McCain's Scorn Moves from "The One" to "That One"
No doubt, John McCain's two-word sneering dismissal of Barack Obama as "that one" dominated the headlines following last night's second presidential debate. But dripping in scorn and condescension as it was, McCain's disturbing dig was in keeping with what the New York Times today deemed "one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember." After all, before he tried to mock his opponent as "that one," John McCain helped launch his general election campaign by deriding Barack Obama as "the One."
In July, Senator Obama capped a wildly successful trip to Afghanistan, Iraq, France, the UK and Germany with a rousing speech to 200,000 people in Berlin. In response, the McCain unveiled an ad titled simply, "The One." The not-so-subtle implication was that a "presumptuous" Obama was suffering from a Messiah complex. (And as Time reported, some questioned whether McCain tried to suggest to his evangelical followers that Obama was in fact the Anti-Christ.)
Splicing Obama's out-of-context words with images of Charleton Heston's Moses parting the Red Sea, Team McCain savaged the Chosen One. As the Washington Post noted:
"And he has anointed himself, ready to carry the burdens of the world," the narrator continues And the world shall receive his blessings," the announcer says, as a shot of Charleston Heston's Moses parting the Red Sea from the 1956 movie "The Ten Commandments" appears, replaced in quick succession by the pseudo-presidential seal Obama's campaign unveiled a few weeks ago.
"Barack Obama may be 'The One,'" the narrator asks in closing. As an image of the Oval Office flashes on the screen, he adds, "but is he ready to lead?"
While John McCain may have replaced the definite article "the" with the determiner "that" over the past two months, otherwise his campaign has changed only in degree, not kind. McCain's oozing sarcasm has simply morphed into outright disdain for and seething hatred of the one who would dare try to deny him the White House.
I am an old angry man and erractic, everyone knows that, sadly they are right. I don't care if my actions are so appalling, disrespectful and having a non-leadership quality. I don't care if my hot temper and uncharacteristic Presidential quality will not get me respect with leaders of the world or even you, Americans. If you or anyone say something that I don't like, I will not respect any of you, like I did with Barack. I will in public act like an arrogant and egotistic child.
Did you see me disgracefully not look at Obama during the 1st debate because I am not man enough to hold an adult discussion?
Did you see me disgracefully not shake Barack's hand at the end of the 2nd debate like a gentleman. Instead, I pushed my wife Cindy in to shake Obama's hand.
Did you see me during my 3rd debate. My angry face and my eyebrows were perked up when I didn't like what Obama said. I responded with sarcasm.
I just wanted so bad to be President and Barack is taking away my dream that I have been chasing for the last 10 years. I don't care if I don't look and act like a leader let alone the President of America just as long as I become President.
Americans, wake up, I don't care about your interest. I only care about my own interest and my pocket book and the pocket books of the corporation and the lobbyist.
Why else would you explain the collapse of our economy. I voted with Bush 90% of the time to deregulate Wall St and the Financial Institutions that got us here.
Barack,
I am an old angry man and erractic, everyone knows that, sadly they are right. I don't care if my actions are so appalling, disrespectful and having a non-leadership quality. I don't care if my hot temper and uncharacteristic Presidential quality will not get me respect with leaders of the world or even you, Americans. If you or anyone say something that I don't like, I will not respect any of you, like I did with Barack. I will in public act like an arrogant and egotistic child.
Did you see me disgracefully not look at Obama during the 1st debate because I am not man enough to hold an adult discussion?
Did you see me disgracefully not shake Barack's hand at the end of the 2nd debate like a gentleman. Instead, I pushed my wife Cindy in to shake Obama's hand.
Did you see me during my 3rd debate. My angry face and my eyebrows were perked up when I didn't like what Obama said. I responded with sarcasm.
I just wanted so bad to be President and Barack is taking away my dream that I have been chasing for the last 10 years. I don't care if I don't look and act like a leader let alone the President of America just as long as I become President.
Americans, wake up, I don't care about your interest. I only care about my own interest and my pocket book and the pocket books of the corporation and the lobbyist.
Why else would you explain the collapse of our economy. I voted with Bush 90% of the time to deregulate Wall St and the Financial Institutions that got us here.
Posted by McCain on October 18, 2008 1:18 PM