Does McCain remember his policy positions?
Granted, U.S. senators cast many votes, and multi-term senators cast many, many votes. But is the bumbling senatorial amnesia so easily excusable? John McCain’s recent forgetfulness seems to extend beyond foreign policy issues with Iran and his past public statements on U.S. military intervention, now covering his policy options with respect to health care. Setting aside the Viagra question, is it really that difficult to remember why one would vote against mandating health insurance companies to cover artificial birth control? Why does McCain not “remember” what his current position is on health insurance coverage of birth control?
Here’s the part of the exchange to which I refer (McCain’s confused looks are going to be YouTube classics):
Reporter: I think you voted against coverage of birth control, [against] forcing health insurance companies to cover birth control in the past. Is that still your position?
McCain: Look at my voting record on it, but I have…I never, I don’t recall the vote right now, but I’ll be glad to look at it and get back to you as to why…I don’t–
Reporter: I guess her [Carly] statement was that it was unfair that health insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control. Do you have an opinion on that?
McCain: I don’t know enough about it to give you an informed answer because I don’t recall the vote, I cast thousands of votes in the Senate.
As an aside, is a joke about “killing” Iranians tasteful and/or presidential? What about another earlier joke about bombing Iran? In any case, he again has to “get back” to the reporter with his position, presumably because either he has to catch up on current events or he needs a staffer to hand him an opinion. Lots of hope for November with these guys!
UPDATE: Now McCain seems to recall voting on legislation in Washington, D.C. on a day that he was actually off campaigning in New York.
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Perhaps it’s my dark sense of humor, but I thought the bit about cigarettes exports to Iran was kind of funny.
The main point of the post puts me in mind of a column by Peggy Noonan a while back about how we expect superhuman attributes in our Presidential candidates (e.g. we expect them to have an informed opinion on every issue, large or small, to remember everything he has ever done or said, and to be able to articulate same on the spot at the drop of a hat).
The racist cigarette joke didn’t surprise me. The usual suspects will make excuses for it, of course.
I found more troubling a) his recently revealed fondness for high stakes bets at the craps table; and b) his not even knowing how to use the basics of the internet.
Maybe that silly infommercial company can send him one of their modem-printers geared for grandma and grandpa–you know, the ones that can only receive email messages and picture downloads.
Blackadder,
I can appreciate your warning over the attribution of super-human faculties to presidential candidates. But demanding better than forgetfulness of foreign affairs and personal policy positions, and imprudent jokes that may adumbrate future policy decisions is not, I think, the trait of someone who fictionalizes the traits of an acceptable presidential profile.
The racist cigarette joke didn’t surprise me.
The cigarettes were racist, eh?
How many flip flops has McCain? Well, this source says 61!!!
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/16124.html
I do believe this is an all-time record, even by the standard of politicians…
He’s a better candidate for Alzheimer’s than Reagan was!
I feel really bad for McCain.
I feel bad for McCain the way I feel bad — and I do — for unrepentant mass murderers who have gotten away with their crimes and think they are going to continue to get away with them for all eternity.
McCain, by the way, said recently, repeatedly, that it is “disgraceful” that young people’s Social Security taxes are used to pay for the benefits of current retirees. Of course this is how Social Security works. So either he thinks social security is “disgraceful” or he doesn’t have the remotest idea of what it is and how it is supposed to work.
I don’t see what the problem is. Casting as many votes as he has, I don’t think I’d remember either.
I’m not bothered by jokes either.
I am bothered by his policies as all of you should be instead of posting these tabloid pieces.
Mark,
It’s not just the internet. McCain says he doesn’t know how to use a computer.
“I don’t know enough about it to give you an informed answer because I don’t recall the vote, I cast thousands of votes in the Senate.”
Needless to say Obama does this have this problem :)
I could never be a Congressman, having to vote and vote and vote on matters about which I understand little, with little more staffers to guide me. I much prefer blogging, where I can post and post and post on matters about which I understand very little.
Didn’t care for the jokes, BTW. Not presidential or humane.
The racist cigarette joke didn’t surprise me. The usual suspects will make excuses for it, of course.
And the usual suspects will adopt their perpetual sneer, without being able to make an actual argument as to why they were so offended by a professed joke. So it goes.
I didn’t find the cigarette joke funny.
The Reverend Jesse Jackson’s personal desire to perform surgery on a certain body part from the Senator of Illinois, however . . .
When I click on the link in the update, I get a screen that says “Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn’t here.” Some kind of meta-joke, perhaps?
Even the NY Times is upset over Obama’s flip flops. Given that Obama has only had 143 working days in the Senate that’s quite an accomplishment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/04/opinion/04fri1.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
And while we’re talking about recall problems, there’s Obama’s, er, misunderstanding of his position of welfare reform:
“Barack Obama is championing welfare reform in his new television ad titled “Dignity.” The ad says that Obama “passed a law to move people from welfare to work — slashed the rolls by 80 percent.”
But the television spot fails to mention that Obama resisted the very welfare reform bill that led to the reduction in the caseload. Back in 1996, President Bill Clinton signed a federal reform bill in an effort to make welfare what he called “a second chance, not a way of life.”
But then-Illinois state Senator Obama told the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper that year that Mr. Clinton’s stance on welfare was “disturbing.”
And on May 31, 1997 Obama said on the floor of the Illinois state Senate, “I probably would not have supported the federal legislation.”
Poor old geezer. Just a few more months and he will be out of his misery.
I’m going to vote for whoever is hippest. That’s the best way of picking a president.
I mean, McCain is, like, old and stuff.
Bottom line-who would you rather have a beer with?
And the usual suspects will adopt their perpetual sneer, without being able to make an actual argument as to why they were so offended by a professed joke. So it goes.
Not sure why I should have to explain why a joke about killing people is not funny and also morally offensive. If that makes me one of the “usual suspects,” I’m happy to be in good company. Your comment brings judgment upon itself; no argument from me is needed.
I mean, McCain is, like, old and stuff.
Yeah, but he could probably whup Obama’s ass.
Cage match!
Naw he’d have a stroke.
Actually, Obama would have a gun to McCain’s knife, so I guess he’d win. =)
Well, you don’t need an argument for not getting a joke. De humor non est disputandum. The argument would be needed on behalf of the “racist” accusation, given that (for example) “Iranian” is not a race.
Oh brother.
Well, that’s not exactly an argument, but it’s more than you usually muster. Keep at it! You’ll get there.
This is our only alternative to the abortion candidate? What a friggin’ mess.
This country will get the leadership it deserves.
Poor old geezer. Just a few more months and he will be out of his misery.
Disgusting.