Not Too Impotent, Harumpa!

All right, finally an issue that lets me express my non-partisan, extremely moderate views...

It isn't right the way the "liberal media" is treating John McCain's "not too important" remark. (Now, just because I don't think that it's right doesn't mean that I think it's unfair. The "right-wing media" has been practicing this type of conduct for years so for the "left" to merely counter with the same maneuver is reasonable and, as the saying goes, "turnabout is fair play." But it does reinforce, and slightly justify, claims of a "left-wing media bias.")
But it's not right the way the press is blowing John McCain's "not too important" gaffe out of proportion because John McCain was making a perfectly legitimate point – the problem with Iraq isn't that our soldiers are there, the problem with Iraq is that our soldiers are continuing to die there, (and the stop-loss policy which requires them to serve against their will for an administration that opposes paying for their college education, but that's another blog). But what McCain said makes perfect sense – our military forces have been in Germany, Japan, and Korea way longer than they have been in Iraq but there isn't a nationwide uproar demanding that we bring our troops home from those countries because our soldiers aren't continuing to die on a daily basis in Germany, Japan, and Korea.

The problem with Iraq is that the controversial war there has been so terribly mismanaged that our brave men and women are continuing to unnecessarily die there.

The problem with John McCain is that, when doing interviews, he resembles a beginner stand-up comic at his first open mic, (and he's nuttier than squirrel shit, but again, that's another blog).

John McCain is like a guy who loves comedy, has studied all of the greats, and can recite verbatim his favorites' routines; he's a funny guy, he's written a lot of funny jokes, and he has what he thinks is a very tight set, but then, when he gets on stage, he bombs because he doesn't understand the practical nuances of stand-up comedy. Not only has he not figured out the dynamic between the comic and the crowd, but more importantly, John McCain hasn't realized that not all types of jokes work for all types of comedians – John McCain hasn't found his comedic voice.

Whereas Barack Obama can say that McCain would just be a third Bush term and it works, McCain tries to say that Obama would be a second Carter term and it doesn't. Not just because his statement causes the listener to realize that McCain was in his forties during the Carter administration, and not just because it's a little silly that a guy has to go back three decades just to be relevant, but because when McCain says it, it's forced.

Obama's routine flows – it's motivated and it appears natural. McCain's bits are clumsy – they aren't set up and he seems to be trying too hard. Instead of reacting to what McCain says we're left pondering why and how he said it.

The "not too important" comment stands out because it didn't really answer Matt Lauer's question. McCain wasn't trying to say that it's "not too important" for the next president to have a good estimate of when our troops can come home from Iraq, McCain was trying to say that the question Lauer asked was "not too important" because he had recently figured out how to deflect and neutralize such criticism. But because McCain couldn't wait to reveal the punch line, he bungled the delivery, and, as the saying goes, "timing is everything."

The real story behind McCain's recent comments is that they reveal that what is going on in John McCain's head is different than what is going on. Like a teenager who wants so desperately to be cool that he wears his brand-new, hip sweater to school even though it’s a humid 94 degrees out, John McCain can't wait to show off his latest one-liner because he honestly believes that a superficial quip is what secures 270 electoral votes.

McCain is grossly outmatched in this election but twisting his words is only counter-productive because it will cause his supporters to become emotionally involved with his defense. If this campaign is kept on an intellectual battleground, the current administration's philosophies don't stand a chance, but if this becomes another election against the "liberal media," the Democrats could be in trouble. And regardless of the issues, if McCain starts finishing his sentences with "hurumpa!," Obama won't be occupying the White House any time soon.

It's Sunday so yes, I'm still a little drunk,
Rocky