Posted on 02/04/2008 8:14:31 AM PST by WL-law
Many FR threads have included the infamous picture of John McCain, teeth-gritted and looking at "somebody" with pure hatred and contempt.
In fact, the picture has been seen by many as strong evidence of McCain's personality 'flaw', and certainly it's representative of that.
But what's MISSING from the picture is at least as important as the picture itself. Here's a best-available full view -- but you still can't see the full context.
Who's the object of McCain's nasty grimace? -- well, you can't see it in the picture.
For those not aware, the "object" was none other than -- candidate GW Bush.
The picture was taken, not in a private or semi-private moment, but while McCain was on national TV in a presidential debate. And McCain's "hatred" was directed at not just some heckler, but at another republican candidate, one who McCain felt superior to.
So -- my point it that the picture is a "two-fer". It shows what's obvious -- McCain's temper -- but it also shows his hatred for the republican right and the Christian right, and the nuts and bolts of the party itself.
This McCain "two-fer" was fully manifested why McCain, in the middle of the 2004 election, turned again on GW Bush.
Recall that at the time when GW Bush was fighting hard against Kerry-teamed-with-MSMedia, and the time when the Swift-Boat veterans were trying so hard to get their message out on the national media about John Kerry.
McCain picked this time, when it could hurt the party deeply, to try to stick a knife into the Bush campaign by going on national TV to declare that he, McCain, respected John Kerry, condemned the Swift-Boat veterans, and offered that he, McCain, would consider joining the Kerry ticket as VP if he were asked!!
Has there ever been such an act of perfidy by a leading republican against the party's candidate?
Revealing of McCain. He has extreme mood swings. Bizarre.
It’s been around for a long time. If it were fake it would have come out by now.
’That is not by my campaign,’’ Mr. McCain said.‘’Well, it says paid for by John McCain,’’ Mr. Bush said.
‘’That is not by my campaign,’’ Mr. McCain said.
‘’McCain 2000,’’ Mr. Bush said. ‘’John, well then somebody’s putting stuff out.’’
Mr. McCain explained after the debate that the flier was printed a few weeks ago, before his no-negative-ad pledge, and was apparently distributed by a campaign worker without his knowledge.
So McCain lied and then backtracked and tried to spin.
I'm shocked! /s
Thats a separate issue.
So are you saying this picture is real?? I have always been under the impression it was photoshopped. If it’s real then holy moly....
It’s real. and I was surprised at how many people have said the same as you — I guess that’s what I suspected, and why i wrote this piece.
The MSMedia, which has of course fawned over McCain, has decided that 8 years ago, and 4 years ago, represent events now lost in the shadows of time, not to be recalled, and therefore they’ve allowed McCain to re-define himself, untroubled by such things as “facts” and “history”.
Wow, and I thought I could like McCain no less than I did, but I found a new low. I’m voting for the democratic candidate over McCain, nuff said ...
I can do better than that -- I actually SAW him make that face back in the 2000 primary debates, and commented on it at the time.
Somebody here on FR, I think, then did a screen shot and captured the image from the TV feed.
see my post above.
It’s pretty easy to find on the internet — google “McCain Kerry 2004 vice-president”.
Here’s one hit:
http://www.nysunpolitics.com/blog/2007/04/john-kerry-mccains-people.html
Also, a partial transcript of McCain, on ABC with Charles Gibson, at the time:
CHARLES GIBSON: Let me imagine it. If he asked you, if he came across the aisle and asked you, would you even entertain the idea? Or will you rule it out for good and all and ever right now?
MCCAIN: John Kerry is a very close friend of mine, and we’ve been friends for years. Obviously I would entertain it…
That settles it. thanks.
I always thought that the he looks like he’s clowning around in the picture. He doesn’t look like he’s really mad to me. Does anyone have the context of what was being said at the time the picture was taken?
It was taken in the middle of the debate, and McCain was NOT clowning around.
GW Bush was giving an answer to a question that McCain didn't like, implicitly criticizing McCain,and McCain was itching to give his rebuttal. That's what I remember.
And I recall that Alan Keyes was getting under McCain's skin, and "tag-teaming" a bit against McCain. I doubt that GW Bush's people had any control over Keyes, who was a loose cannon at the time.
That link said nothing of the sort. McCain did not ask or entertain the thought of it, according to the NY Sun thing. He said that no, I would still be a Republican, and I would still have my convictions.
Please give the Gibson link.
Well, his expression appears to be exaggerated. I cannot say for sure, however.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.