Dukakis in Tank, Kerry windsurfing and now this the ultimate campaign ender

[grantcart]

edited to add



shit we could have saved all that time and money and just had this lol

another angle from bill219

[WCGreen]

1. You mean I gotta wait til 4:30 for the special....

[VolcanoJen]

110. Just watched the repeat on CNN, and BAM! There it is!!!

It comes right after they shake hands, and McCain says "good job! good job!"



I'm dyin'!!!!!!

[K Gardner]

154. Is there video of this anywhere yet?

[krkaufman]

291. It's from McCain goofing around with Bob Schieffer ...

... trying to figure out which side of the desk to circle around in order to shake hands.

So very un-Presidential.

[msongs]

2. that picture WITH obama included is gonna be famous nt

[Bill219]

5. You mean this one

[grantcart]

10. adding that to the OP with your permission

[Ikonoklast]

67. LOOK OUT, BARACK!!!

[kenny blankenship]

73. He's on your six!

4 stars and closing!

[Kaleko]

106. This is nothing.

You should see him after midnight...



...when the transformation is complete.

[bugisbug]

151. Oh, thank you...

I just peed my pants a little.  

[slampoet]

196. soker number two. er ah one.

[Greyskye]

244. SOMEBODY flip one of these photos and put McCain in there. Please?

[goclark]

275. Are you sure he was not having a seizure of some type

Could that happen with a TIA?

Seriously, I'm concerned about his health.

[jwirr]

285. Yes, that does not look normal. I am assuming it was when he was

staggering the wrong way around the table at the very end. Old man lost.

[trusty elf]

289. Nice idea! Here you go.

I made him a hunchback.

[Greyskye]

331. EXCELLENT! Thanks!

[ElboRuum]

276. Are you equating McCain with Nosferatu??!??!?!

Ok, I can accept that.

[Kaleko]

283. Let's see... Bloodsucker? Check. Undead? Yep.

Creepy nocturnal activities... Just ask Cindy Mc.

There's so much more we haven't yet found out.

[Phredicles]

72. Someone who makes a t-shirt of this will earn $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...

[DangerousRhythm]

107. How about a magnet and a sticker? McBraaaaains!

http://www.cafepress.com/McBrains

Look out Barack! He's trying to suck out your sweet brain juice... NOOOOOO!!

[tblue]

190. Enough to cover the bailout! Oh my gosh, that is SO FUNNY!

[Connonym]

116. dupe

[Richard D]

216. Brains . . . .

[SuperTrouper]

156. NOSFERATU!!!!

[CatsDogsBabies]

3. I think you are right

Was he doing the same thing in the group photo? What in the world was he doing?

[Cha]

4. Not photoshop? What's he gacking

about now?

[grantcart]

24. recheck the OP with new angles

[Cha]

27. Thanks I will..it's just an incredible

look and posture. One that you imagine mccain is capable of but here it is in living color.

[jhrobbins]

247. What exactly was the context of that weirdness?

[Cha]

37. Wait till Obama sees it! Which I'm sure he

has by now Weirdo.

[willing dwarf]

124. He was trying to figure out which way to exit the stage.

I can't help feeling pity for him. I saw it happen, and I wondered who would be so cruel as to play it up. So long as he doesn't get elected, I'm comfortable enough just pitying him.

[WinkyDink]

143. "Cruel"???? Listen, "CRUEL" is our DEAD and MAIMED from IRAQ, OKAY??

[renate]

179. who among us hasn't done something like that? not me, that's for sure

Ellen DeGeneres or Paula Poundstone--I think it was Ellen--had a routine about how when you're walking down the street and trip, and people see you, you do a little hop as if to say "I meant to do that," or you start running to cover it up. This is similar--making a goofy face to laugh at yourself so others won't beat you to it.

I think this humanizes him. It's hilarious, but it also makes him seem like a real person. It reminds me of the old John McCain, who could laugh at himself.

[xxqqqzme]

193. sorry - 'old' mclame

was not programmed to laugh at himself. He was a boozin', carousin', border-line compulsive gamblin', hot-tempered assh*le from all accounts.

We really don't need two consecutive boozer assh*les in the white house.

[PopeRatzo]

313. "who among us hasn't done something like that?"

Never in front of 70-plus million television viewers when you're trying to make them believe that you'd be a good leader during a time of several very serious crises, and that you're the steadier, more serious candidate.

Nope, never done that.

It's retirement time, John. I'm not even sure Arizona wants him back now.

[RobertSeattle]

180. McCain is exitting alright, stage FAR RIGHT.

[TankLV]

6. oh common, that's GOTTA be photoshopped!

right?

right?

[Lisa0825]

9. No, it's real!!!! I saw it live from another angle!

He did a little sidestep while trying to figure out which way to go to shake the mod's hand, and he made that face. It just looks much funnier closeup and from that angle, but it really was on the video!

[flpoljunkie]

169. Photo with caption.

US Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) reacts to almost heading the wrong way off the stage after shaking hands with Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) at the conclusion of the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, October 15, 2008. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

[krkaufman]

292. The caption misstates the actual context

McCain wasn't having trouble finding his way off the stage.

This undignified moment came just after Obama had reached across the desk to shake hands with Bob Schieffer after the debate, when McCain and Schieffer started heading in the same counter-clockwise direction around the debate desk to do likewise. Seeing they were heading in the same direction, McCain lunged right-and-left, goofily, and stuck out his tongue, before heading back around the desk, to his left, clockwise, to meet and shake hands with Schieffer.

The point, to me, is how un-Presidential McCain is. I don't want another 4 years of a goofball Presidency.

[anigbrowl]

323. Captions are supposed to be brief

I think the caption describes it perfectly - adding more detail is a news report, not a caption.

[krkaufman]

334. Interesting.

If the caption is factually inaccurate then I'd think it's short of perfect, especially since McCain wasn't exiting the stage at that point. Once finally shaking hands with Schieffer, McCain remained on the stage with his wife for some time, waving to the crowd, so it is factually inaccurate.

As for brevity...

US Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) reacts to almost heading the wrong way off the stage after shaking hands with Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) at the conclusion of the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, October 15, 2008. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

And I'd hardly call this caption brief, nor would it have been lengthened much by reporting the incident accurately.

YMMV, but I'd prefer to not follow in the path of the Right Wing and would like to stick with the reality-based community.

[pipi_k]

238. I saw it too

from another angle, but it's waaaaay funnier in a photo

[blossomstar]

11. It's real.

It happened when they were walking off the stage. It is bizzare in still form. People are not amused this time around. He's acting like monkey bush and it isn't pretty.

[grantcart]

15. look at the OP added to include two other angles

[1Hippiechick]

99. It was when they were leaving the stage, and McCain realized that he was going in the wrong

direction - following Obama off stage when he should have turned and gone off stage the way he came in. Just his reaction at his own gaffe. Too bad we don't have other photos of his raised eyebrows and that God-awful smirk.

[krkaufman]

293. No, it happened when McCain was trying to circle the debate desk ...

... to shake hands with Bob Schieffer. Obama and Schieffer shook hands across the desk, but McCain and Schieffer both began circling the desk counter-clockwise to meet and shake hands. At which point McCain did his undignified back-and-forth jig with his tongue stuck out before heading clockwise to meet with Schieffer and shake hands.

[1Hippiechick]

321. And wasn't that at the end of the debate?

[krkaufman]

335. Yes, it *was* at the end of the debate.

But neither man was leaving the stage at that point. McCain was reacting to the confusion between him and Bob Schieffer in accomplishing their post-debate handshake. After which, both Obama and McCain remained on the stage for some time, with their spouses, waving to the crowd.

[Overseas]

199. I remember that tongue way out moment. Very odd.

I wondered what that weird dance was about. What's with the tongue flapping?

I thought his earlier tongue darting around was due to whatever his prescription cocktail for the evening might have been.

But his kind of -- Yee Haw I'm Done, stick out tongue and do some steps -- stood out as quite the goofy moment.

[Bushies gotta go]

255. Nope, no PS... and nobody noticed...

how when they came on stage at the beginning, Barack was gracious enough to shake Bob Schieffer's hand... but McCain just ignored him while tripping over himself trying to get over to Barack to shake his (Barack's) hand...

[gateley]

7. Is that a legit photo? If so, what on earth was going on? Thanks. nt

[grantcart]

13. three angles look at the OP now

[bigtree]

17. yes, it's legit

they're posted on the yahoo photo page

[politicasista]

333. And was live at the end of the debate

When he was nervously shaking hands with Obama.

[blossomstar]

18. It's real. I couldn't believe my eyes when it was happening.

This is the end for McCain. Thank God.

[Madam Mossfern]

21. Look at him at the end of the debate

His behavior was beyond bizarre. He was sort of jerky dancing and the "Good job good job good job to Obama was frenetic. He obviously felt good about himself in his little pixie dance.

[psychopomp]

22. Yeah, I saw it at the close of the debate

He went on, after that, shuffling around aimlessly onstage just like dumbya in China.

This will be McLame's final impression on the American people!

[grantcart]

32. youtube classic in the making 5 million hits by Nov 4th

[RagAss]

8. I'm pissing my pants here......!

[D23MIURG23]

12. LMAO... what the fuck?!

If McCain wasn't such a douchebag I might actually feel sorry for him. Worst. Candidate. Ever.

[bunkerbuster1]

125. Huh? So it's real and not photoshopped... holy cow!

[ProSense]

14. Sorry, why do you need to throw Dems in with this loser? n/t

[grantcart]

19. man the juxtaposition is unbelievable

[ProSense]

34. Sorry,

it sucks. The photos of McCain are damning enough.

[Arugula Latte]

16. Halloween came early this year, my friends.

[depakid]

28. I still don't trust that this is real

if it is, we'll find out in a couple of days.

[Lisa0825]

39. It's real. I saw it live. nt

[MidwestTransplant]

41. I totally noticed when it happened. He and the moderator were trying to figure out which side of

the table to meet on.

[depakid]

76. I'm rewatching the debate right now to do a non-verbal assessment

(something I was too riled up to do properly the first time)- so I will look for that bit.

[depakid]

92. Just finished the re-watch

It's real alright- and was very creepy- and highly inappropriate under the circumstances.

btw: as to non-verbals: the low ranking monkey on MSNBC: Gregory- didn't get the smiling deal- though he surely recognized and acted threatened by it.

[depakid]

94. Tell me now that McCain isn't Bush

[crazylpn]

230. OMG!!! That's too funny!

I agree depakid!! They're both fucked up!!

[1Hippiechick]

100. I thought it was at the end of the debate when they were LEAVING the stage - McCain should have

turned and gone out the way he came in rather than follow Obama off stage.

[teknomanzer]

84. Its real... very real... I saw it live...

When I saw it live I didn't think much about it... but the picture, wow, that is priceless. I've got some strange mixed feelings about it. On the one hand I feel bad for the old codger, but I just can't stop laughing every time I see it.

Folks, this is history right here. This has been, without a doubt, the most bizarre election I have seen in my lifetime. And this final debate has been the topper. I'm thinking of watching the whole thing over again just so I can verify McCain's strange facial expressions - just to see if what I thought I was seeing was in fact really there. I am certain I saw McCain roll his eyes when Obama suggested that we should stipulate that workers be treated fairly and allowed to organize as part of any trade agreement we make with another country. There were also moments were McCain appeared to be seething with rage. At other points he was just plain condescending. And then at the end where he was saying "Great job" it just seemed so strange - the icing on the cake was when McCain couldn't figure out which way to go around the table and he makes that goofy face. Truth be told that pretty much sums up his whole campaign. John McCain, he doesn't know which way to go.

I have a very guarded optimism because of the way the elections ended in 2000 and 2004, but I am going to say that this is pretty much over except for the counting.

[windbreeze]

127. yep...how true this is...

"I have a very guarded optimism because of the way the elections ended in 2000 and 2004, but I am going to say that this is pretty much over except for the counting."

key words in this sentence...."this is pretty much over except for the counting"....unfortunately, that seems to be right where the biggest problem is...wb

[mhatrw]

224. It would be pretty much over except for the counting.

[tavalon]

326. In a fair fight, we won 6 weeks ago,

but in this atmosphere of GOP hijinx, I will not be okay until Senator Obama is in the White House.

[dave29]

88. it's real. He was confused (again) about which way he was supposed to go. He made that face

then turned around and went the other way, after being momentarily disoriented

[LooseWilly]

91. I second that.

It was real. He thought he was being cute, covering up his phrenetic confusion about which way to exit.

Must be using meth to keep himself "focussed"...

[dchill]

102. Real.

[VolcanoJen]

111. Totally for real. Just watched the repeat on CNN.

It comes at the very end of the debate, right after they shake hands and McCain says, "good job! good job!" and goes to leave the stage. He was (I can only guess here) trying to be funny. But it totally truly honestly happened, I can assure you.



I'm dyin'!!!!

[krkaufman]

294. No, it wasn't when they were "leaving the stage."

I'm amazed at the number of people unable to accurately report the circumstances of McCain's foolishness. The tongue-extension and back-and-forth jig came when McCain was looking to circle the debate desk to shake hands with Bob Schieffer, but saw they were both headed, fruitlessly, counter-clockwise around the desk. After the undignified dance, McCain headed the other direction and shook hands with Schieffer, before exiting the stage.

[VolcanoJen]

322. ohfergawdssake

I'm reasonably certain I wrote "goes to leave the stage." Sorry I wasn't verbose enough in my Daily McCain Humiliation for you; I was just attempting to point out that the thing wasn't a photoshop and that moment really happened.

[krkaufman]

336. Certainly reasonable. But there are far too many people in this thread ...

... who are/were trying to gin-up another "McCain lost on stage" moment, and I'd rather not have that as a post-debate talking point. I wouldn't want the story of the goofiness and undignified behavior to be undercut by protests of ageism.

Peace be with you. And good luck down there with the GOTV. Hope you're seeing more support.

[VolcanoJen]

338. Come to Ohio and lend a hand

Let this inspire you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZ54575V4E

Great Illinois DUers like mopinko are coming... come. Fight. Work. Don't let it ever be said that you were a bystander.

(I sound like my mother with this guilt thing!!)

[krkaufman]

343. I just voted early here in Illinois ...

... and will be heading down to my hometown, on the border of Missouri, in the next few days to see about doing some canvassing and GOTV across the river.

[Stuckinthebush]

150. I saw it live and laughed

He was making a silly gesture as he caught himself walking off the stage the wrong way.

[tblue37]

167. Real. I saw it while watching the debates. At the end he does it when he

starts to leave to the wrong side. When the debate vids are up on YouTube you'll see it. It looks much worse in a still shot, but it looked pretty bad in the actual live action shot.

Then later, when the candidates and spouses are at the front of the stage together facing the audience, he does another tongue-out face. Very bizarre. And before that second sticking-tongue-out face at the end, he does several weird thumbs up gestrues--frantic, freaky, not ordinary thunmbs up gestures.

I think he was on meds.

[jwirr]

286. Many of us watching saw this moment for ourselves.

[graywarrior]

20. *chocking on my own laughter*

[grantcart]

25. lol

[Born_A_Truman]

23. OMG LMAO

[apocalypsehow]

26. Lord have mercy. I'm NOT gonna say it

but I want to reeeeeel bad....

[grantcart]

40. its alright go ahead

[kenny blankenship]

43. You're among friends...

[MidwestTransplant]

29. I almost felt bad for McCain there. His nerves were shot. He knows he is finished.

[KingFlorez]

30. I'm on the floor, rolling right now

This whole thing has drove McCain out of his mind

[Joe Chi Minh]

131. He seems to look older and angrier than ever each time he appears.

He really seemed to be trying to be civil this time, but I believe he still couldn't bring himself to say "Senator Obama," though I didn't catch the whole programme.

At the stage I came in to watch it, McCain seemed to be studiously facing front at the camera. Then it showed him and Obama looking across at each other, and I wondered if they'd indicated to him that he should face Obama and look at him, or whether the brief, earlier angle had been a legitimate one, just different.

Anyway, that presidential campaign trail is no place for an old geezer, especially when he starts off angry. It seems strange going on about his anger, because it's been a particularly stupid jibe against Democrats - but then if they're weren't angry, feeling and expressing the anger of the people, they would be morally impaired. Some things demand a sense of human outrage, but what's McCain got to be angry about? He wants to win the thing, crazy as it sounds, so his stress is self-inflicted. Where is is his moral compass? Why is he a Neocon, like any other? Looting the country and its people without evincing any sense of shame. Where is he shame about his role in the deregulation, for example, in which he played a very vociferous role?

[thewiseguy]

31. OMG! WTF is this?

[Danger Mouse]

33. What. the. fuck.

[Starry Messenger]

35. I remember this scene in "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas"

with Johnny Depp playing HST. Flapping his tongue. Brr.

[file83]

270. It seems McCain "took too much" of the Adrenachrome....

from the little brown bottle!

Even so, I'm sure HST would NOT approve of the beast in this photo!

[meow mix]

36. the ultimate in campaign killing images.

this one will NEVER be beat

[bluedawg12]

64. The picture matches his ethics. n/t

[1Hippiechick]

101. As does his VP choice - bottom of the barrel. n/t

[cbc5g]

38. Geez and I thought the golfcart and "property of #41" was the worst

[pirate_satellite]

42. I always knew

McCain was using his Lizard Brain, but like a Spiderman villain it looks like it's taken him over completely.

[Withywindle]

44. GET OUTTA THE WAY! NOSFERATU'S HAWKIN' UP A HAIRBALL

seriously,

[bluedawg12]

55. Call an exorcist! n/t

[Stuckinthebush]

153. LMAO!

Th