America Wants a President, Not a Drama Queen

John McCain is all OMG! Maverick! Earmarks!
Obama is all Calm. Cool. Collected.

The entire past week, and especially the first debate, has shown us almost everything we need to know about the two candidates for president. Senator Obama is calm almost to a fault. A few of his supporters regularly ask for more demonstrations of "fire" from him. At some times he has the sort of demeanor that my mother would say indicates ice water flowing through his veins.

John McCain is largely the opposite of this. In many ways the senator is a Republican version of RuPaul, prone to the stereotypical mood swings and "diva" behavior associated with the drag queen subculture. When Senator McCain is not the focus of attention, he makes two snaps and screams for attention. Earlier this year his campaign attacked the press when the conventional wisdom said that the press, up until now 100% in the tank for him, were at least flirting with Sen. Obama. The videos they produced deriding Sen. Obama as a "celebrity" were a campaign version of the jilted girlfriend who throws her boyfriend's clothes out on the front yard so that everyone in the neighborhood can know what's going on.

It just gets worse. McCain's numbers were sluggish going into the convention so he bypassed all the other qualified Republicans for the likes of Sarah Palin, who is what passes for a legitimate candidate in this reality-TV-obsessed world. For a few weeks now the Palin bubble has deflated, with two gaffe-filled prime time TV appearances convincing the GOP they have to keep her on the stump with essentially the same speech she gave at the convention. Gov. Palin should worry about her job security, because as vice presidential candidates go making a switch is a pretty dramatic on the McCain scale.

But the best hissy fit was McCain fake-suspending his campaign while bringing his cameras and entourage into the already ego-filled halls of congress. His accomplishments added up to a big fat goose egg and he slunk his way back to the debate in Memphis where we were treated to a drama queen tour de force. He rolled his eyes, bared his teeth, mumbled under his breath and made an ass of himself in a way that only Maverick^TM could.

Which leads us back to Obama. We live in perilous times, with wars in two nations, a fiscal crisis, and the threat of terrorism ever-present. In short, it's the exact time in which Americans need a sensible leader who won't dress up in sparkles and sequins in a ploy to attract the attentions of Brit Hume and Wolf Blitzer. Where Sen. Obama differs from past candidates who were described as lacking emotion because he has demonstrated an ability to connect to people on an emotional level that people like John Kerry, Michael Dukakis and Al Gore were not. Obama can afford to be caricatured by a very few as clinical if he's going to be the Rock of Gibraltar standing next to Hurricane Drama. The country is just now backing away from failed cowboy diplomacy, and has no desire to spend the next 4-8 years with the cowboys drunk septuagenarian grandfather.

More coverage on OliverWillis.com

Comments

[larmarch5]

What is happening to McCain and republican candidates in the Southeast as a result of the gasoline shortage? This could so PO those folks that they will never vote for a republican again. They have to be really steamed.

[TigerShoes]

Hilarious. Right on. Thanks.

[H2Opolomom]

Keating 5 - why isn't that being dragged up and discussed?

[ebanks84]

McCain the "Drama Queen" sounds yucky! I can't get that image off my mind. Yeesh............ugh!

[jimgilliamv2]

McCain is not qualified to be President -- he choose Palin who is not qualified. That was McCain's only major decision during this campaign. Meanwhile, he flies into Washington and makes negotiation all about politics.

[Bftsplk]

McCain's claim he doesn't need to learn on the job in the executive position of president stems from his tenure as the senator from Arizona. In that job he gained foreign affairs experience because Arizona is bordered by two foreign countries: to the south, a land border with Mexico, and through the Earth with a small maritime boundary, Arizona borders France at Ile Amsterdam in the South Pacific....

[MsYellowDog]

That is really witty,Bftsplk!! And on top of that,he's gone to Baghdad!!! He's been in Afghanistan!! He doesn't need those liberal ----s in Hollywood!! Wait a minute,you say I have a fund-raiser in LA tomorrow?---Never Mind---

[SEQUOIABISON]

Great analysis Oliver, you nailed the POW for what he really is and what I thought he looked like during his week of hysterics, a Drama Queen.

Obama/Biden

[capzero]

This also explains the absolute scowl McBush made when Obama called him out for singing "Bomb Iran" right after McBush tried to say he didn't take invading soveign nations as a serious matter. Obama's chuckle was great also.

[LAB11]

Bush put America in war and bankruptcy. McDrama will double down and put us on the shrink's couch with his schizoid behavior. America needs stability in a leader, not psychosis.

[rich misty]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/opinion/28rich.html?hp

'McCain"s Suspension Bridge to Nowhere' ^ Must Read Frank Rich Editorial

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1845150,00.html?imw=Y

'Oh, the Drama! McCain in the Theater of the Absurd' ^ Time

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/09/28/obama-inches-ahead-in-tight-race/

Obama Pulling Ahead ^ Christian Science Monitor

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/Web/2008/092008/0927obama

Obama rally's 26,000 last night ^

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/09/28/obama-hits-mccain-for-katrina-like-response-to-economic-crisis/

35,000 rally today ^ Introducing Katrina McCain

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/28/75413/3350/471/612782

This morning polls, poll analysis ^^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAADyc6t4nY

Dem Rep takes one minute ^ and cries foul

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-poll29-2008sep29,0,57477.story

Obama slightly widens lead after debate, poll finds ^^

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/28/AR2008092802233.html?tid=informbox

'McCain's Lost Chance' ^ McCain is eviserated in this must read E.J. Dionne Jr. column in the WashPo

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/opinion/29krugman.html

The 3 A.M. Call ^ Krugman

[noblereno]

McCain did not seem to recognize the fact that HE had the Press in the tank and his attacks on the Press have now left him holding the bag of vulnerability - and that is so well deserved. Time and time again he was given the benefit of the doubt by the Press and shows no appreciation of that at all. He must have been thinking out his arse as usual. Remember McCain is Bush on Steroids and Palin is Chaney on steroids - weren't steroids banned for good reason???

[BillORights1776]

Nah..he knows...He also knows the press will always come back to him as soon as he throws them another bbq party.

[realpolitic]

As Obama rises in the polls and McCain sinks, McCain's mood swings will become more demonstrable. He will lash out at everyone and anyone, until he realizes he can not win. Then he will regain his old form. By then, no one will ever look at him the same. It is a sad decline for an aging war hero.

[JScott]

Didn't McC appear in drag in an SNL sketch, folks help me on this.

[IowaKid]

FINALLY someone picked up on it. We should be due for another drama in about 2 more weeks.

[tuttlemsm]

Spot. On.