In tonight's interview, McCain responds to Leno's "2012" question: "I wouldn’t think so, my friend"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

On ‘Tonight,’ McCain Declines to Lay Blame

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/us/politics/12mccain.html?ref=politics



By SARAH WHEATON
Published: November 11, 2008

Senator John McCain announced that he would run for president in February 2007 on “The Late Show With David Letterman” on CBS. On Tuesday, in his first public appearance since he delivered his concession speech on Nov. 4, he provided a bookend to his campaign on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on NBC.

Aside from wryly indicting his own “personality,” Mr. McCain declined to speculate on why he lost the election.

He defended his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, who some of his own aides, speaking anonymously, have blamed for his defeat. “Did you expect mavericks to stay on message?” he asked, before saying he “couldn’t be happier with her” and identifying her as part of a group of young governors, including Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who represent “the next generation of our party.”

He added: “Our party has a lot of work to do. We just got back from the woodshed.”

Mr. McCain also recycled a joke he repeatedly used on the trail to describe his state of mind after his loss in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries.

“I’ve been sleeping like a baby,” he said. “Sleep two hours, wake up and cry.”

Mr. McCain praised President-elect Barack Obama as inspiring “millions of young people” and echoed the call for unity from his concession speech: “Now it’s time for America to join together and support the man who was just elected president.”

Saying that the “last thing Americans want is a sore loser,” Mr. McCain spoke of returning to the Senate.

He also discussed a Senate colleague, Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, the independent who caucuses with the Democrats and whose committee chairmanship is in question after his endorsement of Mr. McCain. Of speculation that Mr. Lieberman could join the Republican Party, Mr. McCain said, “I think that Joe is going to probably remain as what he is: an independent who stands up for what he believes in.”

When Mr. Leno asked Mr. McCain about a run in 2012, when he would be 76, he responded: “I wouldn’t think so, my friend. It’s been a great experience, and we’re going to have another generation of leaders, and I would hope I can continue to contribute.”

[EconomicLiberal]

1. You're still a clown, McLame. n/t

[book_worm]

2. If Palin, Jingl, and Pawlenty are the future of the GOP, they are really in trouble.

[Bonn1997]

3. What are Jindal's weaknesses?

I don't agree with him on the major issues and I've seen him only a couple of times, but I think he's an impressive speaker who could be a strong candidate.

[CLANG]

5. I read that he was a religious wacko or sum such

[fujiyama]

4. McCain would be respectable

if he hadn't made such a poor choice for a VP and hadn't run such a disgusting, rotten, despicable campaign.