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McCain doesn't know if contraceptives stop spread HIV, can't remember his position on it
This might be the beginning of the unraveling for McCain. It may sound like something out of the Onion, but it's for real.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/16/mccain-stumbles-on-hiv-prevention/
Reporter: “Should U.S. taxpayer money go to places like Africa to fund contraception to prevent AIDS?”
Mr. McCain: “Well I think it’s a combination. The
guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn. He believes – and I was
just reading the thing he wrote– that you should do what you can to
encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. Where
that doesn’t succeed, than he thinks that we should employ
contraceptives as well. But I agree with him that the first priority is
on abstinence. I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I’m not very wise on it.”
(Mr. McCain turns to take a question on Iraq, but a
moment later looks back to the reporter who asked him about AIDS.)
Mr. McCain: “I haven’t thought about it. Before I give you an answer, let me think about. Let
me think about it a little bit because I never got a question about it
before. I don’t know if I would use taxpayers’ money for it.”
Q: “What about grants for sex education in the
United States? Should they include instructions about using
contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just
abstinence?”
Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy.”
Q: “So no contraception, no counseling on
contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop
the spread of HIV?”
Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “You’ve stumped me.”
Q: “I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?”
Mr. McCain: (Laughs) “Are we on the Straight Talk express?
I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out.You know, I’m sure I’ve
taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position
was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”
There's no doubt that if Obama or Clinton stumbled so badly on a
question like this, they'd be toast. I've never seen a candidate
actually say that they need to find out what their position was on the
issue before answering a question.
While people will inevitably point to his age as the culprit, it's more
than that. McCain has flip-flopped on these issues so much in an
effort to pander to the religious right that he no longer has any
personal opinions on these matters. It's all just a bunch of
poll-tested positions designed to court the Republican base while
maintaining a moderate image in the minds of those not paying attention.
And when stumped, McCain simply says that he's sure he agrees with President Bush. That says it all.
Let's hope the media holds McCain accountable on this for once.
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Comments (9)
Sigh. They won't. This is a reason it would be nice for this race to be over, one way or another. We need the JedReport making videos on him...
March 29, 2008 8:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
There have been too many of these McCain "episodes" to ignore. For many reasons, I don't think McCain will be the Republican nominee come November. He's functioning as a place-holder for someone (else) who can't take months of scrutiny. He may either drop out voluntarily or be forced out, either at the convention or between the convention and the election. Democratic strategists would be wise not to focus all their energies against McCain's specific weaknesses, but consider the possibility that there will be a bait-and-switch operation before November.
March 29, 2008 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is intriguing. Why do you think so?
He does have an advantage with the media. As everyone keeps saying if Hillary or Obama did ANY of these things, it would be a week of wall to wall coverage.
March 29, 2008 9:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain has always been the Republican the media has given preferential treatment to in order to prove their nonpartisanship. It really started showing in 2000, but it was in place even before then. McCain has figured out that the way to win over the media is to pretend he's a reasonable moderate Republican. Some of them have smartened up after seeing all his recent pandering, but others are still under his spell. Hopefully, they'll wake up sometime before November.
March 29, 2008 10:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I should have added the caveat that I'm usually wrong about these things. It's just an accumulation of small things that have coalesced into one of those "gut feelings."
- a 2004 video clip I saw on CSPAN in 2004 of McCain imploding over a trivial matter. seriously scary.
- his recent intense exchange with a NYT reporter.
- Bob Dole's characterization of McCain's anger problems as 'better than they were' and 'pretty much under control now'. Would he have to reveal at some point if he's medicated for anger management?
- the feeling that more will come out about his ties to lobbyists.
- his confusion about religious alignments in Iran/Iraq - 4 episodes in 2 days.
- the episode in this post, which is just unbelievable.
- his advanced age, combined with the realization that Reagan was mentally out of touch Reagan in the last years of his Presidency.
- his admission that he's not knowledgeable about the economy.
Republicans could wait until they see who the Democratic nominee is, where the geographical weaknesses of the candidate lie, and which issues the campaign turns on, depending what happens in the war and the economy, and then pick the candidate who has the best chance of winning.
On the upside, if McCain is the candidate, I think he will lose.
March 29, 2008 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Straight talk: John McCain, age 847, apparently can't remember jack shit.
March 29, 2008 9:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain stumbles a lot. He's remarkably bad. If he didn't have the MSM covering his ass all the time, he'd be finished.
March 29, 2008 10:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why is this surprising?
Republicans don't think condoms stop AIDS.
McCain probably knows condoms do, but can't say it, because it will piss off his ignorant base.
So, like the Iran funding Al-Qaeda, he pleads ignorance rather than betray his true intention:
Obfuscation.
March 29, 2008 11:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I hope that no one thinks that a condom will stop AIDS. It will, when used correctly, be effective in helping to prevent the transmission of HIV.
End of PSA!
March 30, 2008 5:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
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