July 17, 2008
McCain Fearful of Making Mistakes (A.B. Stoddard)
Did you catch that terrific line of John McCain's about Barack Obama laying out a strategy for Iraq in a major speech on Tuesday before leaving for his first trip there in years?
"I note he is speaking today about his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan before he has even left, before he has talked to Gen. Petraeus, before he has seen the progress in Iraq, and before he has set foot in Afghanistan for the first time," said McCain. "In my experience, fact-finding missions usually work best the other way around: First you assess the facts on the ground, then you present a new strategy."
For McCain's sake I hope you read it, and didn't see him deliver it. McCain makes a great point about Obama but he READ the whole thing from notes. If McCain couldn't deliver that line from his head, what can he genuinely say without caution or rehearsal? It was so lame, just adding to the perception that he is completely afraid of saying the wrong thing. Did you see him answering about insurance coverage for Viagra or Phil Gramm's tone-deaf comments on the economy? Panic grips him; you can see in McCain's eyes that he fears making a mistake almost every day.
That said, McCain was great at the NAACP — classy for going and for complimenting Obama. He should try relaxing; people like him better when he feels good.
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OBAMA RAISED $52 MILLION IN JUNE; CAN HE KEEP IT UP? Ask A.B. returns Monday, July 21st. Please join my weekly video Q&A by sending your questions and comments to askab@thehill.com. Thank you.
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He needs to loosen up and just be himself. I think he will win if he just does that.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — July 17, 2008 @ 10:46 am
McAngry still can't figure out who the Sunni's and Shiite's are and he's going off half-cocked criticizing Obama. Now that is starved rhetoric, and makes it obvious McCrazy is in deep trouble. What a flip-flopper
Comment by Dwayne Mac — July 17, 2008 @ 10:51 am
McCain Fearful of Making Mistakes - I'm sure many of us will feel similarly when we get to his age.
Comment by uk visa — July 17, 2008 @ 11:08 am
A.B.;
With all of his flip flops, it not a wonder why he is afraid. He says one thing one day and completely reverses himself the next. Why haven't you and your press friends noted the many changes in his policy proposals. What are you afraid of? No more good seats on teh Straight Talk Express or you don't get invited to the next BBQ.
Comment by Mike Coleman — July 17, 2008 @ 11:47 am
What concerns me most is not whether McCain makes a mistake or not, that's a given with humans. I'm more concerned about possibly finding out after the policy decisions are made that there were "medical issues" clouding his abilities. I think his name was Reagan.
Comment by Flo — July 17, 2008 @ 11:56 am
Wow. Reduced to posting a blog entry on a candidate reading from notes. That all you got? Come on, you must be able to dig up more than that…
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 17, 2008 @ 11:56 am
If McBush was to "just be himself" (as Rosie reccommends) he'd be choking people and rendering the Constitution worthless, as he's already advocated. McBush must continue changing who he is, and his beliefs, if he wants a snowball's chance in hell of winning
Comment by Lester — July 17, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
AB-
You are as insightful as ever.
/snark
Comment by PR — July 17, 2008 @ 4:54 pm
Such mistake could be very costly for the country if it leads to Obama redecorating the Oval office and using fireplace for political speech. No wonder McCain is nervous, and so am I and many other millions of Americans…
Comment by Misha — July 17, 2008 @ 5:07 pm
Wayne:
Here I got some more:
John McCaine is too old to be President. John McCaine is to dishonest to be President.
John McCaine was not passing out candy to Vietnamese school children when he was shot down he was attempting to murder them in their beds.
John McCaine was one of a handful, really, of incompetent assholes to get shot down over North Vietnam where he had superior firepower and technology at his control and just well..screwed up.
John McCaine is damned lucky the North Vietnamese got ahold of him rather than the criminals that interrogate people in your name these days on behalf of the United States.
Comment by Jim — July 17, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
Oh, I forgot! He has the same answer as to why he collaborated with the North Vietnamese, the Keating Five and dumped his wife to marry a much younger rich girl.
Sometimes it just gets so bad you have to give in. What a loser.
Comment by Jim — July 17, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
AB
Are you a journalist or one of those "lame" body-language quackettes from Bill O'Reilly's show? ( No offense to Bill)
That's kinda shallow stuff in your piece today. Ya know? Satire maybe? But satire doesn't work if it doesn't really apply according to the english lit experts…
In particular, McCain is not afraid of his words, he wants to deliver a consistent message. Fortunately, McCain doesn't suffer from Obamaflex nor Rebomaflex
Obamaflex (c)- defined as one has a compulsive need to respond with a quick response tailored for that audience or journalist of the moment.
Rebomaflex (c) - defined as retracting the previous words said - and convincing listeners for thinking they misheard what they really heard.
Treatment for Obamaflex or Rebomaflex: (c) MCAINAIDS - take one next November to prevent nausea. Can be purchased at any poll.
Why are you implying McCain doesn't feel well? Are you supporting Oama for Prez?
Comment by JFK-HRC — July 17, 2008 @ 6:12 pm
Liberal here. Hate to say it folks (and I can't believe I'm about to agree with my man who I always disagree with), but Bobby Rose Republican is on point here. McCain lacks presence due to his insecurity and, if he can get it together, people would trust him more, he'd look presidential, and Obama would have a lot more to answer to.
However, having that insecurity problem is bad news for McCain. It's reminscent of what I thought about John Kerry between his moments of looking presidential and moments of idiocy. More than anything, it hastens back to an uncomfortable Bob Dole who was rocked by his charismatic, younger competition. Don't be surprised if this election turns out to be a replay of 1996 folks.
Comment by wmarxism — July 18, 2008 @ 4:07 am
The thing about Obama is that if he doesn't make a mistake we'll have Marxsims in America. Obama's flawless execution is scarier than any of McCain's mistakes.
Comment by Igor R. — July 19, 2008 @ 11:02 pm