10.08.08
McCain Scribbles Furiously During Debate
As the candidates walked into the theater on Tuesday night, before either said a single word, my eyes were drawn to the image of an elderly appearing man perched on the edge of a stool, hunched over a pad of legal paper writing furiously. Images of high-schoolers scribbling down memorized physics equations on their test papers came to mind. What was this man doing?
Of course, the man I am referring to is none other than the Republican Presidential candidate. A man who, apparently, can’t remember his own policies long enough that he has to jot reminders to himself before the debate begins. There is an amount of strategy to these debates. They are tests in a way. But mostly tests of performance that allow the candidates to clear up any confusion about their platform. One expects that a candidate is well versed in his own policies and does not need a set of bold-faced bullet points to remember.
I have several theories on this strange behavior. The first is the age issue. Too few crosswords Mr. McCain? Perhaps he simply needs a little memory jogging. And while that’s all fine and good it’s not something I look for in a nation’s representative. Theory #2: anger management. Remember the first debate when he looked scary and evil all the time. It seems he has a perpetual sneer when otherwise unoccupied. Maybe he was told to “appear to take notes” so the camera couldn’t catch his facial expressions as Obama spoke. And notice that when he wasn’t writing he stood awkwardly, shiftily in the corner. I half expected him to tackle Obama to the ground. And last but not least – he could have just been doodling. President McCain. Mr. President McCain. President Maverick McCain. I heart Mavericks…
