristol's dreams?
Whichever McCain shows up, some things stay the same. He's a towel-snapper. He can't land a joke. He seems old. (As Martin Short said on Letterman just after the debate, "The only time he doesn't have to pee is when he's peeing.") And he's an absolutely terrible actor. Every time McCain went into his Joe-the-plumber-bit, those undecided voters on CNN were unmoved. They were probably not saying barf, like some of us were, but that's only because they're not allowed to talk amongst themselves during the debate.
At the Time Politics conference this week, New York Times columnist Frank Rich asked, "Was there any way that the Sarah Palin choice might have played out differently?" CBS' Jeff Greenfield gave a wonderful answer. He said the question reminded him of a woman friend who'd said of her divorce, "We would have had a wonderful marriage if he had been a completely different person." Isn't that great? It's practically a Zen koan, not that I know what a Zen koan is. But one of the most remarkable things about Barack Obama is that he's the same person every time he shows up. And as for John McCain, a completely different person showed up tonight, and it didn't seem to matter.
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I AM angry. I'm angry with the Democrats. With the sweeping majority in the last election indicating a complete repudiation of the Bush administration and especially the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, Democrats have not held impeachment hearings against Bush. Kuchinich is one who has done his part, but why has Pelosi along with the rest of the Democrats done nothing. All of them have sworn an oath to uphold the US Constitution, but have they read it, and do any of them seriously consider it as a "real" responsibility? All of them are responsible to the constituents whom they were elected to serve, but do they do it? There is plenty to be angry about.
"With the sweeping majority in the last election indicating a complete repudiation of the Bush administration" ???
Not quite ... a bare majority in Congress, so with a Republican President with veto power, the Democrats weren't able to do much. That will be different with a Democratic President in power. Expect CHANGES this time.
I am in total agreement. In addition to issues I would add the financial crisis, the erosion of the middle class and the aggrandizement of the upper class and their financial apparatus. Americans are angry and have every right to be.
Bush cannot pardon his criminal cronies if he is under impeachment when he scurries out of office. It starts November 5. Watch for it.
Kucinich presented articles of impeachment this summer. Congress, while taking no stand in the articles presented, decided to refrain from starting impeachment proceedings because there wasn't enough time to do it by the end of the term. How handy.
The Democrats do not have a majority, sweeping or otherwise.
I'll always remember the time when I was chatting with this guy and I said something kind of flirty, and I suddenly realized he was looking at me as though his mom had just tried to feel him up. That's when I decide to grow out my now naturally silver hair and embrace my real age. The trouble with McCain is that he sees himself as he was 20 years ago. He has not accepted who and what he is. He is still trying to strut around and act like a rebel. He was never a rebel, just a grouch and a hothead. But he got away with the performance for a long time--then he got old. And yes, Obama is exactly who he seems to be, no strutting or preening or self-aggra
Like your comment, but I have one disagreement - McCain was a rebel, and I believe he still thinks of himself as the young, returning POW, a.k.a. war hero (although he did give away secrets -a rebel then too?) . Just ask the men who served with him and/or went to school with him. They'll tell you how he rebelled against his dad and the establishments he didn't want to answer to. He was a spoiled brat who used his daddy and grandaddy to get what he wanted and never lived up to the expectations they had for him. He decided to be the commander in Chief to show them all that he's worthy. He has a Napoleonic complex and a daddy complex, covering up his perceived unworthyness for years with false bravado, that has now become an integral part of his personality. In other words, he believes his own hype and thinks he is entitled to be president. I worry about his health if he's not elected, since this has been the only thing that ever really mattered to him.
McC is a befuddled chameleon. He changes when he sees the necessity, but doesn't know what color or pattern to go with.
McCain is the picture of ADHD. He got demerits like candy in prep school and at the Naval Academy. He drank like a fish. He fidgets, grimaces, is oppositional, can't control his anger, and is disrespectful to women. Do we need someone who has all those problems running our country?
Speaking as a former fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, and as a contemporary of Senator John McCain, I will tell you that Senator Obama absolutely did the right thing by not stooping to John McCain's level.
In the military, I learned that you cannot demand respect. You earn it by being calm, rational, intelligent, and self confident. Senator Obama was all of that tonight.
Senator McCain came off as agitated, irritable, angry, and often confused. He is the last person that I would have wanted as either a flight leader or a wing man- and I surely don't want him as President.
We do not need a President who tries to "win" by attacking their opponents. We want a President who leads by example, respects others who differ from themselves, is calm, deliberate, and rational. Senator McCain is none of those things, and never has been.
Senator Obama showed all the Presidential qualities our country so desperately needs. He shows respect for others and respect for himself. He will make a great President.
Vietnam Veteran
Khe Sanh 1968
Excellent comment! I have read many comments by men who served with McCain who have deep reservations about his being elected. Most say that he is a hot-head and was a screw-up who only cares about himself and his daddy complex. When McCain was asked about his choice of VP, he proceeded to attack Sen. Biden. That was not the question, but it prompted the moderator to ask Sen. Obama about Palin. Sen. Obama could have easily attacked Palin for her association with an anti-American group and Troopergate, et.al. Instead, he refused to get down on McCain's level and showed a cool head and gave a thoughtful answer. McCain kept yeeling out things when it wasn't his turn and his body language spoke volumes about his thoughts. He wanted to get inthe last word and too often did. He was rude and petty, and those are not attributes anyone should want in a president.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Luke!
For your service, for your comments and for your honesty.
As you observed, McCain is the embodiment of typical Republican hypocrisy (and also a study in contradictions):
He calls Obama "elitist" but he can't even say how many houses he owns.
He said Obama was inexperienced so he picked Sarah Palin as a running-mate.
He acuses Obama of playing the race card while he's been milking his Vietnam POW card for the last 30 years!
He says he'll take care of Joe the Plumber by cutting taxes to all the rich guys like himself!
He said Biden has been wrong many times as if MCain himself has ALWAYS been right.
We need to avoid at all costs a President whose prostate is larger than his brain!
Spoken like a TRUE military leader and hero! Thank you for reminding us all what that means.
I couldn't have said it better! I have the ultimate confidence in President Obama.
We already DO! And look at what it got us!
Actually, I think he has that new ADD-OCD thing. That's the one where every 5 minutes you change what you're obsessing or compulsing on...
Wow, that's good...I'm a psychiatric nurse and I never thought of but you may be on to something!
I am extremely angry and disgusted. But I reserve my anger for the Republicans who have turned fascist and wrecked this country. I will NEVER VOTE FOR ANY OF THEM AGAIN, and I will work to see their party wiped out of existence.
*I will work to see their party wiped out of existence.
In 1998, after 31 years as a Republican, I re-registered as 'Declined to State'.
With each passing year the number of un-affiliated voters grows, while the number of registered Republicans declines. This McCain campaign will be another nail in the coffin that contains the Republican Party.
Even though I had not contributed to the RNC since 1988, last week I received a solicitation from the McCain campaign begging for a contribution before October 16th. The solicitation included a FedEx envelope and an air bill to be paid by McCain campaign. Do you think they were surprised when they received their FedEx envelope with 75 pages that read, "Obama/Biden in 2008" in 72 point type? Oh, I also included a 'Dear John' letter telling him that he was digging deep in the barrel to come up with my name!
OBAMA 2008
Just imagine how McCain's barely bridled anger would play internationally. It's difficult enough to watch him here at home.
The potential for embarrassment with McCain is huge.
You think we are angry now. Wait till you try to share my wealth.
Why so SERIOUS? You've already shared plenty of your wealth with the Republicans who gamed the world financial system and wrecked it.
If make over $250000 per year and are unwilling to pay the tax you would have paid under Ronald Reagan, I have no sympathy for you. If you make less than that you are getting a tax cut, so don't whine.
You should be on a bread line.
It's obvious that with this presidential campaign John McCain has reached his Peter Principle apogee. He looks out of place and not presidential at all.
Of course McCain is proud of the people at his rallies. They are the only ones dumb enough to vote for him.
As for his totally missing the point on what birth defect his running mate's kid has -- well, just another senior moment I guess.
It's quite amusing how he keeps bragging that he knows how get Osama, fix the economy, create jobs AND cure birth defects. Amazing powers, non? See what I mean about only his supporters being dumb enough to buy that bridge to nowhere.
I was puzzled by the autistic reference, till i recalled that Sarah Palin's sister has an autistic kid.
Sarah Palin's child is a Down's Syndrome baby - which she parades for show. That little boy should be home in his own bed instead of up on the platform for vote garnering
What was McCain doing with all the blinking? Sending morse codes to Cindy?
Body language experts state that "Rapid blinking blocks vision and can signal arrogance as in 'I am so important, I do not need to see you'. It can also indicate flirtation.
So either McCain was either trying to block out the view of "That One" or he was hitting on Bob Schieffer.
So much for body language experts.
I'd say he was trying to hit on Bob Schieffer. They'd make a lovely couple.
LOL! However, you don't need the blinking for McCain to say "I'm important". His arrogance and huge ego are legendary.
I thought it was a backwards shout-out to his running mate, Sarah "Winky" Palin.
A number of posts to this article have mentioned drug usage (Adderall). I don't think it's inappropriate to require that the candidates undergo regular drug screens.
May be that's why he won't release his medical records. Even if he is on medication that wouldn't explain his terrible ideas and his attitude toward Obama. He certainly isn't a "maverick" or original. He's stuck back in the sixties somewhere. He's just all wrong for what the country needs now.
"require that the candidates undergo regular drug screens."
I agree, and let's take it one step further and require that our elected officials all take drug tests like they make workers do, especially, the President. Bush is on something too, indicated by the tap dancing and optimism about the Iraq War.
can you imagine him saying that he's proud of those people? people who spit violence, threats??? he's worse t han BUSH!!!!
Did you notice his statement, like many of his statements was a complete non sequitur. Uh John, if you can quit flirting with Bob long enough to pay attention to the discussion
Well, he did try to pin the bad stuff on a few bad apples, differentiating them from the people he said the proud stuff about. It was particularly weak because he tried to smear Obama's crowds with the same kind of outbreaks.
And that's saying a lot because Bush is pretty bad.
On Sun, Oct 12th, Huffington Post posted a blog stating that the McCain campaign actually hired a Hollywood acting agent to find and audition angry mobs like those used in the movie, "Gladiator". Maybe this is why he is so proud.
McCain is "proud" of the people who come to his rallies. They are, he said, "the most patriotic.
He also thinks Sarah Palin would make an excellent VP. Said it with a straight face. If he doesn't mean it, he's a hypocrite, and if he means it, he's certifiably insane.
But notice how he didn't say Sarah Palin is qualified to be president, which was the question Schieffer asked. He gushed about how proud he is of her (yeah, yeah, whatever) but could not say she was "qualified
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson
And you mean by quoting TJ here...wha
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". Samuel Johnson.
Also "Some Thoughts on Patriotism": Radical voices in the struggle for peace and justice:
http://www
He just doesn't get! Americans are NOT angry, they are worried, scared...
Exactly. We're all scared to death right now. McCain
just does not get it. He does not understand the
middle-class especially.
This American is angry. I am beyond worried and scared. The stages of grief and mourning for this country and what Barack Obama and his followers will do to it has progressed to anger. Speak for yourself
I take it you are a fan of the status quo. Our manufacturing base gone, woefully dependent on oil from our enemies, our financial system collapsing before our eyes, 2 million people projected to be unemployed before Christmas, bogged down in the aftermath of invading the wrong country and pouring more and more borrowed money into a sinkhole there, most international goodwill towards us gone, respect for our military and financial leadership tanking, our currency worth little, 25,000 million Americans per year dying due to having no health insurance, our businesses uncompetitive due to health care costs, a massive transfer of wealth still flowing from most of us to the top 1% of wealthy people in the country...
I'm angry. I am angry that I have had to put up with eight years of the most degrading, ignorant, fascist, administration this country has ever seen. I am angry that the republicans do not represent anyone except the fringe neocon christofascist. Think about it for a moment. Approx 32-37% of this country is registered to vote and not even all of them will vote. It takes 49% of them generally to elect a president, given the 3rd party candidates. That means about 15-17% of the population elects our president. Easily within the reach of these nutcakes on the right. If we would allow proportionate representation, we would have a better government. The two party system does not work. Where are the greens? Who represents them? More representation would mean more of what this country used to have before Nixon. Representatives who worked together to help all Americans. Look at Joe the plumber. He doesn't like the social security. Why? Because the neocons have demonized it. He probably doesn't like health care either. I wonder how much money he lost in his retirement accounts these past few week? Thats right Joe, your savings were wiped out by the neocons policies from 1992 until today.
Well, some of us are angry - at the GOP & the idiots who've voted for them over the past 8 years, and the dems who've been to scared for their own necks to stand up to Bush's empirical presidency.
I am angry that democrats wanted some people to have house that were " affordable" , yeah to the people who vote democrat, kinda pricey for taxpayers.
I second that.
The Dem's had plenty of opportunity to right this ship and they didn't. Votes and money mattered. Check the bill in 2005 that was going to hold Fannie and Freddie accountable. No it didn't pass. Not because the GOP had the majority. It didn't pass because it never made it out of committee. It DIED in committee. Now, let's see, who was on that committee? Gee, 12 DEMS and 9 GOP. Hmmmmm. The Dems voted straight party line on this one. Fannie and Freddie allowed to run amuck some more. Who was on that committee? 2 were, Charles Schumer D NY and Chris Dodd (whose pockets have been nicely lined by Countrywide Mortgages). So actually, in 2001, 2003, AND 2005 Bush's "empire" tried to force a clean up in this mortgage nightmare and the bills died in committee or the Dem's filibustered it nowhere, so they could keep padding THEIR pension plans while ours dies. And has Obama said a peep about holding his fellow team mates accountable for the destruction of thousands of 401k's across this country? Not one sound bite. Be careful what you ask for. You might get it.
I am not angry, I am very worried about my future. I am 57 years old, unemployed and forced to live on a military pension that just barely meets basic living expenses, and I am social security eligible in 6 years, rightfully worried I must say. How am I going to survive, and what will my retirement be like if I can not find a job to suplement my income. I never dreamed I would be in this position, I had hoped to be able to really enjoy my retirement years, but that is beginning to look like a dream turned into a nightmare.
I'm sorry. And your plight makes me even angrier at the GOP fascists who caused it, exploit it and ignore it.
I am in the same boat as you and wish people would realize that while the candidates game the election process once again, there are those of us who find nothing at all amusing about our situation. Watching the debate was like listening to those perky "financial advisors" on CNBC assure us that there is good news here somewhere.
When is someone going to say: We will raise Social Security benefits 50% for those in dire need? And who will dare admit what that will take for us to do?
Just NOW you're worried about your future???
I heard the same thing from my sister yesterday! SOME of us have been living this nightmare for awhile now and I'm angry that the rest of you have ignored us. As long as your life was going along just fine you paid no attention to what the rest of us who lost everything during the tech stock meltdown have been going through. AT least you have your military pension some of us don't even have that! Ask the Folks who worked for Enron or Worldcom or the airlines.
Things have been bad for awhile for a lot of us.
I have always lived on the edge as far as getting by. The Military does not pay that well when trying to raise a family, especially when moving all the time. I have always been worried about my future, and I am in the condition that I am not because I persued that dream by opening a start up home remodeling business that did well for the first 6 years and then suddenly died when the housing market crashed. When my business went so did everything when the banks came a hunting. Forced into a bankruptsy, I LOST EVERYTHING except my pension which the banks could not touch. Yes I am lucky that I have my retirement, but I earned every penny of it, and it keeps a roof over my head and food in my stomach. But that is all it does. No vehicle, no transportation, so I shop every few days for what I can carry home. Yes I feel your pain and I do all that I can now to help those that have less than I do. But that still does not take away my fear and worry about the coming years of old age.
I wonder what Mccain would say about you? A man who committed his life to our country. He regularly votes against you doesn't he? I do have an idea for you though. You may be eligible for a educational benefit that will be paid in addition to your retirement. There are lots of programs that benefit veterans in government positions. PSA is always hiring and as a veteran you get many +'s in your consideration. You know how to use the internet, go for it. I am 62 disabled and recently got a part time job. Pays very little, but it does take my mind off the worries.
I am stuck on a disability program or I cannot pay for my health care for a serious chronic illness (systemic lupus). I've been waiting for some glitches in the program to be fixed so I could keep trying part-time work. I've been waiting for the right to work since 1988. The prime of my life is going fast as I turned 46 today. Thank you for wasting my life, neocons.
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