He pimped his wife to voters as a potential contestant in a local “beauty contest” that involves skimpy swimwear, topless parades and simulated sex acts – (edited to addwhich to be fair I’m sure he didn’t know was quite so “risque”, but it’s still totally objectifying his wife). (Video here of both McCain’s “quip” and a typical night’s entertainment in the contest) As I’m sure you’ll all be simply astonished to read, the MSM is bending over backwards to explain the gaffe away, as just one of those things that happens when you’re “having a little fun” at a “very short” campaign stop and don’t “entirely get” what happens in those colourful local events. Aww, campaigning is So Hard, give the creepy sexist a break!
As Jesse Taylor at Pandagon wrote:
If John McCain stabbed a Girl Scout in the face, at least the Washington Post would be able publish its long-awaited series, “How Little Girls Are Magnets For Knives”.
Melissa at Shakesville asks:
How does Cindy McCain, who frankly sounds like a woman I wouldn’t mind knowing, stay married to this guy?
Liss also has a transcript.
It makes one even fonder of Paris Hilton for organising this terrific viral video smackdown of McCain, whose campaign included unflattering footage of her (and Britney Spears) without permission or any consideration at all in an attack video against Obama which had all those subliminal racist undertones you might expect in a video featuring an uppity black man juxtaposed against some blonde white women. Yes, the video message is simplistic and she’s just consolidating her brand, but she’s employed some good writers and is delivering the message with humour and verve.
Which unfortunately raises the crucial question: why can a Hollywood starlet do this so effectively, to both defend her reputation and advance her career, yet the Obama team hasn’t managed to do so when he wants to persuade people to vote for him as President? It’s the ineffectual response narrative of Gore and Kerry all over again. Damn it Team Obama, do better, because otherwise the election gets handed to McCain on a silver platter.
Categories: culture wars, gender & feminism, media, Politics
96th Down Under Feminists Carnival 
Today in Tangential Learning: the smell of chloroform 
I want a Republic and I’m excited about the Royal Baby 
Hoyden About Town 
Y’know, as much as I loathe John McCain and think he’s a misogynist, I’m inclined to think that he really didn’t know what the Sturgis “beauty pageant” was all about and had a much more conventional picture in his mind when he said that. Now, is it reasonable to propose his very own wife for participation in even as bland a contest as Miss America, for example? No; there is nothing dignified about that and it shows that he considers his wife to be essentially arm candy. But that’s where the issue is, not that no one on his staff told him what the “pageant” was really all about.
I’m sure he didn’t know, but he should have known, at least enough that he didn’t mention that pageant at all. I’m with Jesse – that’s what political campaigns have advance teams for. They’re supposed to find out what local characters/issues/events are toxic and get the candidate to steer clear of them.
I’ve already castigated Team Obama for being ineffective regarding rebuttals in the post, but at least they’re largely competent elsewhere. This Sturgis embarrassment shows that Team McCain is actually incompetent, but they and their creepy candidate are still getting a free ride in the media.
Unfortunately in terms of vile, I don’t think this campaign has really gotten started yet.
I was most taken aback by the “The One” ad, not so subtle dog whistling on Obama=Anti Christ! Like, seriously, the Biblical anti-Christ.
Amandas last blog post..DailyLit
Unfortunately Paris’ vid has been taken off Youtube. A third party has claimed copyright, whatever that means.
Wow. That’s a truly disgusting competition…
You *can* see a tiny excerpt of the video run on channel ten in which Ten utterly misses the point, making it sound like she’s in any way serious about running, and not taking the piss – and reverting to taking a cheap shot at her for being a clueless *ditz*
I see, it was made for Funny Or Die. I’ll change the link in the post as well.
Vicki #1:
Vicki, you’re quite right that this is the larger issue regarding McCain as a candidate. My emphasis on the incompetence of it all came from frustration at how he’s continually being given the benefit of the doubt in the MSM narrative, based purely on what his public persona was decades ago rather than on what he’s shown himself to be in recent years – a sexist, unprincipled, weaselling appeaser to Big Bucks and the Beltway cliques.
Obama needs to hire Funny or Die, or at least someone who understands viral campaigns.
“why can a Hollywood starlet do this so effectively, to both defend her reputation and advance her career, yet the Obama team hasn’t managed to do so when he wants to persuade people to vote for him as President?”
Two possible reasons for this:
(1) Paris is willing to make advertisements where she not wearing all that much. This obviously equates with some form of political credibilty. I am not sure why Obama hasn’t done this yet.
(2) Its sort of like a percentage change thing. Paris is starting from a very low base, whereas Obama has already got the runs on the board.
At least Obama hasn’t called Michelle a cnut. Talking about a low base. 🙂
My guess is that the Obama campaign’s strategy is for him not to hit back too hard because it sullies his image of being clean and not part of the old dirty politics.
They’re probably hoping that other people will do the hitting back for them so it becomes McCain versus whoever, while Obama sails by as the one who’s above all that.
I’m not sure this is the wisest strategy, particularly in the context of Obama’s foolish shift on offshore drilling etc, but I can imagine it’s what they’re thinking, and when Hilton did this it would have convinced them they’re right.