Jon Stewart Warned McCain About "Crazy Base World"
By Jon Perr Thursday May 22, 2008 12:40pm
The Daily Show's Jon Stewart tried to warn him in 2006, but John McCain didn't listen. Battered by all sides over his embrace of End Times Pastor John Hagee, John McCain is finally experiencing the blowback from his pandering visits to "crazy base world."
Two years before he shared a San Antonio stage with John Hagee, John McCain in the spring of 2006 sought to jump-start his GOP presidential bid by repairing his frayed relationship with the religious right. On April 2, 2006, McCain appeared on Meet the Press and retracted his famous 2000 claim that the late Reverend Jerry Falwell was an "agent of intolerance." On May 13, 2006, McCain delivered the commencement address at Falwell's Libery University. There, the two men walked on stage together, where Falwell then praised his former foe, "the ilk of John McCain is very scarce, very small."
But weeks before McCain journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia to deliver that speech, he traveled to New York to appear on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. There, Stewart jokingly warned McCain about the risks in pandering to evangelical GOP voters through his looming rapprochement with Falwell:
STEWART: You're killin' me here. I feel like it's a condoning of Falwell's kind of crazymaking to some extent to have you go down there, and it strikes me as something you wouldn't normally do. Am I wrong about that?
MCCAIN: Jon, I've spoken at a lot of schools, I've spoken to schools whose specific policies I may disagree with - Ivy League schools don't allow military recruiters, I don't agree with that. I'm going there to speak to the students at his invitation, and I can assure you that the message will be the same that I give everywhere.
STEWART: You don't think that it helps to sort of reassert Falwell as the voice for a certain group of people, say evangelicals or the Christian Right? Isn't it the kind of thing that maybe if you don't go there, it helps to keep marginalizing guys like that, or do I misunderstand politics? No? Maybe I misunderstand things.
MCCAIN: Jon, I try to, as I said --
STEWART: Why do I feel like I'm about to get grounded?
MCCAIN: Listen, I love coming on your show. Young people all over America watch it. I love to travel around the country and speak at colleges and universities. Look - they're all parts of the Republican Party. I respect them; I may disagree, and I'm sure that I've had disagreements with them. I'm not going to change -
STEWART: You're not freaking out on us? Are you freaking out on us? Because if you're freaking out and you're going into the crazy base world - are you going into crazy base world?
MCCAIN: I'm afraid so.
STEWART: All right, sir. You know we have great regard for you here, and I hope you know what you're doing there, I trust that you do. When you see Falwell, do you feel nervous, do you have vomit in the back of your throat - what does it feel like?
MCCAIN: No, but I'll give him your love.
(The video of the exchange is available here.)
Fast forward two years and John McCain no doubt is feeling the bile rising. Under attack for embracing Hagee, an anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic advocate of accelerating the Second Coming of Christ by triggering Armageddon in a death struggle with Iran, John McCain today could offer only the Sgt. Schultz defense. McCain played dumb regarding the most recent statements about the divinely mandated role of Adolf Hitler from Hagee, a man whose endorsement he aggressively sought, "I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement."
As Jon Stewart warned him, this is what happens when John McCain goes to crazy base world.
(An earlier version of this piece appeared on Perrspectives.)
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Holy Friiiiiiiist.
When you lie down with dogs you will likely get fleas.
Breaking news!!! the PNAC website is off right now!!!
What happened? Anybody know ?
It is quite clear that the fundies do not partake of the kool aid. They're ideological beverage of choice is crazy juice.
Underground Pirate @ 3:
All references to Iraq are being replaced with references to Iran?
The webmaster learned that the server was made in China?
The check from the World Bank didn't clear?
Website link has "video not available"... Any other link?
Speaking of the crazy base, we've got to keep the neocons out in the light of day as much or more than the christo-fascists. Starting with that vile creature, Charles Krauthammer. Surely there are skeletons in his past that can aid in marginalizing him!
Blue Lensman @ 7:
Charles Krauthammer. Never has one man been honored for so few accomplishments.
wow ... when did hagee hit the msm? i don't watch it often (broadcast only anyway) but the other day i was stunned and then annoyed at the "report" about ron parsley. i was ultimately just annoyed by it because, first, the "problem" with parsley was an issue (and i don't remember now specifically what it was) that the deadenders consider one of their foundational tenets and, secondly, there was nothing in the "report" about hagee's multiple vile statements (including the nonsense about jews and hitler), or any of the other religionist nutcases.
clever. feed it out in tiny bits, so most people won't string them together, with an opportunity for mccain to publicly say "i now decline [insert here]'s support," making it all better in the pundits' scorebook. what he says on teevee and what he says, or infers, to his little campaign-stop audiences is likely something else entirely depending on where he is.
mccain makes a little vomit come up in the back of my throat.
"When you see Falwell, do you feel nervous, do you have vomit in the back of your throat - what does it feel like"? Careful Jon, dirty talk like that will give the old geezer a limp form of a woody, hey thats assault with a dead weapon.--CEO
Liberal AND Proud @ 5:
Good one!!! Humor seems to be the only to get through the horrors of living in America.
McCain is gonna need these crazies like hell in November. But the less crazy repubs are ready to ditch that part of their party. What to do? What to do?
Meanwhile, Senator Obama just gave a hell of a speech in Miami. He's talking about issues while McCain has issues.
Underground Pirate @ 3:
they fled the country, due to the spy trials in DC
CEO,citizens,eyes,open @ 10:
I wonder how many matches fit in the matchbox along with Falwell's remains.
utterly horrible person
Underground Pirate @ 11:
Horrors?
what horrors??
do you have a roof over your head not made of palm fronds?
did your kids eat last night?
are "men with guns" likely to raid your town this weekend?
do you currently have malaria or an intestinal parasite?
did a minister clip off your 12 year old daughter's clitoris?
is there an occupying armory holding your dad and brother for questioning?
does your kid's school have a dirt floor?
yes our democracy is nonfunctioning and our population stupid and selfish, but other than missing an episode of American Idol, you have probaly never experienced a horror!!
"The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart tried to warn him in 2006, but John McCain didn’t listen."
either mccain is a charlatan, feigning ignorance, or he truly is completely out of touch. either way, an honest media (my refrain for the day) should have elevated this story to the appropriate level.
mccain courted known hate mongers, liars, and thieves. and now he can just walk away. well, i say fuck that shit. these xtian-fascists deserve scorn and derision, and ANYONE who appeals to them for support is one step below worm spittle. (yes, worms have spittle)
McCain did court the hate mongers, and they helped him get the nomination. Now that he needs to appeal to the undecided voter, he conveniently runs away from them. This is actually working out quite well for him.
"Has John McCain's Straight Talk Express taken a detour thru Bullshitville ?"
-Jon Stewart-
marko @ 15:
Well that is the goal of any civilization, to advance to a point where its safe to walk the streets and live life without fear,
Liberals in America and Europe and other places are trying, despite the worst efforts of the RW thugs to turn back the clock.
marko @ 15:
Don't worry, there's lots of room for having absolutely no sense of humour too.
Slaw @ 17:
This is why neither Huckabee nor Romney could possibly be McSame's veep at this point in time.
Underground Pirate @ 3:
I believe they let it lapse and have not payed their bill.
marko @ 15:
marko @ 15:
Yes, those are the horrors!!! The military industrial complex steals money from all of us to insure an adequate level of suffering for their purposes.
It is horrible to know that my tax payments and purchases are used for these purposes. Is that not horror?
shane @ 22:
Its akin to Blofeld running out of catfood the evening before the day of the big event.
Have to give McCain credit for the line "no, but I'll give him your love." He may be the butt of the joke, but at least he gets the joke.
mr smitty @ 25:
McCain does seem to have a sense of humour,
Maybe he also has a sense of revenge and would like to get his name in the history books other than just as a failed presidential runner.
Come on McCain how about some good old fashion revenge and stab the Republicans in the back in october by endorsing Obama,
just like Rove et al did to you back in 2000 when they put that Chimp into the POTUS seat.
McCain may not be the fav Rtype to the Democrats, but he would have made a better POTUS back in 2000 than the perpetual failure Chimpy.
Remember John, revenge a dish best served cold and humorous.
Underground Pirate @ 3:
that's about a week old, but thanks for the hedzup. if you read the alert, it looks like they did not pay their bills.
Slaw @ 17:
chrissie will be singing his praises tonight and russert on sunday. faux has already hired the hallelujah chorus.
BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit @ 27:
Thats what they want everybody to believe, but would a grand conspiracy org like PNAC forget to pay a simple bill !!!!!!
'the truth is out there, and stranger than anybody believes'
Chico Hussein @ 18:
With intermittent stops at Crazy Town, Xynophobia, Bigotsville, Rendition Station, and Pandervania. Of course, there are no tours through the actual towns...he only hangs out in the "lobby".
Underground Pirate @ 23:
play nice! we're all on the same side.
Liberal AND Proud @ 30:
and currently visiting Wall Street if the markets are anything to go by.
Liberal AND Proud @ 30:
I hear he does go out - wearing body armor, with a 100 troop escort and five choppers - and that's just for groceries.
ferrofluid @ 29:
Underground Pirate might be right about those planned site "upgrades".
Curiously, the MSM had no problems whatsoever with Hagee or Parsley until AFTER McCain dumped them. Now, all of a sudden, it seems to be an issue. I guess that, after so many years of conservative dominance, the MSM has come to view even the most bizarre and hateful right-wing religious leaders as being part of the American mainstream.
McCain's temper doesn't fit. If he has trouble controlling himself in response to the questions of reporters how does he get through licking Rove and Hagee's shoes. Nobody could possibly switch their stance on as many issues and mean it. Sometimes I think maybe he is exacting revenge by securing their nomination and a month before the election he will tell them they are a bunch of assholes and he is dropping out so they will not even have a candidate this time around. But, then I remember the Keating 5 thing and realize my wishful thinking is completely without basis. Not to be mean but the secrecy involved in his medical records release makes me wonder if he is going to still be around in November. That would be interesting.
John McCain cannot get away with claiming innocence regarding these right wing wackadoodle preachers. He himself called them "agents of intolerance". The media should be asking him why he referred to them that way??? Clearly he was fully aware of the hatred they preach. So, why isn't the media all over Hagee and Parsley, replaying snippets of their crazy sermons over and over?? Obviously, because they are white, and John McCain is white. There is no other explanation. It's the right wingers that wanted to make an issue out this stuff, so by all means, let's do. I find the right wing "agents of intolerance" far more offensive than Rev. Wright who primarily directed his ire toward the U.S. Government and its policies. Again, McCain gets a free pass. Like the way he's now dumping these lobbiests working for him. He's such a liar, a panderer, and political calculator. He thinks if he does this now, it will make him look good, rather than having done it long ago under the radar. John McCain, like Bush before him, is another wolf in sheep's clothing, trying to convince Americans he's something he's not. And, as usual, the media is playing right along.
Digimer @ 6:
If you're outside of the US, you'll get that message. If you're in Canada you can TRY tracking down the video via thecomedynetwork.ca website, or elsewhere you can try surfing to the same link above using a proxy based in the US.
Maybe now, McCain can be the next President to talk about Hitler in front of the Knesset?
"And Hitler, like Moses before him, led the Jewish people to the promised land..."
Proving what I've always known:
Jon Stewart would make a much better President than John McCain.
A blast from the past.
I didn't agree with "McCain 2006," but I respected that McCain. He was a republican that managed to come accross as a sane, reasonable person. I wouldn't have voted for him in 2000, but if he had won I wouldn't have been terribly disappointed, and would have expected him to be a good president.
He did well in his interview with Jon, pointing out that he's talked at universities with policies more liberal than he would like. He may have even given away his true feelings when he implicitly agreed with Jon's "crazy base world" characterization, by saying "I'm afraid so."
Not anymore - McCain 2008 is a batshit crazy sellout hypocrite.
marko @ 16:
Breaking news-we don't really live in a democracy.
McCain is at his core a pretty liberal & reasonable man BUT he is also a politician & given his military background & POW status he realized that he could better sell himself to the republican constituents & the rest of his antics are just in the effort to reinforce his core base which is - People who cant differentiate between patriotism & fanatic nationalism.
Personally, I think Obama is a good choice for America but am still not sure if America is ready to elect a Black Man!.
Thankfully,as a outsider I don't have to make that choice.
Now Billary, That's really scary stuff.
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