Democracy Has Prevailed.

June 20, 2008

John McCain Context

This hit the news last night. In light of the right-wing noise machine squawking endlessly over Michelle Obama's comments on being proud of this country, Dan Abrams found a very interesting quote from Senator John McCain.

I didn't really love America until I was deprived of her company.
Flipped over, it says that he didn't love America until he was a POW. He was born in 1936 and became a POW in 1967.

So he didn't love America for the first 31 years of his life??

Dan Abrams dissects the right's noise machine on this. There's a context, he says, to McCain's sentence, one that he doesn't question. Dan Abrams doesn't think McCain ever hated America. However the noise machine, while putting McCain's sentence in context won't extend the same courtesy to Obama. There's really no difference between her utterance and McCain's.

Have a look:


It's fun to watch Jonathan Alter spank the wingnut radio host, by the way.

13 comments:

Social Justice NPC Anti-Paladin™ said...

So "I didn't really love America until I was deprived of her company." 40 years ago equals "For the First Time in My Adult Lifetime, I'm Really Proud of My Country" less than 6 months ago?

BTW, Love and pride are not the same thing.

Anonymous said...

You have GOT to be kidding!

That has to be the worst attempt at wingnut spin I have ever seen.

Really, mein Herr, you can do better than that!

--Not Shitrock

Anonymous said...

Really, mein Herr, you can do better than that!

Actually, no, he can't.

Anonymous said...

John K. says: That's okay, Michelle Obama never loved or felt pride in America. Remember, Kanye West, "Bush hates black people and wants to kill them".

cathcatz said...

so... all black people speak for each other?? is that what you are trying to say?

i watched kanye west say that live during the benefit for katrina vistims. i AGREED with him. he had every right to say it, and i'm proud of him for being so brave as to go off script and bring up the elephant in the room.

cathcatz said...

and boring correction john k.... the quote is, ""George Bush doesn't care about black people."

along with that, he also said this, "I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it [the media] says, 'they're looting'. You see a white family, it says, 'they're looking for food'. And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from the TV, because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what's, what is the biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was, if I was down there, and those are, those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help — with the set up, the way America is set up to help, the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, this is, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way — and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us"

and again, i'd have to agree.

EdHeath said...

I loved Jon Stewart's take on the startled Mike Myers standing next to Kanye West. Stewart suggested Myers should have tried a "Schwing" to fill in the silence (although in fact I think the network quickly moved to a different segment).

Anonymous said...

So "I didn't really love America until I was deprived of her company." 40 years ago equals "For the First Time in My Adult Lifetime, I'm Really Proud of My Country" less than 6 months ago?

BTW, Love and pride are not the same thing.

Well, he didn't know how much he loved her until then. Kind of like lovers who enjoy all the fun and games and take it for granted it will go on forever. Then one leaves, and the true lover realizes he should not have been so light hearted. His new love will never be taken so lightly again. That's why McKane works so hard to keep his beloved country safe. He could' have said, never again. Let the other guy do it. His son knows this and is risking his life for Obama's little family. Thats being proud of our sons and daughters.

Anonymous said...

The Wingnuts are interpreting McCain's unpatriotic remarks the same way Hagee interprets the Bible and Scalia interprets the Constitution.

"I didn't really love America"

He said it. He meant it. Get over it. You're going to vote for him anyway, because Rush will tell you to.

Anonymous said...

John K. says: Nope, cathcatz. He said that also. But standing next to Mike Meyers, and Meyers was stunned, Kaney West looked at the camera and said "George Bush hates black people and wants to kill them." And just like the Gen. Betrayus ad, you lefties never denied it and stuck by him.

Anonymous said...

"I didn't really love America" -- John McCain

Anonymous said...

John K;

Much like your mistake about Major Andre, you got this one wrong too.

Take a look:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mop827WmWHE&feature=related

For a larger clip that includes more of Mr West's comments, look at this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mop827WmWHE&feature=related

I also want everyone else to go take a look as well. So everyone else can see how wrong John K is.

John K you're wrong. And no amount of repeating it will make it true.

Not shitrock

EdHeath said...

Well, having watched the longer video (not linked correctly, by the way, but easy enough to find), I would have to say the both cathcatz and John K are correct. The specific Kanye West quote that caused Mike Myers to look startled is "George Bush doesn't like black people .. please call", followed by a quick cut a different speaker appealing for water, trucks, whatever. But right before that Mr. West said "We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way — and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us" (per cathcatz). So I suppose John K. was substantively correct.

Of course, the real point is context. John McCain is saying he was a naïve kid before he became a POW, and took his country for granted before he became a POW. His behavior at Annapolis would tend to bear that out. Michelle Obama is saying that it was high frakking time for a person of color to be nominated for President. And Kanye West was struggling to express the frustration he felt that the richest nation in the world seemingly refused to help its black citizens in New Orleans, and in fact (as he understood it) the US was shooting them if they tried to help themselves.

One of the problems with this campaign is that both candidates have reputations now approaching sainthood, but a cursory examination of their past or present reveal both men have behaved in less than exemplary manners. Which puts them in company with our last two presidents and a majority of the rest of us. The real question should be who would be the better president. Actually, the real question is which candidate do you prefer, do you feel shares your values, would you want to invite to a barbeque in your back yard? Because that is what both candidates are promising, to stop at every house in America and eat with all of us (this is possible using the “Santa Claus” technique). Which ever one wins in will be wheeled in to the White House in January using a forklift.