WSJ: Is John McCain Stupid?

[LuckyTheDog]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121745962594698731.html?mod=todays_columnists

Is John McCain losing it?

On Sunday, he said on national television that to solve Social Security "everything's on the table," which of course means raising payroll taxes. On July 7 in Denver he said: "Senator Obama will raise your taxes. I won't."

This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation.

He got back to the subject Tuesday in Reno, Nev. Reporters asked about the Sunday tax comments. Mr. McCain replied, "The worst thing you could do is raise people's payroll taxes, my God!" Then he was asked about working with Democrats to fix Social Security, and he repeated, "everything has to be on the table." But how can . . .? Oh never mind.

Yesterday he was in Aurora, Colo., to wit: "On Social Security, he wants to raise Social Security taxes. I am opposed to raising taxes on Social Security. I want to fix the system without raising taxes."

What I'm asking is, does John McCain have the mental focus, the intellectual discipline, to avoid being out-slicked by Barack Obama, if he isn't abandoned by his own voters?

[rurallib]

1. the short answer is: yes he is.

[tallahasseedem]

2. My first reaction?

Absolutely.

[LuckyTheDog]

25. Keep in mind: This is the FREAKIN' WALL STREET JOURNAL!

It's the most reliably Republican newspaper in America.

[saltpoint]

3. McCain: 'I'll never raise your taxes." "Yes I will." 'No I won't."

"Will so."

"Will not."

- - - -

He isn't running a very good campaign, and has out-flip-flopped the flip-floppinest politician ever on numerous issues, including this one.

My guess is that a lot of folks who read the Wall Street JOURNAL are real interested in whether McCain keeps everything on the table in regard to their taxes.

[Connie_Corleone]

4. Yes. He's actually worse than Bush.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. "This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation."

If even the Wall Street Journal is saying such things, I suppose that it would be legitimate to have an ad saying,

"Even the Wall Street Journal admits: John McCain is transgender."

Wouldn't THAT play well with the neo-con fundies?

:rofl:

[nc4bo]

6. I can not wait for the debates to solve the stupidity question.....

and that's all I'm gonna say about that.

[Virginia Dare]

15. Even his town hall meetings that are the centerpiece of his campaign are flopping badly..

I read yesterday where some repuke lady slammed him on his tough immigration talk. Seems she owns a lettuce farm and doesn't like the idea of kicking all the Mexicans out of the country. He thinks he can double-talk his way through this campaign after building his reputation on being a "straight talker". At least shrubya stuck to the script.

[callous taoboy]

7. Good find, Lucky and I agree with Old Crusoe

that he is running a very weak campaign. He seems very unsure of his words as he speaks. He comes across as confused.

[symbolman]

8. It suddenly occurred to me today that YES McCain actually IS Stupid..

I was trying hard not to believe it all this time, thinking "He must know Something to have gotten so far in life, anything.."

Then I saw a YouTube clip of him at the Republican debates answering a Ron Paul question, posted on the DU.. And he totally blew it, just Bizarro ..

Part of me thought the guy is OLD, slowing down, maybe a little Senile, etc..

But I realized that he's been DUMB his whole life, it's why he graduated at the bottom of his class, crashed 6 planes, and probably is why he got caught, turned into a POW..

Dumb as a Rock, and I agree, he may even be Dumber than Bush!

We need a "Dumb and Dumber" movie poster photoshopped with him and Bush.. Glad someone's Saying it too!

[callous taoboy]

9. Photoshoppers, please read symbolman's post:

Dumb and Dumber would be brilliant. Or even a "Wayne's World" theme would work just fine:

Bush: I like oil. Oil is so cool.
McCain: Oh, dude. When I'm in the White House it's gonna be, like, Exxon
Mobile central. But, yeah, we should, like, totally find other ways to run
things though.
Bush: Oh, you mean, like nukeular stuff...



Well, I'm sure someone out there could pull this off...

[symbolman]

11. I guess the Media would be the kid in the wheelchair

Stroking the bird whose head has been ducktaped back on, maybe Dana Milbank saying, "Nice birdie, pretty birdie, cheep cheep.."

:)

[Moochy]

17. Dumb & Dumber : when George met John

I think you are definitely on to something... Republicans foisted an incredibly dumb little prince-ling on the country in 2000.

This is just the next year's model of "dumb puppet president"

[scheming daemons]

10. Are bears catholic? Does the pope shit in the woods?

[nxylas]

12. I hate to sound ageist, but...

...I don't think McCain is stupid, merely old. In the interests of equality, I have to insert my customary disclaimer that many people's minds remain as sharp as a tack despite their advanced age. I've known people in their 80s and 90s with dazzling intelligence. McCain is not one of those people. His mind is clearly deteriorating as he gets older.

[Barack_America]

13. The debates can't start soon enough...

Oh the sheer entertainment they will be.

I was trolling over at Free Republic during the primary season and one of the posters expressed concern that McCain would lose it during one of the debates, shuffle over to Obama and rip his arm off.

Like I said, the debates can't start soon enough.

(But don't worry, the height differential between Obama and McCain would make it very difficult for McCain to rip Obama's arm off)

[Virginia Dare]

16. I can just imagine him trying that..

I can see Obama grabbing his arm and slowly guiding him back to the podium like a feeble old man...:rofl: McCain has backed himself into a corner. He was riding on a reputation of being a tough talking badass, and now he looks and sounds like a confused old dodger. They're trying to paint Obama as being a vapid celebrity, and that obviously isn't going to stick once people actually start paying attention to what he's got to say.

[BlooInBloo]

14. Yes...

This has been another episode of Simple Answers To Simply Questions.

[elehhhhna]

18. It's called dementia.

[Barack_America]

20. That's my sincere suspicion as well...

And I really do feel sorry for him that it has to be on display like this. I know that was his choice, but I wonder if even he had full insight about his mental capacity before the election began.

[samsingh]

19. bingo

[Butch350]

21. Most work places force individuals to retire at 65...

At 72 people are thinking about electing a man who is past forced retirement age and will be 76 at the end
of his term. (if elected)

[tblue37]

22. Stupid, senile--six of one, half dozen of the other. n/t

[thoughtcrime1984]

24. That sums it up, tell every red apologist that you know. nt

[uponit7771]

23. It isn't even funny anymore...this guy has something wrong with him.

[Vinca]

26. He's not the sharpest tack in the box, that's for sure. nt

[starroute]

27. The questions is what he meant by "everything is on the table"

That is a phrase that occurs most often in reference to things like bombing Iran -- which we all know is a pet project of McCain's.

It seems pretty clear to me that when he said everything was on the table, he wasn't even thinking about raising taxes -- which would explain his confusion when people insisted on taking it that way.

No, given what we know about McCain, his real plan is to nuke Social Security.

*That's* what he means by everything being on the table.

[Drunken Irishman]

28. McCain is not only stupid, he's crazy.

My father suffers from PTSD and he's crazy when triggered. I don't want that PTSD loon anywhere near the button. He is not capable of running this country and I could see him completely losing it in a fit, blowing up Algeria in the process.

[livetohike]

29. I agree.

In a long running e-mail battle with my youngest brother, I tell him that McCain is still fighting the VietNam War. It's evident he has something wrong with his brain.

[Cha]

30. mccain is a fucking stupid lying a$$hole..

So yeah, stupid is in there.

[JaneQPublic]

31. Perhaps not stupid as much as disinterested... in domestic issues

He only wants to be president to be commander in chief, so he can wage his own wars, run the military, and so Captain McCain can finally outrank is Admiral father and Admiral grandfather.

Domestic issues? He really doesn't give a damn. He'll take whatever positions his handlers tell him to take. And half the time he can't even remember what his domestic "positions" are.