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.

Read more reactions to the Obama-McCain Hofstra Presidential Debate from HuffPost bloggers

Comments

[trinity29]

Nora,

thats one of my observations as well. john mccain comes in trying to be the next political gimmick. obama remains the same, consistent, principled and has not really changed much. this way the voters know what they are getting themselves into. mccain has truly been erratic even though now that too is a dirty word. call a man out and he victimizes himself - classic bully behavior. if the undecideds are still undecided then i dont know what medication they are on. i feel like saying the classic bush line although i never thought it would ever come that i would cite bush for anything other than ridicule, "either you are with us or you are against us." pick a side will ya, undecided people?

[opines]

The certainty that we are heading into very hard economic times and the collapse of the stock market has stunned Americans. Having bought in to the idea that they were home free economically for the rest of their lives because of their inflated home and stock values, the sudden cratering of their dreams has unleashed a flood of negative emotions. "In shock' is the best descriptive.

The 'in shock' stage consists of anger, finger-pointing and false hope in spurious 'rescue' plans.

McCain's anger is not related to the economic crash (his wealth sufficiently insulates him from such concern), but is because he simply cannot believe that all the old appeals to Red Staters don't seem to be working.

[SEQUOIABISON]

Great observations Nora.

John McCain said he comes from a long line of McCain's as if to intimate he was the true blue blooded American as opposed to "that one".

Right from the get-go he appeared angry and hostile, not at all comfortable or confident, lacking poise, wit and a sense of humor, he certainly looked very un-presidental, a petulant bitter man who seemed frustrated that most voters are not listening to his plea of entitlement, that he is the true American from a long list of Admirals in the family.

John McCain has a ton of information in his brain but he is unable to communicate his goals or ideals intelligently or coherently, with his blood pressuring boiling it is difficult for him to speak clearly and concisely about the issues, he rambles and frequently drifts from one unconnected idea to another.

It is difficult to imagine this tired "erratic" man leading us out of the darkness of the Bush years and into the light of the high tech world of the twenty first century.

Obama/Biden

[Synoia]

John McCain has a ton of information in his brain

You sure about that?

[mimsnpips]

He looked so angry the whole time last night. He had his chance for the presidency but didn't realize how cut throat Bush would be. He can go back to the senate and whine about every move Obama makes.

[missjabez]

I feel sorry for McCain sometimes, though I detest his behavior. This is the last time he will run for president, and he's blown it. Not everything can be blamed on the fact that Obama is a more effective candidate, or on the tanking economy. The surrogates are right when they say McCain's behavior is erratic, and it's hard to keep up with all his gimmicks and strategies. As David Gergen said, it would be best if he would go out with his honor intact. Though I believe he left his honor behind long ago, I think it would be good if McCain went out with dignity.

[era889094]

The problem with McCain at this point is that he's too transparent. People are seeing right through him, it is so obvious that he is the one that is angry, and he is trying to talk us into being angry with him. I think he does believe that he is the victim, because he knows this is his last chance at the presidency. I think that he thought people would flock to his war hero story. Does he not understand his own words when he said that he was categorically proud of the people at his rallies? He tried to turn that around and make himself the victim when people have been shouting "kill him" and "terrorist" when referring to Obama. It's sad, really.


He must know at this point that picking Palin was a huge mistake, even though I don't think that was his idea. As much as I don't like Romney, I think that if he was the VP candidate, the polls would be very different right now because of the economic crisis. He says that he's proud of her, but even he couldn't say that she is qualified to be president, even he knows this is too much to ask us to believe.

[JodyMcg]

I loved it when McCain said he was proud of those supporters at rallies. Does he mean "Monkey Man". The guy with the stuffed monkey and the Obama sticker around the head. Does he mean the 72 year old Gayle Quinnell who still thinks Obama is an arab? I guess she thinks all Arab Americans are terrorists? Does he mean those 6 different people who have shouted "kill him", "off with his head", "terrorist"? or does he mean all those Republican supporters waiting in line in PA, FL, IA etc where over 20 people in each line yell vile comments and spew hate? I guess that is the America he is proud of. Oh yeah. I did not see one minority in any line in any google search at all. I guess he's proud of white race baiting Americans as well.

[alieninvader]

Just wait. FOX is going to call it a liberal media conspiracy that they kept focusing the camera on McCain.

[judyc]

It was a split screen--how can they do that?

[oncethere]

With many Republicans, every emotion---fear, anxiety, frustration, hurt---is immediately converted to anger.

[Spiritgirl2]

Let's face it, he's old, he's tired' and he's irascible, he feels as though the Presidency should be given to him as his reward for service to his country! He still doesn't get it, past performance does not justify giving the highest office in the land to him! He has no plan, no vision, no clue! He did not iterate a plan for this country, nothing in education, nothing in health care, nothing! His comment about Obama giving into environmentalists on Nuclear Power, shows that he really doesn't understand the whole of the process! I would suggest that he go visit 3-mile Island and see the after affects of a nuclear meltdown!

Simply because other countries do it, is not enough of a recommendation! Other countries have more stringent rules and regulations regarding their facilities, Mr De-regulation would require none and we see how well that's worked out!

[jimspy]

I respectfully disagree, and it is the one issue on which I side with Mr. McCain. We do need nuclear power. I wish Obama would support it full-throated, with a recommendation that we implement the "more stringent rules and regulations" of other countries. The fact that it has worked in those countries with those controls IS enough of a recommendation to me. We desperately need for nuclear power to be part of our future energy scheme.

[Marlyn]

" We do need nuclear power." ???

No we don't. We need an electric grid that can integrate the many forms of clean renewable energy.

Nuclear power is the most expensive form of energy. It takes the longest to build. And of course, there is the question of what to do with spent fuel. This stuff is poison and there is NO WAY to get rid of it. My father used to say, "Just throw it in the ocean."

Nuclear power is NOT clean.

[goldcoastsailor]

Johnny get angry, Johnny get mad, give them the biggest lecture they ever had.

[MBLADY]

Great article! I agree, he must be off his meds!

[HalBrown]

Nora,

I've been a psychotherapist for 38 years.

I often write about politicians from a psychological perspective based on my experience (see my profile).

You're correct. He's projecting.

However he isn't even projecting his own anger related to the economic collapse. His anger stems from the fact that he's about to loose to a man he considers his inferior.

The man lacks empathy. He has a history of hurting people's feelings, intimidating them, even scaring them. People with empathy don't do that.

About the only emotion McCain seems capable of understanding even from a merely intellectual level is anger. It takes a devastating loss for people like him to experience depression. They tend to remain in the anger stage of grief for a prolonged period, and then crash into depression big time.

If and when he looses, I expect him to have a profound psychological reaction when he moves into the depression stage of grief. THAT'S when he'll need medication.

[Ironquill]

You hit the nail on the head. I went to a book signing of McCain shortly after he was savaged by Bush's hit men in 2000. His humiliation was palpable. I made a sincere remark, very liitle response, nothing behind the eyes.
In light of McCain's Vietnam experience, what has been most eerie to me is his submissive behavior towards Bush in order to put his ducks in a row for this Presidential run. To have submitted, and then be beaten again by Bush's failed economics, etc., I just don't see how the man will recover from it.

[jimspy]

I wish he'd translated that 2000 embarrassment into a commitment to stick even more to his principles, rather than allow himself to be molded by The Powers That Be Behind The Republican Party. Something must have snapped in his head, "I guess I can't win being myself, so I'll become one of them." Now that he's "one of them" and it's not working, he's probably having a total identity crisis meltdown - "I can't win being myself, I can't win being one of them...who the hell should I be???"

[MRSCLOONEY35]

Very well said.

[TheAndrew]

Did McCain even shake hands after the second debate? He seemed to look past and avoid "that one" a great deal.

[LauraO322]

Hey Hal :-) good post! I agree w/your assessment that McCain is only angry because his life-long vision of himself as POTUS is being "ruined" by an "usurper". That much is obvious - one can almost see the pain on McCain's face when he's "forced" to look at Obama during the debate. Remember, he barely acknowledged Obama during the first debate, and that played very badly - so he made a point to look at Obama during this debate, and McCain's hatred of Obama is very clear in his expressions and affect. I saw it, and so did millions of other people.

A few minutes into the debate, I thought that McCain seemed tense, and more jittery than usual. I was watching the debate with my politically-savvy 9 yr old son when he voiced (and confirmed) my thoughts: "Mom, doesn't McCain look like he's shaking?" To me (I'm a nurse), his "edginess" looked medication-related. Too much, or not enough of something?

Do you think he might have a personality disorder, like Narcissistic PD? That's my first guess, along with PTSD, GAD... there's some pathology there, no way that there isn't.

When McCain loses this election, he's going to snap. Bigtime. If I were Cindy, I'd be heading out of town - he's the type that will take his anger out on everyone around him.

[earling]

Hey Laura and Hal--
Don't forget the other guy that literally can't bring himself to be gracious to Obama--Mr. Bill.
Clinton has the exact same reaction as these other narcissists--he simply can't wrap his brain around the idea that there's a younger, smarter dude who not only handily trounced his entire political machine, as well as his surrogate, Hilary, but could probably talk policy rings around him. It's the outrage of a despotic ruler, a king, of sorts, who's being politely escorted into obsolescence by what he thinks of as an underling—in this case, a tall thin, bookish half-black dude. Holy Cow!!! The kind of thing that can turn old fashioned powermongers like Clinton, Bush, McCain, into monsters. The rage of men with a kindergarten-level EQs, apparently enabled by virtually everyone around them. It's great stuff to be watching (but yeah, as Laura said,--hide the wimmen folk).

[julessiegel]

Once again, Obama again seemed very sincere, well-prepared and confident. McCain kept drooping off into a Uriah Heep simper when not snickering to himself.
Best moment:
The condescending wind up. The contorted sneer of utter confidence. The pitch.
The fine for Joe the Plumber, Sen. Obama?
THWACK!
Zero, Sen. McCain.
Ha ha ha!
I thought I was going to see spit all over the inside of my screen as McCain sputtered in disbelief.
Now look at the ad they have out already answering McCain's '2004' stab http://newsroom-l.net/newsroom/?p=705 :
What I find interesting is how fast they had this up and running. Notice their very effective use of McCain's snotty expressions, the choice of the final stammering "90%" in an old clip that clashes with the rest of the highly sophisticated, understated design and throws the statement into high relief by contrast

[TotoToo]

McCain has been the victim of Republican attacks and he publicly commented how much it hurt. In 2000, Bush's people said McCain had "abandoned" veterans, and Bush never repudiated the comment. In the 2000 South Carolina primary, Karl Rove distributed flyers saying McCain sired a Black baby out of wedlock with a prostitute. This vicious (and untrue) allegation won Bush the primary and the presidency.

McCain has noone but himself to blame and, in this regard, is no better than Bush.

[billbb]

Shakespeare would have wrtitten a play about it.

A recognized, but flawed, leader, who has made some mistakes, but has generally tried to remain honorable, gets slimed by a competitor who has no sense of honor at all. The honorable man is beaten by a far lesser man, because of these outright lies.

After a period of mourning, he tries again, only to find that better people have stepped in, and his moment of history has passed. Frustrated and losing, he trades in the one thing he has left: his honor. He empolys the same lying tactics and the same decietful men that had helped his rival.

And he still doesn't win, because everyone recognizes that he is no longer the honorable man. he once was. The one thing that might have worked for him is the one thing he traded away.

Tragedy, for sure.

Of course, McCain also behaves like a jerk, which makes it harder to feel that sorry for him...

[skybaby]

You really seem to have a handle on this!! Since Shakespeare isn't available right now, you need to put this into a great book!!!

[IndieChick]

The guy (McCain) is an emotional roller coaster. Not only does his demeanor change between debates but it changes within debates. Last night we saw "angry fight fight fight" bully McCain one minute and in the next minute we witness the sing songy "I'll help you Mr. Joe Plumber. I know how" McCain. He's either a horrible actor or a schizophrenic. Will the real John McCain please stand down?