“You know who voted for it [an energy bill]? You might never know…that one.” -John McCain
A derogatory reference dehumanizing/objectifying Obama or an out-of-touch dig by an old curmudgeon?
Your thoughts, please.
“That one”
October 7th, 2008 · 28 Comments
Tags: Life
28 responses so far ↓
1 Jen // Oct 7, 2008 at 8:43 pm
At first I honestly thought he was just being a sad old man on “that one” but the more I think about it the more I think it was a little more hateful.
2 Jen // Oct 7, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Also, isn’t there something about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result being a sign of insanity?
3 Melanie @ Mel, A Dramatic Mommy // Oct 7, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Grumpy old man with his frustration hanging out all over the place.
4 meera // Oct 7, 2008 at 10:16 pm
I think it was an old man, attempting humor, but instead illustrating his fundamental lack of wisdom. And I swear, if I have to listen to him address the public as “my friends” one.more.time….I WILL puke.
5 Stephanie // Oct 8, 2008 at 2:27 am
Both. I put my dvr on record and turned off the debate 30 minutes into it. Obama was doing such a nice job, so sincere. McCain was just pissing me off with his out of touch responses and constant attacking.
6 Cheri @ Blog This Mom! // Oct 8, 2008 at 3:11 am
Old fart.
7 Mary // Oct 8, 2008 at 3:44 am
I think he was just pissy. I also think he’s been building up to something pretty vile that he’s letting his VP pick and his campaign actually say out loud, that Obama is a distasteful poser who actually wants terrorists to rule America. McCain just won’t say it out loud, but the implication that Obama was less than was out there. McCain’s desperate. And he’s losing.
8 Allison // Oct 8, 2008 at 3:45 am
He probably had a “senior moment” forgot Obama’s name, ha ha ha.
I’m glad I’m not the only one nauseated by “my friends” - ick!
9 Blondish // Oct 8, 2008 at 5:56 am
I agree with the other Mary. McCain is losing. He’s losing badly. He’s desperate, and desperation is driving him to abandon any sort of aspiration towards a loftier goal, and instead say anything he think will help him win. It’s ugly, vicious and empirically false. We know it. He knows it.
10 kerryanne // Oct 8, 2008 at 6:06 am
Statements like that just show his true colors. I took it like he was trying to be sarcastically funny and yet…it also smacked of the other.
11 Robert K // Oct 8, 2008 at 6:07 am
I unfortunately missed that quote, so can’t express an opinion. The McCain quote that floored me was his comment on Nuclear power and how utterly dismissive he was of the risks:
What I am most bothered by is how many people seem to honestly believe McCain/Palin is a better choice. Fortunately they are in the minority, but I fundamentally can not comprehend the mindset required for to buy into the bull-pucky they’re slinging. I have more in common with the most remote cannibal tribesman in New Guinea than I do with the die-hard republican down the street from me. And the consequences of this election, this choice, are so important that it has me questioning my relationships with friends and family members who don’t get it. It’s frightening.
12 san // Oct 8, 2008 at 6:31 am
Really annoying. And did you notice that all Republicans seem to have this weird “smirk”…?
13 Susan // Oct 8, 2008 at 7:10 am
Between that and the refusal to shake hands, I think spiteful old man - and I wonder, if there is some racism there, too.
It was very telling to me that he and his wife are not interested in wading into the crowd and meeting people, she kept her hands behind her back and did not approach the spectators and they left the room right away. The Obamas stayed and talked and posed for photos. So who is more in touch with the people?
14 Prof. J. // Oct 8, 2008 at 7:16 am
Really bad sense of humor and an old fart.
15 stacy // Oct 8, 2008 at 8:01 am
I was going to say “curmudgeon,” but as I wrote it out I began thinking about how the McCain campaign has been amping up their sidewinding rhetoric linking Obama to “terrorists” and “terrorism”, and asking repeatedly, like we should all be very afraid, “Just who is Barack Obama?” I’m not sure whether the statement happened because McCain’s drinking his own toxic kool-aid, or whether it was more calculated. Does it matter, I wonder? In case of the former, he’s a fearful and misguided old fool, and in the case of the latter, a morally-bankrupt and conniving old fool, willing to prey upon Americans’ worst prejudices in his grab for power.
16 Martha // Oct 8, 2008 at 11:13 am
Consider the source.
17 Pam // Oct 8, 2008 at 12:00 pm
The thing that I couldn’t believe was that McCain said he knew where Osama bin Laden is and how to get him. OH, REALLY??? And how thousands of additional lives will be lost before you SHARE that information?? I wish Obama would have called him on it.
18 Mark // Oct 8, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I think it was one of those moments where the real John McCain showed through his phony “my friends” demeanor. He couldn’t even look at Barack Obama during the first debate. He’s having a hard time hiding his disdain, which seems to increase as his poll numbers continue to slide.
19 Kris // Oct 8, 2008 at 1:38 pm
It is clear that Senator McCain does not like, in any terms you wish to define, Senator Obama.
20 melanie // Oct 8, 2008 at 2:32 pm
It’s the smirk that gets me! Like, he knows some big secret that we don’t. Reminds me of George Bush. I really can’t even hardly stand to hear him speak because it’s so obvious he’s grasping at straws to try and save his campaign. And Palin!!!?? I thought I was going to puke the other day when she kept saying, gosh darnit, golly gee Joe, and Joe six-pack! W.T.F?? It just makes me realize how these two are so out of touch with “middle” America. And somebody needs to tell her that winking in the middle of a Vice Presidential Debate speech makes her look like a two bit whore. Whew! I feel better now that I’ve gotten that off my chest.
21 Tiara // Oct 8, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Both. I think it was said out of contempt for Obama, no surprise there. But I’m more intrigued by what the comment says beneath the surface. While he may not have consciously intended it to be objectifying, dehumanizing an opponent makes it easier to excuse hate crimes and acts of physical violence carried out against them and their supporters. Turning Jews and their sympathizers into ‘other’, ‘the enemy’, and eventually ‘vermin’ in the eyes of the general public worked well for Nazi Germany, maybe the Palin/McCain camp is looking back on history after all!
22 stupidmommy // Oct 8, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Blondish: He’s not losing badly! He’s losing by just a little bit, though it may seem otherwise in Cambridge.
Mark: I think the real McCain shows through constantly in his demeanor and delivery. Even when he’s making pronouncements that are cheery on the face of it–my friends, we can do it! we’re great! we’re Americans! the best is yet to come!–he does it through clenched teeth, looking seriously pissed off and bitter.
23 Jenn @ Juggling Life // Oct 8, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I think true colors will out.
24 Craig // Oct 10, 2008 at 2:30 am
Right now, I’m too tired and angry to care.
25 Craig // Oct 10, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I thought you might like this.
26 bordtodth // Oct 11, 2008 at 10:37 am
I just sent for a couple of t-shirts reading “That One ‘08″. They were very “inexpensive” ($14. each and $10. for every one after that), but it’s definitely disposable clothing. The website is:
http://www.obamatshirts.us (I think.)
27 scoutj // Oct 12, 2008 at 3:12 pm
seriously fucked UP. but you know what? it helped Barack so I’m glad he did it.
28 joe // Oct 12, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hey, A–
Check out this bit of Betty White on Craig Ferguson’s show. She’s still got what she had during the Mary Tyler Moore years….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxL7MKsGoPo
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