Josh Marshall is all over this -- as we should all be: One of the most telling, and compelling, observations about last night is that John McCain didn't have the guts to look Barack Obama in the eye. From the time he backed out of the debate, McCain has blinked, waffled, flip-flopped -- and has finally shrunk from debating eye-to-eye.
Here's one comment we got from TPM Reader EO ...
As a psychotherapist and someone who treats people with anger management problems, we typically try to educate people that anger is often an emotion that masks other emotions. I think it's significant that McCain didn't make much, if any, eye contact because it suggests one of two things to me; he doesn't want to make eye contact because he is prone to losing control of his emotions if he deals directly with the other person, or, his anger masks fear and the eye contact may increase or substantiate the fear.
I noticed him doing the same thing in the Republican primary debates. The perception observers are likely to have is that he is unwilling to acknowledge the opponent's legitimacy and/or is contemptuous of the opponent.
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There you have it: McCain's refusal to look his opponent in the eye is a troubling trait in our society. In fact, it may go deeper than that, according to a TPM reader:
I think people really are missing the point about McCain's failure to look at Obama. McCain was afraid of Obama. It was really clear--look at how much McCain blinked in the first half hour. I study monkey behavior--low ranking monkeys don't look at high ranking monkeys. In a physical, instinctive sense, Obama owned McCain tonight and I think the instant polling reflects that.
We need to be all over this like sweet on honey: John McCain can't look you in the eye.
Where's the "straight talk"? Didn't he used to want to look us "in the eye"?
McCain's 'I want to look you in the eye' evocative of another's 'read my lips'
Posted July 30, 2008 7:13 PM
The Swamp
by Mark Silva
Sen. John McCain issued the keeper of all campaign promises today. It's on the question of taxes, which he vows not to raise.
It's not a "read my lips, no new taxes'' pledge, in the manner of former President George H.W. Bush, who made that pledge as a candidate and then raised taxes as president. Rather, it's a "look you in the eye,'' no new taxes.
""I want to look you in the eye: I will not raise your taxes nor support a tax increase,'' McCain said today at a "town-hall'' styled campaign appearance at the Wagner Company, a Caterpillar dealer, in Aurora., Colo. "I will not do it.''
McCain has often told his town hall audiences that he "wants to'' or "has to'' look them in the eyes. Most often, it's had to do with his stance on the war in Iraq....
So what's the difference between last night -- when he couldn't look a fellow Senator in the eye -- and preening on the campaign stump that he wants to look everyone in the eye?
Here's my take. McCain has been lying so much, and so often, that he was chicken shit scared out of his shoes to look Barack Obama in the eye. Too many lies. Too much deception.
Too little honor.
Everyone in America needs to know that McCain can't be trusted with our country's highest office.
America deserves a President who can look each and every American in the eye.