McCain turns irritable, sarcastic in interview

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain, once renowned for his jocular sessions with journalists, appeared irritable and at times sarcastic in an interview in which he defended running mate Sarah Palin's experience and campaign ads critical of rival Barack Obama.

Meeting Tuesday with the editorial board of The Des Moines Register, McCain was asked why he picked the Alaska governor, someone "who doesn't have a lot of experience."

"Thank you, but I disagree with your fundamental principal that she doesn't have the experience," McCain replied before citing Palin's work as a PTA member, city council member, mayor and governor. "You and I just have a fundamental disagreement, and I am so happy the American people seem to be siding with me."

When it was suggested that Palin's lack of experience worried voters, McCain turned sarcastic.

"Really? I haven't detected that in the polls, I haven't detected that among the base," he said. "If there's a Georgetown cocktail party person who, quote, calls himself a conservative who doesn't like her, good luck. I don't dismiss him. I think the American people have overwhelmingly shown their approval."



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i1v08YfakOq0ioZEGj85HZwjOoOAD93HR50G0

---

Obama Boosts Leadership Image and Regains Lead Over McCain
Growing Concerns About Palin's Qualifications

~snip~

Third, opinions about Sarah Palin have become increasingly negative, with a majority of the public (51%) now saying that the Alaska governor is not qualified to become president if necessary; just 37% say she is qualified to serve as president. That represents a reversal of opinion since early September, shortly after the GOP convention. At that time, 52% said Palin was qualified to step in as president, if necessary.

~snip~

There is a clear correlation between views of Palin’s qualifications and support for McCain, which may be hurting the GOP candidate. Fewer people see her as qualified to become president, and the balance of opinion toward Palin has grown more negative since early September. Unfavorable views of the Alaska governor have increased among most demographic and political groups, with GOP voters a notable exception. Currently, a narrow majority of independent voters (54%) express a favorable view of Palin, while 37% are unfavorable. In early September, positive impressions of Palin among independents outnumbered negative opinions by greater than two-to-one (60% vs. 27%).

more:http://people-press.org/report/456/obama-regains-lead

October 1, 2008 - Obama Over 50 Percent In Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll Finds; Debate, Palin's Fade, Economy Put Democrat On Top ---


FLORIDA: Obama 49 - McCain 43 pre-debate; Obama 51 - McCain 43 post-debate; OHIO: Obama 49 - McCain 42 pre-debate; Obama 50 - McCain 42 post-debate; PENNSYLVANIA: Obama 49 - McCain 43 pre-debate; Obama 54 - McCain 39 post-debate Friday's presidential debate, Gov. Sarah Palin's sagging favorability and more voter confidence in Sen. Barack Obama's ability to handle the economy are propelling the Democrat to wider likely voter leads over Republican John McCain in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to simultaneous Quinnipiac University Swing State polls released today.

~snip~

Sen. Obama clearly won the debate, voters say. Their opinion of Gov. Sarah Palin has gone south and the Wall Street meltdown has been a dagger to McCain's political heart. Roughly a third of voters, and almost as large a share of the key independent vote, say McCain did more harm than good in trying to resolve the financial crisis, and the share of voters who see the economy as the top issue has risen from roughly half to six in ten."

~snip~

Palin gets a negative 36 - 39 percent favorability, down from 47 - 23 percent September 11. Democratic running mate Joe Biden has a 47 - 27 percent favorability, up from 38 - 28 percent.

more:http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2882.xml?ReleaseID=1218

[notadmblnd]

1. That just confirms that it is the fundy nut base that he's counting on.

[glinda]

7. Maybe that is why

he keeps using the word "Fundie-Mental".

[bos1]

59. The "Straight Talk" segment is the worst and makes me angry

that McCain is sticking to and defending as true the all-time-sleaziest, thoroughly debunked Sex Ed for Kindergartners commercial.

He has fallen several notches now. I don't even respect him.

[vanboggie]

50. True, that and Rove stealing the election n/t

[sakabatou]

2. More "McCain = Cotton Hill"

[foxfeet]

10. I KNEW he reminded me of someone!

:rofl:

[LiberalFighter]

74. Hey you stole that from me! Pay up!!

Well I guess you didn't. I checked your time stamp and you thought of it first.

[central scrutinizer]

3. Can he form a sentence without the word "fundamental" in it?

McCain's little book of sentence construction: a noun, a verb, fundamental, POW

[mascarax]

45. Don't forget "reform"!

So he's got:

fundamental (agree - I noticed that yet again)
POW
reform

Wow. That was clearly out of line, especially for an interview with a newspaper that endorsed him last year (uh, time to change your minds, editorial board!). People need to see that when the going gets tough, this guy loses his cool, makes ridiculous, hair trigger decisions, and is erratic.

[HopeHoops]

4. "turns"??? He starts irritable.

[bigworld]

5. Sounds like he's pretty pissed at George Will

for saying so much last week.

[Blasphemer]

12. Yep... nt

[John Q. Citizen]

6. Now McCain is either delusional, out of touch, or lying. The polls show Americans are

concerned that Palin doesn't have the right kind of experience and that she's a nut.

And then there's my neighbor. She identifies (even still) as a Repo, but she thinks Palin is a nut and she can't understand why McCain chose a nut to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

[glinda]

8. I think he is having strokes or something

There is something seriously wrong with him. Besides being dishonest and manipulative.

[bos1]

9. anyone got a video link?

I'd like to hear his voice when saying all this, if it's worse than the printed words.

[bos1]

14. Never mind

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/NEWS09/80930049

[ann_american2004]

37. In the video he said he aspired to be a dictator

I think he was joking but...no one laughed.

It's hard to tell when he is joking these days because he is so tight and angry. It is just there even above the surface right now. He is frustrated, he knows his explanations are lame. He is so pissed they didnt let him be a savior. Now he seems petulant. They didnt play along with him. He does not know how to pick it up and proceed. He's frustrated and he cannot negotiate. He's taking it personally.

Wow where has that other guy gone? Is this the real McCain? Angry, pissed, cynical, sarcastic. He seems like a real jerk. I guess he threw out the 'teacher reading to 3 year olds' fake sing songy voice. That's a relief, at least. BUT WOW - as I watch this video -- man he is on the edge. He is ready to blow.

this 59 minutes is all whining and complaining and telling how terrible everything and everyone is - but no solutions. Only critique. Critique of everyone and everything. No solutions. No PROGRESS.

Thank God we have Obama. He actually says things reassuring with plans and details. He doesnt get stuck in the unproductive and destructive aspects of politics.

[mascarax]

47. The Real McCain

Not only is it a book (good too)...but I think this IS the Real McCain.
The "running for President in 2000" McCain is "v2.0" (as noted in the book by Cliff Schecter).
This is the who gets along with Joe Lieberman...and who else in the Senate? Sounds like he's told off every one of them.

[Quantess]

26. There are a handful of videos in the Political Videos Forum.

He really does act like a dick.

[mcg]

11. That makes me want to go to a cocktail party in Georgetown,

What is wrong with going to a cocktail party in Georgetown? A 'Georgetown cocktail party person'? What's that suppose to mean? I suppose he means stuck-up or something, as if pointing out Palin's lack of experience makes one stuck-up. I doubt that 'Georgetown' means much to people outside the D.C. area. I think this shows that McCain is self-absorbed. He cannot put himself into the mind of common people. McCain is out-of-touch.

Also, he should have said "calls himself a quote, conservative" not "quote, calls himself a conservative". He has a poor command of English.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

31. 'Elitist', 'intellectual', 'East coast', 'liberal media', 'Georgetown cocktail party'...

it'll resonate with the purple Band-aid crowd, fools that they are.

Hmm, I wonder if there are any pics of McNasty at said parties... digging.

[mcg]

62. second time McCain said "Georgetown cocktail party" in a day ...

a thread about it ...
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/sabra/9135

[ieoeja]

36. "Georgetown cocktail party" ... in Iowa?

It meant that this was the thinking of DC insiders who don't know anything outside DC. But it was a reference that only a DC insider would use. And he used against Iowans which really makes no sense.

[jrockford]

13. I hate him.

Citing the PTA is pathetic. And his quip on "he's glad the American people are siding with him" is worthy of being put on a postcard and sent to him, en masse, when he loses.

[AnAnonymousDemocrat]

25. and did you notice that he even laughed as he said "PTA"?

It shows that even McCain thinks that citing the PTA is laughable.

[dana_b]

66. yet he thinks Obama is beneath him

maybe he's never said it, but actions and body language speak louder than words. McCain is such a farce, People get pissed at him gfor putting Palin up as VP but I also think the Repubs are insane for promoting this fool.

[and-justice-for-all]

15. Denial...

even when reality stares them in them face.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. K&R

[TwilightGardener]

17. Cruised on over to Freepville, they think it's great that McFossil is

acting like a nasty asshole. They believe the best thing for him to do is to attack the media, rather than answer questions. I hope he takes their advice.

[Odin2005]

18. He's a bitter old man pissed off that is last chance of becoming president is fading fast. n/t.

[ObamaKerryDem]

38. That sums it up pretty well right there. n/t

[VP505]

19. PTA, now there is some real experience

to qualify for the Presidency, and yes a VP pick MUST be ready for the Presidency from day one, especially so in this case. Good grief someone pinch me, this can't possibly be anything but a might mare that I haven't woken up from yet.

[NorthCarolina]

57. To be fair, I do believe she was the head of the PTA Bake Sale

whereas Obama was just a "community organizer". :sarcasm:

[SemperEadem]

20. and he's the candidate with judgement?

I feel so much better knowing that he thinks otherwise about her. :sarcasm:

clearly, he doesn't realize that his "base" is as bat shit crazy as he is.

[Forrest Greene]

21. Y'Know, McCain's Always Struck Me As

...not really wanting to be President, anyhow. That is, he seems as if he would like to win the contest, as would any alpha male competitive type, but not as if he has any real interest in actually doing the job afterward. He seems as if he just wants more scrambled eggs on his cap visor, so to speak; maybe to show up Daddy & Grampaw by finally outranking them, maybe just plain ambition.

He also strikes me as being a profoundly lazy person, at all levels.

Maybe, in a last desperate moment of clarity, he came to understand that he would have to function in some fashion if he won, & cast about for some way to lose while blaming someone else for the loss. Like Nixon's "peace with honor," a ploy with which he would be familiar.

So he chose Ms. Palin as his running mate, the crafty old bugger.

Just a thought.

[JackInGreen]

30. He did say

I believe (paraphrasing from a half baked memory) he said in his autobiography that he had sought power for its own sake, out of his own want of it.

[HughBeaumont]

55. "he seems as if he would like to win the contest,"

" . . . as would any alpha male competitive type, but not as if he has any real interest in actually doing the job afterward."

Hmmmmmm . . . that sounds vaguely familiar, don't it?

[Forrest Greene]

68. Assuming You Mean It

...sounds like the case of former Texas governor G.W. Bush? Well, that's what you get when you run ventriloquist's dummies for office. Of course, a ventriloquist's dummy is the ideal frontman for some operations.

[HughBeaumont]

69. Exactly.

He didn't want the work. He wanted the legacy, the glory and the title. He now wishes that they chose Jeb or Marvin. That way, he could have stayed a drunk fuck-up. Oh wait . . .

[radfringe]

22. sounds like someone didn't have a nap today... lol n/t

[phantom power]

23. I'd love to see him lose his shit in the debates.

I think it wouldn't even be that hard to make it happen, although I doubt it will.

[jeff30997]

27. " I'd love to see him lose his shit "

Nah,you'll never see that.

He wears a diaper.:P

[mikeytherat]

24. "I remain vigilant to stay on message and auger this campaign into the ground."

I'm John McCain and, apparently, I approved this.

mikey_the_rat

[jeff30997]

28. "sarcastic in interview"

Sarcastic? I thought that Repukes didn't grasp the concept of sarcasm ?

I'm all confused now! :silly:

[CubicleGuy]

29. Face it, Senator McCain:

You screwed up on your Veep pick. Seemed like a winner at the time, what with the whole Hillary movement going on with the Democrats, but you went for style over substance, and now you're paying the price.

[stoge18]

32. Seems to me that it's not her experience people are questioning, but

her lack of sophistication and overall awareness. She can't even get past talking points when asked to answer a simple question. She lacks depth. It's as simple as that.

But I'm biased -- I can't stand her. Everything about her.

[Myrina]

52. .. and its how her lack of EVERYTHING reflects on his judgment ...

So Palin is the best VP the ole' braincells could come up with, eh Johnny? Wow. :spank:

[llmart]

33. Oh, brother.....

how have we stooped so low in this country to have a presidential candidate cite his running mate's PTA experience as impressive evidence that she is qualified???

On the bright side, though, I was my child's homeroom mother in kindergarten, so I guess I should never rule out the fact that I, too, can run for Vice-President.

[mascarax]

60. PTA...

Wow. When you put it that way (re: citing PTA experience). Honestly, I just shudder.
I wonder if Dan Quayle has been waiting for an apology.
Oh, by the way, kindergarten homeroom teacher sounds qualified to me!

[stoge18]

73. You can put PTA on a resume

Maybe if you're running for mayor of a small city like, say......, Wasilla, AK. The very fact that they keep mentioning this PTA thing without even talking about ANYTHING that she did while on the PTA is a symptom of their desperation. Why not try, "Hey, she hit a fucking free throw in a stat echampionship basketball game for Christ's sake! She's ready for the big time!"

Give me a freaking break! And and Anacin or two......

[Nevernose]

77. Given the care & consideration in the Palin pick,

there's a very real chance you could be McCain's next pick if Palin drops out.

[llmart]

78. Thanks but no thanks.....

he's too sleazy for me. I can't work for someone unethical. I'd rather be unemployed.

[alarimer]

34. At the polls? The ones that show Obama further ahead?

Or does McCain have access to some super-secret polls that we can't see that show him ahead, rather than tanking?

The man is delusional.

[mckara]

35. I Hope McCain Slowly Twists in the Wind, Until the Next Presidential Debate

And then, during that debate, he snaps with all his frustrations spilling out before the national audience. Obama could probably provoke McCain with his lawyer skills, but should he try to light McCain's fuse, or let the moderator send gramps over the edge?

[ann_american2004]

39. His point is irrelevent

He keeps coming back to a silly point about Obama not crossing or disagreeing with the Democrats. Why should he? Right now we ARE the party of change. McCain and his cronies keep saying that as if Obama has to prove he is a candidate of change by disagreeing with Democrats. He doesnt have to. Our party is a BIG change from Bush and McSame. It's a very silly argument.

[noiretextatique]

40. PTA experience

:rofl:

[Dangerously Amused]

41. What? The guy who called his wife a c*nt in front of reporters has a volatile temper?

I am shocked, shocked I tell you!

[RufusTFirefly]

42. He'd better behave himself tomorrow night at the debate...

... when he's sitting next to Sarah, holding her hand, looking places he shouldn't be looking, and jumping in to defend her should Gwen Ifil engage in "Gotcha Journalism" -- you know, asking questions of actual substance.

[complain jane]

43. He's such a lying scumbag.

[bamacrat]

44. PTA? Really?

This just shows how out of touch he is, if he thinks people still like her, she has flopped.

[renate]

46. I watched a 2-minute version of that interview and it was nothing unusual (IMHO)

The fact that the AP is writing stories about his temper, when he didn't blow up or anything but was just kind of obnoxious, suggests to me that the media REALLY don't like him any more. He must really be flashing his ass at them off camera for them to take this kind of attitude towards him.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

48. That's just his true colors shining through

Irritability can be a symptom of Alzheimer's, too.

[TheCowsCameHome]

49. Oh, my - is the glue starting to peel away?

John is cracking, slowly but surely.

[Myrina]

51. "Vote for us, we're stupid just like you, America!"

That's the direction the McLame/Failin' camp is going!!!

"You don't want those smarty-pantses in charge! Vote for a doofus like your pervy old uncle Fred and a bimbo like your crazy bra-less Aunt Georgia to run the country! We'll never make you feel like we know more than you do, we can all be stupid together!!"


OMFG. :wow: :scared:

[MrScorpio]

53. That's seals it... I'm voting for Obama!

Nobody badmouths Georgetown on my watch!

I love Georgetown!

[thedemocratic]

54. In the Tank

Another editorial board "In The Tank" for the opposition, huh!?

[wanpete]

56. nasty, nasty, nasty-this interview should turn off most decent Americans

he's a nasty, nasty, man.

[cstanleytech]

58. I'm not surprised, without the gossip about her daughter to distract

people the worlds seeing palin as she really is and her repeated fumbles and self inflicted wounds she has caused at interviews have hurt her alot as well.

[RandomKoolzip]

61. Did the AP really misspell "principle"?!

Wow. I find that almost as troubling as McCain's outburst. :scared:

[Zhade]

63. I'm an independent voter - how stupid can that 54% of my fellow indies be?

SHE BELIEVES MAN WALKED WITH DINOSAURS, PEOPLE!

That's all you have to say to disqualify her.

[President Decider]

64. ** WITHOUT QUESTION . . . . . . . . . . McCAIN KNOWS HE'S DONE!

Put a fork in him ....

His people are just now telling him the writing is on the wall.

[minnesota_liberal]

65. Showing his true colors

I've seen video of McCain berating someone during a congressional hearing and swearing while responding to a reporter's question aboard a plane. Have also heard about him calling his current wife a c*nt.

How very Cheney-esque.

[scytherius]

67. I bet Palin was forced upon him

I would bet that the radical wing of the Republican Party made him pick Palin and he is now extraordinarily pissed thathe has to do this. I just can't imagine that left to his own devices he would have chosen her.

[minnesota_liberal]

72. Of course she was

McSame wanted Lieberman but his advisors told him that his best chance of being elected was with a female fundamentalist running mate and a security-related "October Surprise." Since power is more important than principles, he went with Palin.

[iconicgnom]

70. Yes. He acted like a petulant and sullen 'tween caught out by his parents.

Most of all, I notice that neither he nor his running mate act like adults. They act like misfits trying to brazen it out, even while their strings are pulled by the most corrupt gang of operatives that've ever graced the US capitol.

[sohndrsmith]

71. McCain's mood changes and odd decisions

are starting to seem awfully foreboding, regardless of politics (I wouldn't vote for him if he weren't suffering from these things, but I think I know myself well enough to think that if I were supporting him, I would be concerned as well - this isn't a partisan perspective, at least not in this particular case. At least I don't think so...). The only word that I can come up with that fits is: unstable.


Something just seems very wrong - beyond his being a dyed-in-the-wool curmudgeon...

[Vektor]

75. He's delusional. He thinks people LIKE Palin?

Wow, he's more off his rocker than I thought.

[Nihil]

76. It's his IBS playing up again ...

... Irritating Bastard Syndrome ...