John McCain is a gambler. So he took a gamble and went on the David Letterman show last night. It should be the final straw that pulls the support out from under him.
The gamble was a huge failure-- a massive error in judgment. It is clear that McCain failed to assess he depth or risk of the gamble-- just how much he could be hurt, how bad he would look in so many ways.
McCain responding to Letterman Watching McCain sit under Letterman's masterful manipulations, it was uncomfortable. He was, as the huffingtonpost described, grovelling, totally out of control, weak, helpless, foolish and in the hands and total control of Letterman, like a snivelling little child caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
Letterman was brilliant, doing the job that far too many "news" anchors have failed to do, asking tough questions.
McCain was like a helpless puppy, overwhelmed and adrift at sea, unable to get a grip on the conversation. The thought of him facing a leader of another nation, or of a cabinet of grownups with serious responsibiities-- seemed very remote. Perhaps it makes his faith in Sarah Palin somewhat believable. He was so out of his depth, dealing with a smart talk-show host, that perhaps he really does see Palin as competent to do the job of president, based on his own woefully inadequate abilities.
Observing McCain, helpless, dominated by Letterman, helps one to understand how he allowed his campaign to be taken over by Rovian operatives so the McCain persona which so many Americans had grown to love and appreciate, was obliterated and replaced by a waffling, erratic, meanspirited political hack. The reason is simple. McCain is not strong enough to stand up to a strong person. His pathetic act on the Letterman show should be obvious to any voter who has ever had an open mind. McCain demonstrated once and for all that even Sarah Palin is more presidential than he is.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com and is a columnist with Northstarwriters.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
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and there are Rob's quotes, here.
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A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
I don't watch the shitte you watch on TV so I can't really say anything about my senator's (registered in Az. as an indy !!) appearance on any given TV or innnernet "show". "Show"................that is what is is.
Are you still watching TV?
My take.........Joe what's-his-name and what's-his-name-Mak-Kain...........
have lost, in reality. But how do we define "reality" ?
Another question; does it really matter ?
Very entertaining, the show. Very good work, keeping it under the lamps.
It matters not.
It has long become transparent.
by
Tony Forest (7 articles, 18 quicklinks, 166 diaries, 1429 comments)
on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 3:02:56 PM
Is McCain merely weak or is he McCarthy reincarnated?
Rob:
Wednesday McCain insisted that the aging, washed-up terrorist Ayres is of no consequence. But today his campaign unleashed a major telephone message campaign charging that Obama’s alleged association with Ayres is proof that he is anti-American.You are right.McCain is a basically weak person who has been totally taken over by the dark forces in the Republican Party. An alternative explanation is that he is the reincarnation of Senator Joseph McCarthy, without the usual age benefit of such.
by
Laurence A. Toenjes (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 19 comments)
on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 5:16:26 PM
I saw the interview, and agree that Letterman asked more probing questions (and follow-ups) than any other 'real' journalist has asked of ANY candidate in the entire election cycle. Letterman also refused to allow McCain off the hook for non-answers, and pressed him to actually answer on a number of issues.
Of particular interest was Letterman's attempt to have McCain hold himself to the same standard he supposedly holds Obama to on the 'Palling around with terrorists' charge. While Obama was 8 years old when he met the 'terrorist' he is accused of 'palling around with', McCain was a U.S. Senator when he attended a fundraiser with G. Gordon Liddy, a convicted felon, Watergate 'Plumber's' alumnus and covert CIA terrorist operative. McCain's inability to even articulate an answer to Letterman's straightforward question was a chilling glimpse into just how much McCain is a product of his handlers, can't think on his feet without adequate coaching and 'tlaking points', and how, if elected, he may make even G.W. Bush seem like an effective leader!
If this is 'Maverick Politics', then I'd rather go with the status quo- rather than vote for a dangerously inadequate, inarticulate and woefully unprepared potential temper time bomb like McCain.
xtrabiggg
++++++++++++++++++++
by
Thaddeus Kaczor Jr (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 36 comments)
on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 5:41:11 PM
(1) Obama wasn't eight when he met Ayers; Obama was eight when Ayers was in his heyday as a Weatherman (1968). They met in the mid 1990s, best I can tell.
(2) On Letterman's question about Liddy: He asked if fairness dictated that McCain should account for his relationship with G. Gordon Liddy, another domestic terrorist (using the term loosely). Before the senator could stop squirming and grinning to answer, they cut to a commercial break -- probably edited in for broadcast, to cover the senator's casting about.
When they came back from the break, McCain had fastened on a response: Liddy has paid his debt, he was a convicted criminal and served his term. I was coming and going by that point (I can't listen to McCain for more than a few minutes at a stretch), but it would have been great if Letterman had pressed on to say that Liddy has recently been advocating violent actions on his and others' radio programs. That would probably have put the senator down for the count, if he wasn't already. If Letterman did bring that up, it may be on the video link embedded in this article, available for others who didn't or couldn't watch Thursday night's Late Show.
It's all truly pathetic this year. I'm sorry Al Franken is busy running for the Senate himself (though I'm glad he may win), because otherwise he'd be making some of the smartest comments on this campaign season that we'd be likely to hear.
by
editnetwork (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 72 comments)
on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 11:52:11 AM
I see, on this site, you can't reply without being censored.
I'll try again. It is smarter than I not smarter than me. As a taxpayer, I apologize, in your school district, obviously school taxes were misspent. At least in the English department.
by
Smarterthanu (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 20 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 2:06:38 PM
fantastic. people with perfect grammar can still fall for complete liars.
r u serious about mccain? that was the weakest i've seen him in the past two years. y did he even appear on letterman, he could have written that off. i think rob's right, he shouldn't have appeared.
in the last debate, all he could do was attack. it made obama seem like the only one with a platform. the maverick's platform apparently consists of "don't elect the other guy cuz he sux." the basis of that being mostly lies, rumors, and guilt by association.
and to follow that up, mccain appears on letterman and this is his interview? he looks too weak to stand up to letterman, how's he going to stand up to the leaders of other countries? our enemies? no, bad move mccain.
by
kenshin (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 34 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 11:32:44 PM
For all the time McCain has been in Congress, he has tried for "change" as in changing his mind. Clean election money. Being for and against Roe v Wade (in some explanation or another). Against torture before he succumbed to quibbling. A Man for All Reasons.
The way I remember Joe McCarthy was as someone with tunnel vision. He got the notion he could convince voters and officials, alike, that he knew how badly the government was infected with commies. If you are going to scare a nation you have to keep on one track. His was the Red Scare, even insinuating against Ike. In those days, folks were more vulnerable because they believed what they read in MSM.
Now we could talk about more recent times and War on Terror, but we don't take that as seriously as we used to. And this financial meltdown is something different, because we knew things weren't going well before the Secy of Treasury told us.
Joe McCarthy had credentials from a war, which got him started. But, sad as things are now, I don't think people are nearly as gullible as they were in the 1940s.
by
Margaret Bassett (38 articles, 2206 quicklinks, 30 diaries, 1501 comments)
on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 10:17:48 PM
I am from AZ, my family settled here from Canada in 1800, Mccain is NOT from AZ, Iowa. It matters to me, because we've watched him and his republican parasitic leeches MOVE here and they've destroyed MY home, I am MOVING my kids outta here , They arn't gonna make insta-felons out of my kids ! I am NOT allowed to say whom Mccain is associated with in South america on here, Butt trust me Mccain is the REAL terrorist !
by
Kimberly C. Townsend (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 7:18:30 AM
One CAN call a fellow Azonan a DRUG addict, cause they don't understand or are like MOST /americans ( in denial)??? But I cannot mention facts/realities about the death squad group Mccain is connected with in south america since the 80s????????( which definetly contributes in a BIG way to him being america's next president !) I am in america right???? OR am I in russia?/east berlin??? Red china perhaps?????? Never fails to shock me... Ayers is a proffesor and a ROLE model to OUR enslaved society ! People NEED to go back to school ( another big problem in our society: fake education)
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Kimberly C. Townsend (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 7:27:30 AM
I am NOT religious, But I have MY god ( a american FREEDOM) and I believe that Mccain SOLD his soul to some-one as a POW, cause MY uncle did NOT come home !!! Here he is a geezer with his shirt collars up to his ears and his depends out on pass from the geezer house and LOOK at the eyes !! , evil! You CAN tell he is racist and Obama was raised by a woman !!! I respect Obama's intellect and u can see the feeling is "mutual" mccain !!!!
by
Kimberly C. Townsend (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 7:34:48 AM
It is TIME for these Bomb/torture era geezers to retire !! The NEW generations have "evolved" past ur progress to destruction, Nuclear, ignorance is bliss/denial generations ! Doing the same thing over & over expecting different results IS insanity ! MOVE over... In with the NEW, No -more thieving/robbing of the american tax payers and kudos tothe person that wrote about Jo plummer whom thinks paying his way is "un-american"! OUT with the monetary system, back to barter ! oops!! some of ya might have to work??????? aah...poor parasites, living off prison systems/tax payers!!
by
Kimberly C. Townsend (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 7:48:08 AM
U CAN TRY and PLAY that card ! Typical, narrow/closedminded, republican leech glutton statement ! I guess u think it is american to send half OUR youth to die in a corporate war and put the other half in prisons for the drugs u ALLOW to flow into OUR country ( a true act of terrorism) or weak from being addicted/or dead??? Oh those POOR countries that COUNT on ENTIRE families being destroyed, so they can eat???? and BUY weapons from for example the south american death squad ( ultra-right wing council where mccain is STILL a board/house member) whom sold weapons to Iran?? WAKE-UP !!!!! Education REAL... NOT incarceration REAL !
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Kimberly C. Townsend (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 7:57:28 AM
I have a question for you???1. If they put nuclear power plants all over ( more) will our enemies even need nuclear weapons to destroy us??2. Do u think it is right or american for times like these, that our so-called reps should still be getting $200,000.00 and $350,000 a year in salaries whan wages everywhere don't even come CLOSE to the "corporate increases/cost of living"?3.You believe it is american and correct for the american people's govts/reps to IGNORE the back bone of america? ( the tax payers)?4. Do you believe that the workers in other countries where corporations "outsourced" are living high on the hog?5. Do you think it is right for certain groups to USE drug flow and prison system to PAY their bills?6. Do you believe that the war in Iraq ( u know for THEIR/OUR freedom) is MORE important than keeping drugs OUT of OUR country?
by
Kimberly C. Townsend (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 8:13:57 AM
I am curious if Mccain's parents (ww2 era) KNOW what he's done in South america? I am shocked on how un-informed/mis-informed americans are !!! It sickens me, especially with as much TV that is watched. People can't even see that this whole digital broadcast in2009 is ANOTHER huge "corporate move" that our NEW incorporated/banker govt is ALLOWING:AGAIN ! And AGAIN... The american people r doing NOTHING! some elder republican woman said " how can they allow terrorists to come here and run for president"??????? WOW????? Is ignorance bliss? Not if a military dictatorship by these WAR mongers is implemented? Then you'll wake-up, it will be too late !
by
Kimberly C. Townsend (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 8:29:25 AM
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