# Is John McCain psychologically capable and qualified to be President? No. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 1, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827 "2008-02-01T05:44:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/41 "2008-02-01T19:14:30Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] “it’s impossible not to be diagnosed” is not a cite, unless you can show some studies that people who were tortured always suffer from PTSD for the rest of their lives, and never recover. [/QUOTE] There is lots of research quickly available on Google Scholar (I’m not sure if I should spend the time linking - do you have access to the databases?). Longitudinal studies of POWs show that ~70% suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. ~30% show a full recovery, ~10% no recovery. There is a very significant dose-effect relationship (more torture leads to more effect - clearly relevant here). Those who were tortured the most show a 90% prevalence of PTSD with arousal/anger/hypervigilance being the most amplified symptoms. Google Books has made “[The Medical Documentation of Torture](http://books.google.com/books?id=4IuBwVfBbowC&dq=%22the+medical+documentation+of+torture%22&pg=PP1&ots=Eia63mmTdk&sig=GIDcc6Ze8vAhnkqCutk7x7hqm6A&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?q=%22The+Medical+Documentation+of+Torture%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail)” available. The entire contents of Chapter 7, “[The Psychological Consequences of Torture](http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4IuBwVfBbowC&oi=fnd&pg=PA117&dq=dose-effect+ptsd+pow&ots=Eia63mmTal&sig=9WBytiHMsT_njTU1mfG_jLidm64#PPA117,M1)” was available to me (they might change it per person..) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/42 "2008-02-01T19:49:36Z")
My wife refuses to support McCain for precisely the same reasons outlined in the OP. She was a Navy nurse, and met many former POWs. In particular, she always mentions this one officer she met who had such a haunted look in his eyes (decades after being released) that she could never forget it. McCain’s traits, for whatever reason, remind her of this POW. She feels strongly that former POWs are just too unstable to be considered for President. While I supported McCain back in 2000 (before I read his book), I’m not so much in favor now. Do we really need another President who graduated near the bottom of his class? ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/43 "2008-02-01T19:52:29Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] Even if you did have a point there, do you actually believe that the President carries around a remote control for the American nuclear arsenal? Do you believe that he can push the button on the spur of the moment? Do you believe he can read what Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said this morning, get pissed off, and turn Iran into rubble? [/QUOTE] Not that I agree with the OP, but of [course he can.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_football) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/44 "2008-02-01T21:12:46Z")
I’m no fan of George Bush. But, **Dio** , somehow that definition gives me the vibes of an astrological profile. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/45 "2008-02-01T21:30:00Z")
The entire “dry drunk” idea is complete horseshit. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/46 "2008-02-01T21:30:45Z")
I thought he was talking about himself. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/47 "2008-02-01T21:41:59Z")
[QUOTE=alterego] Google Books has made “[The Medical Documentation of Torture](http://books.google.com/books?id=4IuBwVfBbowC&dq=%22the+medical+documentation+of+torture%22&pg=PP1&ots=Eia63mmTdk&sig=GIDcc6Ze8vAhnkqCutk7x7hqm6A&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?q=%22The+Medical+Documentation+of+Torture%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail)” available. The entire contents of Chapter 7, “[The Psychological Consequences of Torture](http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4IuBwVfBbowC&oi=fnd&pg=PA117&dq=dose-effect+ptsd+pow&ots=Eia63mmTal&sig=9WBytiHMsT_njTU1mfG_jLidm64#PPA117,M1)” was available to me (they might change it per person..) [/QUOTE] Chapter 7 came thru fine. It says things like “extreme trauma such as torture does not always produce psychological problems” and talks about the importance of a detailed interview before diagnosis of PTSD, or that torture has produced permanent personality change. Since no such detailed interview is available, nor sufficient documentation, ISTM that the burden of proof remains unmet. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/48 "2008-02-01T21:43:09Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] I thought he was talking about himself… [/QUOTE] I was once in a bar, serve you a jigger of Black Jack for $1. Cheapest shot I ever saw. Until now. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/49 "2008-02-01T21:50:28Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] I thought he was talking about himself. Regards, Shodan [/QUOTE] I lack grandiosity and intolerance. I also lack any history of addiction. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/50 "2008-02-01T21:53:58Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I lack grandiosity and intolerance. I also lack any history of addiction. [/QUOTE] Good show! Admitting your problem is the first step to recovery! ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/51 "2008-02-01T21:55:57Z")
[QUOTE=ManiacMan] Unless you are his doctor your opinion does not matter. [/QUOTE] He’s a voter and his opinion on this matter counts about as much as yours. Is McCain unstable? I think he is. Why do I say this? In part because what one Senate colleague said about him: “The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.” That’s Senator Thad Cochran, Republican of Mississippi who has known McCain since the 1970s. [Link.](http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/) I think those comments are more illuminating than any diagnosis made by what we read in the newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/52 "2008-02-01T22:10:50Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I lack grandiosity and intolerance. [/QUOTE] You’re kidding, right? Quick, what’s your opinon of people that break speed limits? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/53 "2008-02-01T22:54:04Z")
> [@alterego](#): > > I’ve taken courses in formal logic. I understand what constitutes a proof. You “come the fuck on” and read the top ten results. This is the sum total of your response against every criticism in this thread? Incredibly unimpressive. [QUOTE=marshmallow] Not that I agree with the OP, but of [course he can.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_football) [/QUOTE] Let’s look at your link. > [@Wikipedia](#): > > According to experts, if the President, who is commander-in-chief, must order the use of nuclear weapons, he would be taken aside by the “carrier” and the briefcase would be opened. At that point, the aide and the president would review the attack options and decide upon a plan, such as a single cruise missile or a large ICBM launch. Next, using the SATCOM radio, the aide would make contact with the National Military Command Center or, in a post-first-strike situation, an airborne command-post plane (likely a Boeing E-4B). Before the order would be processed by the military, the president must positively identify himself or herself by using a special code issued to him on a plastic card, nicknamed the “biscuit.” Once all the codes had been verified, the military would issue attack orders to the proper units. If you think this procedure would actually be followed through to the end in the situation I described above, I’ve got a nice bridge and a few acres of swampland to sell you. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/54 "2008-02-01T23:04:27Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] I thought he was talking about himself. [/QUOTE] That’s pretty funny. My thoughts were: sounds like pretty much every president. But, as someone already said, the idea of “dry drunk” is horseshit. It’s not a recognized medical condition-- it’s layman’s pseudo-medicine. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/55 "2008-02-02T00:39:12Z")
I have heard the term used by persons in AA as a recognized pattern: by no means universal, but not uncommon. I have every reason to trust their judgment on the subject. It can mark the transition from someone who isn’t drinking to someone who is sober. But it is transitory in nature, it passes. A character type that persists with such diligencve and determination is more likely a garden variety asshole. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/56 "2008-02-02T04:11:27Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] I have heard the term used by persons in AA as a recognized pattern: by no means universal, but not uncommon. I have every reason to trust their judgment on the subject. It can mark the transition from someone who isn’t drinking to someone who is sober. But it is transitory in nature, it passes. A character type that persists with such diligencve and determination is more likely a garden variety asshole. [/QUOTE] That’s certainly possible too. I think it’s pretty clear that W possesses the above mentioned traits. Perhaps I give him too much credit by attributing it to a recovery stage. I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. If others believe that his condition is natural, I will not argue with them. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/57 "2008-02-02T04:13:13Z")
[QUOTE=threemae] You’re kidding, right? Quick, what’s your opinon of people that break speed limits? [/QUOTE] Depends on the circumstances and the degree, but that’s not a question that has anything to do with either tolerance or grandiosity. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/58 "2008-02-02T06:11:05Z")
[QUOTE=alterego] I started this thread because he is viewed favorably by most people. I view him favorably. As a war hero. Not as President. I hope you consider that this is no longer a normal, healthy human being. He’s got real problems that will seriously detract from his ability to be the POTUS we need right now. [/QUOTE] There was another war hero by the name Sir Winston Churchill, who suffered a recurring mental illness that he described as a “black dog”. Turned out to be one of Britain’s most revered prime ministers. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/59 "2008-02-02T06:20:39Z")
Fair enough to those calling “swiftboat.” We don’t yet issue psychiatric evaluations to presidential nominees. But don’t you think that if he didn’t have PTSD he would have let his doctor present that fact to the public? People who are saying swiftboat are going under the assumption that he’s not insane and it’s slanderous to say he is. I don’t hate his policies and I have no motive to slander him. The reality of the situation is that people don’t usually come out of this situation mentally healthy. It would be shady to raise this suspicion if he had a 50/50 chance of having PTSD. That’s not the case. Survivors are usually unstable. ---
**Author:** ![ManiacMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@ManiacMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ManiacMan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827/60 "2008-02-02T06:24:04Z")
[QUOTE=Ravenman] He’s a voter and his opinion on this matter counts about as much as yours. Is McCain unstable? I think he is. Why do I say this? In part because what one Senate colleague said about him: “The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.” That’s Senator Thad Cochran, Republican of Mississippi who has known McCain since the 1970s. [Link.](http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/) I think those comments are more illuminating than any diagnosis made by what we read in the newspaper. [/QUOTE] I submit that my opinion of McCain does indeedmatter NOT, therefore the OP’s opinion matches my own. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-mccain-psychologically-capable-and-qualified-to-be-president-no/435827.md?page=4)