I watched the debate last night - and it was PAINFUL!!! John McCain was wandering around the stage in ways that were just awful to watch. I started thinking about who or what he reminded me of, as his demeanor and behavior made the situation worse with time. Here are some of my observations and I'd like to hear yours.
My primary impressions of John McCain were that he was:
- lurking around the stage - I never knew where he was going to be. Especially when Obama was talking. It seemed that he couldn't let Obama have the attention or the moment to himself. It looked as if McCain was trying to "look" like he was off to the side, but his pacing and stalking seemed to indicate that he was dying to get back into the center of the attention.
- sniping - McCain made assaults as time ran out or when he knew that Obama would not be able to respond. There was one particular barrage of lies that McCain told that Obama wanted to rebut, but Brokaw wouldn't let him and the glee on McCain's face told the tale. He really thinks that this campaign is about throwing insult and lies upon the opponent and hoping that he can get away with it.
- mumbling - John McCain: speak up, take your time and be clear what you want to say.
- smiling while he insulted - I want a President that has the moral conviction to be direct to people that he/she disagrees with. I see honesty in the face of disagreement as a critical sign of trustworthiness.
- insinuating - Cowardly. Either say it or don't. It's not subtlety, it's cowardice.
- cackling - It's weird, creepy and frightening to hear John McCain laugh. Firstly, he does it a lot while insulting or accusing, seemingly to pander to the audience and side with them. Secondly, it is again - not genuine, which makes McCain untrustworthy.
I've come up with three main characters from books and film that John McCain reminded me of.
Renfield, the lunatic assistant of Count Dracula. With all that muttering and cackling, I just thought of McCain sitting in a cell in a lunatic asylum, eating flies and laughing at the doom of us all when his master arrives.
Gollum, the creature obsessed with regaining the all-powerful ring for his personal delight and ignorant of anything or anyone else.
Dr. Zaius, the history and evolution denying authority figure from Planet of the Apes. I thought that I was watching the council of the apes, with McZaius hobbling around making gobbledy-gook arguments about the value of Obama in a work of theater and propaganda solely built to maintain the status quo.
Here is a little something I put together:
Please feel free to reply with your interpretations of McCain's or Obama's performance last night. I wonder what we could make of Tom Brokaw (sheesh!). That guy was like Pinnochio without any life whatsoever.