John McCain: Comedian

[chipmunk stew]

John McCain tries being funny, only to enhance his image as an unhinged warmonger with a bloodlust for Iran. He suggests that maybe our selling of tobacco to Iran is a good way to kill them. What next: smallpox-infected blankets?

h41GAqFbjxI

[H3LL]

Yup!

I can see the connection between tobacco and smallpox.

They're almost identical.

One being a dried leaf and the other a virulent infectious disease caused by one of two viruses.

I bet you can't guess which is which?

(Clue: 80% of children that smoke tobacco don't die shortly after)

.

[chipmunk stew]

There's a rhetorical device known as hyperbole, in which the speaker/author intentionally exaggerates his point. He expect his listener/reader to be aware of this technique and not to take him literally. There's often a touch of sarcasm or satire employed.

(Clue: 80% of children that smoke tobacco don't die shortly after)
John McCain jokingly hopes that they do. What a crack-up.

[H3LL]

Oops!

Sorry - I strayed into the Politics forum by accident (again).

I'll leave you all to the special kind of madness that passes as comment/discussion here.

Have fun.

.

[Upchurch]

Oh, come on.

It wasn't side-splitting, roll on the floor funny, but it was funny. At least he has gotten better since "bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-Iran".

I like McCain. He has a sense of humor and usually a self-deprecating one, which I appreciate. I'm not voting for him, but I'm not going to hold junk like this against him.

[chipmunk stew]

Oh, come on.

It wasn't side-splitting, roll on the floor funny, but it was funny. At least he has gotten better since "bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-Iran".

I like McCain. He has a sense of humor and usually a self-deprecating one, which I appreciate. I'm not voting for him, but I'm not going to hold junk like this against him.
To each his own, I guess.

I didn't find it funny at all. I found it shockingly callous.

[Brainster]

Love it! Sharp wit, quick comeback. And I love that he turns to his wife for confirmation as to how long since he quit smoking. There's something very endearing in that.

Apparently it's true (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25588135/) that exports to Iran have increased ten-fold during the Bush Administration.

[chipmunk stew]

Love it! Sharp wit, quick comeback. And I love that he turns to his wife for confirmation as to how long since he quit smoking. There's something very endearing in that.

Apparently it's true (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25588135/) that exports to Iran have increased ten-fold during the Bush Administration.
You thought that was witty? Really?
To me it looked like the thought process was:
Crap, I didn't know that cigarettes were our biggest export to Iran! Need to crack joke to endear myself to reporters so they don't focus on my lack of knowledge. Let's see: cigarettes and Iran--cigarettes kill; I want to kill Iranians.
"Maybe that's how we'll kill them! Hahahaahaahha!"

Somehow that doesn't rise to the level of (paraphrasing): "And if I were married to you, madam, I'd drink it."

[Cicero]

I guess when American military stationed overseas get care packages with smokes in them it means that their relatives want them dead?

JFK tried to kill Castro with tobacco and he wasn't joking.

[chipmunk stew]

I guess when American military stationed overseas get care packages with smokes in them it means that their relatives want them dead?
According to McCain humor? Yes.

JFK tried to kill Castro with tobacco and he wasn't joking.
How does this make McCain's statement funny and not dreadfully callous?

[dudalb]

Like chipmunk is real objectivewhen it comes to McCain.
The think is if someone were you bring the same kind of accusation against Obama, Chipmunk would be the first to scream about it.

[chipmunk stew]

Quick-witted McCain:
k1NweA9662g

[chipmunk stew]

Like chipmunk is real objectivewhen it comes to McCain.
The think is if someone were you bring the same kind of accusation against Obama, Chipmunk would be the first to scream about it.
You mean like when I was the first Obama supporter here to agree that Obama flipped on accepting federal campaign contributions?

When Obama jokes about killing people, let me know.

[quixotecoyote]

Non-issue. I thought it was funny and I support Obama. The bomb-bomb-Iran, I'd be willing to criticize, but we already know McCain's got to go hardline on Iran and this is a relatively harmless expression of that.

[Darth Rotor]

To each his own, I guess.

I didn't find it funny at all. I found it shockingly callous.

*Bill Maher voice*

Get over yourself.

Plenty of substantive stuff to get mad about. This isn't one of them.


DR

[SezMe]

Like chipmunk is real objectivewhen it comes to McCain.
Which, of course, set chipmunk apart from everyone else here under the politics tent. We're all so neutral, doncha know.

[boloboffin]

McCain's next funny witticism is changing his story about giving up the names of the Green Bay Packers as squadmates when he was being tortured by the Vietnamese. Since he was in Pennsylvania, he said it was the Pittsburgh Steelers. (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/in-pennsylvania.html)

To be honest, a jaw-dropping pander might not have happened here. He's 72. Maybe he just forgot.

[joobz]

It was an obvious joke and nothing to see here. I think this media clip shows him a very positive light. Personable, witty and enjoyable.