How many believe that in the debates McCain will display a "senior moment",

[elocs]

a deer in the headlights and blank look reflection of his true self? A possible meltdown? A great opportunity for all America to get to know the real John McCain outside of his bs ads. Then, it will be all over but the shouting.

[Eric J in MN]

1. Bush was awful and irritable in the debates with John Kerry...

...but still got a second term.

[billyoc]

3. OMG, remember when he yelled, "Wait! Lemme finish!" when nobody had tried to interrupt him?!

:wtf:

[Jackpine Radical]

20. I always figgered the voice in his ear

tried to interrupt him.

[Hardrada]

28. "Need wood?"

Remember that one?

[billyoc]

36. Oooh... Good one.

[scheming daemons]

6. Bush went into the first debate up 10 points... he left the last debate in a dead heat

Kerry winning the debates helped.... just not enough.

[VPStoltz]

32. Surprise find of another Osama tape...

Kerry would have carried the day if The Shrub had not sat on then released just before the election one of Osama's rant tapes.
I'm sure they have something waiting to spring on us at the last minute.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

40. Hasn't McSame been snubbing Bush as of late?

Aren't most "Republicans" refusing to even call themselves "Republicans" lately? What's this I hear about Bush's calendar having been freed up because nobody wants to have anything to do with him anymore? Did Bush actually attend the RNC? Although I'm certain that he will be a loyal "foot soldier" to the end for his party and will probably do whatever he has been asked to do to help McSame win, I wonder how motivated he really is (or will be) to help a party and a candidate that put him on a pedestal for the last 8 years but now treats him as though he is radioactive and has all but abandoned him.

[On the Road]

2. If His Recent Appearances and Interviews are Any Indication

He'll have a whole succession of them. Even if they try to feed him lines remotely, I somehow think he'll have difficulty with the process.

[MUAD_DIB]

11. "What? What about the Spanish..."

I'm banking on his screw ups.

[TheKentuckian]

4. He does all of those things DAILY

so, I don't expect the debates to be an exception but he'll have to do something wacky to get called on it.

[Pab Sungenis]

5. We just need one. A really good one.

His "Poland" moment, so to speak.

[goldcanyonaz]

7. This ageist shit has to stop, you do realize that Biden will be 74 when he runs for president.

[DB1]

16. 74? yes. Dumbass ? no

[AZBlue]

21. I agree.

[smoogatz]

23. So, you're saying it's "ageist" to suggest that McCain has frequently

appeared confused in the face of media questioning on the campaign trail? Or is it ageist to speculate that that confusion might be a symptom of early-stage Alzheimer's? I mean, it might, right? So why is that ageist?

[Shanti Mama]

41. You may not think it's ageist, but

As a 55 year old who has senior moments that are a regular part of my "middle age" years ;-) ;-)
I can say that many of the statements about McCain's age are uncomfortable to me. When his age and incompetency are the key message I'm ok but when it's just name calling I feel DU is just like a bunch of young kids who aren't eloquent enough to find better descriptors.

There's a LOT of name calling on DU. We all, at least most of us, teach our children that name calling isn't OK, it doesn't help. I think the same applies here but we don't practice what we preach.

[nc4bo]

47. With all due respect (not snark) you nor anyone else here is running for POTUS

sometimes we have to go in those uncomfortable places to haul out the truth.

Too much is riding on this election not to address real concerns.

edit for sense. I've seemed to misplace mine.

[blonndee]

30. Still defending McCan't, I see.

What a surprise.

[goldcanyonaz]

33. Bullying others? Yeah, what a surprise coming from you.

[blonndee]

34. Hee!!

Go on ahead. :)

[burythehatchet]

53. and you expected something different?

[Omnibus]

31. Why does Biden's age relate to McCain's competence?

If Biden does choose to run, we'll evaluate his competence then.

Everyone ages, and eventually, everyone becomes less effective with age (sometimes abruptly). Different people show signs of aging at different rates. Based on recent performance, on the campaign trail, McCain has not aged well.

My grandfather is 87, with 9 brothers and sisters still living (90-73). Had they gone into politics, most of them would still be fit to run this country. There are undoubtedly 70-80 year-olds that could run this country competently.

Based on his current performance, John McCain isn't one of them.

[Ichingcarpenter]

49. What crock of crap

I expect this from you and your so called roots.

Now what african language do you speak?

[goldcanyonaz]

59. No wonder you spend so much time here, who else would have you.

[Curtland1015]

8. My fondest dream is that he has a break down live on camera.

He calls Obama something racist in a fit of rage, then starts crying right before they cut to commercial. It's the sweet dream I have daily. Perhaps there's something wrong with me.

[Graybeard]

9. I expect a "Captain Queeg moment".

Everyone will see that McLumpy is just nuts.

[Ichingcarpenter]

50. That's the kind of meltdown I expect too...... just pitiful

His ring twisting lately is just like Queeg.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

57. I wonder if Vegas has a betting line...I'll take a shot at the right odds...

Ahh, but the strawberries that's... that's where I had them...

[lutherj]

10. I'm starting to think he may be on meds to keep keep him from going

into meltdown. In fact, he could be on all kinds of meds for all kinds of reasons. No wonder he won't release his medical records.

[CoffeeCat]

39. I watched his speech today live...

...in Cedar Rapids, Iowa--and his personality has done a complete 180 since earlier this week.

This entire week, he was like a crazed loon--edgy, irritable, full of anger and making smart-ass comments to
Mika on "Morning Joe."

Today, it was as if someone put his brain in first gear. He seemed drugged to me. He slurred his words
and he bungled a bunch of company names. I think he said, "Fannie Mac and Freddie May." During the
speech, his eyes were half opened and his left eye was barely open. He really seemed drugged.

I'm not saying that he's doing anything illegal. He looked Xanaxed...tranquilized.

Someone else said it might have been his age and the gruel of the campaign. When you're tired, you perk
up during a rally. You can fake it and get by after a cup of coffee. This was something different.

After his behavior earlier this week, it was obvious that he was in desperate need of a valium sandwich.

[saltpoint]

12. McCain may flub without its being a senior moment solely on his

own inabilities and limitations.

He'll be up late. He knows he's facing a formidable opponent. He knows his numbers are hurting.

And the man standing at the other podium is a lot smarter than McCain is.

It could be a rough night for the Arizonan.

[abumbyanyothername]

13. The debates will not be kind to John McCain

Moderator: Senator McCain can you tell us your views on how to fix the economy.

JM: My friend, we did not have an economy during those 5 years in Hanoi.

Moderator: Senator McCain can you tell us your views on taxes.

JM: My friend, we did not have taxes during those 5 years in Hanoi.

Moderator: Senator McCain can you tell us your views on national security.

JM: My friend, we did not have national security during those 5 years in Hanoi.

Moderator: Senator McCain can you tell us your views on healthcare.

JM: My friend, we did not have healthcare during those 5 years in Hanoi.

Moderator: Senator McCain can you tell us your views on reproductive rights.

JM: My friend, we did not have reproductive rights during those 5 years in Hanoi.

Moderator: Senator McCain can you tell us your views on who will win this election.

JM: My friend, we did not have elections during those 5 years in Hanoi.

[Curtland1015]

38. Aw, you left out the clincher!

Moderator: Senator McCain can you tell us about those 5 years in Hanoi.

JM: My friend, we did not have those 5 years in Hanoi during those 5 years in Hanoi.

[krkaufman]

14. Oh, he will. But I don't doubt that the media will cover for him.

Just like they did Bush during both his election campaigns.

[curious one]

15. Man oh man I want that temper to come out.

[AzNick]

35. My breakdown fantasy goes like this:

I have a recurrent fantasy where McCain goes berzerk in the middle of the debate, throws stuff, breaks his mug, yells racial expletives at Obama and leaves the studio in a rage, before coming back to apologize, and then breaks into tears, at which point Cindy shows up and says "John Sidney... it's time for bed... let's go, now".

Meanwhile, the entire attendance has their jaws dropped, except for Obama, politely smiling, before saying "To answer your question, Tim..." (and yes, in my fantasy, Tim Russert was allowed to come back from the dead just to moderate the debates).

[Omnibus]

17. I'm pretty sure he will.

McCain gets confused on Shias vs Sunnis. He thinks there's still a Czechoslovakia. He thinks Spain is a socialist country in Latin America. He thinks the president can fire the SEC head at will. He thinks people making $5 million or less per year are middle class. He thinks Obama will raise taxes on the middle class. He thinks Sarah Palin is qualified to be vice-president.

I think at this point it's established that McCain is a fountain of gaffes, and he's fairly certain to erupt on national TV next week.

The country is in a ditch, and his cure is to hand out shovels so we can dig the ditch deeper.

[sellitman]

18. Here is the Change McCain has been talking about...

[Nye Bevan]

19. I just can't wait for the debates

Obama will eat the befuddled old man for breakfast. I'm expecting a 5-10% bump for sure.

[AZBlue]

22. "Senior moment"?

Really, do we have to lower ourselves to that level?

He's ill-informed and ineffective - always has been, always will be, has nothing to do with age.

[smoogatz]

29. He's either partly deaf or suffering from mild dementia, IMO.

Either way, it's a direct consequence of age.

[elocs]

58. You actually believe that McCain's mental lapses have nothing to do with his age?

That at age 72 he is somehow immune to the dementia and increasingly forgetful moments that impact millions of other senior citizens who are even years younger than McCain? :shrug:

[doc03]

24. He probably will but he will be excused, he was

a POW you know. The MSM would overlook it and blame Obama for being disrespectful to an older man that is a former POW.

[RagAss]

25. Senile will be the new "cool" .. just wait for the MSM spin on it !

[smoogatz]

26. I actually think McCain's weirdest moments during the campaign so far

have had more to do with probable hearing loss combined with plain old ignorance than anything approaching dementia. My guess is that he can't hear and, like a lot of old geezers, is too vain to wear a hearing aid.

[yourout]

27. Only one?

More like a hundred

[D23MIURG23]

37. I'm hoping his temper comes out.

If he looses it, it could be a campaign ending moment.

[midnight armadillo]

43. Judging from Charles Keating's story..

...of how he got McCain to break the law and attempt to intercede on his behalf, all Obama needs to do is call McCain a coward, at which point McCain will shit a brick.

[salguine]

42. I'm waiting with all my might for one of his legendary episodes of

explosive temper. Not necessarily in the debates, although that would be grand—but anywhere along the campaign trail. That would be great.

[Booster]

44. I think he'll have one on the way to the debates.

[Lint Head]

45. I predict he will feel insulted, frustrated and angry.

:dem:

[southerncrone]

46. He may break out in a conversation with himself, or possibly the podium.

[maseman]

48. Shit his diaper

[elocs]

51. As someone who is 56 years old I have no trouble bringing up questions of dementia

and the signs of its early onset in regards to John McCain. He is running for the office of President of the United States, the leader of the free world and of the most powerful nation on earth who will have the fate and future of millions of lives in his hands. The president needs to be sharp and have his wits about him and not create or exacerbate world problems or tensions because he "forgets" things--who people are, where countries are, which side is which. John McCain has demonstrated problems which are indicative of the signs of early dementia which would not be unusual considering his age and the mental impact of being a POW for so many years after which it would be miraculous if he did not suffer from PTSD as well.

Considering the mental lapses that John McCain has already displayed, how many here would be comfortable with a person such as that driving the school bus on which your children ride over dangerous roads? Why would you then trust John McCain to guide this country over the dangerous and difficult road this nation must go in the world?

My mother is 79, has Alzheimer's, and has been in a nursing home for years. In hindsight, when we look back we can see the signs of dementia even before she was diagnosed with it. There was the forgetfulness, the combativeness and paranoia (the neighbors were out to get her), not remembering her way home, and the inability to make rational decisions on things as basic as putting food away that needed refrigeration or continually leaving the stove on. Thankfully she did not drive so we did not have to deal with that issue, but whether it makes one uncomfortable or not these are issues and reality which need to be dealt with. You cannot say, "Oh, age issues make me uncomfortable so I don't want to bring them up".

My mother was a retired senior citizen who had dementia problems which needed to be addressed. John McCain wants us to elect him as the next president so whether it is indications of dementia which are not unusual in a man his age or simply an innate inability to remember names, places, facts, or situations correctly there is nothing inappropriate in judging his ability to head this nation based on these things. I want my president to be mentally sharp and to have his facts straight and his wits about him and to be able to make rational decisions that impact the lives of millions. That man is not John McCain and I am not the least bit uncomfortable bringing up problems of his age which will affect his ability to be president because it is entirely relevant.

[terrya]

52. I sure do. Remember the debate between Reagan and Mondale in 1984?

Reagan had a big senior moment with Mondale. Reagan looked befuddled and confused at one point.

I completely believe we'll see that with McCain.

[shaniqua6392]

54. They will be upping his dose of Aricept before the debates.

Hopefully he will f*ck up royally and make a huge blunder. That is what I will be praying for.

[burythehatchet]

55. It won't happen. They will mix up a cocktail of meds that will prevent it

but there will likely be side-effects. (Like when Idiot had his hula jaw spinning around).

[WinkyDink]

56. He'll use the Reagan "I won't hold your youth against you" line.