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History of McCain "Grimace" photo
self | 2-4-08 | WL-Law

Posted on 02/04/2008 8:14:31 AM PST by WL-law

Many FR threads have included the infamous picture of John McCain, teeth-gritted and looking at "somebody" with pure hatred and contempt.

In fact, the picture has been seen by many as strong evidence of McCain's personality 'flaw', and certainly it's representative of that.

But what's MISSING from the picture is at least as important as the picture itself. Here's a best-available full view -- but you still can't see the full context.

Who's the object of McCain's nasty grimace? -- well, you can't see it in the picture.

For those not aware, the "object" was none other than -- candidate GW Bush.

The picture was taken, not in a private or semi-private moment, but while McCain was on national TV in a presidential debate. And McCain's "hatred" was directed at not just some heckler, but at another republican candidate, one who McCain felt superior to.

So -- my point it that the picture is a "two-fer". It shows what's obvious -- McCain's temper -- but it also shows his hatred for the republican right and the Christian right, and the nuts and bolts of the party itself.

This McCain "two-fer" was fully manifested why McCain, in the middle of the 2004 election, turned again on GW Bush.

Recall that at the time when GW Bush was fighting hard against Kerry-teamed-with-MSMedia, and the time when the Swift-Boat veterans were trying so hard to get their message out on the national media about John Kerry.

McCain picked this time, when it could hurt the party deeply, to try to stick a knife into the Bush campaign by going on national TV to declare that he, McCain, respected John Kerry, condemned the Swift-Boat veterans, and offered that he, McCain, would consider joining the Kerry ticket as VP if he were asked!!

Has there ever been such an act of perfidy by a leading republican against the party's candidate?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: hanoijuan; juanmccain; mccain; mccain4hillary; mccain4kerry; mccain4obama; mccainantigop; mccainhatespalin; mccainlovesdemocrats; mccainsenile; mccaintruthfile; mccrazy; mcdemocrat; mcinsane; mckook; mcloon; mcnuts; mcrino; rinos; rinos4obama; temper; traitor; vichy; working4obama
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To: krb

You are right/left, some do not like G W Bush. Do not count me among that group.


21 posted on 02/04/2008 8:24:27 AM PST by Blake#1
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To: jdm

Anything ia possible, I guess. Anyone knowingly publicizing a fake photo, though, would be doing McCain a huge favor, by garnering sympathy. No one likes a smear.

If there’s any chance this is a fake, we’ll know in hours, if not minutes.


22 posted on 02/04/2008 8:25:50 AM PST by cvq3842
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To: WL-law

Gee. And all this time I just thought it was a picture of McCain doing his Popeye the Sailor imitation.


23 posted on 02/04/2008 8:28:44 AM PST by Maceman
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To: WL-law

Geraldo Endorses McCain: ‘Any Spanish person who votes for an anti-immigration extremist is an Uncle Tom’

http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/002680.html

Well it’s par for the course with Geraldo Rivera, but today in discussing his endorsement of John McCain he said these exact words “Any Spanish person who votes for an anti-immigration extremist is an Uncle Tom”. Geraldo started his discussion by saying that McCain leading in the Republican primary is direct result of Americans rejecting the “extremist” position on immigration, like my own, of actually enforcing the law. Who’s anti-immigration anyway? Try anti-illegal maybe?

He points to Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter dropping out of the race as a rebuke of their immigrations stance. He points to Lou Dobbs, Michelle Malkin and Rush Limbaugh as the extremists who have now been beaten.

Going on, he points out that “extremists” are the far right wing of the party and reiterated that it has been rejected.

Of course I would like to point out that I am far from the “far right wing” in this country, but of course people like Geraldo are just following the playbook of people like the Southern Poverty “Law” Center, La Raza and Juan Hernandez in slandering anyone opposed to massive illegal immigration as racists.

Enough talk on this guy, you can listen below.
http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/002680.html


24 posted on 02/04/2008 8:29:13 AM PST by AuntB (" DON'T LET THE PRESS PICK YOUR CANDIDATE!" Mrs. Duncan Hunter 1/5/08)
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To: elizabetty

He’ll probably pre-emptivate their little country.


25 posted on 02/04/2008 8:29:14 AM PST by stuartcr (Election year.....Who we gonna hate, in '08?)
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To: Cobra64

And our problem is what?


26 posted on 02/04/2008 8:31:45 AM PST by steve8714 (Don't sacrifice the important for the urgent.)
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To: cvq3842

I googled “Bush Brown Suit,” “Bush Wearing Brown,” and came up with nothing. His favorite color in general is blue, so wearing a brown suit in an important debate seems unlikely.


27 posted on 02/04/2008 8:32:21 AM PST by jdm (A Hunter Thompson ticket would be suicide.)
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To: jdm

True.


28 posted on 02/04/2008 8:35:31 AM PST by cvq3842
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To: jdm
I know, how do we know it’s not photoshopped?

I watched the debate, and I watched McCain make that face at the time.

If I recall correctly, it was Bush, McCain, and Alan Keyes on the stage -- and it was late in the primary debate season.

29 posted on 02/04/2008 8:36:53 AM PST by WL-law
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To: cvq3842
If there’s any chance this is a fake, we’ll know in hours, if not minutes.

The photo has been out there for years so I'm going to assume it's real. someone would have spotted evidence of photoshopping a long time ago.
30 posted on 02/04/2008 8:38:50 AM PST by cripplecreek (Duncan Hunter, Conservative excellence in action.)
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To: Blake#1

SOME?? How about 80% of the U.S. (not counting the 40 million illegals)?? Some...


31 posted on 02/04/2008 8:40:34 AM PST by levotb
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To: WL-law
Watch McCain show his utter disdain for people from home state when they ask about illegals.

Watch his handler threaten a woman asking about illegals raping children.

Watch McCain stand on stage and say nothing when they tell one of his constituents to "shut up!".

32 posted on 02/04/2008 8:41:00 AM PST by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote!)
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To: AuntB
Watch McCain show his utter disdain for people from home state when they ask about illegals.

Watch his handler threaten a woman asking about illegals raping children.

Watch McCain stand on stage and say nothing when they tell one of his constituents to "shut up!".

33 posted on 02/04/2008 8:41:57 AM PST by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote!)
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Comment #34 Removed by Moderator

To: jdm
Lighting can make a difference. Whether this is the same suit, I don't know. I doubt it. President Bush must have/have had hundreds.


35 posted on 02/04/2008 8:55:06 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: steve8714
And our problem is what?

Too little too late...

Photobucket

36 posted on 02/04/2008 9:01:44 AM PST by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
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To: WL-law

Ah but the story BEHIND the story behind the picture is that this happened during a commercial break when GWB challenged JMc to see who could do the best pirate impersonation. (GWB knew the commercial break was almost over — very shrewd.)


37 posted on 02/04/2008 9:19:15 AM PST by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: VU4G10
Boy, he changed that page quick, didn't he??

Becki

38 posted on 02/04/2008 9:23:07 AM PST by Becki (I pray daily for President Bush.)
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To: jdm

I found a story from 2000, in the NY Times (no photos), describing the debate where I believe the “grimace” took place. Take a read and you’ll understand why:
....

Questioned by Mr. King, Mr. Bush said he would not describe Mr. McCain as a liberal and even characterized his opponent as conservative and as ‘’a fine man.’’ He said he was simply more conservative than Mr. McCain on certain issues.

..

Mr. McCain, raising questions about Mr. Bush’s maturity, defended his emphasis on Social Security, saying ‘’It’s not the Washington mentality. It’s the grown-up mentality. It’s the grown-up mentality that recognizes that we have obligations.’’

Mr. Bush responded bitterly that it was a Republican philosophy that favored giving tax money back to the people.

‘’I don’t trust Congress,’’ he said. ‘’I trust people. And I want to give people their money back. This is a realistic plan that I’m going to get done. And John, you know, grown-up or non grown-up — I know that’s kind of a line you’re trying to come across with, but it’s weak — either you trust the people or you trust government. And our Republican Party ought to stand for trusting the people to spend their own money.’’

The two also clashed on the overhaul of the campaign finance law, on a day when Mr. Bush put forward his own plan. Without explicitly mentioning Mr. McCain’s effort to ban unlimited, unregulated donations to political parties, Mr. Bush said the logical extension of such plans would allow the press to decide political victors.

Mr. King asked, ‘’If I gave you a million dollars, don’t you have to take my phone call?’’

Mr. Bush replied, ‘’Not necessarily.’’

Mr. McCain jumped in, sardonically. ‘’Sure,’’ he said. ‘’Ask any ex-senator, Larry, ask any ex-senator, they’ll tell you.’’

Mr. Bush and Mr, McCain also bickered over abortion, with Mr. McCain demanding to know why Mr. Bush did not want to include in the Republican platform’s call for a constitutional ban on aboriton an exception in the case of rape, incest or the life of the mother.

Mr. Bush said the platform ‘’doesn’t talk about what specifically should be in the constitutional amendment.’’

Mr. McCain shot back, ‘’It doesn’t have the exemptions in it and you know that very well.’’


39 posted on 02/04/2008 9:44:56 AM PST by WL-law
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To: jdm

Sorry — my previous post got chopped up — it was intended to read:

I found a story from 2000, in the NY Times (no photos), describing the debate where I believe the “grimace” took place. Take a read and you’ll understand why:

In Hot Debate, Bush and McCain Collide Over Campaign’s Tactics

By DAVID FIRESTONE AND ALISON MITCHELL

Published: February 16, 2000

In a barely controlled debate that revealed the depth of their mutual anger, Gov. George W. Bush and Senator John McCain lashed into each other’s negative campaign tactics tonight, with Mr. McCain lecturing Mr. Bush that he ‘’should be ashamed’’ that a surrogate had accused Mr. McCain of abandoning veterans.

Mr. Bush refused Mr. McCain’s demand that he apologize, instead insisting that Mr. McCain stop impugning his integrity. In seething, indignant accusations, each man tried to portray himself as the victim of gutter politics, with Mr. McCain saying he had been called everything but a fascist.

‘’You’re putting out stuff that is unbelievable, George, and it’s got to stop,’’ he said. ‘’And your ads have got to stop.’’

The debate, the last before Saturday’s crucial South Carolina primary, was by far the most freewheeling and intense of the Republican contest and reflected the sense of both camps that it could help determine the outcome of the vote. The arguments ranged across nearly every issue that has come up in the race, along with a few new ones.

With only Alan Keyes sitting between them, the two leading candidates argued forcefully over abortion, policy toward Russia, taxes, Social Security, and the don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy on gays in the military. On a day in which Mr. Bush issued a reformulated proposal to change the campaign finance proposal, the two disagreed sharply on which kinds of donations should be banned.

The field for the first time was reduced to just three candidates, allowing a series of far more direct confrontations than any previous debates.
..

But the most personal exchanges came early in the 90-minute debate at a catering hall here, when the moderator, Larry King, asked about the conduct of the campaign. Governor Bush immediately accused Senator McCain of being first to break a promise not to run negative advertising.

‘’We shook hands, and unfortunately he ran an ad that equated me to Bill Clinton,’’ Mr. Bush said, sounding exasperated. ‘’You can disagree on issues. We’ll debate issues. But whatever you do, don’t equate my integrity and trustworthiness to Bill Clinton.’’

Mr. McCain, steely but furious, immediately responded by citing an event early this month in Sumter, S.C., in which J. Thomas Burch Jr., chairman of the National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Committee, complained that Mr. McCain had opposed measures dealing with Agent Orange and gulf war syndrome.

‘’I don’t know if you can understand this, George, but that really hurts,’’ Mr. McCain said. ‘’You should be ashamed. You should be ashamed.’’

Mr. Keyes, who had been expected to spend the evening criticizing Mr. McCain, instead worked to appear above the fray and condemned both of his opponents, saying there were more important issues to discuss than campaign tactics. Mr. King also tried to change the subject, but Mr. McCain pressed on, demanding to tell the story of the negative telephone calls being made to South Carolina voters by the Bush campaign. Mr. Bush then pulled out a McCain campaign flier criticizing his tax cut plan, accusing Mr. McCain of continuing his attacks despite a new vow to stop.

‘’That is not by my campaign,’’ Mr. McCain said.

‘’Well, it says paid for by John McCain,’’ Mr. Bush said.

‘’That is not by my campaign,’’ Mr. McCain said.

‘’McCain 2000,’’ Mr. Bush said. ‘’John, well then somebody’s putting stuff out.’’

Mr. McCain explained after the debate that the flier was printed a few weeks ago, before his no-negative-ad pledge, and was apparently distributed by a campaign worker without his knowledge.

A significant portion of the evening involved foreign policy questions, a departure from previous debates. The candidates were asked what aspects of the nation’s foreign policy they would change. Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Keyes criticized the American policy toward China.

Mr. McCain urged a particularly aggressive approach toward what he called rogue states.

‘’I’d institute a policy that I call rogue state rollback,’’ he said. ‘’I would arm, train, equip, both from without and from within, forces that would eventually overthrow the governments and install free and democratically elected governments.’’

Mr. Bush and Mr. McCain also tangled over when it was appropriate for the United States to intervene in foreign conflicts. Mr. Bush said he would authorize the use of armed forces when it is the ‘’nation’s strategic interests.’’

Mr. McCain told Mr. Bush his analysis ‘’wasn’t that simple,’’ saying there were times when a violation of moral principles justified the commitment of troops.

‘’We can never say that a nation driven by Judeo-Christian principles will only intervene where our interests are threatened, because we also have values,’’ he said.

All three tried to make the most forceful case for their candidacy. Mr. Bush stressed his executive experience as governor of Texas, saying of his two opponents, ‘’These are good men. Don’t get me wrong. But I’ve been there.’’ Mr, McCain said he was the one to reconstitute the old Reagan coalition. Mr. Keyes scoffed at both men as not forceful enough, saying ‘’I question their ability to articulate on the moral issues of our time.’’

Questioned by Mr. King, Mr. Bush said he would not describe Mr. McCain as a liberal and even characterized his opponent as conservative and as ‘’a fine man.’’ He said he was simply more conservative than Mr. McCain on certain issues.

Mr. Bush and Mr. McCain also sparred on their competing tax cut plans. Mr. Bush has proposed a $483 billion, five-year tax cut. Mr. McCain has called for nearly $240 billion in tax cuts over the same period, with much of the federal surplus going to shore up Social Security.

Mr. McCain, raising questions about Mr. Bush’s maturity, defended his emphasis on Social Security, saying ‘’It’s not the Washington mentality. It’s the grown-up mentality. It’s the grown-up mentality that recognizes that we have obligations.’’

Mr. Bush responded bitterly that it was a Republican philosophy that favored giving tax money back to the people.

‘’I don’t trust Congress,’’ he said. ‘’I trust people. And I want to give people their money back. This is a realistic plan that I’m going to get done. And John, you know, grown-up or non grown-up — I know that’s kind of a line you’re trying to come across with, but it’s weak — either you trust the people or you trust government. And our Republican Party ought to stand for trusting the people to spend their own money.’’

The two also clashed on the overhaul of the campaign finance law, on a day when Mr. Bush put forward his own plan. Without explicitly mentioning Mr. McCain’s effort to ban unlimited, unregulated donations to political parties, Mr. Bush said the logical extension of such plans would allow the press to decide political victors.

Mr. King asked, ‘’If I gave you a million dollars, don’t you have to take my phone call?’’

Mr. Bush replied, ‘’Not necessarily.’’

Mr. McCain jumped in, sardonically. ‘’Sure,’’ he said. ‘’Ask any ex-senator, Larry, ask any ex-senator, they’ll tell you.’’

Mr. Bush and Mr, McCain also bickered over abortion, with Mr. McCain demanding to know why Mr. Bush did not want to include in the Republican platform’s call for a constitutional ban on aboriton an exception in the case of rape, incest or the life of the mother.

Mr. Bush said the platform ‘’doesn’t talk about what specifically should be in the constitutional amendment.’’

Mr. McCain shot back, ‘’It doesn’t have the exemptions in it and you know that very well.’’


40 posted on 02/04/2008 9:48:31 AM PST by WL-law
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