John McCain and Barack Obama attended the annual white-tie Al Smith dinner in New York last night. CNN carried their attempts to be funny during Larry King Live. McCain launched on MSNBC:
McCAIN: And some advocates for Senator Obama are less restrained in their enthusiasm, even in the media. All right, he usually is at table 228, for example, my old friend and Green Room pal Chris Matthews. He used to like me, but he found somebody new -- somebody who opened his eyes, somebody who gave him a thrill up his leg. (Laughter) And we've talked about it. I told him maverick I can do, but messiah is above my pay grade.
McCAIN: You know, it's going to be a long, long night at MSNBC if I manage to pull this thing off.For starters (Applause)....I understand that Keith Olbermann has ordered up his very own "Mission Accomplished" banner. And they can hang that in whatever padded room has been reserved for him. (Laughter) Seriously, Chris, if they need any decorating advice on that banner, ask Keith to call me so I can tell him right where to put it.
McCAIN: So, you know, I had fun with the media and we all know the press is really an independent, civic-minded and nonpartisan group, like ACORN... (laughter) In case you haven't been following my opponent's get out the vote campaign, ACORN is helping to register groups previously excluded, overlooked and underserved -- second graders, the deceased, Disney characters. In Florida, they even turned up an ACORN registration form that bore the name of one Mickey Mouse. We're checking the paw prints.
Even Bill Maher on CNN conceded that McCain was funny. The media also may have given Obama his best joke: "I am also glad to see that Senator Schumer is here, and I see that he's brought some of his loved ones. Those would be the folks with the cameras and the notebooks in the back of the room."
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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He should have used some of
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 06:59 ET by SpockHe should have used some of this material in the debates.
I was just thinking the same thing!
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:18 ET by HeavyChevy"9 out of 10 doctors agree that flag burning is the number one killer of liberals."
He also should have used
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:43 ET by motherbeltHe also should have used some of this info that I just heard on Glenn Beck's radio show.
Remember Obama complaining about Fox New:
[T]he way I’m portrayed 24/7 is as a freak! I am the latté-sipping,
New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete,
politically correct, arrogant liberal.
Well Beck just did a report (I don't know where he got the info) about Obama staying at the Waldorf Astoria, and ordering Room Service in the afternoon: Lobster hors doeuvre, 2 steamed lobsters and Iranian caviar with toast points!! Not Russian....Iranian! (That alone is a serious faux pas!)
But Fox News is portraying him unfairly!
Is there a 'best of' link
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:09 ET by Paul GIs there a 'best of' link someone can post? My connection is slooo 2day.
here...
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:38 ET by The DistributistMcCain Video... Pt 2...
Obama Video... Pt. 2...
"Modern man is staggering and losing his balance because he is being pelted with little pieces of alleged fact which are native to the newspapers; and, if they turn out not to be facts, that is still more native to newspapers." -GKC
Did anyone see Couric's
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:17 ET by AuH20girlDid anyone see Couric's face when he compared the press to ACORN?
http://goldwatergirl.wordpress.com
Her face?
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:22 ET by TexndocFox and Friends is having fun with Katie's new Sarah Palin hair-style. The Perky-One I'm sure will claim no no no - she was copying Tina Fey.
I'm with Wallace because I
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:54 ET by Gat New YorkI'm with Wallace because I could not get past that massive diamond necklace. McCain should increase her taxes as well as Letterman's.
I saw some of the highlights
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:24 ET by TD in FLI saw some of the highlights on Local 6 this morning and they didn't show any of those zingers by McCain. It is a shame though that it takes a less serious environment for these serious issues to be raised and not harpooned by the media and Obama campaign (or one of the same). Also, the fact that most everyone was laughing in the room on some of these rips ... doesn't that sort of give credence to them being true?
This is hilarious
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:39 ET by PurdueMattWhere has this John McCain been?
Cardinal Egan
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:56 ET by Gat New YorkDid anyone watch Cardinal Egan before Al Smith IV got up to start the speeches? The Cardinal was heavily engaged with McCain and did not want much to do with Obama who looked like a lost soul.
Signs of hope?
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:58 ET by Prester JohnThe crowd erupted twice, the first time was when he said words to the effect that "I can't help but feel that there are some people in this room rooting for me", and the second time when he all but accused the media being totally in the tank for Obama.
Oh, and in my quadrennial unofficial bumpersticker poll, McCain leads Obama 75% - 25% (this is a traditionally red area outside of DC but is showing signs of purpleness around the edges).
I'll have to agree with you
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:17 ET by ThatDudeI'll have to agree with you on that. Though I think this area started becoming very blue in 2004. As for the bumper stickers, it does seem that McCain is leading in that department in this area. This could be a good thing, seeing as how most of the blue ones I've been dealing with are of the 25 and under crowd.
I was the lone McCain sign
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:44 ET by MazziI was the lone McCain sign in a sea of Obama's in my neighborhood. I was starting to get a bit depressed. But I ordered my signs the day after Palin was announced, and they took 3 weeks to arrive (manufacturer problem per McCain CS.) Anyone who waited till the convention would have been a week behind me in getting theirs.
3 weeks later, my neighborhood is now about 60/40 Obama.. not unexpected, BUT all of the surrounding area is like 70/30 McCain, with new ones going up every day. Plus, no lie - I have seen a few Obama's come down.
Btw John, we may be neighbors - Bartlett is my Congressman. If so, then you know the reason for the purpleness - all the lemmings moving in from Montgomery County.
I think, as in many things, conservatives are conservative when it comes to "claiming" a candidate. McCain was a definite yawner, but now we know that the fight is to keep the Marxist out.
"We just want truth, we want fairness. We want that balance." ~ Sarah Palin (re: hypocricy of the press)
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Fortunately....
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:47 ET by Prester John...I am on the southern side of the Potomac in the great Commonwealth of Virginia (which unfortunately will soon have two Dem senators).
Bumper Sticker Poll
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 10:44 ET by BlondeIt's funny...in August I drove from Kansas City to Ft. Lauderdale and only saw one Obama bumper sticker....and THE Straight Talk Express bus. That was it. Sum total for 1,500 miles.
I got a McCain sign for my yard about six weeks ago. The first day it was up, two neighbors asked where I got it. The next day, one of them informed me McC headquarters was out (IIRC, this was just around convention time). Since then, my neighborhood has become a sea of blue, and I've only seen one dem sign (for Ron Klein) at the Long John Silver's and one Obama bumper sticker.
I was out and about the other day, and a very nice older lady asked me if she thought McC was going to win (she saw the bumper sticker)....we got to talking, she said she'd gone back to McC headquarters FOUR times to get a yard sign and bumper sticker. BTW, she told me her husband was a retired orthopedic surgeon, and he was scared witless of Obama's nationalized health care.
This is totally perplexing, as I live in the heart of very democratic Broward County (home of the hanging & pregnant chads). But I'm beginning to think that the oldsters here may be twigging to Obama's disastrous socialist policies....they may be democrats, but they're not stupid. Anecdotal evidence at best, but I've lived here forever and I've never seen anything like it.
In his own words (19 seconds): This man is qualified to be VP?
But I'm beginning to think
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 12:26 ET by R D HelmBut I'm beginning to think that the oldsters here may be twigging to Obama's disastrous socialist policies.
Good for the blue-hairs!
-Dave
>>> Dee saves Dave from approaching insanity <<<
Joe the Plumber for President!
After what Jackson said,
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 17:14 ET by MazziAfter what Jackson said, every single Jewish retiree down there better plan to vote for McCain. Notice that Obama just said that "Jackson doesn't speak for Obama's campain" - but he never addressed whether JJ was factually correct or not. I suspect that says it all.
Senior Jews - be afraid... be very very afraid.
"We just want truth, we want fairness. We want that balance." ~ Sarah Palin (re: hypocricy of the press)
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
The Whole McCain Speech
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:05 ET by HermanoThe whole McCain speech (14 min) is on this link. It was in the box to the right last night. Enjoy.
http://wcbstv.com/campaign08/al.smith.dinner.2.842562.html
http://theobamafile.com/
A couple points
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:22 ET by KC MulvilleI enjoyed the clips just for the jokes. They were actually funny. I'm not sure we need to invest much "meaning" into any of it. It was just nice to see.
Of course, this being NewsBusters, it's useful to point out that the MSNBC and anti-media jokes were funny only because everyone in the room knew they were true.
And I do agree with Obama that this whole election feels different without Tim Russert. Brokaw has been a weak replacement, and no one has stepped up to fill his role.
I absolutely enjoyed the
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:54 ET by marpelI absolutely enjoyed the McCain speech last night. He is a really funny guy. He's got great timing and puts emphasis on phrases perfectly. I was roaring. Especially when he talked about KO and the padded room. I wish that part of his personality was permitted to come out during the debates. I think he would have had a 20 pt lead by now. And, BO was funny, but he's so wooden, I think he was out of the Al Smith league...
Anyway, I thought I would share a fascinating link of a Howard Stern snippet that my brother sent to me this a.m. Please listen carefully. It is so incredibly interesting. Enjoy:
http://www.bpmdeejays.com/upload/hs_sal_in_Harlem_100108.mp3
I'd like to get some opinions about this audio clip.
McCain Wins 4th Debate by a Landslide
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 08:55 ET by dodecahedronSomeone replaced our Republican presidential nominee with this new and improved version. I like it.
I can't help but remember that Bob Dole unleashed his personality after he lost to Bill Clinton. Letterman told Dole that if he had acted like that before the election, he'd have been elected president.
McCain may have unleashed his personality just in time.
Very funny! If McCain was
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 10:13 ET by balboaVery funny! If McCain was anywhere as relaxed in his supposedly preferred town hall meeting...
But this was funny stuff, great performance for the Mav.
Sooo funny
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 10:37 ET by GOPG8RI laughed so hard at what McCain said. I don't think the campaign needs to worry about him being perceived as boring when he can pull that script off. He had much better jokes than Obama did.
That was sorely needed
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 11:01 ET by nwahsAfter watching all the crazy BS in this campaign, that was sorely needed and funny as hell. I think both did a good job, but I'd give McCain the edge :)
I nearly fell of my seat with his line, "Oprah calls his The One. I simply refer to him as "that One." "