# "I'm John McCain, and I Approved this Bullshit in spite of what I'd earlier said" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215 "2008-08-25T17:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/21 "2008-08-25T20:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] Of course it would have to be done by someone with no link to Obama, and he’d have to say how wrong the book is in the strongest terms. The problem seems to be that the inhabitants of the cesspool are all on the right. [/QUOTE] And seriously, would you want it any other way? If we lose our souls, what the hell are we? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/22 "2008-08-25T20:17:20Z")
**gigi** - I think part of the ad’s effectiveness is that it ties into a larger narrative of McCain being generally clueless: he doesn’t know economics, or how many houses he owns, or when the Anwar Awakening happened, or what his own position on contraceptives is. I think it’s a point that they should keep hammering on even if it makes stupid people feel like he’s talking down to them. “Barack Obama: Yeah, but at least I’m not a fucking moron.” But that’s probably why I don’t get elected to things. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/23 "2008-08-25T20:37:53Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] And seriously, would you want it any other way? If we lose our souls, what the hell are we? [/QUOTE] The Democratic Party motto: second place, with dignity. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/24 "2008-08-25T20:53:07Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] The Democratic Party motto: second place, with dignity. [/QUOTE] Second place, with morality. Sorry if that rings of self-righteousness to you, but I’m not willing to sacrifice that for a win, lovely as the sound of it is sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/25 "2008-08-25T21:20:22Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] Second place, with morality. Sorry if that rings of self-righteousness to you, but I’m not willing to sacrifice that for a win, lovely as the sound of it is sometimes. [/QUOTE] And that’s what the Republicans are counting on - that there are lines we are not willing to cross (though they are happy to cross them with impunity.) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/26 "2008-08-25T21:24:41Z")
[QUOTE=Merneith] [Obama’s newest ad](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/25/new-obama-ad-mccain-dont_n_121105.html) [/QUOTE] They should be careful: McCain could easily turn that tune to his advantage by having him serenade the Statue of Liberty with it. But it is the sort of attack ad about which this thread complains. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/27 "2008-08-25T21:28:00Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] They should be careful: McCain could easily turn that tune to his advantage by having him serenade the Statue of Liberty with it. [/QUOTE] I don’t know what that means. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/28 "2008-08-25T22:04:42Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] They should be careful: McCain could easily turn that tune to his advantage by having him serenade the Statue of Liberty with it. [/QUOTE] I don’t get it. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/29 "2008-08-25T22:16:02Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] They should be careful:… it is the sort of attack ad about which this thread complains. [/QUOTE] Nah, an ad based on this ([John McCain And The USS Forrestal Fire](http://judicial-inc.biz/82jjohn_mccain_and_the_uss_forresta.htm) ) would be the sort of ad this thread complains. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/30 "2008-08-25T22:16:42Z")
The original song is a love song. By serenading the Statue of Liberty, he’s serenading America and making the point that America has welcomed all nations. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/31 "2008-08-25T22:20:15Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] The original song is a love song. By serenading the Statue of Liberty, he’s serenading America and making the point that America has welcomed all nations. [/QUOTE] Still not getting it. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/32 "2008-08-25T22:36:12Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] The original song is a love song. By serenading the Statue of Liberty, he’s serenading America and making the point that America has welcomed all nations. [/QUOTE] How is that a rebuttal to the substance of the Obama ad? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/33 "2008-08-25T22:39:58Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] They should be careful: McCain could easily turn that tune to his advantage by having him serenade the Statue of Liberty with it. [/QUOTE] I’m confused. > [@](#): > > The original song is a love song. By serenading the Statue of Liberty, he’s serenading America and making the point that America has welcomed all nations. …and now I’m _more_ confused. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/34 "2008-08-25T22:41:53Z")
And which one is _he_? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/35 "2008-08-25T22:47:12Z")
Fuck, did I stumble into Lobsang’s “Post Something Random” thread without realizing it? ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/36 "2008-08-25T22:51:12Z")
No, **Quartz** has a mental image that thus far the rest of us don’t seem to be getting. We’re hoping he’ll come back and explain it more fully, because we’re all entirely confused. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/37 "2008-08-25T22:51:42Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] How is that a rebuttal to the substance of the Obama ad? [/QUOTE] I said he could turn it around, not rebut the ad. Anyway, it seems I’m in a minority of one. Perhaps it’s the transatlantic perspective. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/38 "2008-08-25T22:53:08Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Nah, an ad based on this ([John McCain And The USS Forrestal Fire](http://judicial-inc.biz/82jjohn_mccain_and_the_uss_forresta.htm) ) would be the sort of ad this thread complains. [/QUOTE] Yup, that would be nasty–still, I have to wonder why was the unwounded McCain airlifted off and why did he not come back to his ship? He spent the rest of the time on board the _Oriskany_ until he was shot down. How many other pilots from the _Forrestal_ were immediately transferred like that? It would also be Republican-esque to make a big deal of the fact that [McCain gave information to Vietnamese and Soviet officers](http://www.powmccain.org/?p=31) while under interrogation. It would also be yucky and scummy to mention that according to [Bush and McCain himself, he was never “tortured.”](http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/was-mccain-tort.html) In fact, he was never a POW for that matter, since we never did actually declare war on Vietnam. McCain, according to the Orwellian Bush-speak that he himself endorses, was actually merely an “enemy combatant” who underwent “enhanced interrogation techniques.” And since Bush and McCain both agree that such techniques produce valuable and truthful information, then McCain is a traitor who broke under questioning and gave information to the enemy. It’s really all in how you spin stuff, y’know? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/39 "2008-08-25T23:55:12Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean] was that James Taylor?? [/QUOTE] No, I don’t know who it is, but it’s not James Taylor. I’m as close to 100% sure as I can be. The voice is too young, and doesn’t have that little Taylor twang. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215/40 "2008-08-26T00:02:23Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq] It would also be yucky and scummy to mention that according to [Bush and McCain himself, he was never “tortured.”](http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/was-mccain-tort.html) In fact, he was never a POW for that matter, since we never did actually declare war on Vietnam. McCain, according to the Orwellian Bush-speak that he himself endorses, was actually merely an “enemy combatant” who underwent “enhanced interrogation techniques.” And since Bush and McCain both agree that such techniques produce valuable and truthful information, then McCain is a traitor who broke under questioning and gave information to the enemy. [/QUOTE] I would really like to see someone bring this up in the mainstream media. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-john-mccain-and-i-approved-this-bullshit-in-spite-of-what-id-earlier-said/461215.md?page=3)