Does John McCain still have the mental capacity to distinguish between the truth and a lie?

[theothersnippywshrub]

I am struck by McCain's insistence that any of dozens of false statements made by him or his campaign spokesmen are true even when presented with incontrovertible proof that they are false. In fact, they are lies. In overwhelmingly, obvious fact, they are lies. Usually, egregious lies.
Yet McCain will oddly, very oddly, still insist that they are true.

At first I thought that this odd behavior was just a manifestation of the obvious fact that John McCain would rather lose his honor and integrity than lose another election for president. But his demonstrably false denials are so bizarre that I wonder whether they are a symptom of an illness that is adversely affecting his mental capacity to distinguish between the truth and a lie.

[MadMaddie]

1. No!

His age,the residual effects of his torture and the long campaign are taking it's toll.

[WindRiverMan]

2. He's a Republican for the love of God

there is no such thing as a lie or deception in the Republican Dictionary. All things lead to self promotion. Some are just better at it than others.

[theothersnippywshrub]

11. I think McCain has changed. I wonder whether he just has become more republican or is he suffering

from a different and distinct illness affecting his mental capacity.

[C_U_L8R]

3. Apparently not

he is without shame or honor

[eShirl]

4. I don't know, but people are asking. Some say

he doesn't.

[BzaDem]

5. Yes.

They absolutely know that they are lying, and they are doing it anyway. They believe that if a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes true in voters' minds, or it at least keeps the debate open. We need to stop pretending that there is always some underlying reason why Republicans act the way they do.

[theothersnippywshrub]

9. For decades republicans have behaved as you say. My question is about McCain's mental health

and whether it has deteriorated in recent months to the point that he doesn't even know that he is behaving even more dishonorably and dishonestly, in an odd and bizarre manner, than a typical republican.

[OneGrassRoot]

21. I honestly think they convince THEMSELVES as well....

they brainwash THEMSELVES, as well as everyone around them without independent thought.

I can't tell about McCain's mental function any more -- as far as it differing from others around him -- as they have all become dysfunctional, IMO.

I mean, I'm all for creating one's reality with the whole "positive visualization" and such, but this is ridiculous!!!!!

[cliffordu]

6. Nope

[TheKentuckian]

7. I think so. I think he has lost the strength of character and decency

to care.

John McCain would sell his soul to win an election.

[Forkboy]

8. And really, does it even matter *why* he can't tell the difference?

For whatever reason he can't tell the truth anymore, whether due or incompetence or senility. Either one makes him a lousy choice. :)

[theothersnippywshrub]

10. I think it might matter to 15 or 20 million voters. It won't matter

to the Night of the Broken Glass Republicans or the hard core democratic voters, but neither of those groups have ever decided a national election and probably never will.

[bluethruandthru]

12. I think he's in the early stages of Alzheimers.

The deer in the headlights look he sometimes gets...the insistance that he didn't tell a lie when there's proof he did... It's gonna get worse.

[theothersnippywshrub]

14. I have wondered about that possibility. Or just senile demntia.

Where is Bill Frist when you need him? He could make a definitive video diagnosis.

[DeschutesRiver]

13. I don't think so

I have never seen John McCain behave so openly dishonestly. Yeah I hold him accountable for pretending not to know what lobbyists are asking of him, and ignoring ethical fine points as he lobs them favors. But many of our congresspeople do this, and it needs to stop. I am not sure any of them focus on how unethical this is anymore.

But what I am seeing now is flat out behavior that I thought McCain wasn't capable of doing. For real. I don't agree with him, and I don't want him to be president. But every now and then I see a flash of what I recognize as "the old McCain" and that guy never irked or freaked me out like this version of McCain does.

[quiet.american]

15. Manchurian Candidate, anyone? nt

[Kaleko]

16. He's in the Twilight Zone where the truth is whatever his handlers whisper

in both his bugged ears, which changes every day according to the polls.

[HughMoran]

17. No, he's gone senile

There is no hope for him now - no wonder he hides behind the your lady's skirt.

[SoonerPride]

18. John McCain has handlers whispering evil into his brain

[GoesTo11]

19. Yes, he just doesn't have the MORAL capacity.

That's totally the truth. This is his poor character, not his poor memory.

[vixengrl]

20. Not an illness, but still a defect, I think he has come to trust his campaign

staff as "aides"-those nearly invisible folks who make life sealess and feed you facts and position-papers nd keep you from having to break a sweat. Nice if you are occupying a safe Senate seat--scary if you are now looking at the spinners as your source for facts. I wonder if any Arizonan can inform us if in the last 20 yrs he's really had to fight for his seat--I think some of the sloppy, tired, nasty, weirdness we're seeing is from a fight he's not accustomed to.

Which in no way excuses him, since he's angling fora "leadership" position, whilst not showing any leadership ability in all this disgraceful campaign.

[davidpdx]

22. No

It very well could be that he's a pathological lier. Which is why Palin is such a good pick for him.

[renie408]

23. You know, I don't hate him and in fact, I feel bad for him.

He always looks like he wants to puke when he has to defend the lies or Palin. I think in his own way, he is a guy who wanted to be honorable...and now he isn't and he knows it. He has sold his soul to Karl Rove to get elected and I don't think he likes it too much.

[demigoddess]

24. I have really been wondering that, he is showing signs of age and

memory loss

[MarjorieG]

25. I just think he wants to win-however, and is in denial about the fine points of winning honorably.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

26. Absolutely. No question in my mind.

He is besotted with winning. It has overridden every other command and control in his brain. He does not care how he wins, as Sarah Palin proves. "Win at any cost" is his only goal.

He lies, and he knows he lies. He practices it, for god's sake. His handlers put him through his paces, firing questions at him over and over until his lies come out smooth and easy, without stutters or shifty eyes.

He's like a man bearing false witness in court, a suspect hooked up to a polygraph. Make yourself believe it while you say it and people will doubt themselves, not you.

I hope that when he loses and his dreams of power fade, his lies will echo in his head and drive him mad. Olbermann has the exact right label to describe this lying sack of shit: McCain in the Membrane.