New York Times: John McCain Wasn’t in a ‘Cone of Silence’
Categories: Featured, Politics and Elections
Written By: Shawn Williams
According to the New York Times, Senator John McCain was not in a “cone of silence” on Saturday as Senator Barack Obama, took questions from Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in California. McCain was in his motorcade on the way to the church while Obama was questioned.
Prior to the pseudo-debate, Warren assured the audience while he was interviewing Mr. Obama that “we have safely placed Senator McCain in a cone of silence.” and that he could not hear the questions. Apparently Warren didn’t get the memo that McCain hadn’t arrived.
Now the McCain folks et. al. are starting to spin McCain’s late arrival. Mike Allen of The Politico has word from the McCain camp that both candidates got some questions in advance. The Politico reports that a source close to Warren tells Allen that the candidates knew in advance they would be asked their own greatest moral failure, America’s greatest moral failure, and the three wisest people in their lives.
At the beginning of McCain’s portion of the interview, Warren asked “…was the cone of silence comfortable that you were in just now? McCain answered, “I was trying to hear through the wall.” Through the wall of his car?
Rick Warren now says McCain didn’t break the so-called “cone of silence.” Yet he did. If he wasn’t in the designated room, then he broke the rules. Warren should come out and apologize for leading the audience to believe that McCain was there. This is why Obama was right in turning down the town hall debates (that and he can’t get his words out). If people have the potential to feed a candidate questions ahead of time it’s too much room for error.
The quick, rapid fire responses McCain was shooting at Warren’s questions is of great concern. If the shoe were on the other foot, the Republicans would be screaming bloody murder.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Yes, some Republicans would be screaming bloody murder — and they would look just as petty and foolish. (And most Republicans would be saying, either silently to themselves or out loud, “just shut up and let it go.”) Obama performed poorly. Accept it and hope that he performs better on the next one.
August 18th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Please people…we have to be smarter than they expect us to be. Don’t assume McCain did better because he received the most applause. They were in a room with a bunch of Evangelical Republicans. When they both spoke at the NAACP (at separate times), the media made sure to emphasize that McCain was in a room with mostly Obama supporters…ie…black people. So why not the same emphasis in this case. If you do not listen to the applause and only listen to the statements…who had the most thoughtful, intelligent, and honest statements. It was not John McCain.
I honestly would like John McCain to take an IQ test. I have never heard an intelligent statement from him. He has used his record as a “war hero” to get where he is…and not any intelligence he may hold. I would rather hear about his record on his attemps not to go to war. Oh…there are none. He was in the bottom 1% of his class at Annapolis…and he may be our next preisdent? Americans are not that bright. I knew that after The other dumby was elected twice in a row. We can’t have 12 years of straight dumbness people. If this happens, our country will be in twice as much trouble as we are now. THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH IGNORANCE AND NON-THINKERS IN THIS COUNTRY.
August 18th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Even more ridiculous:
So now it is down to, “maybe someone was… uh… texting notes out.” Just drop it before the Obama campaign is allowed to beclown themselves any further.
August 18th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/more-on-the-con.html
August 19th, 2008 at 1:37 am
When John McCain is asked a question he is not prepped for, he blinks, he stutters, and then he comes up with some outlandish answer.
Obama was genuine in his responses, and McCain was prepped and he campaigned the entire hour.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Daily Kos had it yesterday and today Americablog does:
WARREN: Let’s deal with abortion. I, as a pastor, have to deal with this all the time, every different angle, every different pain, all of the decisions and all of that. Forty million abortions since Roe v. Wade. Some people, people who believe that life begins at conception, believe that’s a holocaust for many people. What point is a baby entitled to human rights?
MCCAIN: At the moment of conception. (APPLAUSE). I have a 25- year pro-life record in the Congress, in the Senate. And as president of the United States, I will be a pro-life president. And this presidency will have pro-life policies. That’s my commitment. That’s my commitment to you.
WARREN: OK, we don’t have to beleaguer on that one. Define marriage.
MCCAIN: A union — a union between man and woman, between one man and one woman. That’s my definition of marriage.
Could I — are we going to get back to the importance of Supreme Court Justices or should I mention —
WARREN: We will get to that.
MCCAIN: OK. All right. OK.
WARREN: You’re jumping ahead…
August 19th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I work in litigation, so I see question and answer all the time. People say that (get back to) when they are anticipating your questions and want to know if you want them to answer that part then or to wait until later.
Seriously, you guys are doing McCain’s work for him with this stuff. When McCain’s charge is that Obama isn’t serious, schoolyard “gotchas” aren’t the way to combat that.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
This forum was Obama’s chance to seal the deal with white evangelicals, many of whom are disillusioned with the Republicans, but I think it worked against him.
Conspiracy theories are fun and all, but it doesn’t make one bit of difference. No matter what McCain said or how prepped he was, it was clear in that forum that Obama is too far left for a lot of white evangelicals who were considering a shift .
Of course I have absolutely no proof that this is true. I do sense that it is, though, based on the reactions I have read or heard. It would be interesting to see if the recent polls confirm it or not.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Phelps do you work in litigation or are you in litigation? I hate when close minded people refuse to even open their eyes to the obvioius. If he was not in a “cone of silence’”, of course he was listening. We’re not talking about Ghandi here. It’s John “No Morals” McCain. I personally don’t care if he was or not. At this point, I am just hoping for the best, but am expecting the worse. Its time to tighten the purse strings, trade in those SUV’s for a Neon, forbid your children form enlisting, and get a second job. If America makes the same mistake three times in a row…you can guarantee we will be paying for it even worse than we are now. What a debacle….an utter mess they have gotten this country in.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Phelps do you work in litigation or are you in litigation?
I am not currently in litigation, no. That doesn’t even work as an insult. And you are the one calling for IQ tests?
I hate when close minded people refuse to even open their eyes to the obvioius. If he was not in a “cone of silence’”, of course he was listening.
One does not follow the other. There are a great many other things he could be doing other than “listening”. He could have been doing things like preparing, like Obama should have spent more time doing.
We’re not talking about Ghandi here. It’s John “No Morals” McCain.
“I’m ashamed that America would treat a veteran and patriot this way. But then look at what they did to John Kerry. ” — Shawn Williams
I personally don’t care if he was or not.
The other things you say hurt the credibility of this statement.
August 20th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
@Phelps…please point to anything I have said on my earlier posts on this subject that give you the impression that I care if he was in a “cone of silence” or not. I believe he was listening, but could care less. They have much bigger tricks up their sleeves than this that the American people should be concerned about.
And since my reply to your moats and beams comment on the other post was obviously not approved…I must say that it was surprised you knew the teachings of Jesus Christ. I’ll leave it at that.