John McCain doesn't know how to use a computer. John McCain doesn't know when he last pumped gas or what it cost. John McCain owns seven homes and forgot to pay taxes on one of them for the past four years. But at least he's not an elitist like Barack Obama. He earned his money the old-fashioned way -- marrying an heiress.
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Out of Touch
29 Jun 2008 02:28 pm
Comments (58)
Not disagreeing with your general point, but I don't think there's much to that gas price anecdote. Looks to me like McCain was refusing, properly, to play along with a cheap gotcha.
At least Senator McCain isn't lying about his birth certificate.
http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/12944.htm
It's not a cheap gotcha if you get got.
Mc$ame?
(By the time we get done with this, it's going to be the prince symbol or something)
I disagree vehemently with the comparison BruceMcF makes. McSame strikes me as being much more Nineteenth Century. I'm reading George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman when I need a break at the moment, and I'm seeing some parallels, I can tell you ...
Um, none of this matters really if the Obama camp doesn't make a big deal out of it.
John Kerry McCain. Biggest. Phony. Ever.
Um, none of this matters really if the Obama camp doesn't make a big deal out of it.
To be sort-of-fair about this, being a member of the elite class doesn't necessarily make you an elitist. What's indisputable is that McCain is, in fact, a member in good standing of the American elite-- son and grand-son of admirals, US Senator, married into wealth, alpha male, etc. And Obama is, in fact, none of the above.
Umm, well, except for US Senator.
Well, you have to admit one thing about McCain- he manages to make Bush look scholarly and intelligent, he makes Reagan look wise, and he makes Nixon look humble.
If you didn't know any better, you would think the Republicans couldn't come up with a worse candidate. But I've thought that before and been wrong- more than once.
The media is largely failing us in this election, failing to point out adequately the many flaws of John McCain.
I am really getting disgusted with the way so many in the media cover for McCain. The media failed us with regards to the war in Iraq, Bush, and now are failing us with regards to McCain.
We need to go around the media if necessary and get the truth out. The media seems to care more about their being buddy buddy with McCain than with little things like truth, balanced coverage, the good of the country, etc.
Hmm. Looks like Matt's plot to shoo BP away from advertising here to make room for Bam's ads was a success.
This blog is now less of an abomination than part of the Obamanation... ;-)
Don't worry Matt, the media is going to run with this meme any minute now.
Just Google "McCain California Taxes" and watch how many MSM stories pop-up.
O.K. so the answer is zero, but one day the MSM will challenge McCain in the same hard hitting manner they challenged Bush over Iraq, torture, WMD, Abramoff and Katrina. That is to say, not at all.
CM,
Like KC, this story is not going to have legs unless the Obama campaign pounds it. The Obama is failing at playing the refs and that is why McCain gets away with it.
I don't think the tax story will have lots of legs but I am stunned that it is not even reported by any other outlets.
NONE. NOTHING. NADA.
Do you have any idea what an elitist is or why America hates them?
John McCain could drive a volvo, eat sushi, summer in Southern France but as long as he respects the choices of ordinary Americans he will never be an elitist. People just don't like being told by anyone (elite or otherwise) how to live their lives and that is what republicans find so repugnant in Obama and most democrats.
"If you didn't know any better, you would think the Republicans couldn't come up with a worse candidate"
The Republicans face an even worse problem: they couldn't pick a worse candidate, but they couldn't pick a better one, either. The Republicans used to be able to win by veering right and energizing their base (it's what made Karl Rove famous). But they're a minority party now and that strategy won't work. So they have to steer to the middle. And their base gets angry and disaffected by that turn. The problem is that it is impossible to appeal to the far right and independents at the same time. The Democrats don't face that problem because there is no far left anymore. We're all pretty much moderates these days. Even Tom Hayden sounds pretty reasonable now.
People just don't like being told by anyone (elite or otherwise) how to live their lives
Because Death Or Glory McCain isn't telling people to go and get blown up in Iraq until they stop getting blown up, and after that, to still go off to Iraq?
Fuck off, reptile.
All of those things are better than being the kind of clueless idiot who believes that you can say one thing to audience X, the opposite to audience Y, and think that no one will ever notice.
That's the kind of guy Obama is, and you know what? I'd rather have the guy who's not down with the internet than the "say anything to get by" sort.
People just don't like being told by anyone (elite or otherwise)
----
If that were true, the actions of the Bush presidency to constrain civil liberties would have been wildly unpopular. Vladmir Putin wouldn't be enjoying an absurdly high approval rating in Russia... et cetera.
However, all this phooey about McCain's wealth is just that. No one cares. Its his policy that seals his doom come November.
John McCain could drive a volvo, eat sushi, summer in Southern France but as long as he respects the choices of ordinary Americans he will never be an elitist
So Michael Dukakis looking funny in a tank showed he doesn't respect the choices of ordinary Americans?
John Kerry windsurfing? That somehow symbolized that he doesn't respect the choices of ordinary Americans.
Al Gore's concern for the environment? Obama sucking at bowling?
The truth is, Republican propagandists have been thrilled to play up any supposedly non-native hobbies of Democrats as symbols that they're different from us regular folks. Then it's just one short step to the extrapolation that they must not respect us. It's just a dumb political game, but not so dumb that it doesn't influence the moron slice of the electorate.
I'll tell you what I don't respect: monster truck rallies. You have to be a real moron to enjoy those. I'm also 100% sure that a lot of commercial country music is total crap. I also think NASCAR is unbelievably wasteful and boring, but, who knows, maybe there's something sophisticated going on there that I'm missing. I also think that the "git'er'done" guy is stupid and unfunny. Also, many Americans' dietary habits are really disgusting and self-defeating, and the health consequences of those habits are ultimately expensive for everyone in the country. And now that I think of it, a lot of popular tv sitcoms and dramas show that the baseline of American taste is very low indeed. Personally, I also have a prejudice against the millions RVS befouling America's otherwise fantastic national parks on an annual basis. Good thing I'm not running for president.
All of those things are better than being the kind of clueless idiot who believes that you can say one thing to audience X, the opposite to audience Y, and think that no one will ever notice.
The flip flops of John McCain:
# Rogue-state rollback (for it, then against it)
# Pledging not to raise taxes (did it, then took it back)
# Whether he considered joining Kerry's ticket in 2004 (affirmed on national television, then denied)
# Cigarette tax (championed, then opposed)
# Housing crisis remedy (warned against government intervention, then called for same)
# Balancing the budget (promised to, then said he wouldn't even try)
# Social Security privatization (made a proposal, then disowned it)
# Waterboarding ban(for it, then against it)
# Long-term presence in Iraq (against it, then for it)
# DREAM Act (cosponsored it, then opposed it)
# Immigration legislation (wrote it, then promised to vote against it)
# Lobbying transparency bill (sponsored it, then promised to vote against it)
# Difficulty of Iraq War (said it would be easy, now claims he knew otherwise)
# Criticism of Donald Rumsfeld (invented ex post facto)
# Repeal of Roe v. Wade (against it, then for it)
# Gay marriage (for it, then against it)
# Jerry Falwell (labelled "an agent of intolerance," then courted as a friend)
# Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy (against them, then for them)
# Criticizing Bush's tax cuts for bias toward the wealthy (did it, then denied doing it)
# Campaigning at Bob Jones University (opposed it, then did it)
# MLK holiday (against it, then for it)
# Ethanol (against it, then for it)
# the Confederate Flag (both for and against it)
# Henry Kissinger (explicitly shunned (2000), then appointed as national co-chair (2008))
John McCain is a clueless idiot.
Mr Gecko,
Yeah, who wants to be told that they have to bear a child, can't get birth control or an abortion, can't marry who they want to -- oh wait, it's the Republicans who are telling us that.
Perhaps that's why most Americans can't stand the Republican Party.
Look, I'm aware there are McCain bonus points or something for writing stupid shit on liberal blogs.
But be aware, McCain supporters: Aside from his laundry list of flip flops, your guy is probably the first candidate in history who is openly running against two bills that bear his name (McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy). Your guy has broken campaign finance law. Your guy had surgery for cancer in the middle of the Republican primary and neglected to tell the voters. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
In a forum where people actually care about facts, McCain is not going to win a credibility contest. And you, personally, will get embarrassed pressing his case. Fair warning.
"Because Death Or Glory McCain isn't telling people to go and get blown up in Iraq until they stop getting blown up, and after that, to still go off to Iraq?"
I guess the commenter who wrote that still thinks it's 1968, and still thinks there's the draft.
The rest of us noticed that the draft ended over 30 years ago, and that the only people who even talk about bringing it back are Democrats.
the kind of clueless idiot who believes that you can say one thing to audience X, the opposite to audience Y, and think that no one will ever notice.
Wow, are you asking for it.
Just the other week McCain gave a sort of booster-talk to what he thought was a semi-closed meeting of an immigrant group, but it turns out that the local president of the 'Minutemen' (anti-immigrant group) snuck in. That is the quintessential 'saying one thing to audience X and another to audience Y'. It's not even competent pandering. It's clueless and idiotic! Are we talking about the same John McCain, Mr Robertson? Are you really that dim?
Look, f*ck this "McCain is 'out of touch nonsense'" & call it for what it is: McCain is OLD. Period. And it does make a difference, dammit!
I remember a comedian making riffing on Ronald Regan: "He's 76 & he has his finger on "the button"? My grandfather's 76 years old & we don't even let him near the TV remote.".
Age matters a helluva lot more than race. Being black (&/or young) doesn't impede one's cognitive functions, being old, on the other hand... well, you be the judge.
Another great post from MattY!
He really dug into this story instead of just posting a cheap - and misleading - shot.
Meanwhile, don't read this, because your opinion of MattY will fall even lower.
And, of course, don't expect MattY to point out just how lame the rest of the interview was.
Leave all those complicated matters to other bloggers, MattY is for entertainment purposes only.
He really dug into this story instead of just posting a cheap - and misleading - shot.
Meanwhile, don't read this, because your opinion of MattY will fall even lower.
MattY: "John McCain doesn't know when he last pumped gas or what it cost."
Your link: "But McCain isn’t saying he doesn’t know the price of gas. He is saying that he doesn’t remember the last time he pumped his own gas, and how much it cost then."
Precisely the same. Yeah, Matt really fell in my estimation there, buddy. Are you really this stupid? Or do you get some sort of remuneration for acting this way?
"He earned his money the old-fashioned way -- marrying an heiress."
Is this disqualifying for a prez candidate? Should I have voted for Bush instead of Kerry in 04? Did Matt?
"John McCain owns seven homes and forgot to pay taxes on one of them for the past four years."
Gosh, you mean a U.S. senator owns multiple homes and is sloppy about taxes?
As one poster so correctly put it the other day, anything one "side" has done the other "side" has done as well. There's no monopoly of virtue here.
I will vote for Obama this year, and voted for Kerry in 04. But it's not because I buy into Matt's childish comic book version of political reality where one cowboy always wears the black hat and the other always wears the white. And considering Matt's background, his talking about elitism is...you know, rocks, glass, houses, etc.
I get 5 VRWC Bucks everytime I discredit MattY, and I'm *this* close to winning that trip to Disneyworld.
However, since I only get 2 VRWC *Cents* every time I discredit a fellow commenter, I'll keep it brief.
The overall point of this post is to try to show that McCain is "out of touch", yet about a week ago he knew what the price of gas was and going through the motions of buying and pumping gas doesn't necessarily mean that someone is in touch. If the measure is being concerned about how one is going to afford gas, McCain is no more out of touch than hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Find a real issue; here's a hint: it's the one that the interviewer fell down on.
I will vote for Obama this year, and voted for Kerry in 04. But it's not because I buy into Matt's childish comic book version of political reality where one cowboy always wears the black hat and the other always wears the white. And considering Matt's background, his talking about elitism is...you know, rocks, glass, houses, etc.
Please try to think about this some more, and then try again.
Gecko - vacation in Bizarro World much? Not that Republicans would vigorously repress the practice and teaching of science, give first priority to controlling women's sexuality, or persecute gays, right? They'd never *dream* of telling others how to live their lives - as long as they live them as straight white men who wholeheartedly endorse the current economic order.
What counts in Bizarro World is that the occasional Dem weakly opposes the right of the right to poison the earth for all future generations -- or, worse, wants to raise taxes so kids can go to preschool or see a doctor.
The freedom to pillage and exploit while blithely ignoring widespread suffering and terrible environmental degradation: that's what the real powers of the Republican party (not the poor suckers along for the ride) want.
Um, none of this matters really if the Obama camp doesn't make a big deal out of it.
Well, or the Lapdog Press.
The overall point of this post is to try to show that McCain is "out of touch", yet about a week ago he knew what the price of gas was and going through the motions of buying and pumping gas doesn't necessarily mean that someone is in touch. If the measure is being concerned about how one is going to afford gas, McCain is no more out of touch than hundreds of thousands of Americans.
I think there's some question whether he "knew what the price of gas was" or knew to read that line off the teleprompter, but leave that aside.
I presume Obama wouldn't immediately remember when he last pumped gas and at what price, either, if he was put on the spot. The problematic part of McCain's response came after that, "I don’t recall and frankly, I don’t see how it matters."
The question asks how much the price of gas impacts McCain's day to day life, and McCain's response is (a) not much and (b) he doesn't see why that's relevant. That sounds badly out of touch with the day to day lives most Americans lead. If you read the interview to the end, McCain himself seems to recognize that he flubbed it and tries to clean up the quote before the reporter hangs up. His supporters should go with that self correction; insisting that he was right all along only draws more attention to a pretty unflattering moment.
"People just don't like being told by anyone (elite or otherwise) how to live their lives and that is what republicans find so repugnant in Obama and most democrats"
You're right, I don't want to be told what to do. Which is exactly why I don't want John McCain telling me who to have sex with, what position to use, and that I must risk my life and not use a condom (he really does oppose the Griswold decision). I don't want him telling me that I must consume more oil, that I must worship Jesus, and that I must support the invasion of Iran. The Republicans have been telling me that crap for years, and I'm sick of it. You might think the Democrats are bad in telling you how to live your life, but the Republicans are far worse. Thanks to us, you get to watch your porn and publicly deride it too. If you lived in a conservative society like Saudi Arabia, you couldn't do that, could you? It is thanks to us that our society is more enlightened than Saudi Arabia. And it is thanks to you that our society is less enlightened than Europe. If you want freedom, then stop supporting candidates who want to take it away.
Gordon, first, there's nothing more pathetic than a Canadian desperate to act like an American right-winger.
Next, I know that you have an irrational aversion to taxes, but that's because you're a spoiled brat of a teenager whgo doesn't realize that taxes made your life possible and gave you the freedom to adhere to the sick gutter right-wing ideology that you've taken up. McCain's refusal and inability to pay taxes is nothing less than a rank theft and spit in the face at the American people who have paid his way his entire life, and you can't even be bothered to get off your ass and complain about it. Meanwhile, you seem to lack any particular complaint that McCain accepts warrantless wiretapping, extensions of stupid wars, and generally has a lot of contempt for freedom. Instead you're shilling for the little sleazebag.
Why don't you lose the bullshit patronizing tone for once, you wannabe right-wing asshole?
Obama is using quite a bit of restraint by not hammering McCain on this (plus McCain's refusal to disclose his taxes by hiding behind his wife). You could chalk it up to him "running a respectful campaign", but I think he (and McCain) lost the ability to make that claim a month or so ago.
McCain is saved from being the archetypal "empty suit" by virtue of having been a POW. He's a former POW empty suit.
Robertson: "I'd rather have the guy who's not down with the internet than the "say anything to get by" sort."
Like yourself, eh?
Robertson posts the most absurd assertional bullshit of anybody on this blog except Chris Ford, Robert Powell, and SLC. I can't remember one time he's ever bothered to cite a reference supporting anything he's ever said.
southpaw says: The question asks how much the price of gas impacts McCain's day to day life, and McCain's response is (a) not much and (b) he doesn't see why that's relevant.
I knew the first link I provided above was there for a reason!
Because, as the first link I provided above shows, your interpretation is wrong. McCain doesn't think it matters that he hasn't pumped his own gas for a while. That's an entirely separate issue from him caring about high prices; his many previous statements relating to high prices show that he cares or is at least pretending to as part of his job.
Once again: find another issue.
We wouldn't want to compare J-Mac's price oblivion with Bam's policy successes in "servicing" his former constituents, now would we?
Farewell, change agent! Hello, standard-issue Chicago pol!
McCain said he asks his wife for computer assistance. I don't think that's a big deal:
http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/06/22/john-mccain-a-low-tech-candidate-for-president/
Southpaw, thanks for the litany of McCain shifts in position. I guess Obama has also changed his mind on occasion:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022402094.html
Since that WaPo article, there have apparently been a couple more Obama shifts: individual rights to own handguns (against then for) and telecom immunity with regard to FISA (against then for). Would changing his mind on a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq be a deal-breaker for you?
On FOX this morning, Bill Kristol predicted that McCain would soon flip-flop on drilling in Artic National Wlldlife Refuge and that Obama would flip-flop on a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.
there's nothing more pathetic than a Canadian desperate to act like an American right-winger.
If I were Canadian, I'd support the American right-wing as well. As long as the right-wing is in power in America, Canada doesn't have to spend a dime on self defense. They can spend all their tax revenue on healthcare. If the left ever gets their act together and breaks up the MIC, then the Canadians will have to go back to hiding under the Queen of England's skirts whenever there is a war.
As long as the right-wing is in power in America, Canada doesn't have to spend a dime on self defense.
Aside from the fact that Canada buys diesel submarines for the sole purpose of giving the US subs something to hunt in their stupid wargames, Canadian troops are in the hot seat, taking the lead in Kandahar - meaning US troops can surge into the clusterfuck known as Iraq. In fact, thanks to criminally idiotic yahoo US fighter pilots, Canada's first fatalities since Korea were thanks to US ordinance there.
But you keep dreaming in technicolor about what Canada spends on defence, jerkoff.
Isn't the obvious point that Obama is even more out of touch than McCain? After all, Obama got Secret Service protection much earlier than McCain did. Gotcha!
What a bunch of morons. It's one thing to think a bunch of idiots watching the teevee would find this persuasive. It's sad to actually find it persuasive. Many of Barry's fans are finding it hard to straddle that line.
...Obama would flip-flop on a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.
Obama has never been for immediate withdrawal. In fact,Obama has always said that he wants to withdraw the troops from Iraq in sixteen months but if conditions on the ground make that difficult then he will reconsider the timeline.
I get 5 VRWC Bucks everytime I discredit MattY, and I'm *this* close to winning that trip to Disneyworld.
Kelly just wants to spend all day there handing out pamphlets that explain how EPCOT's Mexico pavilion is part of the GreatBrownInsurgencia.
You seem to forget that Obama went to Columbia Snoot-iversity and Haaaahvahhhd, whereas John McCain, like a real man, barely avoided flunking out of his dad's alma mater.
You seem to forget that Obama went to Columbia Snoot-iversity and Hahhhhvahhhd, whereas McCain, like a real man, barely avoided flunking out of his dad's alma mater.
Lay off the transparently partisan cheap shots and stick to substance and policy, Matt.
Andrew Sullivan : The Clintons :: Matt Yglesias : McCain
On FOX this morning, Bill Kristol predicted...
After his "predictions" about Iraq, why would anybody listen to Bill Kristol?
It seems that it is the Republicans who are upset about "elitism" and "flip-flops" rather than the Democrats. That's why it's funny that the Republican can't bother to keep his stories straight, pay his taxes, or gets upset about being asked the price-at-the-pump question. Most Democrats think these are stupid non-issues. But as long as Republicans seem to think they should be the crux of the election, it seems fair to point out examples of elitism and flip-flops by the Republican candidate.
Micheline, my understanding was that Obama is proposing to begin withdrawing the troops immediately. I believe he proposed legislation to begin the withdrawal of combat brigades on May 1, 2007 and complete the withdrawal by March 31st, 2008. Small point, but that is 11 months, not 16.
I think the late Tim Russert asked him what he would do if Al-Qaeda had a base in Iraq and Obama responded that that would change the situation. I guess the follow-up question for Obama is, how many Al-Qaeda members in Iraq are worth utilizing our military to fight: 2, 20, 200?
Matthew Y., I recently read somewhere that the new Republican strategy is not to cast Obama as an elitist, but rather as a typical politician who will say anything to get elected. Given recent shifts on public financing, telecom immunity in regards to FISA, and individual rights to own handguns in DC... their argument might actually have legs. What do you think?
Comments closed July 13, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Hey, hey, hey, at least he divorced his first wife to marry the heiress ... he's not completely 18th century.
Posted by BruceMcF | June 29, 2008 2:45 PM