Friday, March 16, 2007
Oh, I Think I Think That...
I don't think I could see anything flounder and flop around so much like John McCain on a campaign stop without going fly fishing. Emphasis mine:
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.”
Good fucking night. Either McCain is so scared about losing the support of the religious right that he's willing to play dumb as to whether condoms stop the spread of AIDS (the answer: yes), or he's taken a long swig of the Kool-Aid.
And those answers. Apparently, McCain has no opinions of his own. And if he does have answers, then he just doesn't think about them a lot. Maybe I'm just one of those young radical angry liberals who has to have an opinion on everything, but if someone asked me what I think about contraceptives and their relative effectivness in preventing the spread of STDs, I can tell you I'd have an answer that was a bit more susbstantial than a blank face and a quick flip through my mental Rolodex.
If McCain's so blatantly willing to neglect having any positions of his own, then why doesn't his campaign just set up some call-in line where we can vote for his positions? It'll be a lot more entertaining than American Idol.
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.”
Good fucking night. Either McCain is so scared about losing the support of the religious right that he's willing to play dumb as to whether condoms stop the spread of AIDS (the answer: yes), or he's taken a long swig of the Kool-Aid.
And those answers. Apparently, McCain has no opinions of his own. And if he does have answers, then he just doesn't think about them a lot. Maybe I'm just one of those young radical angry liberals who has to have an opinion on everything, but if someone asked me what I think about contraceptives and their relative effectivness in preventing the spread of STDs, I can tell you I'd have an answer that was a bit more susbstantial than a blank face and a quick flip through my mental Rolodex.
If McCain's so blatantly willing to neglect having any positions of his own, then why doesn't his campaign just set up some call-in line where we can vote for his positions? It'll be a lot more entertaining than American Idol.
