I just posted this in an earlier comments thread, but it's more appropriate under this post. Who wants to bet that McCain's whispered "horseshit" when Obama calls him on his prime minister of Spain gaffe becomes a deciding factor?

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/horseshit.html

There was a shot in which it looked like there was something under Obama's jacket.

Maybe that explains his belligerent foreign policy.

McCain was obviously trying not to explode. If he had looked at Obama, he would have had a harder time keeping his temper.

While fully intending to vote for Obama, I have had doubts about him. Watching this debate, seeing how he handled himself, how cogent his comments were, how successfully he hid his feelings, I feel much more confident about voting for him. He still is a moderate and I'd love to vote for a liberal, but I won't have to hold my nose quite so tightly when I vote.

Meme: The horse**** whisperer.

Tom Shales noted, for example, that McCain "seemed determined to avoid even looking at Obama

I noticed that at that ersatz conference at the White House Thursday. The media was allowed to photo several minutes of Bush et. al. sitting at the conference table, before their pretend discussion took place. During it, however, Obama seemed to be staring in McCain's direction, and No-fear-Johnny's eyes were darting around, avoiding contact.

Also on Morning Joe, the discussion seemed to be focused on why Obama looked darker than usual. Was it the lights? or makeup? Was it a good thing? or did it hurt him?

McCain had no respect for a fellow American. It was pretty rude of him to be shuffling his papers around during Obama's closing statement as well. John McCain has absolutely NO class.

McCain, on the other hand, went out of his way, it seemed, to even look in Obama's direction.

I think he actually said, "Of course, of course," and not "horseshit, horseshit." In the MSNBC video, you can see him speaking during part of it and it looks more like the former.

After sleeping on it, here's my overlooked trend:

Barack's repeated referencing of McCain as "John" was brilliant on at least two levels:

1) Whatever advantage might to accrue to age was nullified by this collegial stance.

2) It showed a willingness to engage the room as fellow adults, despite the seething ball of apoplectic rage that sizzled nearby.

As the debate settles in our collective consciousness, it is points like (1) and (2) that matter. Ultimately, Barack's style and grasp of fundamentals will be our lasting memory.

It was obvious that McCain felt as if Obama didn't have the right to be at the podium toe-to-toe with him.

His contempt showed with his dismissive and condescending remarks, repeating lies and trying to hammer at Obama's "inexperience," an argument that McCain himself has eviscerated by choosing the unqualified Sarah Palin as VP pick. He was also rude and belligerent.

His whole performance underscores why I will vote for Obama-Biden and not McCain-Palin in November.

Olbermann believes McCain was saying "'Course not."

Most of us are familiar with the fact that people have a hard time looking you in the eye when they're lying to you, or about you.

And McCain did a lot of lying about Obama last night. He has just enough shame not to be able to look at someone when he's lying about them, though unfortunately, not enough shame to stop the lying altogether.

Straight Talk Express.

When someone can't even look another fellow human being straight in the eye, how is his talk "straight?"

John is banking on racism to win. He knows many folks are too neanderthal to get passed a fear of dark skinned people.

His body language displayed utter contempt for Obama. He was probably thinking, why on earth is there a black man over there acting like he knows more about the world than I do?

So, yeah, I think the disdain McCain showed will
reverberate.

We can discuss their words all we want, but on a visceral level, it's the non-verbal stuff that people pick up.

I just went back and watched that Spain part (about 1:11-1:12 for those who Tivoed it). There is a pretty clear "sh" sound there. He may have said "of course" after "whoreshit", but he did not say "of course, of course", which, by the way would make no sense in the context of what Obama was saying at the time.

Wrong frame.

Subservient primate males do not dare look the Alpha in the eye, as that is a direct challenge. They will retreat into their corner, blink profusely and restrict their action space until given permission to release by the Alpha.

McCain bowed to Obama yesterday.

Or it could just be a silly old man with retarded views about white superiority. He is purported to have said about his daughter: "I had nothing to do with that. It was something Cindy brought home. Imagine my embarrassment at having to wheel around that black thing."

Take your pick.

Personally, when it comes to irrelevant things to fixate on, my money would have been on McCain's incessant use of the creepy, fake grin.

An attempt to look so calm that it makes you look uncomfortable but "faking it"? A non-verbal lie? Who told him to do this? I don't recall constant grinning as a standard feature.

Botox O.D.?

FWIW, substance-wise, Obama missed several opportunities to pound McCain's inconsistencies against his record and did a less than superb job defending his actions. His frequent false-start interruptions, made him look brash.

Good thing debates aren't judged rationally anymore. I think I would have given the victory to McCain despite his lack of good material to work with.

More rehearsal next time, Senator O. You have the goods, but you have to SHOW them well, too.

TPM-reader TB studies primate behavior:

I think people really are missing the point about McCain's failure to look at Obama. McCain was afraid of Obama. It was really clear--look at how much McCain blinked in the first half hour. I study monkey behavior--low ranking monkeys don't look at high ranking monkeys. In a physical, instinctive sense, Obama owned McCain tonight and I think the instant polling reflects that.

When they seize on some such matter to flog, the pundit corps is letting us know which candidate we should vote for. When we play along with this quadrennial rite (Dukakis should have punched Bernie Shaw!), we give these numbskulls a tremendous source of power over our elections. In 2000, they put Bush in the White House this way.

On balance, this power will be likely be used in the future to promote the more conservative candidate. (Because Bush has come close to destroying the world, this is an unusual moment in time.) Progressives are foolish to enshrine this nonsense as part of ongoing press culture.

Matthews is plainly supporting Obama. This explains his "analysis" of body language this year.

Not sure McCain said horseshit, and don't really care if he did.

I do think the optics of last night were interesting. I was driving and only heard the debate in the care, so it was impossible to see that McCain refused to directly engage with Obama visually.

Seeing it on TV later, this, while probably frustrating for McCain supporters, is the terrain the debates get played out on. McCain looked like a dick much of the night, and that will not go down well with the public.

Psst, Steve, with immense respect, I spotted two missing words:

5th paragraph, 14th word: not?

Last paragraph, 4th word: will?

Apologizing now for my jarring pedantry.

The McCain campaign is predicated on selling Mr. and Mrs. Median Voter an Obama who's an unprepared, inexperienced dangerous, America-hating Muslim terrorist rock star celebrity.

Half Franz Fanon. Half David Bowie.

Mr and Mrs. America instead got to watch the chair of the Masters' in Public Policy program at EMSU (Enormous Mediocre State University).

So it wasn't kickboxing. It was better for Obama because it wasn't kickboxing.

Affect, people, Affect. Affect is the only thing that matters. The swayables who can be swayed by logos(position papers) and pathos (POW stories) have long since been swayed.

We're the only people left worrying about logos, sitting in front of the tee-vee with a flowchart prepping for our 1NR.

It is now the hour of ethos.

Obama's people have this timed like the Swiss Railways

"Most of us are familiar with the fact that people have a hard time looking you in the eye when they're lying to you, or about you."

That was also my impression. I was getting a very dishonest feeling from him. It seemed like he was afraid to look at Obama.

McCain did much better than I expected. Obama did better than I expected, so in some ways I see it as a draw. Obama clearly had several opportunities to seriously damage McCain. He needs to get over his discomfort and do it.

Ugh. SteinL, unless you've got audio of him saying that, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. There's no reason to think the man doesn't love his children, and there's no excuse for insinuating otherwise. There are plenty of perfectly good reasons not to vote for McCain without smearing his family.

And then let's get real.

McCain is furious, incensed, apoplectic about having his run for the presidency after two terms of W. He knows that his life's ambition is going to run off the tracks, and that he will go into the history books as the "white candidate who lost to the first black president of the USA."

And that is killing him.

Just looking at Obama is killing him.

The comparison between McCain and Gore is a good one. It reminds me of my experience as a lawyer, though, with the exception of the muttered "horseshit," which I didn't hear, the parallel is more about Gore in 2000 than McCain in 2008.

Trial lawyers are usually disciplined enough to not sigh and roll their eyes when a witness or opposing counsel make a statement they don't like. Parties and their supporters in the courtroom, on the other hand, often react like Gore, sighing and rolling their eyes. What ensues is interesting. Some of the jurors may have noticed the behavior, others may not have noticed. The judge however, did notice and will almost always admonish the misbehaving party about their behavior. The jury can't help but notice and be influenced by the judge's condemnation. It is especially powerful when the party has uttered an obscenity.

In the 2008 election, the instant polling showed Gore "won" the debate. After the media admonished Gore for his immature behavior, the polls switched sides. The media as "judge" and the voters as "jury" is an important model to remember.

I'm not the first to voice this opinion...though I am the prettiest.

Contempt shmontempt, sneer, shmeer...McCain was scared sh*tless of Obama. His desire to be President & his hubris won't let him admit it but he is totally intimidated by Obama. When Obama looks at McCain, he sees right through him. That's why McCain wouldn't - hell, COULDN'T - look Obama in the eye, it would've exposed his fear. It's why he acted so mad at Obama, Obama is forcing McCain to show his true self, & McCain knows THAT true self is an a-hole who could never get elected. Instead of being mad at himself for being incapable of taking Obama on, he gets mad at Obama for BEING someone he can't take on.

Unless he gets lucky with some October surprise, McCain's attitude towards Obama will probably get worse. Because Obama is coming across as more likable, more resposible & more relevant. It's All About Eve, it's Rod Serling's Patterns, it's Dirk Diggler meeting the new crop of porn star, and it's gonna get uglier, especially after the Veep debate (if Palin doesn't decide that her family or Alaska needs her more first).

Some black folks say it reminds them of interactions with blatant or latent racists, but in McCain's case most McAntic-ologists say his contempt for Obama is the anti-green-upstart thing.

But McCain himself may not be the most relevant factor: Elephant in room now is the pitiful Sarah Palin interview with my former UVA classmate, the still bubby Katie Couric. S-Pal sounded bad, rambling about Putin flying over her airspace (he wouldn’t anyway, since great circle from Moscva is actually over Greenland and Canada to DC or NYC etc.) Now “prominent� conservative columnists like K-Par and K-Lo think Palin is an embarrassment. (Remember that pitiful Miss America contestant who rambled about Iraq-South Africa-Aids etc?) Some think SP was over-programmed with talking points and gets confused, etc. She is not ready to be CIC on Day One if ever!

I completely agree --yes. I concur with what Howard Fineman and others say this this was McCain's attempt to dissmiss and not even acknowledge that a credible opponent was standing next to him.

It was rude and arrogant beyond belief--at times he had the gall to he actually efforted to look the other way-- the opposite direction of Obama. Belittling to not turn to him even once, even (and especially) when Obama clearly made a demonstrated effort to turn his body to him, to make eye contact.

It was like he was trying to pretend Obama wasn't there, like he was just "back-ground noise" that was standing in his way.

I like what Maddow said last night (I think she said this?)--that after a while, this sort of continuous dismissal deflates the efforts and energy of the opponent.

I also thought Obama's use of "John" instead of senator McCain was great. One subtle, but IMHO good moment of the night was when Lehrer cut in on Obama's statement, telling him to say it directly to McCain. Obama obliged, smiled and repeated his last statement, but substituted, "John, you said ..." for "John McCain said ..."

Several items this morning made note of McCain's facial mannerisms. Frankly, though, I didn't really notice them. Why? His 'test-pattern' tie! It made it hard to look at him when the camera was on him, so I kept glancing away to avoid the dancing tie.

I am searching for the link.

Contentious - but quoted that a female academic reported being on vacation with John McCain and his family in the pacific, much commented upon - and that McCain was abusive of his family, dismissive of his daughter and very unpleasant towards the other guests.

I know the quote deserves an Ugh! - totally agree.

If anyone can help out with the link, then I am grateful. Will search meanwhile!

Davis X.Machina's comment is interesting. The campaign does seem to have timed everything perfectly from beginning to end so far.

I was surprised that McCain did as well as he did, considering his erratic behavior for the last 2 weeks. A therapist friend told me she thinks not looking at Obama was to avoid an angry emotional outburst. Apparently, people prone to angry emotional outbursts are less likely to contain themselves when engaging directly (e.g., eye contact) with an opponent.

Obama is clearly not comfortable attacking other people in that weird politician's gotcha way; a plus for him IMO, but less appropriate for the soundbite media. I think McCain came across as sour and sneering. His sudden 'I love my vets'-emotional moment seemed jarring and peculiar in the midst of all that heavy-handed sneering--leaving aside that his political "score-card" with national veterans groups is really BAD. Unfortunately, can't find that link, but one example being McCain's vote against the GI Bill.

Hated that bracelet crap from both: talk about using people's pain for political fodder. Maybe why Obama hardly ever uses that type of ploy, and why he seemed uncomfortable in his comeback on his "own" bracelet. Glad, however, that he did point out he has his own interactions with grieving vet relatives.

I saw that story too. I'm unconvinced, but will help out with the link (or try to)

McCain's inability to look Obama in the eye = Nixon's flop sweat.

McCain did more than "not look at Obama". The C-Span 2 feed was 100% split screen, so you get to avoid the editor's cuts. Re-watching that feed, it is obvious that McCains is actively avoiding turning his head toward Obama. But he also appears to not even listen to most of what Obama is saying. He continuously looks into the audience, squints, grinds his teeth.

Some have said that his hands are always in motion, but his head is animated beyond belief.

If Obama really wants to get under his skin in the future, he could do one thing: keep talking a little too long. McCain is a bundle of nerves and he obviously doesn't like waiting his turn.

If Obama wants to call attention to the McCain avoidance, he could point it out by saying "the first step in reaching across the isle is to look the other guy in the eye." He might get away with actually demanding respect, much like he tried to do with Lieberman in the Senate chamber.

With the quality of campaign that McCain has run, I'm not surprised that McCain is ashamed to look anyone in the eye, especially Obama.

That's Just What I Said

Last night, McCain would do this lip-licking/drool-sucking thing with his tongue that reminded me of a serpent when he spoke. Add that odd tick to those strange forced "smiles" that he would put on when Obama was speaking, and the constant uncomfortable fidgetiness, and the refusal to look at Obama, and the unwillingness to even look calmly into the camera, and the whole night sorta channelled Kennedy v. Nixon.

I don't think I buy that. The fact that no one's willing to come forward and claim authorship makes me very suspicious. File it next to "Obama's a Muslim."

Fair-play dept: Sullivan now says, Hubby listens closer to McCain tape and hears "Course not" instead of "Horse shit", which is fully credible (heh.)

I loved this, from EotW:
http://edgeofthewest.wordpress.com/2008/09/26/i-can-look-you-in-the-eye-and/

I don't think its contempt that had McCain not look him in the eye. Its that McCain has been tellng bald faced lies about Obama for several weeks. After that, its hard to look someone in the eye.

"Contentious - but quoted that a female academic reported being on vacation with John McCain and his family in the pacific, much commented upon - and that McCain was abusive of his family, dismissive of his daughter and very unpleasant towards the other guests."

I was watching a Dianne Sawyer piece last night about the two candidates, and apparently, John McCain's daddy, was an abusive alcoholic, as was his father.

Article from reason.com expanding on this family trait:

"John McCains I, II, and III shared more than just a name and profession. Each was short for a sailor, quick to violent temper (especially when accused of dishonesty or of benefiting from privilege), and lousy in the classroom. (The future senator graduated 894th out of a Naval Academy class of 899, but that was only marginally worse than his father, who was 423rd out of 441.) One reason for the poor academic performance was that each McCain was a five-star binge drinker and carouser. Grandpa “smoked, swore, drank, and gambled at every opportunity he had,� Sen. McCain wrote in his 1999 memoir Faith of My Fathers. Dad, while more discreet, was an out-and-out alcoholic. John spent his teens and 20s constantly flirting with disciplinary disaster by breaking every drinking and curfew rule on the books, concentrating more on Brazilian heiresses and Florida strippers than on his aviating skills."

Short guy with 5-star jones for booze. 'Splains everything.

Hey John, The Betty Ford Center has a bed waiting for ya.

If you refuse to look at a man because it humanizes the interaction too much , that still doesn't make it right.

If McCain can't handle the intimacy because of his bogus lies and dishonorable campaign--then this is arrogance personified.

Such un-willingness and continued cowardice to even dignify your opponent's presence is a form of contempt--whether it's conscious or not on McCain's part is beside the point.

I like Bruce's judge/jury comment up at 11:30 regarding Gore's sighing in 2000. Steve, you refer to the media's "insane fascination" with Gore's sighing, but Gore's sighing really was ridiculous. I had already become a huge anti-Bush voter by that point in time in the campaign in 2000; however, I remember distinctly during that debate thinking that Gore sounded like a petulant teenager whose parents were scolding them about missing curfew. It was embarrassing to say the least. I think McCain's behavior should get similar critiques. It wasn't simply that he failed to make eye contact with Obama once the entire night, including when they shook hands, he spent the vast majority of the time with his back turned to him, as if it was Obama's fault that he was forced to be there, and he wasn't going to give him the benefit of a glance. McCain came off as a cranky, bitter old man last night, and I think independent voters saw that and were probably at least slightly scared by the anger and rage that seemed to be bubbling just below the surface...

John McCain once again proves that he can be dishonest AND uppity at the same time. Besides---what's with all the white face-powder---or is he really THAT pale? He looks like the McThing that would not die.

Next debate, Obama needs a couple of props---a mallet and some wooden stakes. If Lehrer moderates, I know he'd get thew joke---as would the audience, and maybe even a couple of McPastyFace's handlers....

"Who told him to do this? I don't recall constant grinning as a standard feature."

toowearyforoutrage, where have you been? this has been standard mccain throughout the mccain.

whenever he is interviewed, watch his face while the question is being asked. he begins smirking as he latches on to the appropriate soundbite. he smirks and rolls his eyes around until it's "his turn."

every time he does that he suggests that no one gets it but him. but when he opens his mouth, he clearly suggests that he gets nothing at all.

McCain dare not look at Obama, one gaze would have flipped on the white hulk gene, and then the secret service would have been forced to tase the beast.

One reason he may have kept his face pointed away from Obama was not just because he didn't want to look at the whippersnapper, but to keep his left eye looking on a level with his right eye. One way to keep two unequal things looking the same size is to change the perspective on them.

I agree that what looked like contempt was actually fear. I grew up surrounded by anger, so I understand it extremely well. My sense was that McCain can't hold authentic eye-contact with Obama - and this included both handshakes - because it reminds him that he is smaller than Obama, and he can't bear it. Too rattling. Too risky. Why his whole sense of himself as Heroic might crumble to bits. (Barney Frank's description of McCain as "Andy Kaufman's Superman" comes to mind.)

In your introductory sentence, "After the initial dust settles on a presidential candidate debate," you forgot to put the word "debate" in quotes.

I think Victoria (1:18 pm) is on to something. I think the height differential really, really bugs McCain. It's bad enough that Obama is intellectually superior, leading in the polls, but add the fact that he's taller (and a nonVet)! He can't stand the guy.

>>SteinL - "I am searching for the link."

I read that story about McCain embarrassed "wheeling that Black thing around"..

It was a story on CounterPunch by a woman on holiday on some deserted isle, right? McCain dominating the forced communal meal every evening with his quotations and opinions of why corn-fed western women can't beat asian chicks... (I uh.. agree on that one, though)

The simple, relevant question needs to be asked of Senator McCain: Why no eye contact?

Valid follow-ups:

What was going on for you during the debate? Bad week? Anger at Obama? Exhaustion?

And:

As president, you will face challengers, antagonists, and even enemies. Some will come from the Hill, lobbying firms, or even your cabinet. Some will be foreign heads of state. Under what circumstances will you use similar de-personalization of your challenger? How will that benefit the country?

And:

Is this behavior indicative of your temperament? Why or why not?

I understand that Senator McCain's war injuries left him unable to glance to his left. He was a POW, you know.

A number of things struck me:
1. O. makes big mistake in retorts by saying "John, I agree with you but...John you are right but..."--Instead: You are dead wrong and here is why.
2. McCain's big blunder no one picked up on: he touted a gathering of democratic friendly nations to work together. That put into place would exclude all the oil countries and China and Russia and N. Korea et al and would destroy the UN and make a massive Cold War. In sum: confrontational ideas never thought through.
3. McCain can get snippy and mean but O. can not get highly worked up: white guys show anger==progressives. Black guy shows anger--"militant."

4. McCain needs a big win soon and so in next debate he will be mean and onery and aggressive. O. can answer him but must be less professorial now that he has made positions clear...he needs to win over undecideds by charisma etc and not by intellecutual persuasion.

I know some Viet Nam vets and they suffer terribly from PTSD. Given to rage, anger, outbursts. Which raises the question as to why the full medical records of McCain are kept under wraps: he is 72, he has had cancer, must have been treated for PTSD--now here is what some physicans have to say about this concealed record

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvesa49zSIM

McCain not looking at Obama has been widely interpreted as condecension, or dismissal, a type of disrespect. But it wasn't. It's better and worse than that.
McCain's averted eyes were an unconscious expression as old as canine society. The subordinate dog does not look directly at a dominant dog which is about to chew ass, hoping as the subordinate does, to be spared.

This was McCain's surrender.

McCain looked Obama in the eye the whole time? See!?!

Re: the "horsesh*t" remark, it's looking like he was saying "of course not."

The other weird one was when McCain struggled to pronounce the name "Ahmadinejad." After he had made a few tries at it, Obama leans over and says empathetically, "That's a tough one."

That moment of humanity and respect for an opponent spoke volumes about Obama's fitness to lead. And when McCain went on with his, "Senator Obama doesn't understand" and "shows naivete" remarks, he became a much smaller person.

Re: the "horsesh*t" remark, it's looking like he was saying "of course not."

The other weird one was when McCain struggled to pronounce the name "Ahmadinejad." After he had made a few tries at it, Obama leans over and says empathetically, "That's a tough one."

That moment of humanity and respect for an opponent spoke volumes about Obama's fitness to lead. And when McCain went on with his, "Senator Obama doesn't understand" and "shows naivete" remarks, he became a much smaller person.

McLame has been lying to the American people for months. He has lied about and to Obama. It's not surprising that he has a hard to looking the man in the face.

Also, How is it that a WestPoint graduate doesn't know the difference between a tactic and a strategy? I know he was one of the lowest rated cadets in his class, but damn!

Just what we need another a**hole failing his way to the top.

McCain is extremely put out by having to run for office at all. It's been clear for some time that he feels the Presidency shoudl be handed to him a s a reward for his "heroism" in Vietnam (ie. crashing plane after plane after palne until he was captured.) Now that he has been forced to run in an election he's incensed that he's running against a black man.

Though I seriously doubt he'd use so polite a term.

John McCain is a coward.

Barack's repeated referencing of McCain as "John" was brilliant on at least two levels

Equally brilliant, on many levels, was McCain's refusal to reference Obama as "Boy", even though McCain was so clearly contemptuous of him. Bravo, McCain.

Barack's repeated referencing of McCain as "John" was brilliant on at least two levels: -- Koreyel, @11:09

and, #3:
I know that according to current American customs, addressing someone by his/her first name is considered to be friendly. But, among the older generation (and foreigners like me), it's *not; it's disrespectful.

McCain is just old enough to belong to the generation which does *not* appreciate being called by their first name by everyone without an express invitation. A subordinate (either by age, sex, or position) *waits* to be offered that degree of intimacy. Hierarchy *must* be observed...

And here's this young whippersnapper, an uppi... er... elitist nig... er... minority, making free with John's given name without so much as "by your leave". It must be *galling*. And I bet Obama knows it too, and uses it as a very subtle taunt, likely to escape notice. But, the more time McCain spends gritting his teeth and trying to control his temper, the less he has to try and formulate coherent answer on the topic.

John McCain picked a clueless moron to be his v.p.
That stupid move alone should cost him the presidency.

Also, How is it that a WestPoint graduate doesn't know the difference between a tactic and a strategy?

McCain is not a West Point graduate. He graduated at the bottom of his class from the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis), not the U.S. Military Academy (West Point).

Barney Frank's description of McCain as "Andy Kaufman's Superman" comes to mind.

Isn't it "Mighty Mouse?" Kaufman only sings one line of the theme, "Here I come, to save the day!"

You know, I've got a different read (though not that different) on why McCain acted the way he did. I do think fear and anger management played a role in it, but the fact is: people that are used to dominating conversations and not having their opinions challenged have a hard time sitting still for that. To have a young upstart like Obama challenging his notion of reality, time and again...I would imagine most of McCain's life has been spent preventing those kinds of engagements. For him to sit still while Obama gave him what for must have been excruciating.

McCain's self-examination fits in here, too...far better to issue a personal "mea culpa" of your own wrongdoing than to have to accept someone else's criticism.

I've seen this kind of thing play out in my own family, and I think it's just that John McCain cannot bear to be challenged and to hear out the challenger's opinions, particularly by someone he considers to be younger and inferior to him.

As much as I hated the "Gore sighs" silliness and some of the other horse race-type analysis of this and past presidential campaigns, body language and other visual cues are ways that everyone gets an idea about the people we interact with. Most people work in an environment where they have to assess customers, clients, prospective employees or fellow staff members to see if they are telling the truth. McCain did a great many of the tells that people look for when assessing if someone is lying to them. Not looking someone in the eye, fidgeting, fake smiles, pissed-off frowns, sarcastic and caustic tone ... McCain did that lot and more. No matter whether the words coming out of McCain's mouth were truthful, the other clues about his honesty said otherwise.

McCain's bizarre refusal to acknowledge Obama with eye contact showed more than mere rudeness and shame about smearing him so deceitfully. At heart, what he was doing was not allowing the uppity Negro to come in the front door. Obama, a fellow senator and every bit McCain's equal (nay his superior) deserved this simple gesture of acknowledgement. How can McCain be trusted to negotiate with foreign heads of state if he cannot even treat a fellow candidate with common decency. He's looking even shorter than usual these days.

McCain's bizarre refusal to acknowledge Obama with eye contact showed more than mere rudeness and shame about smearing him so deceitfully. At heart, what he was doing was not allowing the uppity Negro to come in the front door. Obama, a fellow senator and every bit McCain's equal (nay his superior) deserved this simple gesture of acknowledgement. How can McCain be trusted to negotiate with foreign heads of state if he cannot even treat a fellow candidate with common decency. He's looking even shorter than usual these days.

McCain's bizarre refusal to acknowledge Obama with eye contact showed more than mere rudeness and shame about smearing him so deceitfully. At heart, what he was doing was not allowing the uppity Negro to come in the front door. Obama, a fellow senator and every bit McCain's equal (nay, his superior) deserved this simple gesture of acknowledgement. How can McCain be trusted to negotiate with foreign heads of state if he cannot even treat a fellow candidate with common decency. He's looking even shorter than usual these days.

McCain's bizarre refusal to acknowledge Obama with eye contact showed more than mere rudeness and shame about smearing him so deceitfully. At heart, what he was doing was not allowing the uppity Negro to come in the front door. Obama, a fellow senator and every bit McCain's equal (nay, his superior) deserved this simple gesture of acknowledgement. How can McCain be trusted to negotiate with foreign heads of state if he cannot even treat a fellow candidate with common decency. He's looking even shorter than usual these days.

McCain's bizarre refusal to acknowledge Obama with eye contact showed more than mere rudeness and shame about smearing him so deceitfully. At heart, what he was doing was not allowing the uppity Negro to come in the front door. Obama, a fellow senator and every bit McCain's equal (nay, his superior) deserved this simple gesture of acknowledgement. How can McCain be trusted to negotiate with foreign heads of state if he cannot even treat a fellow candidate with common decency. He's looking even shorter than usual these days.

It must have been "torture" for John McCain to be on the same stage standing beside Barack Obama, semi-interacting in a
"face-to-face" pseudo-debate (McCain never looked at the "uppity Negro" next to him nor spoke to him directly. This was done intentionally).

This has to have been the "Massah" strategy of the Republican racists running John McCain's campaign...with John McCain playing the "Massah" to Barack Obama's "uppity Negro" role...which is how the racist Republicans were trying to portray the debate...to their racist base.

This also explains the McCain campaign advertisement that followed, showing the "uppity Negro" Barack Obama agreeing with certain of "Massah" John McCain's positions, implying that "uppity Negro" Obama is acknowledging the superiority of "Massah" McCain...all meant to appeal to the lizard brain of racist Republican voters.

All subtle. All intentional. All part of the racist Republican strategy to use the "race card" to try to win in November.

John McCain, by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate, should not be elected President of the US.

He has allowed politics to trump true regard for the US.

He does not have to die, just become ill, for her to be president. She is incompetent and dangerous in her religious beliefs to become President of the US.
I don't care if he won the 3 debates,
the McCain/Palin team should not be our next elected leaders.

Raven at 3:53 - Nice point you made. That reminds me of Richardson's story after endorsing Obama about how back during some debate he had somewhat zoned out in being called upon so rarely and had therefore not caught the question directed to him. Obama gave him the prompt.

The reason McCain didn't look at Obama was because there was an Asian chick in the front row. :-)

That's Just What I Said

The other weird one was when McCain struggled to pronounce the name "Ahmadinejad." After he had made a few tries at it, Obama leans over and says empathetically, "That's a tough one."

That moment of humanity and respect for an opponent spoke volumes about Obama's fitness to lead. And when McCain went on with his, "Senator Obama doesn't understand" and "shows naivete" remarks, he became a much smaller person.

Raven, that's telling, and interesting too. Because McCain obviously had these talking points - that's understandable - but it's clear he doesn't have the emotional spontaneity or ability to "read" an interaction to adapt. It would have been easy to just omit the talking point at that interaction, and bring it out again later.

A good debater, like a good actor, knows how to read his audience and his fellow performers and adapt his performance - McCain simply didn't.

And maybe that's how he's all "maverick-y" - there's another word that better describes it "narcissist."

Chris Matthews described this as a sign of "contempt,"

Hatred would be more like it...

Watching the debate let me see something about McCain I hadn't really grasped before. McCain is a very nasty little man. Typical Republican prick. Like Dick less Cheney and wiener boy Bush.

I've been in situations where I had to associate with people like that. They are insufferable assholes who have no respect for anyone or anything except their own sick kind.

What a bunch of nasty little people.

McCain blocked all efforts to find and rescue the hundreds or thousands of Vietnam MIA military people who were still in Vietnamese prison camps after the war ended over there.

God, what terrible hypocrisy he wallows in. How can someone like that stand to live with himself.

What a mean minded, vicious, nasty little person. Just the kind of idiot the stupid American people would choose to have for a President. Him and his brainless, air headed, deceitful, hot little chick running mate.

How pathetic.

ICH---9/27/08

i kind of saw mccain's body language and lack of eye contact as that which comes from someone who's being outclassed; biggest frog in a small pond all of a sudden finding himself so completely outshown that he can't bear to face it -- literally.

I don't think it was contempt. McCain was doing an "alpha dog" bit that I bet he was coached to do to undermine Obama's confidence and unnerve him. Pretty pathetic that that was all he could do in lieu of anything substantive. Whatever respect i had for him..cancel that.