Even if stipulate that he knows geography better than he speaks it, this is a sign of unclear thought processes. A sort of brain chaos. And that terrifies me when someone thus befuddled comes into power.
One would think that, at some point, McCain knew that the Iranians were predominantly Shia, but he stated that they were helping Sunni al Qaeda in Iraq, and Liebermann had to correct him. Something's going on in the brain. What I can't understand is that those close to him must see this even more than the rest of us, and yet they are willing to work to get him elected president, with Palin a heartbeat away.
RR, I read your comment in my email. Why the deletion? It was a subject worth talking about. I'm not averse to having folks disagree with me, you know. It's good to have a discussion with differences of opinion.
For what it's worth, I would not have made reference to you specifically, had your name not already been out there in another comment.
I'm getting a bit short of hearing, so I missed the Hugo Chávez part... but generally thought McCain sounded like Ms Palin: "Snowmash" as we say over here.
I really don't know what happened there, Grandmere - I posted a comment and then it disappeared. My laptop battery also gave out that instant. I'm sure that I didn't purposely delete it!
What was I saying? Simply that all politician, whatever their flavour, are prone to gaffes under the "mikes and lights." Mostly we can laught these off. It's when we start taking the mistakes seriously then we lower the tone of the debate. We become literalists/fundamentalists ourselves, hanging on every word, on or off mike.
So McCain (of oven fry fame!) strung together a clumsy sentnece about oil-producing nations. No worse then Obama's dismissal of those of cling to religion and guns, Gerald Ford's denial that there was a Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, Clinton's insistance that because he looked Irish he was the man to instigate peace there, Jimmy Carter, Dukakis, Gore et al...
Even if we don't like/support the man it is denegratory to pick on one line and over-analyse it. It's the intellectual equivalent of shooting wolves from a helicopter. Ooops, but don't get me started on Sarah Palin ...
This sort of thing has happened too many times for me to dismiss as a another gaffe. In the debate, I found McCain absolutely frightening, angry, stiff, and trying mightily to keep himself under control. He seemed contemptuous of Obama and the whole debate process - that he had to stoop to being there. He almost wasn't.
RR, I had not seen your explanation for the disappearance of your comment when I wrote mine. My answer still stands. I find McCain scary, and his impulsiveness and poor judgment hardly alleviate my fears. The facial tics and strange eye movements are worrisome, too. To me, something is not quite right. I'm not picking on him. I'm saying what I see. Of course, I could be wrong.
Mimi, I agree 100% that his affect in the debate was very odd -- he didn't even look at Obama, and while O called him "John" he stuck with "Senator Obama" -- I got the same sense as you that this discussion with a no-nothing upstart junior senator was beneath him, and he was barely restraining himself from saying so. And that repetition of "Senator Obama doesn't understand..." He reminds me of a certain type of old=fashioned priest who can't hear anything his (yes, the gender is specific) vestry say, and who dismisses it all with "We've seen this before... You don't understand... Just trust me..." before blowing up with anger or inappropriate actions.
We don't need that in the White House! Must we run from President Know-Nothing to President Hush-You-Whippersnappers? To say nothing of Sarah P, who, if that fabled heartbeat were to stop, would surely be the know-nothingest president in US history.
If John McCain were a man on the street, or even if he were to stay in his job in the Senate, I would not be running on about these matters, but, for crying out loud!!! he's running for president of the United States, and, in many ways, president of the world, and he chose a woman who demonstrates a high level of ignorance to be a heartbeat away from the job.
Wow, one would think that as long as he's been in the Senate, etc, etc, etc, he would know better.
ReplyDeleteAnother one for the "Not To Be Believed" file. Do enough people care about this sort of thing to make a difference?
ReplyDeleteEven if stipulate that he knows geography better than he speaks it, this is a sign of unclear thought processes. A sort of brain chaos. And that terrifies me when someone thus befuddled comes into power.
ReplyDeleteWhat Paul said.
ReplyDeleteOne would think that, at some point, McCain knew that the Iranians were predominantly Shia, but he stated that they were helping Sunni al Qaeda in Iraq, and Liebermann had to correct him. Something's going on in the brain. What I can't understand is that those close to him must see this even more than the rest of us, and yet they are willing to work to get him elected president, with Palin a heartbeat away.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOh, please RR, let us pounce!
ReplyDeleteRR, I read your comment in my email. Why the deletion? It was a subject worth talking about. I'm not averse to having folks disagree with me, you know. It's good to have a discussion with differences of opinion.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I would not have made reference to you specifically, had your name not already been out there in another comment.
Susan, it's nice to have your picture by your words.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mimi!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting a bit short of hearing, so I missed the Hugo Chávez part... but generally thought McCain sounded like Ms Palin: "Snowmash" as we say over here.
ReplyDeleteBut the Chavez bit was astounding.
Where in the world is- Venezuela?
ReplyDeleteI really don't know what happened there, Grandmere - I posted a comment and then it disappeared. My laptop battery also gave out that instant. I'm sure that I didn't purposely delete it!
ReplyDeleteWhat was I saying? Simply that all politician, whatever their flavour, are prone to gaffes under the "mikes and lights." Mostly we can laught these off. It's when we start taking the mistakes seriously then we lower the tone of the debate. We become literalists/fundamentalists ourselves, hanging on every word, on or off mike.
So McCain (of oven fry fame!) strung together a clumsy sentnece about oil-producing nations. No worse then Obama's dismissal of those of cling to religion and guns, Gerald Ford's denial that there was a Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, Clinton's insistance that because he looked Irish he was the man to instigate peace there, Jimmy Carter, Dukakis, Gore et al...
Even if we don't like/support the man it is denegratory to pick on one line and over-analyse it. It's the intellectual equivalent of shooting wolves from a helicopter. Ooops, but don't get me started on Sarah Palin ...
This sort of thing has happened too many times for me to dismiss as a another gaffe. In the debate, I found McCain absolutely frightening, angry, stiff, and trying mightily to keep himself under control. He seemed contemptuous of Obama and the whole debate process - that he had to stoop to being there. He almost wasn't.
ReplyDeleteRR, I had not seen your explanation for the disappearance of your comment when I wrote mine. My answer still stands. I find McCain scary, and his impulsiveness and poor judgment hardly alleviate my fears. The facial tics and strange eye movements are worrisome, too. To me, something is not quite right. I'm not picking on him. I'm saying what I see. Of course, I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteMimi, I agree 100% that his affect in the debate was very odd -- he didn't even look at Obama, and while O called him "John" he stuck with "Senator Obama" -- I got the same sense as you that this discussion with a no-nothing upstart junior senator was beneath him, and he was barely restraining himself from saying so. And that repetition of "Senator Obama doesn't understand..." He reminds me of a certain type of old=fashioned priest who can't hear anything his (yes, the gender is specific) vestry say, and who dismisses it all with "We've seen this before... You don't understand... Just trust me..." before blowing up with anger or inappropriate actions.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need that in the White House! Must we run from President Know-Nothing to President Hush-You-Whippersnappers? To say nothing of Sarah P, who, if that fabled heartbeat were to stop, would surely be the know-nothingest president in US history.
Rant mode off...
He's still smarter than Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteHe's still smarter than Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteLindy, if you say so. And that means....
Tobias dear, I love your rants.
ReplyDeleteIf John McCain were a man on the street, or even if he were to stay in his job in the Senate, I would not be running on about these matters, but, for crying out loud!!! he's running for president of the United States, and, in many ways, president of the world, and he chose a woman who demonstrates a high level of ignorance to be a heartbeat away from the job.
Lindy - everyone is smarter than Sarah .... no, please don't get me going!
ReplyDelete