# McCain's cheek at the RNC convention

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 31, 2004, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387 "2004-08-31T07:08:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PosterChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@PosterChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PosterChild)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387/1 "2004-08-31T07:08:12Z")

</div>

Anyone else notice that Sen. John McCain’s left cheek was noticably swollen? He seemed to talk a little as if he had something in his mouth. I’ve searched the web (lots of pages about “turn the other cheek”) and the straightdope (nada, tambien). I admit I haven’t been following McCain’s health or personal life that closely.

PC

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387/2 "2004-08-31T09:49:16Z")

</div>

I just noted in another thread how McCain looked rather unwell today.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387/3 "2004-08-31T10:33:57Z")

</div>

I have noticed this about him on previous occasions, going back years. His left cheek looks swollen, I don’t know why. Is it related to the injuries he suffered during the Vietnam war?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387/4 "2004-08-31T11:05:18Z")

</div>

I know he’s got melanoma but I don’t know if that’s the cause of his swollen cheek. I seem to remember him always having an odd skin consistency on his face.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387/5 "2004-08-31T11:56:55Z")

</div>

It’s from having to continually “turn the other cheek” when Bush/Rove kept attacking him in the SC primary.

I interpreted the thread title wrong, I though it was about his “cheek” in endorsing Bush after all that has happened.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387/6 "2004-08-31T13:18:34Z")

</div>

> [@DanBlather](#):
>
> I interpreted the thread title wrong, I though it was about his “cheek” in endorsing Bush after all that has happened.

😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccains-cheek-at-the-rnc-convention/262387/7 "2004-08-31T15:05:01Z")

</div>

Well, McCain has always had a rather large neck, and as he’s gotten older his cheeks have gotten larger as well.

But what your referring to is the [melanoma](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/cain19.shtml) that McCain had removed from his left temple. They had to remove quit a bit of skin, and as such his left temple looks almost “caved in” from certain angles, making his left cheek appear enormous.