Video: Awwww, mom…
posted at 10:54 pm on November 10, 2007 by Michelle
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Free advice for candidates: Don’t turn your mom into a human shield. Moms will 1) tell you exactly what’s on their minds if you ask and 2) say out loud what they know their children are thinking. And those aren’t always good things when you’re, uh, running for president:
Via AP, McCain tries to clean up:
John McCain’s 95-year-old mother, in a swipe at her son’s rival Mitt Romney, said Friday that Mormons were to blame for the scandal that rocked the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
During an appearance on MSNBC, Roberta McCain laid out why her son, John, deserves to win the Republican presidential nomination. But in evaluating McCain’s primary rivals, she criticized Romney’s Mormon faith and his time in Salt Lake City.
“As far as the Salt Lake City thing, he’s a Mormon and the Mormons of Salt Lake City had caused that scandal. And to clean that up, again, it’s not a subject,” Roberta McCain said.
John McCain quickly stepped in: “The views of my mothers are not necessarily the views of mine.”
“Well, that’s my view and you asked me,” Roberta answered…
…Roberta McCain immediately apologized to her son.
“I didn’t mean to say it,” she said as they stepped away from the cameras.
Perhaps it’s the son who should apologize for dragging Mom in front of the cameras and subjecting her to Chris Matthews’ unbearable cackle (not to mention the repeated references to Sen. McCain as the elderly Roberta McCain’s “husband”). For what?
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wowza.
BadgerHawk on November 10, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Pwned.
Neo on November 10, 2007 at 10:59 PM
Am I supposed to take him more or less seriously after this?
I respect him for his service and sacrifices. But I think McCain is too old, too tone-deaf and too arrogant to win anything except another term as U.S. Senator.
The Race Card on November 10, 2007 at 11:03 PM
McCain obviously comes from hardy stock.
MB4 on November 10, 2007 at 11:08 PM
Did Matthews just say, “She’s looking out for husband….” Did he not realize that was his mom and not his wife?
terryannonline on November 10, 2007 at 11:08 PM
And I question that he deserves even that much, after the shameful debacle that was McCain-Feingold.
gryphon202 on November 10, 2007 at 11:09 PM
Shame on you Michelle. . .Putting McCains Mom on just
to FORCE me to listen to Matthews. . .Shame ..Shame.. Shame.
Texyank on November 10, 2007 at 11:12 PM
It’s time the Republicans to start hiding behind their womens skirts.
Or pantsuits whichevah the case maybe.
In today’s Nancy Pelosi world where guys are girls and girls are happy for it, having Billy Bob Clinton as first lady, transgender, Mr. Hoo Haa Is It’s, is lookin fine baby!
You just do a momma says boy!
I admire the man’s sacrifice to his country, but jeeze….
Kini on November 10, 2007 at 11:17 PM
Unexpected honesty! Shades of Connie Chung interviewing Newt’s mom!
(Remember that?
Q: “Just between you and me, Mrs. Gingrich, what does your son think of Hillary Clinton?”
A:”She’s a bitch!”)
see-dubya on November 10, 2007 at 11:21 PM
I seen the caption on Drudge earlier,I don’t
think McCain is going to try and straighten out his
mom,when my grandparents spoke,I listened,but for his
run for President,umm I think some good advice is to keep his mom off the talk show circuits.
canopfor on November 10, 2007 at 11:26 PM
I think John told Momma McCain she could come on the show as long as she kept her mouth shut about amnesty.
fogw on November 10, 2007 at 11:37 PM
During the next GOP debatathon in English, I want the moderator to ask John McCain: Senator in full recognition of the sacrifices you’ve made for your country, what have you done for us lately?
Speakup on November 10, 2007 at 11:39 PM
Our elders are are wisdom. Our decisions are our own.
Kini on November 10, 2007 at 11:40 PM
Cripes
Kini on November 10, 2007 at 11:41 PM
Speaking of old salts…………………
Shy Guy on November 10, 2007 at 11:42 PM
Kini, avoid any chance for error with Rosiespeak ….
r lders r r wisdom.
r decisions r r own.
Its idiot proof for a reason. :)
fogw on November 10, 2007 at 11:48 PM
A few things…
1. They really should silence Matthews laugh. It makes him look like an idiot…oh…wait…
2. I could feel the tension through my monitor.
3. I guess Matthews laugh doesn’t really matter when he doesn’t even know who he’s talking to. Husband? Huh?
boomer on November 10, 2007 at 11:51 PM
U R Coreck
Kini on November 11, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Ooops!
SouthernGent on November 11, 2007 at 12:05 AM
Don’t take Mom to unfriendly places.
T J Green on November 11, 2007 at 12:06 AM
Well at least he didnt drag his spouce into the debate by bring up health care and appologize for it
William Amos on November 11, 2007 at 12:43 AM
95 and full of spirit. I like that.
SoulGlo on November 11, 2007 at 12:43 AM
Hi all,
This may be the stupidest islam thing I’ve seen since a long time…
I’m already gone…
Good night all.
Flying Dutchman on November 11, 2007 at 12:51 AM
Well, I must confess to distrusting McCain so much I figgered he had scripted his Mom for the Mormon bash. But having watched this video, I think probably not.
petefrt on November 11, 2007 at 12:57 AM
Throw McCain off the ballot and put Mom on it. Her exasperated sighs said more about who knows the score and, contrasted with the drivel McCain spewed during that interview, showed she’s more on the ball than he is.
McCain treated his mother like an idiot. She asked a valid question the first time Matthews referred to her son as her “husband” and McCain should have shut up and let Matthews correct himself.
Contrary to how this will be spun, she is no doddering old fool taken advantage of by her son’s campaign. The only one who treated her like a doddering old fool during that interview was her own son.
Jaynie59 on November 11, 2007 at 2:16 AM
McCain should have known better. He walked right into that one!
Makes one wonder how well he would fare and what faux pas to expect on the diplomatic front if he were CINC and “Spokesman in Chief”.
Off Topic and OverTime:
It’s been great having you posting here more frequently in the Almighty Allahpundit’s absence, Michelle. You and Bryan have been doing a wonderful job, and I hope you’ll keep it up upon AP’s return (which I am eagerly awaiting).
Congrat’s for HA’s and MM’s success on the recent Weblog Award Thingies.
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 2:20 AM
OT and OT:
Well deserved.
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 2:32 AM
My initial observation of the pic was it must be Hillary and McCain being interviewed. My apologises to Mrs. McCain, another great American woman. My bad.
Doesn’t McCain realize that no conservative could honestly consider anyone who frequents Spitball that much? He’s been on that more than Cigarman and his shrew.
DannoJyd on November 11, 2007 at 2:38 AM
I hope Mrs. McCain will be all right.
Kralizec on November 11, 2007 at 3:39 AM
I wonder if it comes with a ’splodey button…
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 3:58 AM
What’s wrong with that? If I had to pray five times a day facing east, I might want a compass handy too. Also, their prayer rug is supposed to be kept in a special place.
I don’t understand the need to bash them for the more mundane aspects of their religion. All of Islam is not extreme. We do ourselves and our party a disservice to act otherwise.
It’s little things like this that chip away at Republican numbers and make it impossible for us to get a fair shake.
The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 4:29 AM
If only their “Holy Book”, the Qur’an weren’t so precisely extreme, this would be a more valid argument.
Until I hear from more of these “moderate” Muslims, I choose to believe that Islam in its present form is an imminent danger to modern civilization, and should be treated as such.
It is wishful thinking to believe that if we only try to understand them and change our ways to accomodate them, then the problem will go away.
Only when we understand the true nature of this perverted belief system and the anti-Western hatred that it promotes can we begin to confront the most monumental challenge that we will likely ever face.
I understand the thought process that leads you to wish things were otherwise; however I fear that the truth is that even “moderate” Muslims are in favor of Shari’a law and are NOT on our side, and we must think and act accordingly.
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 5:13 AM
Messed up the link above: Qur’an
Sorry.
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 5:17 AM
This is nonsense. If I felt I had to pray five times a day facing east, I don’t think I would rely on a car to tell me which way was east, and would probably also find a more fitting way to care for my oh-so-important rug.
If I felt that my diety placed such importance on a rug in the first place, then …a car??
To equate this with your perception of declining Republican numbers and “our” not getting a fair shake is equally fallacious.
Please read and learn more about Islam, The Qur’an, and the beliefs and the lifestyles in place in most Islamic societies before making such pie-in the-sky generalizations.
Respectfully,
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 5:43 AM
deity
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 5:45 AM
I don’t think anyone should take offense to that. The old bird was giving her opinion and anyone that thinks hers is the same as John’s is a total fool. She sounds like someone who has had a bad experience or two with Mormons and she’ a bit sour toward them.
BIG DEAL! Everyone should be able to speak their mind without having the PC police go ape$hit.
csdeven on November 11, 2007 at 6:23 AM
I think you do a disservice if you think that the fact muslims have to pray 5 times a day (kissing the ground) is not an extremely important part of the culture and says more about islam than any reading of the koran. If you don’t see the absolute denigration of the individual in this routine then you must miss much of the islamic mindset.
This is one of the greatest points of divergence between islam and Judaism/Christianity. The individual is celebrated in Judeo-Christian culture while the individual is of no value in islam. Kissing the ground 5 times a day, every single day, is the mechanism for imprinting this idea on the mind of a muslim. Mundane, it is not.
progressoverpeace on November 11, 2007 at 6:44 AM
Exactly.
Earthly life is of no value in Islam, thus the plethora of joyously brainwashed suicide bombers in so many parts of their world.
hillbillyjim on November 11, 2007 at 7:07 AM
One of McCain’s problems is that he hangs out with that dolt Matthews. he just won’t learn.
rplat on November 11, 2007 at 8:19 AM
Candidates make no sense to me sometimes. I think they like torture themselves. Hillary Clinton wouldn’t go on any of Sean Hannity’s shows, why the hell would anyone want to go on the low rated Chris Mathews? I think many of the Republican candidates have a self destructive mechanism in their brains. Chris Mathews is popular in the media both MSM and here on the blogs, people always quoting him more than they are watching him.
StuLongIsland on November 11, 2007 at 8:42 AM
Chris Matthews…is that the media bag man for the Clintons?
saved on November 11, 2007 at 8:59 AM
Can’t remember ever seeing McCain’s wife. Does he have one? Why bring his Mom? Reminds me of that whole Ms. Lillian thing with Jimmuh.
JiangxiDad on November 11, 2007 at 9:20 AM
What a remarkable lake of common sense judgment.
TheBigOldDog on November 11, 2007 at 10:19 AM
I would never expose my mother to Chris Matthews. Shame on him. I hope she gives him a stern talkin to
Keli on November 11, 2007 at 10:27 AM
He brought her mom out to prove that his age isn’t a factor on his presidency. Truly desperate behavior and it may have blown up in his face.
csdeven on November 11, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Let me take a moment and thank John McCain, Limrick’s son, our members on HA, and ALL those who have, and do wear, the uniforms of this country. My debt to you and yours is one I will never be able to pay and I will never forget it. God bless you and keep you.
CS Deven
csdeven on November 11, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Yes, she’s his second wife, almost twenty years younger and attractive. Here is an article about her with photos.
dedalus on November 11, 2007 at 12:21 PM
Obviously Senator McCain will live long enough to rue the day he brought his mother on television.
It’s MSNBC: At least no one was watching.
Black Adam on November 11, 2007 at 12:58 PM
This is exactly why as I an atheist prefer to live in a Western culture. Of course, I would immediately add that what is decent in Christianity comes more from Greek culture than Hebrew culture–though I think well of the early cultural achievement of the Hebrews. Due to the sad facts of our Western history, I have the strong fear of being interpreted as being somehow anti-Semitic here. I assure you that I’m strongly opposed to Antisemitism. Instead, I’m motivated in pointing to the Greek origins of some Christian thought to bring up the embrace of reason that was thus brought into the Bible. And the Pope is absolutely right to contrast the Christian and Islam view of reason. I believe that this is the basis for the different approaches to the individual in Christianity and Islam.
thuja on November 11, 2007 at 1:48 PM
You’re more comfortable than I am judging another religion. I have no problem castigating Islamic radicals and/or terrorists. (They are often one in the same.) But my presence on this planet is not significant enough to judge how millions of people worship.
I can hate terror and terrorists and acknowledge that extremist Islamic interpretations are dangerous. But I would be a fool to stop there. There are many religious interpretations that are historically and contemporarily dangerous.
Maybe the fact that I have known many Muslims, none of whom were radicals, acts as a baffle against my prejudice. I’ve known many other people who I presume to be Muslim, but never asked. All of these were decent individuals.
I certainly recognize the threat of extreme Islam. But I have never met a Muslim of whom I am afraid.
I support the War on Terror and see countries like Belgium, Netherlands, and the UK struggling against radical Islam. But, I can accept that there are everyday Muslims who don’t mind capitalist-inspired automotive convenience.
The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 2:44 PM
People whom some call moderates are labeled hypocrites by Allah himself in the Koran. No moderate can convincingly tell another Muslim to not do the kind of things that Mohammad himself did. Moderates will always lose any debate because as ex-Muslim author Ibn Warraq said, “There may be moderates in Islam but Islam itself is not moderate.”
MB4 on November 11, 2007 at 2:55 PM
NO, no, no! It is the correct interpretations of the Koran and the Hadiths that are the most dangerous.
MB4 on November 11, 2007 at 3:00 PM
I wasn’t judging a “religion”. I was looking at a specific ritual (and its required frequency). You don’t find being forced to kiss the ground 5 times a day to be anything strange and you don’t think that it would have any impact on the minds of those required to do it. Good for you. I disagree.
I would disagree with your assessment of Judaism’s impact on Western culture. Not a big deal, though, and certainly not anti-semitic. The Greeks obviously had a huge/gigantic contribution to what I call “Judeo-Christian”.
On what the Pope said (or quoted, at least), my view is that it goes to something other than than the individualistic nature of the religion, though. The Pope’s quote was addressing meta-physical innovation. Every major religion has brought with it at least one new, genius solution to a typical human problem – whether it was reincarnation, or an abstract G-d, or the ultimate fairness of life, … among many other interesting concepts. The point the Pope was making, via the quote, was that islam brought no such genius solutions with it, IMO. Islam introduced no new meta-physical concepts of any sort. All Islam brought with it that was new was the idea of religious expansion by violence. I don’t believe that it addressed individualism in the ideology, at all. That’s how I read it.
progressoverpeace on November 11, 2007 at 3:16 PM
That is a forboding quote. It makes your point well.
I guess what I am struggling with is more philosophical. I want to abolish terrorism. I want terrorists dead. That’s the easy part.
I think I have more of a problem joining the anti-Islam chorus because of the company I would be keeping. Many of the loudest voices against Islam are not only speaking against radicals.
Remember these discussions? here | here
The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 3:16 PM
If a Muslim does not act like Mohammad he is a radical. The best Muslims are the radicals.
MB4 on November 11, 2007 at 3:33 PM
I don’t think it is ever a good policy to let your views be determined by the personalities of others who may share of those same views.
What do you consider a “radical”? I dare say that Hizbollah and Hamas are not radicals in the muslim world, as proven by their size and representation in the respective governments. You would also have to go to Turkey and its history of voting in Islamists (whom you would probably call “radicals”) along with any vote that has ever taken place in any islamic country. Ataturk understood islam well enough to build a constitution that requires a secular military to keep control of the public’s desires. A constitution, I might add, that no Westerner would ever accept as reasonable, as we are more about putting the military under civilian control and not the opposite.
I think you have to look at your definition of “radical”, which should have an approval ceiling of some small percentage, and find a definition that actually meshes with the opinions of muslims.
progressoverpeace on November 11, 2007 at 3:46 PM
Your point is a valid one. In theory, I agree. However in practice, I still have a personal reticence against allying myself with those whom I find detestable.
another good point…
I am always in consideration of my opinions and perceptions. Explosive labels such as “radical” are not always so easily defined. I do not have enough information to confidently condenm all Muslims or to really know the en masse “opinions of Muslims.”
***
Disclaimer:
I know a few things. But there are many others who know everything. Consult with them about how to save the world. My opinion is really not worth your troubles. Thank you for your time.
The Race Card on November 11, 2007 at 4:05 PM
My mom used to say stuff like this (only about non-Mormons), but she didn’t have a million TV sets tuned in on her. My empathy for Sen. McCain.
WasatchMan on November 11, 2007 at 4:07 PM
Again, I question Jon McCain’s judgment. His mom is 95 and she looks and sounds like she’s really healthy and doing well. How can it be good for her for him to take her on the campaign trail, and worse yet, subject her to Chris Matthews?? Just the idea of exposing one’s parents to the vipers of today’s press is distasteful…I thought only candidates and spouses were fair game for the press…do we really want to put parents and children in the MSM’s crosshairs? Bad judgment.
JustTruth101 on November 11, 2007 at 5:08 PM
If you haven’t already, every Sunday Robert Spencer posts a topic where we can blog the Koran.
I got through 4 or 5 weeks until I became so utter disgusted with the religion and it’s teachings that I cannot hardly read them any more. The people who follow that faith are truly following the whore of Babylon. And until they start repudiating the extremist behavior and speaking out for moderation, there is no such thing as a moderate Muslim.
csdeven on November 11, 2007 at 5:25 PM
This is exactly right. Look I disagree on a lot of things with McCain, but it would not surprise me if he ended up with the nomination. If you want someone for the sole purpose of prosecuting the WOT, he’s the guy.
The point he made about Kerik (Rudy’s choice to help the Iraqi police) and how he handled that situation (poorly) is very important. He also was appropriately critical of Rumsfeld, and called for this ‘troop surge’ 2 years before it happened.
I disagree with a lot of his domestic politics, but he won’t raise taxes. I think if you are looking for the best person to fight the WOT, McCain wins that hands down.
I don’t think he’ll make the illegal immigration mistake again. He’s from Arizona where it is a major problem. I think he could figure out a good solution for it too. . . but he needs to have learned his lesson that we don’t just want to make them citizens.
I like McCain at LEAST as good as Mitt and Thompson, and MUCH better than Rudy. I don’t think his mom’s comment about the Olympics was that important. The Mormons were in charge of a lot of it. They probably did mess up and corrupt a lot. That is not bigoted to point it out.
ThackerAgency on November 11, 2007 at 6:58 PM
Hauling someone out in front of the cameras to prove they aren’t senile, then having them look like they don’t know what’s going on around them, is just down right disgusting. MessNBC should be ashamed of doing that to Matthews.
oakpack on November 11, 2007 at 9:04 PM
I don’t know the religious make up of the folks who screwed up the Olympics. I don’t think it really matters.
As far as McCain goes, I think he could be effective on the WOT as SecDef. I just don’t want him in a position to push agendas because HE thinks it the best thing to do when it was clear from day one that the people did not want shamensty. I think it would be best to limit him to military matters etc.
csdeven on November 11, 2007 at 9:55 PM
McCain has already said he was wrong on that and he is crafting legislation for border security first. Like I said, I disagree with MOST of his domestic agenda (other than pro life, pro gun, low taxes, I don’t know his stance on ‘gay rights’). I think he probably has a better chance of beating Hillary than anyone. And I think that if illegal immigration is your reasoning for not voting for him, then Rudy is thrown out of the mix with his ‘if you are illegal, you are the type of people we want in NYC’ comment.
Again, I never in my life thought I’d support McCain. But as I said, with this group to pick from, he has to be at the top of the list. It’s more an indictment of the choices than an endorsement of McCain.
ThackerAgency on November 11, 2007 at 10:38 PM
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