By:
Nicole Belle on Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 at 11:16 AM - PDT
Yes, it was a joke. Yes, the audience laughed. No, I don’t think it’s the way to solicit votes from the younger generation.
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An unflinching John McCain was told Tuesday by New Hampshire high school students he might be too old to be president and too conservative to be respected.
McCain, the Arizona senator whose presidential bid has stumbled through the summer, countered the Concord High School students with humor.
“Thanks for the question, you little jerk,” McCain joked back to one student who asked the 71-year-old about his age. “You’re drafted.”
One Trackback To “McCain: You jerk….you’re drafted!“
111 Responses for “McCain: You jerk….you’re drafted!”
Mccain and Thompson knew Andrew Jackson personally they’re so old
“Thanks for the question, you little jerk. You’re drafted.”
Way to dispel the crusty-old-man image, John.
Just a joke…nothing to see here…move along…move along…these aren’t the scandal you’re looking for.
McCain’s not so old. I got rocks older than he is.
Meh. Not like hordes were gonna vote for him.
Tasteless joke, but… what does the old man have to lose at this point? lol
Retire McOld.
Geez.
It just shows that McCain doesn’t know how to handle himself around kids. Seems he felt he had to cut back at the kid in a juvenile way. Not the way a wannabe prez should handle things.
By saying what he did, he proved he is too old and proved the kid right.
So will the kid think its funny, when he wins the Uncle Sam lottery and flies off to bask in the fun and sun in the Middle East?
The McCain of late is much more refreshing than the stodgy old man who began seeking the nomination. i like his candor and his easygoing manner. i just don’t agree with most of his stances on the issues, nor can i ever forgive him for allowing bush and rowe to trash his family while he quietly sat back and did nothing.
McCain’s “witty comeback” was rude and not very funny. He probably could have been a bigger man and explained that his age shouldn’t be a factor, and maybe talked to the kid about respecting his elders. You CAN be respectful to a Senator, even if you disagree with him on virtually everything.
That doesn’t change the fact that the kid acted like a snotty brat. Too.
eh…a joke. so what?
This is just a mild example of how our representatives
REALLY feel about their cattle.
The remakr doesn’t matter since 99% of young voters aren’t going to vote for McCain anyways.
I don’t get it. he gave a great response to the kid and what he said at the end was totally unnecessary.
I don’t care if the question was a little insensitive it was totally legitimate and something I would have asked McCain.
Thanks for the answer, you old fart. You’re irrelevant.
So, is McCain doing any “senatoring” these days? I mean… he is supposed to be doing the work of the people, right?
What the hell is he doing wasting time thinking he’s a viable candidate? Arizona needs attention. Let’s go John, Chop Chop!
QuakerDave @ 10:
Did the kid have any choice about being there?
I wouldn’t willing go see McCain campaign on stage.
And is it proper to sell a political message in a public school?
Actually, I think a sense of humour is good for politics. It gets us away from sound-bite politics and into really listening to our candidates and to what they are really saying
The kid should have asked him if that was an admission of policy plans–McCain wants to draft kids–or was it just a smart-alecky remark in which case, now that the Senator has had his fun, could he please just answer the question.
HELLLOOOOOOO MR. WILSON!!!!!!
A draft is the only thing that will stop this war before Bush’s exit.
I support the draft, 100% no joke, and you all should.
kendo @ 18:
That would’ve been a good question.
I believe the true answer is yes, but I wonder what McCain would actually say.
It was funny. The “youre drafted” thing wasnt funny… but the “little jerk” thing was funny, everyone knew it was a joke, and it was a cute joke. McCain would be a disaster as president, but this was just a little moment of “realness” that campaign consultants would try to hammer out of you and not let happen… which I dont see as necessarily a good thing.
JRo @ 20:
Bomb Iran.
Major Combat Setbacks in Iraq.
USS Nimitz is sunk along with other ships.
Tankers start blowing up in the Gulf
Gasoline goes to $12/Gal
Citizens say Hell Yeah! Bring back the draft!
McCain is a douchebag, but that was funny. I mean it does show he has a sense of humor.
Considering the question was asking about McCain’s mental health, Alzherimers and all that, it was a rude question with a rude answer deservedly.
The kids may have giggled when McCain made the “You’re drafted” comment but if things keep up as they are that may be exactly what they will get. Especially since most if not all ground forces are pretty much committed right now to Iraq and Afghanistan.
By they way, just a note for John McCain. Don’t use that “You’re drafted” comment in front of the Neocons. You know how they automatically fumble for their deferments or run for the door when they hear the word “draft”. :lol:
Do today’s high school kids even know what “drafted” means?
[Deleted. There is already a C&L thread on this topic]
I think it’s great to offer the specter of a draft. Though that probably wasn’t McCain’s intent, we really should think seriously about if we need/want a draft which would be necessary to sustain current troop levels in Iraq long term.
Joe O. @ 26:
Hey! I’ll keep that in mind. Just shouting that word “draft” might be a great way to break up a Republican Convention. Better yet, bring a military recruiter to the convention. The Republicans will slap him/her on the back until they find out what he/she does for a living. :lol:
ysbaddaden @ 25:
Maybe. But I believe that McCain may be suffering the early stages of dementia. If he has a shot at being President, I’d like to see some evidence that he isn’t.
If he is in the early stages of dementia, what will his condition be in four years? Is he fully functioning in the evenings? Would there come a time when he forgets he is President?
We feel like we have a right to know almost every personal detail about candidates. Maybe Medical Records should be fair game? they are applying to be civil servants and to work for us, aren’t they?
If someone wants to be President of the United States of America and have their finger on the world’s largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, I think it is fair to ask if they are of sound mind and body.
by making this joke, McCain is suggesting that being drafted and sent to war (or in this case, an occupation) is PUNISHMENT.
Very presidential.
I laughed. Get a sense of humor people.
The pundits were laughing about it- saying it showed a “sense of humor”…yeah…if he were a old drunk uncle that no one wants to sit next to at thanksgiving….Very disrespectful…
NO JOKING! EVAR! Not while there’s troops on the ground, Senator McCain!
Or … we could all just enjoy a rare light moment in a campaign where neither side can remind us enough how high the stakes are and not make a political issue out of it. Just a suggestion.
Ok, that was funny.
CD @ 13:
It doesn’t matter even more when you consider that 60% of young people just won’t vote.
Hey there are people , that are young, mere kids spilling their Blood Over There..and while any of us are able to laugh here at home- Someone running for president SHOULD Remember those over in the Sand…It ain’t funny- and the Draft IS NEVER Funny….we all need to get some reality- even Mr.McCain…
The question was STUPIDLY worded, and the kid sounded like sort of an idiot with his stuttering.
“Do you think you’ll die while in office?”
C’mon - there are much better, dignified ways of asking that. The wording almost came off as deliberately insulting.
With that said, McCain would still make a terrible president, and I’m not defending him. But I will put blame where blame is due. Something I used to not do, but am learning to be more honest about.
OT, but..
“Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, a fugitive wanted on a 15-year-old felony warrant, is on the lam once again after he failed to appear in San Mateo County Superior Court this morning to surrender his passport.”
Fifteen years on the lam and they let him out on bail. Great idea.
We need Campaign Finance Reform so criminals (charged or not) have no more influence in politics than you or i do.
Oh lighten up! I thought it was funny. Sheesh!
Oh, he works 24/7. Yet he spends time with his family.
He doesn’t sleep?
Hrmmm…. Me thinks he is prone to exaggeration…
Ah yes, the draft; always good for a laugh.
I’ll be laughing all the way to Canada.
I agree that he was funny. I smiled at most everything but the draft joke.
I don’t think he adequately answered the question, and I would like assurances.
Matt in Texas @ 42:
Remember though, its only funny (I.E. You’re Drafted) when someone that supports the war says it. If anyone else says something even remotely similar and they are anti-war they shouted down fast.
Why is mccain wasting the donor’s money?
He has absolutely no chance to win the nomination - unless rudy has another quick messy divorce, mitt is found to have had multiple wives - simultaneously, fred actually runs, and mike is one of the “left behind”.
That was a lot of college aged kids sitting listening to a right wing, war-mongering has-been!
Weaseldog @ 45:
Like a contract that he wouldn’t die during his term(s)?
:)
To be honest, I thought that was pretty funny…
I was laughing, it was really funny. Yeah, the kid was asking a jerkish question. That kid will get old someday, will he appreciate being made fun of for being senile?
Yeqh, he could’ve done without the “You’re drafted” and had it be just as funny. At least McCain served; had one of the chickenhawks said it, it would have started more of a controversy.
Matt in Texas @ 51:
I agree with you there.
JRo @ 20:
Read this weeks Newsweek, great article in there from a soldier about why the draft should be reinstated.
hahahahahahah, we are in a war of aggression, which has killed tens to hundreds of thousands of innocent people, and almost 4000 US troops. Yeah, the joke under that context really is hilarious.
I can’t wait until McCain gets confronted by a 9/11 victim and he makes a joke about Osama Bin Laden being a stud for knocking a set of twins at the same time.
Hahahahaha, it is soooo funny… hahahahahhaha
Doug @ 50:
Senile people don’t run for president, if you are a fucking idiot and decide to put yourself under public scrutiny -which is what a political campaign should be- you deserve to be called out as an idiot. If you were senile, I may feel sorry for you. But if you were senile AND decided to run for the highest office in the land, sorry bubba… I think the office is more important than your feelings as an old fart.