If Dems are planning to start crafting campaign narratives surrounding John McCain, I might recommend an obvious one: the senator appears to have temperament issues. Investor’s Business Daily, a conservative economic publication, asks this week, “Can McCain Control His Temper?”
John McCain claims his temper is not an issue. “I don’t think I would have the support of so many of my colleagues if that were the case.” Who are these supportive colleagues?
They certainly do not include Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. Over the weekend, he announced he cannot endorse his colleague for the White House and is endorsing Gov. Mitt Romney instead.
“The thought of him being president sends a cold chill down my spine,” Cochran said. “He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”
Perhaps Cochran can’t appreciate the maverick in McCain. But the same can’t be said of Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, a noted reformer and friend of whistle-blowers. Grassley said in a recent interview that he was so upset by a McCain tirade that he didn’t speak to him “for a couple of years.” McCain got in his face and shouted an obscenity at him. […]
[I]t seems McCain goes ballistic on anyone who disagrees with him. And he’s not just verbally abusive, but physically threatening.
Now, it’s worth noting that when George W. Bush’s conservative allies launched a smear campaign against McCain in 2000’s South Carolina primary, one of the more tasteless attacks argued that McCain, after years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, had developed mental problems, and was insufficiently stable. Those smears were obviously offensive and disgusting, and have no place in the discourse.
But this is a different question entirely, and deserves to be considered on its merits. Does John McCain — a man Newsweek once labeled, “Senator Hothead” — have a temperament issue? And is it relevant in the campaign?
Investor’s Business Daily brought up the Reagan comparison.
We appreciate that McCain, who was dead right about the surge, is willing to stare down “radical Islamic extremists.” We want them to fear our commander in chief. It helps if they believe he’s got his finger on the button, so to speak, as the Soviets believed with President Reagan.
Difference is, Reagan didn’t have an itchy trigger finger. His recently published diaries confirm that he skillfully used firm diplomacy behind the scenes. We’re not so sure McCain can control his bellicosity.
The concerns are certainly well grounded. A few weeks ago, Amanda at TP pulled together some of my favorite examples of McCain’s infamous temperament, including:
* In a “heated dispute over immigration-law overhaul” last year, McCain screamed at Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), “F**k you!” He added, “This is chickens**t stuff…. You’ve always been against this bill, and you’re just trying to derail it.” [5/19/07]
* In a discussion over the “fate of Vietnam MIAs,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) asked McCain, “Are you calling me stupid?” “No,” replied McCain, “I’m calling you a f**ing jerk!” [Newsweek, 2/21/00]
* At a GOP meeting in fall 1999, McCain “erupted” at Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) and shouted, “Only an a**hole would put together a budget like this.” When Domenici expressed his outrage, McCain responded, “I wouldn’t call you an a**hole unless you really were an a**hole.” [Newsweek, 2/21/00]
These apparently aren’t isolated incidents.
“I have witnessed incidents where he has used profanity at colleagues and exploded at colleagues,” said former Senator Bob Smith, a New Hampshire Republican who served with McCain on the Senate Armed Services Committee and on Republican policy committees. “He would disagree about something and then explode. It was incidents of irrational behavior. We’ve all had incidents where we have gotten angry, but I’ve never seen anyone act like that.”
McCain’s outbursts often erupted when other members rebuffed his requests for support during his bid in 2000 for the Republican nomination for president. A former Senate staffer recalled what happened when McCain asked for support from a fellow Republican senator on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
“The senator explained that he had already committed to support George Bush,” the former Senate staffer said. “McCain said ‘f**k you’ and never spoke to him again.”
Keep in mind, we’re talking about McCain dropping F-bombs on Republicans.
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Forget the temper; do we really want a president (much less a senator) who sings songs about bombing other nations and killing people?
Just keep showing him talking about MORE WARS.
Better start cranking it up. A lot of the nation won’t want either of the dem candidates. Whether they’ll get off their lazy asses to vote is the thing.
As pathetic as McCain is, most of the nation doesn’t know it and hasn’t seen it.
dan @ 1:
You call that singing? ;)
Alert the media, folks… an ornery old geezer cusses a lot. Why is this news?
A temperment issue matter in the campaign!? What an incredibly stupid thing you’ve written!! What kind of hopeless idiot are you!? If I had the technology, I’d nuke your sorry butt right now!!!
What was the topic again?
Well, maybe McCain has what it takes to get a political post in the last few months of this administration…
Do we really need to focus on this b.s.?
If he is the rethug nominee, I believe we Dems are in deep doodoo. He is going to garner a lot of veteran votes and also the Independents, plus white males who would never vote for a woman or an African-American. We need Mitt. Mitt we can beat. Otherwise, we will be marching into Iran and maybe even into Vietnam to avenge his capture and imprisonment there. He is looney tunes. Is it senility or PTSD? Don’t know, don’t care. He just scares the bejebus out of me.
“Now, it’s worth noting that when George W. Bush’s conservative allies launched a smear campaign against McCain in 2000’s South Carolina primary, one of the more tasteless attacks argued that McCain, after years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, had developed mental problems, and was insufficiently stable. Those smears were obviously offensive and disgusting, and have no place in the discourse.”
Then why even mention it? Leave the backhanded smears to Faux News; you’re better than that.
I say that Anything George W. Bush and his people said about McCain in 2000 is fair game for repetition, given that Bush is an honorable man and a patriot and would never lie to the American people.
Tee, hee, hee!
The problem with putting mean old men in office is that with the end so near, they often act like they have nothing to lose and don’t mind taking the rest of us with them.
;)
i agree with the above, his grumpiness is not as disconcerting as his excitement for perpetual-war.
Grampa will not be president, no matter what people say.
His temper is legendary, and that little Iran ditty he sang will haunt him forever.
Go away, Grampa. You are toast.
bns @ 5:
bns, I respectfully think that we do need to focus on this point. A big part of being president of this country is diplomacy. If he is going to get angry whenever a foreign leader disagrees with him we will end up seeing the U.S. more isolated than it currently. The problem with this line of criticism is that there are likely some Americans that want a president that they consider to be “ballsy” and “aggressive.” Of course, we have had that for the last eight years and see how that has worked out…
Bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran.
Yes, we need to focus on McCain. Cuz Romney won’t be there at the end.
Maybe we can get Rove to relive some of his favorite pranks. Worked for shrub.
bns @ 5:
b.s.?? Members of his own party describing him as irrational and causing them to “worry” make it a valid discussion point for me (backhanded smear not withstanding).
If he wasn’t good enough for them in 2000 why is he good enough for them now is what I would like to know ? I lost any respect I might have had for him when he endorsed Bush in 2004 after they wiped the floor with him in 2000
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I’m with Stewie on this. Mentioning it puts you on the same page as those who made it up in the first place. I have enough problems with McCain over policy issues; specifically his reticence in decrying America’s use of torture. Dredging up old mud isn’t necessary. Shame on you.
100 more years in Iraq - enough said…
McCain is looking to be the Repug nominee. It’s time to start hanging Bush around his neck day in and day out from here on in.
Also, the reich-wingers are pissing their pants over the possibility of McCain as the Repug nominee so it is time to divide and conquer the Repug party once and for all.
Fine, go with the “McCain can’t control his temper” strategy but then that means no more whining the next time the rightwing nuts try to dismiss any opposition to bush as just more “angry” democrats. cuts both ways. How bout focusing on what a lame-ass candidate he is because of….call me crazy here….McCain’s lame policies and his sham “straight-talk”. how bout hammering his complete inauthenicity, his complete lack of conviction. focus on his anger all you want but by doing this you give up your right to cry when Hannity, Limbaugh et al, talk about how angry Hillary sounds when she’son the campaign in the fall, assuming she beats obama. Because you know thats coming.
Somebody feels physically threatened by a 71 year old who can’t get his arm above the shoulder? Is that more telling about McCain or the person who feels threatened?
What I would like to see someone in the media mention (I have come to NOT expect actual reporting) is how reviled McCain is in his home state. If they could have, Arizonans (ians?) would have impeached him shortly after the ‘06 election. They tried but were blocked legally. He is LOATHED in Arizona and yet no one, not even the McCain haters at FOX, has said word one.
Any theories?
Just saying…
http://www.dymaxionweb.com/kul.....Keeper.jpg
the thought of president ‘bomb iran, with vice president LIEberman is enough to make a mountain man leave his home…
oh well…
oh well…
oh well…
if y’all haven’t noticed… Republicans admire these behaviors and characteristics in their leaders.
Perhaps not the best thing to harp on, as his anger might be spun to make it seem like he somehow has a backbone (which it doesn’t indicate at all).
Do any of you remember what happened to Bob Dole? He lost because he came across as such a grumpy old guy. He was well liked and has a good sense of humor. This is what the Dems need to go after!
I’m no McCain fan and there’s plenty to attack him with, chiefly his propensity for lying and talking out of both sides of his mouth, but these f-bombs make me kind of like him more. It’s hilarious.
EXACTLY!!!!!!!
slybacon @ 23:
We can’t go there. We’re the angry party, remember?
And instead of running away from cries of ‘they’re angry!’ - we should be embracing it.
I belong to the George Carlin / Lewis Black school of anger. We need to be more angry.
Gore and Kerry lost because they didn’t get pissed. Howard Dean had it right all along. Get mad, people, get mad!
Why doesn’t temperment have a place in the discourse on this presidential campaign? Temperment is an issue among candidates for judge. Why not among candidates for president? Do you want someone in the White House with his hand on the nuke button who can’t control his temper and would nuke another country without careful consideration? I am tired of aggression. We are no longer in the age of the cowboy. Can we enter the 21st century and at least try to be a further evolved country? What I want is an intelligent person who will think before acting. That isn’t McCain, obviously.
I’ve always said that anyone can read a speech and present it well to the public. Anyone can appear pleasant especially when the camera or media are focused on them. They will always want to put their best face on especially during a Presidential election. Behind the scenes though is where the real candidate emerges and it is this real candidate that will be making the decisions. If this is indeed the real McCain then there is much to worry about. On the surface he will appear pleasant but his policies behind closed doors could be monstrous. After all, even Hitler didn’t come right out on his first speech to the public and say: “My plan is to murder millions of Jews and start a world war in which most of you will die for me.” McCain could turn into history’s next mass murderer.
Remember the letter he wrote to Obama a couple of years ago?
Nice photo. Kind of reminds of Romney when he got into the AP reporter’s face.
Right up to his twenties, he remained a strikingly violent man, “ready to fight at the drop of a hat”, according to his biographer Robert Timberg. This rage seems to be at the core of his personality: describing his own childhood, McCain has written: “At the smallest provocation I would go off into a mad frenzy, and then suddenly crash to the floor unconscious. When I got angry I held my breath until I blacked out.”
From an article titled, “Don’t be fooled by the myth of John McCain”
Anais @ 29:
so i’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you’re not a republican?
The Fat Lady Sings @ 16:
.
Why bring it up at all if you claim (rightly) that the charges were offensive and disgusting. Your conduct in doing so is as vile as the original authors of the smear.
I thought his response to Grassley was pretty funny, really. But I’ve got a pottymouth myself.
Physically threatening??? A guy who cant lift his arms abve his head due to injuries suffered as a POW is physically threatening?
Gimme a break. You know the term “Swiftboating” is thrown around alot, but frankly, candidates are now “boated” whenever they become threatening to others that would disagree with them.
McCain by the far right and radio shows
Obama by Billary
Billary by the right
Left coast rappers by right coast rappers…..
Somewhere, sometime, everyone who looks to jump into front runner status seems to get zapped with one label or another that either isnt true, or is an exageration of their original views.
As one who sees himself as a moderate, I welcome a McCain candidacy. Not because I agree with everything the man says or does, which I dont, but becasue he is willing to reach across the aisle to get things done….and has done so in the past. I think Obama can be viewed by the same light. More liberal, but one willing to work with others.
This country needs another Clinton in the Whitehouse like it needs another Bush. McCain and Obama? I’d much rather see McCain, but I can live with Obama. Hillary I simply couldnt stomach.
My prediction, for what it’s worth….
McCain wins the nomination and chooses Huckabee to VP simply to appease the right.
Obama wins the nomination and chooses Bill Richardson because he can fill the foreign policy gap Obama clearly has.
Winner? Pick ‘em….
No matter who wins, they ought to make Biden the Sec. of State.
So, that’s his great plan? If Osama doesn’t give himself up mccan’t will hold his breath until he turns blue and passes out?
Let’s be kind to this man. He spent years being abused at the hands of skilled tormentors. He was physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually tortured. He was malnourished and forced to exist under the most inhumane conditions imaginable.
That said, who the hell believes that sort of prolonged abuse doesn’t result in long term disability? Why hasn’t this man accepted the grateful accolades of a nation and retired to a private life justifiably deserved by those who have served their nation honorably (even if the cause was totally dishonorable.)
Of course this man is mentally unstable and his behavior unpredictable and frequently abhorrent. If most of us had undergone that sort of abuse we’d be in much worse shape at his age.
The question for me is what freakin’ idiots told McCain that running for president is a good idea? And what *&^%$ fools want this man running our country. I just don’t get it!!!
I bet if when he had a temper tantrum and was handed his ass on a platter a couple of times, waking up with his face on the floor and wondering how he got there, he’d maybe learn some self control.
Those are our choices this time around: psycho hose beasts and corporawhores.
Richard @ 35:
Although it should go without saying, because everyone knew the stories were likely to be untrue or exaggerrated, and now it’s being trotted out like common knowledge.
Is that old fool on the toilet or is he reminiscing his days at the Hanoi Hilton?
Left&Left @ 42:
That is by far one of the most classless comments I have ever read here.
Go wash your mouth out and apologize to a vet….
Mccain has become todays Bob Dole. People are going to realize he’s just a little too old, it may be after he gets the nomination.
Michael Smith @ 12:
yes, a big portion of being president is diplomacy and it’s also a huge element of being a Senator. His “temper” obviously hasn’t been enough to railroad his Congressional career nor has it been enough to prevent McCain from pushing through bipartisan legislation. Focusing on smear-tactic personality politics like this is not the direction that needs to be pursued to get actual issues addressed.
Too many people assume that the President truly acts alone in his diplomatic efforts.