McCain hits 'Late Show' to make peace with Dave, quoted from yahoo.news

AllardChardon

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McCain hits 'Late Show' to make peace with Dave
By David Bauder

After being savaged because of canceled appearance, McCain faces Letterman on `Late Show'

NEW YORK (AP) -- John McCain told David Letterman that "I screwed up" by canceling a "Late Show" appearance three weeks ago, then faced a sharp round of questioning about Sarah Palin and his campaign tactics.

Not willing to risk the wrath of Letterman again, the Republican presidential candidate rented a helicopter to fly to New York after a weather delay grounded his campaign airplane in Philadelphia. He had canceled a Sept. 24 appearance during the brief suspension of his campaign because of the economic crisis, and Letterman has been hammering him ever since.

The band played the Who's "I Can't Explain" as McCain walked onstage at the Ed Sullivan Theater. After he sat down, Letterman asked, "Can you stay?"

"Depends on how bad it gets," McCain answered.

Letterman had replaced McCain with the GOP hopeful's persistent critic, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, on Sept. 24. Olbermann was waiting in the wings Thursday -- and McCain had a pained expression when he noticed that.

Although Letterman said he was "willing to put this behind us," he came after McCain hard with questions. He asked whether Palin was his first choice as vice president.

"Absolutely," McCain answered.

He said he didn't know her well before choosing her, but that he was impressed by her reputation as a reformer.

Letterman repeatedly pressed McCain on her qualifications, asking if he was confident she could lead the country in a time of crisis.

"In all due respect, one of the people I admired most was an obscure governor of a southern state called Arkansas and he turned out to be a fairly successful president," McCain said, complimenting Bill Clinton. "Ronald Reagan was a cowboy, no experience in international affairs. I think she has shown leadership."

As Letterman pressed on, McCain asked, "Have we pretty well exhausted this?"

"No, no," Letterman said. "I'm just getting started."

Letterman questioned him about Palin's claim that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama "palled around with terrorists," and McCain backed her up, saying his opponent need to better explain his relationship with former Weather Underground activist William Ayers.

"Did you not have a relationship with Gordon Liddy?" Letterman asked about Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy.

McCain said he knew him. Then, after a commercial break, McCain said, "I know Gordon Liddy. He paid his debt, he went to prison ... I'm not in any way embarrassed to know Gordon Liddy."

"You understand the same case could be made of your relationship with him as is being made with William Ayers?" Letterman said.

McCain said he has been completely open about his relationship with Liddy.

Letterman appeared to ridicule McCain about the implication that Obama and Ayers had a relationship.

"Are they double-dating, are they going to dinner, what are they doing?" Letterman asked. "Are they driving across country?"

"Maybe going to Denny's," McCain said.

Letterman said that Obama was 8 when Ayers was 29, and McCain appeared exasperated. "There's millions of words said in a campaign. C'mon, Dave," he said.

McCain said he thought Palin would appear on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," where Tina Fey has been doing a dead-on impersonation of her. "Probably get more of an audience than our debate did," he said.

Although Letterman had said he felt like an "ugly date" after McCain's initial cancellation, representatives for the two men never stopped talking about a return date.

While McCain risked a rough appearance -- "I haven't had so much fun since my last interrogation," he said -- it gave him the chance to show courage in the face of fire. Letterman reaches about 4 million people a night, a number sure to increase with McCain as guest. With clips on the Internet and Friday morning news, countless more people will undoubtedly learn about their encounter.

McCain did offer one campaign promise that he was probably more likely to keep after he left the stage.

"It's not the time to raise anybody's taxes -- except yours," he said to Letterman. "I guarantee you if I become president, I'll do it. First executive order."


Had to share this one.
Allard
 
Letterman said that Obama was 8 when Ayers was 29, and McCain appeared exasperated. "There's millions of words said in a campaign. C'mon, Dave," he said.
"My dog Checkers loves me!"
 
He really does have a sense of humor. If THIS John McCain had been running the past month, his numbers wouldn't have dropped the way they have.
 
He really does have a sense of humor. If THIS John McCain had been running the past month, his numbers wouldn't have dropped the way they have.
Yeah, he's really funny, if I could sit in a living room with him I'd be in stitches all night! Maybe he should be a late-night talk show host. I think he'd enjoy that, and get really good ratings.

but-- this IS the John McCain that's been running these past months. This quick wit suddenly decided to bring in Palin, and point repeatedly at Ayers.
 
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Yeah, he's really funny, if I could sit in a living room with him I'd be in stitches all night! Maybe he should be a late-night talk show host. I think he'd enjoy that, and get really good ratings.

Better job prospect than his current one, I think. :eek:
 
Yeah, he's really funny, if I could sit in a living room with him I'd be in stitches all night! Maybe he should be a late-night talk show host. I think he'd enjoy that, and get really good ratings.

but-- this IS the John McCain that's been running these past months. This quick wit suddenly decided to bring in Palin, and point repeatedly at Ayers.

And this is the same guy who called his wife a "c***" in front of a group of reporters. All of these facets of his personality have to be weighed.
 
And this is the same guy who called his wife a "c***" in front of a group of reporters. All of these facets of his personality have to be weighed.
You can't display that kind of humor at a UN keynote address. Or while hammering North Korea...

Or while explaining to the American public why you're raising taxes anyway regardless of your campaign promises.
 
You can't display that kind of humor at a UN keynote address. Or while hammering North Korea...

Or while explaining to the American public why you're raising taxes anyway regardless of your campaign promises.

You hit that one on the nose. "Funny" isn't in the President's job description. I can easily forgo "funny" in exchange for diplomatic, intelligent, ethical, etc.
 
You hit that one on the nose. "Funny" isn't in the President's job description. I can easily forgo "funny" in exchange for diplomatic, intelligent, ethical, etc.

Which is why I think these folks demean the office by going on the late night shows at all. (I know this is how they reach a segment of the voters--but everything behind needing to do that is dumbed down too).

I think there's a real, good reason McCain didn't go on Letterman to begin with, and I think he shot himself in the foot by not invoking it originally--and is shooting himself in the foot by not invoking it now. This was a really, really bad night for him to be going on Letterman--having said he was suspending his campaign and concentrating on the economic crisis votes in Washington. I think he should have simply said this was the wrong appearance at the time for the atmosphere and told Letterman he'd be happy to come at a better time. His interview with Couric was fine for the atmosphere. This would have been more presidential, I think. And the late night shows would be told where their place is in the scheme of things.
 
Which is why I think these folks demean the office by going on the late night shows at all. (I know this is how they reach a segment of the voters--but everything behind needing to do that is dumbed down too).

I think there's a real, good reason McCain didn't go on Letterman to begin with, and I think he shot himself in the foot by not invoking it originally--and is shooting himself in the foot by not invoking it now. This was a really, really bad night for him to be going on Letterman--having said he was suspending his campaign and concentrating on the economic crisis votes in Washington. I think he should have simply said this was the wrong appearance at the time for the atmosphere and told Letterman he'd be happy to come at a better time. His interview with Couric was fine for the atmosphere. This would have been more presidential, I think. And the late night shows would be told where their place is in the scheme of things.
All the same, Letterman asked him some questions that needed to be asked-- and asked them again and again. I'm grateful to him for that.

Letterman is not just a funny guy.
 
More amazing, McCain may win.

Most of the pros I read predict the race will get tight, and it is.

Obama is getting some bad press...like the 12 year old who wore a McCain shirt to school; pro-Obama kids screamed 'racist' at her. Shit like this will bite him and create sympathy for McCain.
 
All the same, Letterman asked him some questions that needed to be asked-- and asked them again and again. I'm grateful to him for that.

Letterman is not just a funny guy.


You're right about that--which only emphasizes the mistake McCain made originally.

Unfortunately I had to break off at the break right before Letterman said he wanted to discuss Palin.
 
You're right about that--which only emphasizes the mistake McCain made originally.

Unfortunately I had to break off at the break right before Letterman said he wanted to discuss Palin.

Isn't it interesting that perhaps the two toughest interviews McCain has faced came from David Letterman and the women on The View?

I've gained a lot of respect for that latter show this year... they go right at each other and they mirror the American public better than most.
 
Isn't it interesting that perhaps the two toughest interviews McCain has faced came from David Letterman and the women on The View?

I've gained a lot of respect for that latter show this year... they go right at each other and they mirror the American public better than most.

I'm a closet View lover. Hated when Rosie was on and stopped watching but Whoopi rocks. :cathappy:
 
I'm a closet View lover. Hated when Rosie was on and stopped watching but Whoopi rocks. :cathappy:

I have always liked her... now I adore her.

Back to Mr. McCain - - the best thing that could happen to John McCain the person is to lose and have everyone on both sides place the primary blame on the Rovian politics...

It would allow him to regain some of his dignity. Especially if he were to come out and talk about it after the campaign. Obviously, he can't do it at this time.
 
Letterman is a Jackass

Letterman is an obnoxious ass... His contempt for McCain has always been evident (always more jabs at McCain/Palin than at Obama; its proven) and McCain's missing the previous appearance on his show only exacerbated that...

I wonder if Dave would have been any more forgiving if Obama had missed an appearance. I also wonder if Dave would have jumped all over Obama like he did McCain in the follow-up appearance...

I thought the whole interview was disrespectful and meanspirited by Letterman. He can disagree with McCain's politics, that's fine... I just think he could have asked tough questions without being so snotty.

The fact is that Letterman was probably hitting a beer bong at Ball State while McCain was being beaten as a POW in Vietnam... The comparison of Liddy to Ayers was pathetic as well. Liddy served his country in Korea and at the FBI. Liddy was also a burglar who served time in prison and had his sentence commuted by Jimmy Carter. Liddy never bombed public buildings and openly despised this country. To try and compare Liddy and Ayers was inane.

McCain showed class and a sense of humor.

Letterman accomplished what he set out to do, which was increase his ratings for a night... But he lost a lot of class in the process...
 
Letterman is an obnoxious ass... His contempt for McCain has always been evident (always more jabs at McCain/Palin than at Obama; its proven) and McCain's missing the previous appearance on his show only exacerbated that...

Given your view of this, what's your view of the intelligence of McCain for appearing the other night? You think he didn't know he'd be eating crow the whole night?

I wonder if Dave would have been any more forgiving if Obama had missed an appearance. I also wonder if Dave would have jumped all over Obama like he did McCain in the follow-up appearance...

Guess we have to just listen to your wild-eyed speculation on what would happen since none of this applies to anything that happened with Obama . . . right?
 
I thought Dave was known for being 'snotty' towards someone he doesn't necessarily agree with. McCain not showing up the first time just gave Dave more room to be snottier.
 
Given your view of this, what's your view of the intelligence of McCain for appearing the other night? You think he didn't know he'd be eating crow the whole night?



Guess we have to just listen to your wild-eyed speculation on what would happen since none of this applies to anything that happened with Obama . . . right?

I definitely think McCain made a mistake by appearing on Letterman last night...I think youre right in that he no doubt expected the abuse from Letterman. I just think that although one could say that it showed some bravery of sorts for McCain to walk into the "lions den" on Letterman, I just dont think it makes him look "presidential" to spar with a hack like Letterman just before the election...

Besides, the only "crow" McCain had to eat was about the missed appearance on the show and he did have that coming...

Lastly, no "wild eyed speculation" just an observation on how Letterman would have treated both candidates. Youre right in that it doesnt apply to Obama, because Letterman would never have treated him the way he treated McCain...Its just sad all the way around, frankly...
 
I definitely think McCain made a mistake by appearing on Letterman last night...I think youre right in that he no doubt expected the abuse from Letterman. I just think that although one could say that it showed some bravery of sorts for McCain to walk into the "lions den" on Letterman, I just dont think it makes him look "presidential" to spar with a hack like Letterman just before the election...

Besides, the only "crow" McCain had to eat was about the missed appearance on the show and he did have that coming...

Lastly, no "wild eyed speculation" just an observation on how Letterman would have treated both candidates. Youre right in that it doesnt apply to Obama, because Letterman would never have treated him the way he treated McCain...Its just sad all the way around, frankly...
Cracks me up, every time. "Oh, he wouldn't treat Obama like that, it's not faaaair!"
Because Obama doesn't put himself in that position, maybe?

On the other hand, when I complain about the Avery bullshit and point out McCain's bad associations, you're gonna say; "suck it up, liberals!"
 
ILastly, no "wild eyed speculation" just an observation on how Letterman would have treated both candidates. Youre right in that it doesnt apply to Obama, because Letterman would never have treated him the way he treated McCain...Its just sad all the way around, frankly...


You are still speculating here. You have no idea, really, how Letterman would treat Obama.

I'm pretty sure that if Obama stiffed Letterman as sophomorically as McCain did, Letterman would rake him over the coals too. It was McCain's self-proclaimed "I screwed up" that led to all of this. And if McCain's going to screw up by being dishonest about trying to duck a TV talk show engagement . . .

My view is that Obama is too presidential to show up on Letterman in the first place. (And, again, no I'm not on Obama's pom-pom squad).
 
Liddy never bombed public buildings and openly despised this country....

Sorry to be nitpicking, but Ayers didn't openly despise this country, he despised what the leaders of this country were doing to the people who live here. I don't know exactly how many Americans were killed in Vietnam, but if a comparable number were killed by our government right here at home, would you still support that government?

There's more to patriotism than blindly supporting the government in charge. I realize this is a difficult concept to grasp, but keep in mind if it wasn't valid, we'd still be under the rule of the Queen of England.
 
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