Big Fat Story
Once he was unafraid to throw Christians to the lions
The South Carolina Republican primary of 2000 was one of the dirtiest in the nation’s history. Bigots who backed George W.Bush set out to cripple McCain with the charge that he was gay, that Cindi was a drug addict, that during his imprisonment in Hanoi he had been turned into a "Manchurian candidate", and, perhaps most offensive of all, that he had fathered a black child. (The McCains have an adopted daughter from Bangladesh.) Christian groups financed and fueled many of the rumors. McCain’s response was classic Straight Talk McCain. He railed against "agents of intolerance" and fingered Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, saying they were extremists who had too much influence in the Republican party. "I believe that there is a special place in hell for people like those," he said. But four years on, to bring the fundamental conservatives to his side, he publicly reconciled with Falwell.
Photo: Dave Martin/AP
Grouchy and grim, he hit a low point with "That one!"
In debates, McCain has found it hard to disguise his total disdain for Obama. This compares sharply with his genuine affection for Hillary Clinton. As a courageous naval veteran, longtime Senator, father and grandfather, genuine maverick, Republican party oddball, and bipartisan fixer, he appears to look upon Obama as an audacious, naïve, novice interloper. But somehow he can't translate this totally plausible thought into a running joke that would puncture Obama’s lofty pomposity. McCain has not just lost his sense of humor, he has lost his true voice. And he has only a brief time to rediscover it.
Getting serious with Jon Stewart
Who says you can't mix comedy with serious stuff? Before the campaign caused him to lose his sense of humor, McCain used to be able to switch from Jon Stewart's straight man to a determined and articulate opponent of American torture methods. As he forcefully explained, if even Israel, whose very existence is under threat every minute, has outlawed torture because it doesn't work, why is Bush turning a blind eye? This is the unvarnished McCain, telling it like it is.
What happened to the McCain we liked?
Johnny, we hardly knew you. Like Woody Allen, John McCain had his early, funny years. SIX VIDEOS that show the Maverick's charm before his Mr. Burns phase kicked in.
He could even make someone else's script sound good
All the best comics—and politicians—are self aware. And McCain's response to jokes about his age—"You know what you call someone who digs up dirt on John McCain? An archaeologist." Or, "John McCain looks like a guy whose head you can barely see over the steering wheel. John McCain looks like the guy who thinks the nurses are stealing his stuff." Or, "McCain is having trouble raising enough money for his campaign. Plus, every time someone does donate money to McCain, he puts it in a card and sends it to his grandchildren." And, "McCain admitted today he didn't vote for George W. Bush. He did, however, vote for George Washington"—is mostly to join in the laughter. And if this Saturday Night Live performance does not quite have the eloquence of Reagan's put down of Mondale—"I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience."—it at least shows a laudable confidence.
Photo: Dana Edelson/NBCU/AP
He patiently answered his inquisitor, before dismissing him
This is a classic McCain moment. Asked whether at 72 he was not worried that he was too old to become president, that he might suffer from Alzheimer's or even die in the Oval Office, McCain offered a long and patient explanation to his young tormentor. Then, with a flash of aggression and a mastery of comic timing, he added a sting in the tail of his answer that everyone with white hair took to heart: "Thank you, (pause) you little jerk." If McCain had shown that carefully tuned mixture of humor and testiness on the stump, he may have attracted more independents to his cause.
No love lost for Bush's crotchety veep
This is how McCain is best remembered, riffing on the late night comedy shows, joking about Cheney's ill health, comparing "Rummy" Rumsfeld to a ninja warrior. The old McCain was not just lacking in pomposity, he showed an adept instinct for comic timing. And he was confident enough of himself to let everyone know what he thinks about the administration hawks who invaded Iraq with inadequate forces. O'Brien can't believe his luck when McCain starts lashing out. "Are you getting all of this?" he asks, tapping the microphone.
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