Admitted technophobe McCain insists he's 'in the loop'

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

GOP presidential candidate John McCain, fundraising in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the nation's technology capitals, acknowledged today that he isn't a "tech freak" or entirely comfortable with the Internet, blackberries, or e-mail. But he strongly disputed criticism that he is "out of the loop" as unfair.

... "Am I a tech freak? No," he said in an interview today with The Chronicle. "And I don't like to text message," said McCain. "Because I'd rather call somebody on the telephone."

"I do understand the importance of the computer. I understand the importance of the blogs," he said.

... The Arizona Senator made the comments during an interview today in San Francisco, where he starred at a $1,000 a head fundraiser at the Fairmont Hotel.

... Asked how he could be a 21st Century president without such familiarity, McCain said that he has been both engaged and familiar with technology issues as a leading legislator in the Senate.

"It doesn't mean that I have to e-mail people," he said. "Now, I read e-mails," he added, saying his staff is "constantly showing them to me as the news breaks during the day."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/28/MNQS120PDK.DTL

[Captain Angry]

1. No Senator McCain, I have no problem with you not being technically savvy.

I have about six thousand other problems with you, but I don't care at all that you don't text message or use email.

My parents have been dragged into email. They don't need to be awesome at email/texting to be awesome at other stuff.

You Senator McCain, are awesome at lying. And you don't need any technology to do that very well.

[opihimoimoi]

3. McLiar is a relic of 40 years ago....as a 70 year old guy...He dosn't know crap

[shanti]

16. exactly

my mom's 73 and she's a whiz on the 'net!

[Heidi]

4. Agree 100 percent. Lying over the phone or lying via text message is a matter

of personal preference. :hi:

[Orsino]

14. He's terrible at lying, too.

Just rarely gets called on it.

[DFW]

2. He just got his terminology wrong

He meant to say he was a little loopy, which would have been accurate.

[Night_Nurse]

5. High tech to McCain is when...

He uses his "Clapper" to turn off his lights at night.

:applause: "Clap On! Clap Off!"

[Indenturedebtor]

7. No he got rid of that a few years back. Everytime he went to smack latex face the damn thing

kept going off. :hide:

[happygoluckytoyou]

6. ITS THE ECONOMY, STOOPID....and the war...and ethics...and class warfare...(continued on next page)

and minorities...and voting record...and lying...and position on the war...and sucking up to dubya bush...

oh... AND he can't Google the pipeline of data on the Internets too.......

f'ing long list.... and you say he is white too..... i guess i'll add can't dance to the list

[Elwood P Dowd]

8. "Now, I read e-mails."

This is definitely a plus over Bush, who cannot read. The repukes have gone from someone who cannot read, write, listen, email, or talk, to someone who can actually READ!

[Skittles]

10. he reads emails HIS STAFF SHOWS HIM

I think it's fine for a person not to be enamored of technology - I dislike text-messaging and find it completely unnecessary - but if I was running for president I'd make sure I was more hip than this clown McCain

[Seldona]

9. Unbelievable.

It is exactly the type of people who are completely clueless about technology that are making such sucky policy. If they were for 'freedom' so much they should the internet the hell alone.

I cannot imagine what these technophobes are going to let the telcos turn the internet into. One thing is for sure, they are about to add one hell of a lot of tolls on the information super highway, and guys like this have no clue what the consequences of that will be.

The problem is most people who are smart enough to know about technology are smart enough not to go into politics. For the most part anyway.

[Norrin Radd]

11. His staff members transcribe e-mails into cuneiform for him.

[mwb970]

12. How can we be considering putting a fossil in charge of the country?

In any normal country in any normal place (AhemEuropeAhem), mccain would be laughed off the stage for his obvious lack of qualifications for the presidency. How on earth can such a total idiot expect to get elected?

Oh.

[boilinmad]

13. Oh, but havent you been told enough...

..."the American voters are not stupid ". Well you could have fooled me, for the last 8 years.

[damntexdem]

15. Well, in a sense he is: McCain is rather loopy, after all.

After Dubya, he's one of the loopiest candidates the GOP, or anyone, has put up.

[Doctor Cynic]

17. Is he in the *infinite* loop?

[JerseygirlCT]

18. Printing them out for him to read.

I still have the feeling he has no idea how it all works.

[fishwax]

19. Mr. McCain is aware of all internet traditions

:crazy: