Fox News Sunday: McCain Thinks He's Energized Young Voters
Senator John McCain appeared on this morning's Fox News Sunday and as is common with the aging GOP presidential candidate, he has a hard time grasping reality and dealing with pesky details. McCain rightly states that the Democratic presidential candidates have energized younger voters -- and he honestly believes he has as well. How is he pulling this off? He appeared on David Letterman:
Download | play 
Download | play (h/t BillW)
"...It's pretty clear that Senator Obama and Senator Clinton have energized the younger voters and I believe I have and I believe I've got to compete on that grounds too. That's why I go on shows that young people watch, so I'm not sure that the old red state, blue state scenario that prevailed for the last several elections really works."
Yes, Grandpa McWar sure has fired up the kids, hasn't he? This conversation started with Wallace handing McCain voting maps put together by none other than Karl Rove, (who is now officially advising the McCain campaign while on the Fox payroll, a fact they still haven't publicly admitted) citing un-sourced polling data showing many traditionally blue states being in play this year for the GOP. McCain even believes that California could go his way this year and says high Hispanic and African American turnout could work to his benefit. WTF?
First!!
See, he is senile!!
I'm really starting to want some of what this guy is smokin' because it has to be the greatest shit on the planet.
Angry Grandpa is the hot topic of conversation down at the malt shop. Before I go to the sock hop I'm going to drop by McCain headquarters and pick up one of these new-fangled "bumper-stickers" to put on the old man's DeSoto. 23 Skidoo!
he thinks he's "energized" young voters because he showed up on The Daily Show at Jon Stewart's request a few times, and because he retorted to some of Jon's smartass comments and smirks... with smartass comments and smirks.
hey John! and trolls/lurkers from John's campaign!
(young voter right here)...
I'm about to enter a DJ battle/competition pretty soon. now check it out. just because I show up, just because I play the genre they're expecting to hear, and just because I get some kind of applause at the end of my set... doesn't mean I "energized" anybody, and it sure as fuck doesn't mean I won.
we got a saying where I come from, and as old as McCain is, I'm surprised he hasn't heard this. you wanna talk shit, get your shit correct first. this fool just doesn't come correct when he steps. he steps up, sure, but he doesn't come correct...
He's dreaming. The only energizing of youth he's doing will be to awaken them to the real possibility of a war strewn future, with the draft reinstated, if he becomes president. I don't think that's what he meant.
Mindless confabulation of the reality challenged pre-senile mind. Raygun comes to mind.
Republicans live in their own world. How can he possibly believe anyone under 70 is remotely interested in McBush's recycled campaign. Wasn't it Rove who also said his math proved that they were going to hold congress in 2006? What a funny little world they choose to live in. That's fine, the more they convince themselves they are going to win, the better it will be for us. Go McBush!! Us youngsters love ya!
I am sure he has energized thousands of young people, just for the Democrats, with the '100 years in Iraq' line.
He energizes the youth everytime he loads a round of birdshot and shouts "You kids git offa my lawn!"
i think it's important for C&Lrs not to criticize mccain for his age.
can we all agree on this?
"Grandpa McWar"?
come on.
If sixty-five plus is youth he's correct. Lets ask him if thats what he meant...after his nap and glass of warm milk.
bryancri @ 10:
You're absolutely wrong, oh Concerned Troll. His age is a factor, whether its the antiquated worldview that helps form his policies, or the strong likelihood that mental incapacity or physical ailment would strike during his term in office, leaving us with "President Pawlenty" (gak!)
I agree that pointless ad hominems are only entertaining, but the fact is that his age is a legitimate factor, as is his hair-trigger temper.
Comedic Gold.
http://www.mccainblogette.com/index.shtml
define young
The audacity of delusion.
QG @ 14:
I have a 45-year-old friend living with a 28-year-old guy. Her statement is, "You're only as old as whoever you feel." Or something like that...
bryancri @ 10:
Oh Yeah. You're right. It should be Great Grandpa McHundredYearsIn IraqWar.
bryancri @ 10:
why, afraid we'll come across as "agist"? lol...
Oh please! Yeah, he's energizing young voters to vote for someone else. Do you think age is creeping up on him, or is he drinking the same crap 28% of the electorate is drinking?
RealClearPoitics is fairly well-sourced, and does show traditionally blue states in play for McCain.
RealClearPolitics
Head to head matchups McCain vs. Obama show McCain even with Obama in New Jersey, ahead in Pensy, ahead in Florida and and ahead in Ohio.
Go figure. But more than one poll supports their claims to be true.
McMore War and then McNow we need a draft. Oops McSure have a whole lot of energized young voters. Republicans NOT.
Just one more example of how this old far, and his neocon party, are out of touch with reality. He honestly believes that appearing on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, David Letterman, etc, are "positive" appearances?? I mean, he looks old, he comes across old, and if any young people are drawn to him it's a total mystery to me why that would be...except maybe they are repug and follow the party line.
This old geezer gets insulted and criticized almost nightly on these very same programs for his ridiculous stand on issues like Iraq, the entire Middle East situation, the economy, taxes, etc....and he must not tune back in after he leaves his little "bubble performance".
He looks like an old crippled up fart TRYING TO ACT YOUNG. It's phony, and he's better off pandering to the religious fruitcakes and the old and dying neocon base.
Give McCain a break. Young is a relative term so he was talking about the 50 year olds he's energized.
Albatross @ 12:
What odds are greater, a 71 year old man with a 94 year old mother in excellent physical and mental health contracting dementia in the next four years, or a 46 year old lifelong smoker contracting some sort of debilitating form of cancer or heart disease in the next four years?
Anyone in the actuarial field have any statistics on that, or is it better left to totally biased conjecture?
Damn, John, he's almost as old as YOU are! Now, if you want to reach young people, you should go on Hannah Montana or MTV Cribs or something along those lines. Then people can see how old you REALLY look.
"McCain even believes that California could go his way this year and says high Hispanic and African American turnout could work to his benefit. WTF?"
Sorry, John, but you are quite delusional.
The "old age" tag you hang on McCain is as offensive and stupid as hanging
a racist tag on Obama or a sexist tag on HRC.
McCain may be an idiot, but age is not the reason.
Nader is in his seventies but has more youth, enthusiasm and intelligence in his toenail than Obama, Clinton and McCain combined.
Albatross @ 16:
The older you get the younger they feel.
Yeh, didn't you know ? young people love dying in wars in far off countries for the sakes of big oil companies, they can't wait to vote for John "boots on the ground" McCian.
Watch out, Gramps McBush. Now that you've gone on hip, cool TV shows and begun to motivate young voters you also run the risk of alienating your base, the senile, shut-in voter.
i think he's energized the newborns.
Reading these posts about McCains age, and it struck me. What if were a Democrat in his 70s? The Repugs would be ruthless. Remember what they did to McCain in 2000? Rove and his ilk slammed him.
I don't like McCain and would never vote for him. But I'm going to call this like I see it...
Age discrimination. It just screams, oh, I don't know REPUBLICANISM?!
Save the feigned outrage, I don't care. If someone attacked the Dem candidates for not being up to the task b/c of their skin color or their sex, most Dem's I know would scream bloody murder. But they don't think twice about discriminating when it comes to age. I have two Grandfathers in their 80's, who are still whip-smart, so, lets not pretend an aging man can't handle the job any better than a woman or a black man.
Attack him on his views, stances and opinions, but save the discrimination for the Righties. It embarrasses me to see fellow lefties discriminate against anyone for any reason.
Peterson, A. @ 27:
I'd have to agree with you on one point. Nader's "youth, enthusiasm and intelligence" are in his toenail.
Okay, his comments hit me as something between funny and pathetic. How in hell does he really believe kids are fired up by anything he has said or done? If someone told him that, they lied. Maybe Harriet Miers was fired up, and maybe he sees her as a kid.
Math dearie, the Math -- Old May West used to say at 60 years of age; that she preferred young men of 20. just simple division -- twenty goes into 60 alot more times than 60 into 20 -- and mccain is 72 -- well then
In a way McCain HAS energized young voters.
He has caused them to see how important it is to get registered and vote for Obama.
Perhaps McCain's declaration that Obama and Clinton have energized and inspired their voters has also had an intimidating influence on how they should respond to McCain. The news services in today's issue of The Oregonian describe how the Obama campaign criticized radio talk show host Ed Schultz because of how Schultz, in a fund raiser for Obama in Grand Forks, talked about McCain. What did Schultz say that so upset the Obama camaign staff? It was the fact that Schultz had the temerity to call McCain a warmonger. Obama's staff defended McCain, claiming that McCain is not an advocate of war. This despite the fact that one of Obama's people described McCain as a "... supporter of a war that Senator Obama believes that should have never been authorized and never been waged."
Someone should inform the staff working with Obama that McCain believes that he could see the United States staying in Iraq for the next 100 years. But perhaps Obama's staff feels that their candidate should not be too critical of McCain since their candidate has voted to continue to fund this most unnecessary occupation every time Bush has called for more money to be sent to Iraq.
Hey YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN !!!
and thanks for your vote.
Now that's funny! I don't see any threat of a republican president this election year, unless Obama has some big ugly secrets that haven't come out yet. I think that they would have already been revealed considering his current opponents "political tenacity".
Peterson, A. @ 27:
Extremely well said.
My first thought when I read the story was
Hahahahahhahahhahahhahhahhahahhhahahhaa
hahahhahahahhahahhahhahahhahahhahahhaha
hahahahahahhahahhahahahahhahahahhahaaha
Wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes.
I am still asking. When will McCain release his and his wife's tax returns?
Plus, when will McCain release his health records?
What is he hiding?
Corruption? Cancer?
DC @ 43:
same same
No one on his right mind would vote for old McFart when they have the once in a lifetime opportunity to vote for someone like Obama/Clinton.
♣Bangkok Bob♠ @ 44:
Cancer is like corporate greed ..... at the cellular level.
Why is age a factor? Age by itself means nothing. Benjamin Franklin was 70 when he helped with the Declaration of Independence; he was 81 as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention; in between he served his country by representing its interests in France, keeping that country as an essential ally in the American Revolution. And Franklin is just one example of great OLD Americans.
Unless McCain has provable health problems, there are FAR stronger positions to attack him on that his age. What a waste of C&L's time and talent.
"I think Fatty Arbuckle was unfairly prosecuted. I attended the cocktail party in Fatty's room on that day. He never went anywhere near that dead girl." _ John McCain
I don't think it's much to do with age, but when the neocons say he may have had a senior moment, I think we should be concerned.
Lotsa concern trolls today
I am so sick and tired of seeing our votes represented in that simplistic red-blue demographic map.
That is so goddamn misleading! Did you ever notice the majority of states are red?
I fu***ng love the expressions you chose to accompany the headlines
Every septuagenarian I know, love and interact with requires some accommodation.
Can they do a job? Some yes. Some can do them very well. McCain is not an example of one of these people. He seems pretty much confused most of the time.
Is it fair to consider the mental acuity or physical stamina of a candidate for eligibility to the biggest job in the world? Seems like essential criteria to me.
I'm old. I don't like age discrimination either. But when you're talking about some one who has been "enhancely interrogated" for years, twisted and scarred by the ordeal; in the twilight of his days....he may well have another 20-30 years left in the old furnace.
However, I think age does matter when you're talking about the WHITE HOUSE and leading a nation that is already in it's last swirls in the toilet before it disappears from importance. I think a man who has the twisted views of a 70+ neocon is a very, very dangerous thing.
Give me someone who has a long future left on this planet, and who has ideas that are a change from this disaster we have been experiencing for the past 7+ years. Age does matter. The views of the typical 70+ year old are very, very different from the typical 40+ year old. Granted, we are not talking about "the typical.." here, but we are talking about a war mongering, "enhanced interrogated" man with ambitions that have left him delusional.
Amazing isn't it that age is a factor when one wants to be a bus driver, an airline pilot, or a policeman because they have human lives in their hands. Yet age can't be a factor when electing a U.S. President? This is a person who potentially has the lives of millions if not more in his hands. To quote Spock: "It's simply not logical."
Nothing energizes young voters like old hawks. Also his principled stand against MLK day back when he was a stripling of 47 really jazzes the kids.
mccain has energized the youth vote, he's driving young people into the Democratic Party in record numbers
mccain has also energized the Hispanic and Black voters, they're also regeistering as Democrats in record numbers mccain has kinda energized the WHOLE COUNTRY
there has never been an election in the past where such a large proportion of people were registered as Democrats
mccain is energizing people all right
he's the best recruiting tool the Democrats have ever had
not exactly what mccain is trying to accomplish, but you gotta admit, America is energized all right
energized to toss out the repuglitards
He'll find out how much he has energized young voters when they show up and defeat his ass with their votes.
Perhaps age really isn't a factor. I mean, when people almost 30 years of age consider themselves as children, then McGeritolExpress is really middle aged. Who at almost the age of 30 would think of themselves as children?
That would be, Chelsea Clinton speaking. When she grows up? Um, Chels, you are old enough to actually make decisions now. I know, hard to believe in that fairytale world you live in, but.
bryancri @ 10:
But it's so much fun!
Citizen @ 37:
So that the fighting can spread to Pakistan? So that we can endure more lies about ending the war? When will everyone wake up and stop letting these corporate hacks ruin America?
Peterson, A. @ 27:
I'd like to clarify my earlier remarks. I have no problem with John McCain's age. My father is seven years McCain's senior, and I'd easily trust his decision-making.
My problem with McCain is that, while being the oldest presidential nominee (aside from Ralph Nader), will John McCain address issues about senior-citizens in this country? Will he do his best to rein-in veterans benefits like his Repuke brothers are so wont to do? How about exterminating social security by having it folded into Bear Stearns portfolios?
The other problem I have is McCian trying to horn-in on Obama's youth insurgency. McCain pretends that appearing on the Letterman show will somehow help him to connect to the youth vote. Is he for real? The youth of this country are turning out for Barack Obama, not John McCain or his bitch Hillary CLinton (oops! sexist)
Like it usually is for me, it's about the hypocrisy.
As for Ralph Nader, I'd trust him to run the government after he wins the White House in 2024 :)
Rove is also on the Newsweek payroll. How about some conflict of interest there?
Frank Dufek @ 61:
Oh wow another delusional ron paul supporter....
Barry Goldwater related that he and John Kennedy had spoke of touring the country together on Air Force One (if Goldwater secured the GOP nomination in '64), and hold as may debates as possible within a short duration.
After he gains the nomination, Obama should publicly challenge McCain to tour college campuses together this Fall. McCain wouldn't dare. Or, if he did accept, would insist on picking the schools- Bob Jones U., Oral Roberts U., etc., etc.
Lets hope he has energised young democratic voters, you know people that care about their country,and not the republican care only about whats in it for me hate america voters!
That's why he's going on these shows that younger people watch, like the David Letterman show. To attract people in their 40's and 50's. It's all relative.
Hey kids, Grampa McWar can guarantee you a life-long job in Iraq!
I teach at a large state university in a predominantely white state which hasn't elected a Democrat to the U. S. Senate in almost 3/4 of a century. I see many students every day with Obama or Clinton buttons on their clothes and/or backpacks, and many cars in the parking lots with Obama or Clinton stickers. I have yet to see a single McCain button or bumper sticker anywhere in my town (which is near a large military base). Our Democratic caucuses were held in packed rooms, overcrowded with students on the night of a blizzard. The Republican caucuses, held several days later on a bright, sunny day, were poorly attended and hardly attracted anyone under the age of 60.
McCain is telling the truth when he says that he has energized young voters. It is just that they are energized to oppose his tired, confused, retrogressive candidacy.
Batjack @ 7:
Let the hallucinations begin. I think he will be especially inspiring to Hispanic and African American youth, who also tend to make-up a large portion of the military.
Frankly, I hope they keep listening to cool-aid dispensing "I got the math" KKKKarl. The repukes don't have a prayer in any of the blue states that Gore/Kerry won, and I can think of plenty of red states the GOP will lose this time round.
X348573 @ 64:
In the false world of politics that has been created in America, sure it's delusional to support Ron Paul. He values the Constitution, the rule of law and the voice of the people. You'd have to be delusional to believe someone like that would ever be elected in the USA. I'm sure any Neo-Con or Neo-Lib would accuse me of being delusional for not choosing to support a GOP/Democratic candidate. I challenge you to this. I say you are delusional for not seriously looking at your candidates; for not considering what ties they have to corporations; for valuing rhetoric over reality; for choosing to succumb to the lesser of two evils instead of fighting for real change.
If everyone is in so much agreement that 'the party system sucks!' or 'we need to end pre-emptive warfare' then why are we still playing their stupid party game? We all get so caught up over proving which party is better in a variety of different ways... what we fail to see is that both of these parties have ruined our country. Now everyone is too proud to admit their mistakes, so they hop on Obama's 'Change' bandwagon. Well, what happens when the wheels fall off of that (and they will)? Do we all start over again and look for the next best establishment candidate? At what point do WE take control and elect who WE want to lead. I'm sick of the media presenting the candidates and acting like we put them there. I'm even more sick of people refusing to admit this.
And for the record, I support Ralph Nader.
Like the little girl that "heckled" him at a school assembly?
jimbo92107 @ 68:
But can he guarantee you a long life?
Gretchen @ 3:
Like Fred Sanford would say MCCane must be smoking some wacky tabacco
take care
tony and guidedog Lido
Energizing young voters is what the Republicans call tasering them.
Would you trust a map made by Rove? The man who, in the 2006 election, talked about having "the math" showing that Republicans would have gains in both Houses of Congress? What a joke.
And I'm no younger voter (50), but there's no way McCain even gets a brief look from me, never mind a vote.
I love that screen grab. He looks like a dude in a bar slurring out a drunkenly disinterested "yeahhhh I ennnnnergizzed 'em... so WHAT"
jimbo92107 @ 68:
And your kids, and their kids, and their kids...
His top secret 'weapon' will be to suddenly and inexplicably woo in undecided voters with high-quality piped-in (very hip) ABBA music. Shhh, don't tell.
*(see Mike's blog roundup)
80 % of his supporters have one foot in the grave ! He's lost his friggin mind .
This eggsucker is the perfect example of selfish stupid old men sending young men to fight and die in wars that they profit from! How long are we going to let this go on? I am outraged by these yellow chicken shits and their willingness to send our kids in harms way! I don't have children and Iam pissed about it, how do you parents feel? For any parents who are ok with this, mind if I send one of them to rob a bank for me or murder someone for my profit? Well speak up neo-turds! Their is no fucking difference
Peterson, A. @ 27:
His skull is reserved for his ego. I don't have much respect for a man who has achieved so little while blowing so hard. He could have run for congress but that would have required work.
dennis @ 24:
So... we should vote for McCain because he can still phone up his mother, while Obama is having a hard time quitting cigarettes while running for president?
Albatross @ 84:
Yeah, Albatross, that's a pretty specious argument. "Let's vote for Grampa Warbucks, 'cause his mom's still alive."
Mustn't forget McDryrub's addiction to barbecue. That can't be good for the old arteries though it has oiled up the old MSM.
Anyone who claims that age is not a factor knowns not what he is talking about.
McCain is the same age as I am. I know that my memory is fading, his is too as he keeps demonstrating. I know my waking hours are less now than they were in my 40's and even 50's. I am sure his are too. He has more experience in waging war is also a myth. What has he done besides flying planes, destroying 4 of them then getting shot down? Where did he get his experience? In Hotel Hilton? He was against bush's tax cuts but when he saw the deficits mounting he assumed they are a good idea and now wants to make the situation permanent. He may stay in Iraq for 100 years - for what purposee if not to flex our muscles and get killed in the process, since Iraqis still want us out.
Then - in addition to promising a bush third term - he also has picked up the grin, not bush's sh!t-eating grin, but his own satanic version which he displays at the most inapproprite moments.
The only youth McPainandsuffering is firing up are the poor chumps in Iraq and Afghanistan that are getting lit-up by the 'enemy'. You know, the evil-doers that never did any evil to us...
By "young" McCain means the under 65 crowd.
miss_kitty Hussein @ 85:
Not at all what I said and I think you both know it. Like you might vote for him anyway Just that your argument that he's too old is ridiculous.
Unless you want the parallels to the greatest President of the 20th century; a man whom Obama has already all but bestowed that title to.
Peter G @ 83:
You criticize Nader for allegedly having a large ego while conveniently overlooking the presidential ambitions of Clinton, Obama and McCain. I have a hell of a lot less respect for Clinton and that agent of hope and change, since both them have consistently voted to allow the funds to continue to flow in Iraq [even though Kucinich has repeatedly tried to point out, apparently to no avail, that there is already enough money in the pipeline to provide for the welfare of the troops in Iraq], thus ensuring that more Americans will return to this country in coffins and even more of them ending up in Walter Reed Hospital and Betheseda Naval Hospital and VA hospitals across the country because they have been brain damaged, severely burned, blinded, paralyzed and having less limbs than when they entered Iraq. One would also be remiss not to mention the many soldiers who are suffering, and will continue to suffer, from the effects of PTSD.
Perhaps you can explain to us why these alleged anti-war candidates have continued to prop up the occupation? Allowing these soldiers to return to this country traumatized, both physically and psychologically, is not the best way of supporting the troops. Contrast Clinton and Obama's tepid withdrawal plan [if one can call it that] with Nader's proposal for total and immediate withdrawal of the troops from that abattoir in Iraq, along with his advocacy of a single payer health care plan [as compared to Clinton and Obama's plans which both include the insurance companies, thus placing profit over the needs of the people], with Nader advocating that Bush and Cheney be impeached [which the other two are against, despite the amount of transgressions that this administration has committed], with Nader advocating a crackdown against major corporations [something which the other two would be strongly against, since both of them have been major beneficiaries of corporate donors], with Nader speaking out against the bloated military budget [ Obama, incredibly, wishes to ADD almost 100,000 more bodies to a military that is already the largest in the world along with the biggest nuclear arsenal of any country in the world], with Nader chastisng Obama and Clinton for supporting Israel at the expense of the rights of the Palestinian people.
The likelihood that the American people will hear the Democrats challenged on these ideas is extremely slim considering that the Democrats and the Republicans and the networks made sure that Nader's voice would not be heard in the debates of 2000. Undoubtedly both parties are making sure that history repeats itself again in 2008.
bryancri @ 10:
I believe his age is fair game when he passes off huge error's in his past as mistakes of his youth, yet he was a fully mature adult at the time. Also, I think its fair to criticize his age when the first elected office he held was Mayor of Cave 73.
If you're 71, maybe you think you're energizing the youth when people under 65 come to your rallies?
As someone under 25, I just LOL'd, LMAO'd, and even ROFLMAO'd at the headline.
I LIVE in PA... what the living HELL is this guy talking about McCain having a chance.... Bush NEVER won this state.. so what makes him think McCain has a chance? All I see are Obama fliers, to the point i know who's going to win.
[I love you Big Dick, but the ALL CAPS has got to stop-Sitemonitor]
Sure, you try to apply a Pre-GWB methodology to a Post GWB Republican candidate! Duh...
We're long past the time where things such as "Truth", "Facts", and "Independent, honest data" come into play in our current political climate. When you try to apply these outdated methodologies to Senator McLame's campaign, sure his campaign and what he says sounds ridiculous, but that's really unfair!
Stick to the things that voters REALLY care about.... lapel pins (McCain is BIG on lapel pins!!! Hurray!), poor bowling scores (put McCain up against Barrack Obama or HRC on the lanes, and let's see who prevails), pastors/preachers (Democratic only, please!), and funny sounding names such as Hussain, and suddenly, McCain looks great!
Oops.. John McCain's middle name is "Sidney"... sounds sort of girly... Australian... commie sounding... well, the press isn't talking about "Sidney", so it doesn't matter!
Never mind....
Good grief. These insane Christian terrorists and traitors live in a world all their own -- Jesusland. Utterly buttfuckingly insane. It's what happens when religion seizes control of someone's brain, it turns them in to terrorist simpathizers, baby killers, and traitors.
The disconnect between McCain, Fox News and other so called reporters and the electorate is stunning. The BS polls showing McCain ahead of Clinto or Obama equally stunning. How will they handle reality when Obama trounces them in the Presidential election? Will McCains speech, acknowledging the loss, include how he has done so well, getting two students, one absent minded senior, and Fox Newsbroadcaster to vote for him?
Shel @ 98:
When the country is taken over because of geniuses like the above having a vote, I certainly hope you're the first to get re-education.
What a lovely group of children.
The only way he has energized me is to hope that every campaign stop stuffs him with tons of donuts, fried what-nots and tons of salt and saturated fat -- tipping him ever closer to a heart attack or stroke.
Oh wait, that was really mean of me -- sorry. But really, I wonder what would happen if he had serious health problems before the election.
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