NYT: McCain doesn't know if condoms prevent STD's @ Q & A

[loveangelc]

Mr. McCain: “I haven’t thought about it. Before I give you an answer, let me think about. Let me think about it a little bit because I never got a question about it before. I don’t know if I would use taxpayers’ money for it.”

Q: “What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy.”

Q: “So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “You’ve stumped me.”

Q: “I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?”

Mr. McCain: (Laughs) “Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”

Q: “But you would agree that condoms do stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Would you say: ‘No, we’re not going to distribute them,’ knowing that?”

Mr. McCain: (Twelve-second pause) “Get me Coburn’s thing, ask Weaver to get me Coburn’s paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I’ve never gotten into these issues before.”

This went on for a few more moments until a reporter from the Chicago Tribune broke in and asked Mr. McCain about the weight of a pig that he saw at the Iowa State Fair last year.


http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/16/mccain-stumbles-on-hiv-prevention/


This is truly sad. Just wait until the GE, when these kinds of comments can get some TRACTION. McCain truly doesn't seem to know what he's talking about if it's not about the war and terrorism (though he is ok with global warming)...

[blonndee]

1. Oh My God. I can't believe the ignorance. Even scarier is that he asked for COBURN'S info.

That freak is the dumbest, scariest thing in the Senate.

[anonymous171]

2. Obama would kick this guys ass.

[McCamy Taylor]

A yellow dog would kick his ass. Pulse optional.

[theredpen]

26. A yellow dog? Heck, a ficus tree would kick McCain's ass.

[SaveAmerica]

51. That travelling gnome could even take him.

[DUyellow]

3. how do you not know this?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

40. He damn well knows what the answer is.

He's just skeeeeered of the fundamentalist whackjobs. Which is pathetic.

[Kool Kitty]

4. OMG.

:rofl: And he doesn't know all that much about the "war on terrorism", either. Unless he has his minder, Joltin' Joe, whispering in his ear. I can't wait to hear this guy in a debate-what's he gonna do without Joe and Lindsey?

[Skittles]

20. he's a little light on economic matters too

what the fuck DOES he know, besides kissing bush ass?

[Kool Kitty]

24. Kinda pathetic, ain't he?

He should have at least a nodding acquaintance with some of these matters, right? At this point, my cat could take him in a debate.

[Skittles]

36. aw, my cat would KICK HIS ASS

yes INDEED

seriously though, McCain is beyond pathetic - and it says a lot about our media that people like bush and McCain are pushed as credible candidates

[grantcart]

5. This the funny thing about all of the projections for the GE

just wait until the debates


Obama has had 20 tough debates and McCain doesn't know which way is up


Bring it on

[blonndee]

6. I can only imagine. Geesh. But do you think he will get any sympathy votes

or that people will just overlook how ignorant and bumbly he is, like they did with bush? Kerry creamed him in the debates and none of the ignorant bush-voters cared. Lots of them were probably too stupid themselves to even recognize his stupidity.

Is it a real possibility that McCain is in mental decline of some sort, do you think? I swear, when I read this stuff I both feel sorry for him and fear to GOD for this country if he gets elected.

[anonymous171]

7. Well, Bush looked more at ease and youthful.

McCain is an old man. Obama is young. That alone will sway people. Remember the Nixon/Kennedy debates?

[blonndee]

13. Yes, that is a big difference. Thanks for reminding me.

I guess when it comes to bush, all I can think is "stupid lying moran." :)

[anonymous171]

14. Me too. I hate that fucking grin he has.

Every time he did that in 2004 I threw something at the TV. The VP debates did show youth vs. age a little. Edwards vs. snearing Cheney.

[loveangelc]

10. Bush did terrible in the first debate, but I actually thought Bush did well in the last 2.

Ive seen McCain debate. its not good.

[Drunken Irishman]

17. McCain is way worse than Bush.

He stumbles a lot and actually doesn't prep well at all. Bush stumbles, but he at least somewhat sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Watching McCain, though, is bad.

McCain: Uhm, I, uhm, think, let me give you a bit of straight talk, my friends, this is, uhm, we're going to, uhm Shiites, uhm Iran?

[loveangelc]

21. I cant wait tbqh.

[grantcart]

33. think bob dole

when it comes to the presidency people want somebody that they think can run it


They made an exception for Bush and they know they made a mistake.


I am not being over confident but look at how these guys have taken apart a really good machine - the Clintons and an outstanding


group of Democratic contenders. This could go 40 states.


McCain's biggest problem is going to be money. The smart guys are not going to throw it away on McCain.

[McCamy Taylor]

8. If I was a gambler, I am not, I would bet that Romney will be the eventual nominee.

[DUyellow]

11. huh>?

[donheld]

23. Where the fuck are you getting that?

:shrug:

[freefall]

44. Probably the same place I am. Personally I think the

Rethuglicans will make sure something "happens" to McCain between now and their convention -- illness, accident, whatever. They can't afford to have him representing the party as a presidential nominee.

I'm not sure that it will be Romney but a lot can happen between now and the Rethuglican convention and I don't think the eventual nominee will be McCain.

Peace,

freefall

[kerry-is-my-prez]

9. My Gawd - this guy is so old he doesn't even know about condoms, etc.

n/t

[mile18blister]

41. Condoms date back to ancient Egypt.

Talk about old. Yikes.

[DerekJ]

12. Some HRC supporters will still vote for him.

[moriah]

47. Not likely the women if he keeps talking like that...

... if they care anything about reproductive rights, at least.

That quote supports what I think McCain will do to appease the social conservatives -- he will cater to them, give them what they want. The social conservatives love the Shrub, of course he supports the Shrub's policies when it comes to things like reproductive rights!

There are some people who say that condoms aren't safe enough, that the virus can still get through some of the holes in a latex condom (even though they are much smaller than the pores in a lambskin), and so people shouldn't promote them. The statistics show that while some people do get HIV using condoms, they are MUCH less likely to get it if they use condoms compared to unprotected sex.

If he wasn't just absolutely dumb and really didn't know what condoms did, he might be thinking back to that argument and trying to figure out if the social conservatives are going to blast him for saying he disagrees with their "justification" to withhold safer sex education and force their morality on the nation.

He's going to capitulate to them, and I think it's going to be even worse than if Huckabee had won, or if we kept Bush another 4 years. And look out if he decides to REALLY appease the social conservative base by tapping Huck for VP.

[Drunken Irishman]

15. Give him a break!

The last time McCain had sex, condoms were still 5 years from being invented.

:D

[thewiseguy]

16. McCain will lose because of his age

He is simply too old for the job. He is showing it too. He often runs away from the current McCain image and sticks with his youth photos instead.

[LiberalAndProud]

18. Are we on the Straight Talk Express?

No, lets just step around the issues, John. Keep us in the dark about what you really think. You probably should "inform" yourself on some of the issues our country is facing before you try to be President. Really.


:dunce:

[Drunken Irishman]

19. He didn't realize where he was.

"Who am I? Why am I here?"

haha!

[LiberalAndProud]

22. You may be right.

seriously

[Johnny__Motown]

28. Maybe he was sleep deprived

[Ino]

25. Gawd, he reminds me of Sherri Shepherd on the View

McStupid: “I haven’t thought about it. Before I give you an answer, let me think about. Let me think about it a little bit because I never got a question about it before."

Sherri Shepherd: "I've never thought about it, Whoopie... Is the world flat has never entered into... has not been an important thing to me."

[Johnny__Motown]

27. How can anyone think Obama could lose to this .....person......

Can you see him in a televised debate... just standing there not understanding even the most basic facts on an issue 17 year olds have mastered?





We need to stop dragging ourselves down. We should assume we will win no matter what but that we are hurting our margin as well as down ticket dems who need coattails to win.

[loveangelc]

31. but....omg REV WRIGHT!111111

[quakerboy]

29. Damn.

thanks for the reminder. These things seem to pop up every time I get a little too pessimistic about our GE chances.

[msallied]

30. This is typical for someone pimping for social conservatives

They can't look like they're advocating pre-marital sex, ya know.

Remember a few years back when Bill Frist said that HIV could be transmitted via tears? It's massive cognitive dissonance with those folks when they have to change the facts to meet the expectations of their deluded base. lol

[Enrique]

32. I wonder if he knew how much the pig weighed

This went on for a few more moments until a reporter from the Chicago Tribune broke in and asked Mr. McCain about the weight of a pig that he saw at the Iowa State Fair last year.

[featherman]

34. As I've been saying for some time: McCain is a terrible candidate and

a truly awful campaigner. I'd like to find the exact quote but apparently some of his Senate colleagues regard him as "as dumb as a bag of rocks". Literally the only things he has going for him are:

1. War hero (didn't work for Bob Dole)

2. The ubiquitous RW noise machine which doesn't actually give a crap about him or his positions but lives only to demean and degrade any Democrat living or dead

3. The starry eyed adoration of the so-called "neutral" MSM reporters, columnists, and talking heads

#3 is the one that needs to be addressed successfully to even the playing field this fall. McCain is beginning to do our work for us a bit, it seems.

[Virginian]

38. McCain has become maliable in his old age and

Cheney can probably play him like a marionette. What are the chances that Cheney will head up the search party for a VP for McCain?

I think they were planning on George "Macaca" Allen as their nominee until he ruined his political career during his Senate campaign in 2006. I am so glad Allen is gone. Jim Webb makes a fine Senator.

[FrenchieCat]

35. I'm out of words........

Really.

[mikekohr]

37. Did McCain At Least Get the Weight of the Pig Right?

And just how much does Limbaugh weigh?

mike kohr

OBAMA '08 -beleive-

[ForeignSpectator]

39. "I am sure I had a position on it in the past. I have to find out what it was." LOL

And the thing is, he doesn't seem to know what he's talking about EVEN if it's about war and terrorism. Ask LIEberman.

[unblock]

42. in truth, that's exactly what he didn't know

i'm sure he knew the actual facts about condoms. it's hard to imagine otherwise.

what he couldn't remember was what his public position on the whole topic was because in his mind, it's more important to be consistent (remember the whole kerry flip-flop farce) than to be honest.

if he was really the "straight talk" guy, he could simply tell us what his views were and know that in the past, he would have answered the same way. instead, his private views are private and his public positions are calculated panders, and he couldn't remember the results of that calculation.

THAT is what stumped him.

[ForeignSpectator]

62. Exactly, and I am getting sick of hearing the words "straight talk" out of his mouth...

what you said that he can't remember his calculation's last result is exactly right. But people don't pay attention and still are going to view him as the "straight talk" guy. Just because he says so and it's written on his tourbus...drives me nuts!

[Vinca]

43. No Viagra ads in this guy's future. nt

[sniffa]

45. Senile and out of touch

Run this with Iran-AQ gaffe nonstop.

[Major Hogwash]

46. "Well, about that pig, was it a flying pig or just a glider? Was there lipstick on that pig?

I think I kissed that pig. Get me Santorum's notes on that. I have to check to see if I should have been wearing a condom first. I think, well, I know I have kissed pigs before, but maybe not as much as I should have in order to get the pig farmers vote. But wait, I'm sure that Lott said once that kissing led to pregnancies, so maybe that means I got that pig pregnant. Have all of you reporters been thinking about asking all these 'trick' questions to the Democrats? Have you met my daughter? I remember Pearl Harbor as if it was yesterday, but I don't recall if we kissed pigs back in those days or not.

[MNDemNY]

48. How big was the pig?

[OzarkDem]

49. What does Obama think?

Remember, Rev. Wright thinks the US injected blacks with syphillus in the Tuskeegee study. It would be interesting to hear Obama's position on things like condoms and birth control.

[SaveAmerica]

50. Stick a pitchfork in him, he's ALREADY done!!

[TZ]

52. Its sadly ignorant yes

But we've had eight years of scientific ignorance in the WH. I doubt the general public will care much. Prolly make the fundies happy cause the think only people who deserve it get HIV. And who thinks a zygote is a person.
Ignorance and fear are the RW's tools. I doubt this will hurt McCain much.

[CATagious]

53. Does the New York Times do satire??

I thought for sure this had to be a joke. No one can be that stupid, right?

[jimshoes]

54. Holy crap

At first I'm thinking this has to be an Onion piece but it's not, and that funnier yet. Who thought Mc19thCentury would be a good choice for prez?

[loveangelc]

58. No one. Are Republicans REALLY excited about him? I thnk not tbh.

[Doctor_J]

55. He's a septagenarian Bush

these clips are going to make great campaign commercials for the GE

[Doctor_J]

56. These won't track during the GE campaign either

the MSM's campaign for McSame this year will make their 2000 onslaught for * pale in comparison. It will be up to Obama's campaign to try to make something of them, with almost no access to the news "media"

[MattBaggins]

57. Who asked the pig question?

Is Gannon back now?

[progressoid]

59. Good God - He's going to be shredded in a presidential debate.

[Life Long Dem]

60. I was reading that yesterday. And then some.

I can't believe the things he has been saying. He doesn't know abut protection for one thing or is just being very conservative. He has to find someway to support Iraq.

He is very conservative on foreclosures. Yet he wants to assist the Iraqi's for the next 100 years. But let this country go homeless over foreclosures.

Oh yeah, on edit, let me add I will never be voting for McCain. Who knows what else he has in store?

[izzybeans]

61. Why am I shocked that this is not a piece in The Onion? I almost can't believe

anyone could be that stupid.