McJekyll and McHyde
On the way home this evening from USC, via XM Radio, I had the wonderful pleasure of listening to both John McCain and Barack Obama address the annual Alfred E. Smith dinner in New York.
No sarcasm intended. Presidential candidates inevitably appear at the banquet and deliver a comedic 15 minute address.
Barack Obama was plenty funny.
John McCain was funnier.
He was great. No kidding. He was fabulously warm, self-deprecating, gracious and generous in what was obviously his heartfelt praise for Obama and the historical significance of his candidacy — and his possible presidency. Indeed, McCain’s speech had some unmistakeably valedictorian undertones, as if he were rehearsing his inevitable concession speech (which I’m looking forward to in great anticipation. If THIS were the John McCain that had run the past year, he’d have an even chance of being ahead in the polls, instead of now lagging in a rather dramatic and funereal manner.
Here are the speeches.
The tragic part of this warm and fuzzy appearance by McCain isn’t that it highlights his missed historical opportunity. No. It’s because his tone and demeanor stands in such a stark contrast with the other John McCain — the one who is actually running. Which means that one of the McCain’s knows better but can’t help himself from poisoning the political atmosphere.
At the same hour that the warm and generous McCain was speaking in New York, the vicious and shameless McCain was flooding the country with a rolling wave of underhanded, deceitful and disgusting robocalls — smearing Obama as an ally of terrorists.
If you can stand it, here’s an audio copy of the call to listen in on.
An ignominious closing act for a failed candidate and former American hero.
October 16th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
GOod stuff, Cooper\*
October 17th, 2008 at 6:39 am
“smearing Obama as an ally of terrorists.”
Ayers and Dohrn aren’t terrorists? You mean that they have reputed their actions? Wow, that is news
October 17th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Shit, Obama also works with Richard Holbrooke who has killed or supported the killings of thousands of people. Whats up with this guy?
October 17th, 2008 at 7:12 am
McCain’s pals are like Mother Theresa? Oh…thats right, they are. Since her pals were right wing dictators. Oh…being an ally of Bush et al doesn’t make him an ally of terrorists? PUH LEASE. But considering McCain’s voting record against supporting the troops—not to mention children his association issue is just the icing on the cake.
Just once once would like to hear one of you smear weasels elucidate just what you think the result of Obama having come into contact with Ayers and Dohrn will be?
And how about a little reality check on all the Republicans who choose to hang out with Ayers and invite him to sit on their boards and all those who have accepted him to teach in highly regarded institutions. Are all his students now terrorist by association?
How about, just once, dealing with reality and the fact that McCain was eating cake with Bush while thousands were dying in the aftermath of Katrina. That pretty much makes him the Devil in my book.
October 17th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Didn’t anyone see McCain on Letterman just awhile later?
DL could have, within the framework of his trademark shtick–stuck it to McCain. DL also dropped the ball on the Joe the Plumber debacle when it had come out who he really was and also had an opportunity to clarify the $250K tax issue–it was brought up but he just flubbed it.
McCain still just looked desperate and desperately trying to appear hip.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:40 am
What is sad is that I think the funny McCain was the one his staff and the media have created, while the nasty McCain is his inner self. Can I prove it? No, not so long as the senile (David Broder) and the moronic (Richard Cohen) and the bought-and-paid-for (George Will, Charles Krauthammer) and the social-climbing (David Brooks, Dana Milbank) and their ilk dominate the mainstream media, which will never admit that they created the phony narrative of the honorable John McCain.
October 17th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I agree with Michael Green. The McCain I first noticed when he broke into politics was the one we saw in the debates (with a little less of a sense of entitlement). The jocular maverick sprung into being about a decade ago, perhaps from the pen of Mark Salter. This new McCain managed to survive for about 5 or 6 years, or about as long as it paid politically to be a jocular maverick. He’s since slunk off the stage, resuscitated briefly for last night’s speech (which was also beneficial politically).
As Andrew Sullivan said on behalf of all the journos and pundits who wonder what ever happened to the jocular maverick — ‘Maybe we were conned.”
October 17th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Why is it that smearing Obama is NOT Okay, but smearing Joe the Plumber is?
The left will likely rue the day that Obama is elected, if he is.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:07 am
That was great. Obviously neither of these guys wrote their own jokes but McCain definitely showed better delivery. His bit on the expectations for Obama’s speech was fantastic. Obama had some nice lines as well though I thought the most interesting and perhaps telling part was when he mentioned that it felt odd to be at white tie event given the current state of the economy. I don’t know if that’s because Obama is more in touch or just a better politician (I suspect both!) but that stood out to me.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:29 am
W of W — “…overwhelmingly most Americans aren’t in favor of redistributionist tax policies. ”
Depends on how the issue is framed. If you ask them “do you think the money you have earned should be taken from you and given to someone else who didn’t earn it”, the answer is no. If you say “Given the fact that 1% of Americans own nearly 70% of our nation’s wealth, should these people have a greater tax burden than you?” you will get a different answer.
I agree with you, however, about the left’s general contempt for white working class men who want to be their own boss. Obama should not have been making fun of “that plumber” yesterday, particularly since that in order to win Ohio he needs a lot of people who identify at least somewhat with that plumber.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:51 am
The best part was watching Bill Maher’s reactions to the speech on Larry King. He looked bored out of his mind, switching between a sourpuss look (I’m a professional, you guys are just amateurs) to
very slight grins. It was pretty funny.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:11 am
White Cornerback: ““Given the fact that 1% of Americans own nearly 70% of our nation’s wealth, should these people have a greater tax burden than you?”
I would agree with you for the most part, but most people really don’t mind a graduated income tax, but they object to taking from some in order to give to others. The vast majority of us don’t identify with the billionares, but we do identify with J-the-P.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Why is it that smearing Obama is NOT Okay, but smearing Joe the Plumber is?
Oh the right would never do anything like that.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Mr. Paul, I’m referring to the conniption fit that the left throws if they think Mr. Obama is smeared, but say nothing when the left smears someone else. And the smearing of J the P is undeniable. You make no points by pointing out that others also smear.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Unless of course you enjoy playing tit for tat!
October 17th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Is WoW a parody ? McCain turns this guy, without checking in with him or even vetting his story, into an icon for his totally bullshit taxes routine and the media is at fault for giving him a closer look ? And when it turns out that Joe’s assertions are mostly a bunch of crap – Obama’s plan wouldn’t raise his taxes on current income or what he’s likely to make in the foreseeable future, he’s not really buying the business, and even the notion that buying a $250,000 business – or even a business that generates $250,000 in reciepts – would result in tax increase is typical GOP sleight of hand – it’s the media’s fault and not the increasingly erratic and foolish McCain.
Watcher – you’re a poster child for just what a bunch of dishonest, sliminng weasels the McPalin camp has become. A total fucking asshole with nothing to offer here except unhinged assertions and crackpot accusations. Keep ‘em coming. We need a constant reminder of just how cheap and stupid you creeps happen to be and why we need to keep expending every effort between now and November to toss your dumb ass into the trash heap.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
” You make no points by pointing out that others also smear.”
If Joe has been “smeared” it’s because McCain used him publicly to paint a false picture. Now the guy’s in the middle of a reality check that McCain deliberately and knowingly unleashed on him when he injected his name and alleged story into a debate watched by tens of millions.’
Christ you’re an disingenuous idiot !!! Go whine on McCain’s website if you care so deeply about Joe and his privacy.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Unless of course you enjoy playing tit for tat!
Oh please, God, let’s do that!
From the side that tried to parlay “a lipstick on a pig” comment by Obama into a smear of Sarah Palin, your utter lack of self-awareness is impressive.
I’ts called projection.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
“maybe we were conned.”
Bullshit, Sully Joe: you WANTED to be conned.
October 18th, 2008 at 1:44 am
I have yet to encounter a McCain supporter who isn’t — like WoW — mindbogglingly stupid, uninformed, and dishonest.
October 18th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Oh, and mindbogglingly hypocritical:
WoW: “Why is it that smearing Obama is NOT Okay, but smearing Joe the Plumber is?”
WoW: “You make no points by pointing out that others also smear.”
October 18th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Well, the fact is that the good guy McCain loses.