Yet another WTF web video from the McCain campaign:
I guess the idea is that this is supposed to make John McCain seem less old.
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McCain's Mom
09 May 2008 09:57 am
Comments (48)
John McCain has fallen, and he can't get up.
The league of nations thing should sink him. Fucking dinosaur.
i think the editing seems really odd. makes me wonder what the director's cut looks like.
John McCain has a strong anti-Kaiser policy that he'd love to talk about with you.
She refuses to look at him.
She seems nice, but I doubt that ad is going to make young people think McCain is younger than he really is. In fact, that reminded me of the Mandelbaums episodes of Seinfeld (a reference which I guess is unlikely to make me look any younger than I really am).
John McCain has a strong anti-Kaiser policy that he'd love to talk about with you.
This is the sort of thing produced by people who are trying to appear funny and likeable, but actually have no clue how to be either of those things. McCain's humor always sounds a little bit forced and over-jovial, but most of the time it's possible to at least appreciate some of his jokes (i.e., his appearance on TDS the other day). But this video is just painful to watch.
I think it's a good video to help shut down the idea that McCain will be dead in a few years. Bottom line -- his mother is still lucid. It's sappiness will appeal to a lot of feel-good voters.
is it just me, or does his mother seem sharper in the wits and more articulate than he? and having been a navy mother and a navy wife, might be less likely to start any stupid wars.
btw ... if McCain's father (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S._McCain%2C_Jr.), grandfather(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S._McCain%2C_Sr.) and great-grandfather (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S._McCain%2C_Sr.#Early_life_and_career) are all John Sidney McCain, why is he John Sidney McCain III instead of JSM IV?
You guys have totally missed the point of this spot.
Its to reassure us that John McCain can and will live long enough to serve out his term(s) as President. "with my bloodlines, eight more years, no problem."
OMG she looks like the younger version of his wife.
I come from a long-lived family- many of my relatives were still physically vigorous into their late 80s/early 90s. That doesn't mean that they should have been elected president at those ages. My maternal grandfather went to work every day until he was 91- but after age 70-75 it became very hard for him to analyze new situations. When faced with a new problem, he would search his memory for a solution he already knew that would somewhat fit the new situation. He absolutely should not have been president.
I wouldn't want McCain as president anyway, but if I did, I would be more worried about mental flexibility than lifespan or physical vigor.
I found that mildly creepy.
DTM, perfect Mandelbaum reference. Hilarious at more than one level.
Seriously, WTF is up with that music?
Yes, this is supposed to make John McCain seem younger and to show that he has a sense of humor, but this thing is just strange.
Excellent campaign slogan: Vote for McCain. He won't die in office.
i think the editing seems really odd. makes me wonder what the director's cut looks like.
joshua
McCAIN: I was born on a Friday.
MOTHER: What? John, I told you not more than half an hour ago it was a Thursday. What's the matter with you? You can't seem to remember things any more. Why, just yesterday, you showed up at breakfast without any pants ---
VOICE: Cut!
-------
McCAIN: I was born on a Friday.
MOTHER: Whatever you say. You're the one running for President.
VOICE: Cut!
-------
McCAIN: Mom, on what day of the week was I born?
MOTHER: Oh, I don't know, John; go ask that pretty-little-rich-girl wife of yours. Maybe she wrote it down on one of her tax returns, but she probably won't show it to you.
VOICE: Cut!
-------
McCAIN: Mom, how many fingers am I holding up?
MOTHER: Four, five; I just don't know any more, John... Five, I guess.
McCAIN: Do you just want to tell me you see them, or do you really wish to see them?
VOICE: Cut!
Well, he reminded me of Mother's Day. Which was probably the best thing McCain will ever do for me.
Thanks Johnny!
As a young man, I thought I'd always have a full head of hair, like my dad. Only gradually did I discover I would not. It seems male pattern baldness may follow the maternal grandfather.
Just saying, to reassure us subliminally of McCain's long lifeline, we should see both his parents in the video. Regrettably, his father passed away at age 70.
The video actually makes McCain appear older and more feeble because you can tell by watching his mother and then reflecting on his serial misstatements of what should be simple facts, that he didn't get his mother's longevity genes.
What was all that about happy hour and bottles of scotch? Is the message that once you've overcome fetal alcohol syndrome, you can face anything?
KCinDC,
I think she is suggesting that if McCain is acting up, we just need to rub some scotch on his gums and he will settle down.
They brought scotch as a gift for the baby? Did they buy them from Joe Kennedy or Al Capone?
Also, scotch beats the hell out of frankincense and myrrh.
That was seriously odd, sort of Leave It To Beaver fifty years on.
He's now older than his father and grandfather when they died.
Is longevity passed down on the paternal or maternal side?
John McCain's grandfather led a Carrier Group in the last year of the war against Japan; attended the surrender in Tokyo Bay; returned home and died a week later. His death was undoubtedly stress-related; on death, he weighed about 100 lbs. Sad.
On a lighter note, I'd like to vote for Mom.
27 bottles of scotch on the table for Johnny at The Club the day he was born. Wasn't this a violation of Prohibition or something?
Why, he's just a sprout!
Yeah, the point is obviously that if someone's mother is still sharp as a tack, that person can't be too old to be president. But this video is very odd and almost creepy. She says nothing about McCain other than that he was born, was a good baby, and isn't perfect. I think they should have tried a little harder on this.
All this does is make me feel old. I'm more than 30 years younger than McCain, but my mom has been dead for years. My mom never reached McCain's age, and neither will I. This just reminds me of my own mortality.
He was the sweetest, nicest child I've ever known who now is a short-fused warmonger.
You saw how well having your mom endorse you with HRC.
I don't think this type ad would work with Cindy McCain in the opposite chair. Isn't she a little older than McCain's mom?
Cindy McCain is a fine example of a cougar - rrrrraaaaarrr!!!
As a young man, I thought I'd always have a full head of hair, like my dad. Only gradually did I discover I would not. It seems male pattern baldness may follow the maternal grandfather.
That's what I've always heard. My dad is very bald, but my mother's brother and my mother's cousins still have full heads of hair, so I'm optimistic about keeping mine for a while yet.
I"m not sure if this is purposefully awesome or inadvertently awesome, but it's awesome.
See, see, I'm not either TOO OLD to be Preznut!
Gosh, never mind the obvious (sick-looking-way) the film was cut and edited, was the retirement nurse standing close by in case the poor dementia suffering Ms. McCain failed to complete any coherent sequence and lapsed into drooling again? Oh, and for shame that McCain would do this to his Mom for Mother's Day no less) are the Repugs really for SURE they want this guy for Repug Preznut of 08?
His campaign manager must have been a producer for SNL. AND SNL should certainly do a follow-up scene on this ad simply because it's too tempting NOT too.
I guess it's too late for the Grecian Formula treatment. McCain is going to make the same nasty mistakes that Hillary made, whereby everyone loses respect for him. McCain will end up being the last excuse for any GOP member to ever listen to likes of Bush adminisration ever again. Maybe it DOES matter what the voters think instead of what Karl Rove and Bush thinks?
AND It's been a good thing for the GOP that Hillary and Obama have been making all the news stories, because it's saved the Repugs a lot of grief and embarrassment over how truly stupid McCain appears to be.
Keep enough focus on Mamabear McCain and Obama might just win Utah.
disgusting.
That was just effing delicious. I like when she says, "he's not perfect" and McCain goes, "Maybe you think he didn't pay enough attention to his mother." And she responds with "No. I have no complaints." And then his face spreads into a strained smile.
It's like he's apologizing for dragging her out to do a commercial when he doesn't stay in touch at other times.
Also -- I don't think this does much to reinforce John's youngness, when he and his extremely old looking mother appear, on the internet at least, to be about the same age.
Lastly, I've always heard that McCain comes from a privileged background, I've never seen it as anything more than a fact, a dry piece of information belied by his relatively affable manner, but when his mom refers to "the club" and jokes about scotch, I get a sort of pop-culture inflected impression of boozy pre-depression or maybe 1950s waspy or imitation waspy elites. (Also -- the way she says "I awakened" instead of "I woke up.").
This little mental diorama then takes a turn for the profoundly disturbing when the editing gives the impression that she actually gave birth to McCain in a country club, with a bunch of people around drinking scotch.
Maybe it will work on people who are only half paying attention and see McCain and his mom and some crazy music, but I still give it an F.
"Lastly, I've always heard that McCain comes from a privileged background, I've never seen it as anything more than a fact, a dry piece of information belied by his relatively affable manner, but when his mom refers to "the club" and jokes about scotch..."
I'm guessing the reference is to the Naval Base's Officers' Club, rather than, say, the Harvard Club.
As far as WTF campaign videos go, this one's not bad. At least it'll appeal to its intended audience: country-club-member boomers.
Compare it with, say, Hillary's Sopranos' homage, shot to launch her awesome rock'n'roll campaign theme song. (Celine Dion, of course.) In retrospect, that video -- so tone deaf, so utterly misconceived -- was the handwriting on the wall.
Again, like others, I'll repeat that McCain actually seems in some places to be more mentally feeble and older than his mother. Poor production, poor idea. Yeesh.
Also, please keep pointing out your mother, because that comparison with Obama's situation doesn't make him feel horrible or anything.
I'm trying to imagine the hours of film they shot from which they were able to cull these priceless gems.
The unused portions must have been awesome.
Hey, I thought it was cute and charming, although rather poorly produced. I thought the jaunty, upbeat tune in the background was a nice contrast from the dire warning sounds and stirring patriotic swells that make up most political ad music.
I couldn't tell which, but one of them audibly farted, or perhaps evacuated, about 3/4 into the piece.
"She seems nice, but I doubt that ad is going to make young people think McCain is younger than he really is. In fact, that reminded me of the Mandelbaums episodes of Seinfeld (a reference which I guess is unlikely to make me look any younger than I really am).
Posted by DTM | May 9, 2008 10:09 AM"
Don't worry. Anybody who is old enough to vote should get that reference. Hell, the day before the last episode, we had an assignment in our middle school English class to write about what we thought the last episode would be about.
gregor, that's hilarious.
"Also, please keep pointing out your mother, because that comparison with Obama's situation doesn't make him feel horrible or anything.
Posted by laura | May 9, 2008 2:37 PM"
Yeah, I'm not sure this is the best tactic for McCain to take. Obama's mom was a single mom who died from breast cancer at a young age, so Obama wins on sympathy points there.
I just watched it. WTF?
That reminded me of a cross between the "old people porn" bit on Family Guy ("are those new slacks?") and the "I brought a gay guy to prom" sketch that was on SNL a few years ago.
Comments closed May 23, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
It might have worked better if the background weren't elevator music from the 1920s.
Posted by SP | May 9, 2008 10:03 AM