Today McBush made a joke about beating his wife...

[ColbertWatcher]

...during a chat with http://lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2008/jun/26/transcript-mccain-interview/">Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston, Admiral McCombover chuckled as he made an totally appropriate and in-context reference to his legendary temper, as he concluded the interview thusly:

"And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago…."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/06/mccain-gambles.html">ABC News

How should voters respond to this news?




Selection 1. Nothing; the spouses are off limits

Selection 2. go back to sleep

Selection 3. change the channel

Selection 4. wait for FOX to tell them how to respond

Selection 5. send Cindy McCain pamphlets and info about http://www.aardvarc.org/dv/states/azdv.shtml">AZ spousal abuse programs to her family's brewery:

Hensley & Company

4201 North 45th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85031
U.S.A.

Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Selection 6. Other (please specify in reply)

(ON EDIT: spelling)

[On the Road]

1. I Believe You are Being Overly Literal

The remark had nothing to do with actually beating up one's spouse. It is a reference to the old joke about "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" The context is that beating one's wife is a terrible thing that no one would want to admit to.

McCain is saying the questioner is assuming a falsehood and he is damned no matter what answer he gives. Don't know the merits of it, but I don't think there's anything wrong with the remark.

[Richardo]

2. Exactly

Can we move to the real issues yet?

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Of course, and he's a Navy man, that kind of language is okay.

NOT.

If he wants to be the leader of the free world, he needs to THINK before he SPEAKS.

I don't care what he meant.

[Squatch]

25. Absolutely...we don't need any more low-brow gutter humor in the presidency

[bunkerbuster1]

4. While he has a habit of making really awful, stupid "jokes"

I tend to agree that this one was just kinda clueless, and not really about "beating his wife."

[papapi]

5. Beating her at what? Golf? Or licking Joe Joe Lieberman's balls?

[Blue Belle]

12. Joe Lieberman has balls?

I thought he sold them to the GOP to help him get re-elected.

[ColbertWatcher]

20. Technically, it is reasonable to assume, that at one time, it is likely...

...that he may have been in the possession of at least one ball, if not a pair.

Pretty good chance.

[papapi]

49. I found a picture.....

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Other-- "I" will beat the shit out of the next person who...

takes this remark seriously. Stop wasting time on bullshit and find something properly bad about McCain-- there should be enough low-hanging fruit available for that.

This is simply from the old trick question-- "Have you stopped beating your wife?" It has been used in logic courses and comedy routines for years. McCain did nothing wrong with this quip.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. Internet Tough Guy, eh!? LOL! n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

10. I taught Skittles how to kick ass.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. A gift for you and others who make excuses for the old man...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3530786&mesg_id=3530786

[anigbrowl]

24. Just because you say it doesn't make it true

I disagree with and won't vote for the GOP, but your characterizations of them verge on self-parody - they're like GOP stalwarts criticizing democrats over normal human failings. Indeed, some Democrats are also guilty of genuinely bad behavior, and it doesn't trouble me to admit it. I don't believe in ideological purity, it usually leads to comedians getting arrested sooner or later no matter whose ideology is dominant.

[ColbertWatcher]

29. Just because you deny it doesn't make it false...

...oh, and who are you calling self-parody?

[Phillycat]

27. I'd never heard it before.

You'd think he'd be a little more careful, after calling her a cunt and all.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. Fox News will tell its viewers when to laugh

John Gibson, who made jokes about Heath Ledger's death is now updating his wonderful stand-up material with hilarious new wife-beating jokes, to show conservative solidarity.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. One People, One Party, One Führer! n/t

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

13. Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein SchimpanseFuhrer !!!

[KamaAina]

14. Pill Poppin' Polly's family does not own a brewery so stop saying that!

They own an Anheuser-Busch distributorship. :P

[ColbertWatcher]

15. Pfft. That's like saying there's a difference between...

...prescription drugs and pills you found in the custody of a charity you're running.

Come on, next thing you'll be saying there's a difference between a trollop and a cunt.

[KamaAina]

16. But there is!

next thing you'll be saying there's a difference between a trollop and a (characterization deleted)

Admiral McCombover never called Pill Poppin' Polly a trollop in public (that we know of). :-)

[ColbertWatcher]

18. BUt, he did stop beating her, which is good...

...there's nothing worse than beating a drug addict when she's down.

Or, recovering.

[EOTE]

21. Well, he did say that she plastered on her makeup like one in public.

Which is almost the same thing. With regards to his latest stupid statement, well, I think there are dozens of other stupid statements that he's made that put this one to shame. It was a lame attempt at humor, but not as offensive as many are making it out to be. But, if it's used as an excuse to get out the fact that he once called his wife a c*nt, then I'm all for it.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. I have something for you...

...http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3530786&mesg_id=3530786

[EOTE]

33. Listen. I agree with you almost 100%.

McCain has made a ridiculous amount of terrible gaffes, and he, like almost all other republicans, is NEVER called on the shit he says. If republicans were called on the crap they say like democrats are, the republican party would be very different. However, just because they're never called on their crap doesn't make every thing they say some horrible offense. As many have noted on this thread, the "when did you stop beating your wife?" bit is not about actually beating your wife, but about how the mere framing of a question can be used to shift guilt. There are a ton of statements that McCain made that I wished the media would take a damn minute or two to cover, but this isn't one of them.

[ColbertWatcher]

35. This latest comments is a sign of his poor judgement...

...and his belief that the media will treat him with kid gloves for his repeated spoken gaffes.

He will continue to "misspeak" until the GOP-controlled media (or the people) hold him to account.

Ever notice the difference between how Obama speaks and how Admiral McCombover speaks?

Obama is thinking on his feet when he speaks, it is evident in his methodical delivery.

McSame speaks sing-songy, yet dull, like a bumper sticker.

Which of the two is held to account by the GOP-controlled media?

What do we want? The GOP held accountable!

When do we want it? Well,not now, that last comment he made was understandable, see, allow me to explain it for him...

[EOTE]

42. Once again, I agree with almost all of what you say.

"Obama is thinking on his feet when he speaks, it is evident in his methodical delivery.

McSame speaks sing-songy, yet dull, like a bumper sticker."

This is extremely true, and it's obvious to anyone with two brain cells to rub together that Obama is a fantastic speaker and if McCain strays from the script, he's doomed. The only thing is, although while Obama wouldn't have made a statement like McCain did regarding the whole beating my wife thing, if he did, I wouldn't have had a problem with it and I would have hoped that the media would have the decency to understand that he's not actually talking about beating his wife, rather the old ruse of "When did you stop beating your wife?" Once again, there are DOZENS of stupid gaffes that McCain has made that I'm completely distressed that the media chose to ignore, but this isn't one of them.

[ColbertWatcher]

43. This is the wedge that opens the door.

It has to start somewhere.

Make him explain himself, starting now.

[Contrary1]

17. Now we can compare his comedic style with Junior's too!

:rofl:

[TahitiNut]

19. "Sir!... Sir!... Here's a good stick, to beat the lovely lady."

Send her a copy of the movie "The Quiet Man" (1952) starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

[anigbrowl]

23. "When did you stop beating your wife" is a well-understood cliche

McCain is making a comment on the state of the modern media, and I'm not in the least offended by it. It's a metaphorical joke and a rather funny one. I am a lot more worried about his policy proposals than his witticisms. So some people are going to get offended, but they're usually the ones that can't detect satiric or ironic commentary without a sarcasm tag to ell them how the words should be interpreted. Anyone who gets their underpants in a twist over this (METAPHOR WARNING YOUR PANTS MAY NOT LITERALLY GET TWISTED) is just demonstrating their social illiteracy.

[ColbertWatcher]

26. Something for you...

...http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3530786&mesg_id=3530786

[anigbrowl]

34. I read it already, but didn't find it that convincing

I can think of better things to bash the GOP over. To me this is analogous to critiquing a spelling mistake in a lengthy argument about education policy.

[ColbertWatcher]

37. Oh, allow me to introduce you to Orwell, then...

A man may take to drink because
he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely
because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the
English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are
foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to
have foolish thoughts.

--George-Orwell.org

Of course a small spelling mistake--once in a while--is acceptable.

But, the GOP (and by extension, Admiral McCombover) are not one spelling mistake in an age of auto spell check.

[anigbrowl]

39. I got introduced to Orwell 25 years ago

and while I'm a pedant by nature, I also recognize that pedantry imposes its own limitations and forms of foolishness. Empty language can lead to emptiness of thought, as Orwell demonstrated in novels like 1984 and Animal Farm, but at the other end of the spectrum one must beware the dangers of sophistry and obscurantism, which he addressed too. Maoist China offers disturbing examples of how an attempt to beat back a bourgeois mentality which Mao felt was a danger to society just led to a different flavor of oppression.

I am quite OK with McCain making a backhanded comment on the shallowness of the modern media, though I am not OK with the fact that he chooses to exploit that phenomenon sometimes as well (as do all politicians).

[ColbertWatcher]

41. You're assuming he meant that.

I believe we should give Admiral McCombover the chance to explain what he really meant.

If he really meant that the reporter's question was putting him in an intractable situation, he should have said that.

After all, if he is elected the leader of the free world, those types of comments might not translate to other cultures the way he means them to.

[anigbrowl]

44. Yes, because it's a figure of speech that's been around a long time

I have no problem with public figures employing metaphorical constructs from time to time. I had no problem with Obama referring to people's tendency to vote on 'guns, God and gays' but I also understand why people took it the wrong way. It seems to me you're looking for something to be angry about with McCain, and I'm just suggesting that splitting hairs over this remark of McCain's is really not worth your intellectual energy.

[ColbertWatcher]

46. LOL!

You assume with Admiral McCombover and you assume with me.

At least you're consistent.

He is a public figure, he said something stupid.

He needs to explain what he meant.

[anigbrowl]

48. I assumed nothing with you and deliberately qualified my statements..

exactly because I don't know anything about you.

And I don't consider what he said stupid at all, because it's a familiar metaphor to me and the meaning is obvious. Perhaps it's you who are in a minority for being unaware of its meaning. Google the phrase 'when did you stop beating your wife' and you'll get some 800,000 hits, so it's far from obscure.

[Phillycat]

28. He is running for president.

Since I, a fairly well-read and intelligent person, hadn't heard the origins of this phrase before, we can assume the average Joe wouldn't have either; and since he's already publicly called his wife a cunt, you'd think he'd be more careful. :shrug:

[ColbertWatcher]

31. You'd think he would know better...

...being so old and all.

I would think that at some time in his long, long life someone--anyone--would have said something to him about THINKING before SPEAKING.

[anigbrowl]

38. I'd say that's a mistaken assumption

Obviously it's a new phrase to you, but that doesn't mean it's not well-known to a lot of other people. It might be an age thing; as best I know, it gained popular currency during the explosion of pop psychology during the 70s. Of course, being something of a stick-in-the-mud platonist, I feel schools should be required to teach classes in logic and rhetoric from an early age so that people are encouraged to develop their critical thinking skills early.

[ColbertWatcher]

40. They should, but don't...

...I say someone should ask him about it.

Give him a chance to explain what he really meant.

It doesn't have to be a Spectacle of Russertarian proportions, but at the next public event he hosts have one reporter ask him; give him a chance to clear his (and his wife's) good name/reputation.

I mean, if I were him and I heard people were taking it wrong, I'd be pissed.

[anigbrowl]

45. Well, you could get a press card and ask him

or write a letter or call into a show and demand to know what he meant until the news organization felt it had enough public interest to ask him about it. But frankly, I think people who interpret such remarks so literally won't be satisfied even if he points out that he's just referencing a figure of speech. I'd far rather a reporter point it out as a figure of speech, then ask McCain how he proposes to (or not) to elevate the quality of debate in the media and rescue it from this lowest-common-denominator standard which is most obvious on Fox news and talk radio.

Imagine for a moment that Obama had said this offhandedly, and the usual suspects on the right were going ballistic claiming that he was implicitly endorsing wife-beating. It would be bullshit, no? And while Obama hasn't said this exact phrase, he's not averse to a figure of speech from time to time and people have taken him to task using over-literal interpretations. I think we should eschew such trivial distractions.

[ColbertWatcher]

47. Don't assume.

He should be given the opportunity to explain himself.

[anigbrowl]

50. Sorry, I'm not going to switch my brain off because you say I should

As far as I am concerned his meaning was perfectly clear and he doesn't need to explain himself. You want to keep insisting it has some coded significance, knock yourself out. To me, it has no tactical or strategic value.

[Imagevision]

30. With Mccain's attitude I'm surprised this old fart has been allowed to represent the GOP

[ColbertWatcher]

32. I think he does represent the GOP perfectly. n/t

[Disturbed]

36. After McLame loses he will retire & start a new career

as a Comedian.

John McCain embraces GW Bush & his failed policies.

The short list


Iraq,

Top end tax cuts

Privatization of Social Security

Unraveling employer based health care,

Cuban embargo.

Illegal Spying on Americans

Busholini Policy of Torture

Veto of new GI Bill

Offshore oil drilling

Denying Habeous Corpus

[Liberal_in_LA]

51. BUMP!