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Let “That One” Handle McCain’s Comment
I do not know why those words were spoken by Senator John McCain last night. It could be simply that John McCain does not agree with Senator Obama on the issues or it could be as Wolf Blitzer commented that McCain has a clear disdain for Obama. It was a poor choice of words and once again the questions this morning are not about the issues that matter to the American people, but rather, if McCain’s words were racially motivated (in or out of context).
For the record, I think John McCain is an honorable man and above the bottom feeding level of politics. However, a press release from his campaign ramped up their campaign about “That One” regarding Obama’s voting record and policy initiatives. My question to the McCain campaign is the following: Have you lost all sense of reality? Your policy attacks against Obama are going to be secondary to the innuendo of race that your catch phrase is prompting in the media. If you are hoping to agitate Obama into giving you an opening to reclaim lost ground by whining, and therefore playing the race card to his advantage, DREAM ON…after all, Obama survived the Clinton machine for over a year. Obama was calm last night when McCain introduced the comment and he will remain that way.
That being said, the surrogates and the Obama campaign should follow the example of their candidate and leave the issue alone. Let the television pundits and the bloggers hash this one out. Barack Obama made the right call by ignoring the comment…it would be wise for his supporters to do the same thing.
11 Responses to “Let “That One” Handle McCain’s Comment”
I no longer believe McCain is an honorable man. At the very least, he is not behaving honorably.
I don't believe that McCain meant it as a racial slur– he just momentarily couldn't remember his opponent's name.:)
kritt11:
either one excuse is bad for a presidential candidate–one just being worse, much worse, than the other
be an awful stretch to label it 'racist'; but imho mccain has forfeit his honor in his attempt to win the white house? mccain 2000 in the general election? quite possibly. this man? he radiates anger and contempt. i don't recognize him.
“I don't believe that McCain meant it as a racial slur– he just momentarily couldn't remember his opponent's name.:)”~ kritt
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Not only is that an astute observation, it should be the only talking point dems discuss it with. I remember that McCain was seeming a little addled, rattled and “seniory” last night. When he went to point at Obama I clearly got the impression that he had forgotten his name, just for an instant, and recovered saying “that one”.
I think there is one thing McCain's handlers cannot control in their aged/flawed candidate: his senior moments. And he does seem to be having more and more as the campaign wears on. Just the campaign, the itty-bitty prelude to the real McCoy: the next four years of hell and high water.
Team Obama might be well served to show how presidency ages a candidate. Show pictures of before and after photos on just four year terms and how they age presidents. Inject clips of McCain's obvious senior moments. Remind people that at the end of the four years, McCain will be nearing 80 years old in a time when the world would shred a man half his age and twice as fit. Even if McCain was the most qualified man ever to run for presidency (which sadly he is not), we would be fools to put him in the Oval Office this time around.
I've said it before and alluded to it many times: electing McCain falls under the category of a national security blunder from a strategic standpoint. We need our head buck to be spry, flexible and dialed-in this time around. If we don't, our enemies will smell weakness…
Sil, it is not the fact that it seems to be a “senior moment” that is damaging, I think.
After all, look at Reagan. . .the only president to mistake a cabinet secretary for a janitor. Reagan was invariably genial and self-deprecating in his senior moments.
McCain's comment seemed dismissive and nasty. Of course, not racist. Just filled with negativity.
Americans, as history has shown, will happily and eagerly elect a senior citizen.
I don't think they would like electing a bitter, PO-ed person of any age, race or gender to the presidency.
How utterly ridiculous. McCain's “that one” is as far from racist as Obama's “lipstick on a pig” was sexist. But sensationalizing both lines and paying heed to the noise machines on both sides is probably the media's idea of balanced coverage.
I don't know if it was racist. Doesn't matter. That is not my contention. It was rude, dismissive, defamatory and dare I say it? denigrating. There's no interpretation that justifies his not referring to Obama as Senator Obama, or “my opponent”.
>>McCain's comment seemed dismissive and nasty. Of course, not racist. Just filled with negativity.<<
Agreed – I know that many people have spun “THAT ONE” to be an overtly racist comment, but I don't see it that way. Negative, demeaning, dismissive, belittling, yes. Racist, not so much.
However, the 'negativity' of the comment is probably just as damaging (or more damaging) than any racism charge. It plays more and more into the 'bitter, grumpy old man' meme that has grown around McCain of late.
And no, I don't view it as a 'senior moment', as some commentators have said, either. However, I did wonder if McCain had a 'senior moment' today during a speech when he referred to voters as “my fellow prisoners”, and didn't even realize he said it. Reliving the past, maybe?
The use of “that one” to refer to anyone else is beneath anyone who wants to be a leader. It just shows that McCain disdains Obama and does not treat him with the respect Obama has shown for McCain.
I don't think it was racist…
“For the record, I think John McCain is an honorable man and above the bottom feeding level of politics.” LOL! That's a hoot! McCain hasn't been honorable for a long time now….