Place your bets! Will McCain's Temper Explode During Next Tuesday's Debate?

[Blackhatjack]

I think McCain is losing the battle to keep his temper in check as he sees the election slip away.

The DMR video shows that the sarcasm is increasing, the clenched jaw, the squinting of the eyes, are all signs the battle is being lost to keep his anger from erupting in front of tv cameras.

What do you think?

[MercutioATC]

1. Obama almost had him with the "...and you were WRONG" lines last time.

A couple of more little pushes and the old man's head would have exploded.


Apparently, McCain doesn't react well when his mistakes are pointed out to him.

[obiwan]

36. I love McSame's little laugh when talking about Failin's VP debate appearance.

Reminds me of Burgess Meredith's Penguin laugh on the old 60's Batman TV series.

[GreenPartyVoter]

47. "Heh? Heh?" Creeped me the heck out when McPain did it

[endthewar]

55. Agreed. That attack along with Biden's "McCain's no maverick" were awesome!

[faithfulcitizen]

57. Wish he would say " You don't have to look at me when I'm talking to you,

but you owe it to the American people to look THEM in the eye and tell them how you are going to be any different than George Bush." THAT would be spectacular.

[Schulzz]

2. Possible.

If McCain pushes this terrorist thing and Obama has a hard counter-punch ready, he might get desperate. But he is a maverick, so nobody knows what will happen! :sarcasm:
Perhaps he will get lost on the stage again. :popcorn:

[Curtland1015]

3. I'm betting an eruption will take place around the 75 minutes mark.

McCain will arrive looking happy and composed. By the end he will be seething with rage.

I can't WAIT.

[Mz Pip]

9. That's probably

just about the time the Valium will start to wear off.

I suspect he will be mellowed out with pharmaceuticals which might make him a bit slow on the uptake.

[RagAss]

4. We're not that lucky....are we?

[glowing]

5. Either this one or the last one... You know he's seething with rage..

I'm not sure how he will overcome it in a town hall style debate... His weird smiles and grins look really weird.. and I've noticed when he's standing in those formats, he rocks funny. I don't know where he gets the idea that this is his best format.. I personally think he looks like a troll.. Heh, heh, heh.

[kayakjohnny]

6. I think you're right. He always seems ready to snap from anger.

Maybe it's just me, but he's got a real Bruce Dern vibe going. In so many of his movies, Bruce seemed right on the edge of a violent outburst. In fact, I wanted to see what Bruce looks and sounds like these days and I found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IJBW_daJGA


Now tell me he couldn't play a mean John McCain. BTW, I don't think Bruce is bad at all in real life. But scary as crap in some of his roles.

[liberalmuse]

20. OMG, he'd be PERFECT to play McCain.

I hope Hollywood realizes this.

[KittyWampus]

23. Jack Nicholson, IMO.

[ecstatic]

58. haha 'you can't handle the truth!!!'

Oh I would love to see McShame lose it and make a bitter speech detailing his contempt for the middle class/love of Wall St. next week.

[kayakjohnny]

24. Tina's people need to call his people.

[msallied]

7. I remember his recent behavior with the Des Moines Register folks...

He was downright EVIL. I don't see him acting much different from that.

[LiberalAndProud]

8. No. Not with Tom Brokaw moderating.

Not going to happen.

[bunkerbuster1]

32. Also, I think he knows he blew the last debate with his condescension.

McCain's in a terrible place. His campaign feels it has to go negative at the exact time that he CAN'T appear especially obnoxious in a prime-time debate.

So he'll be working extra hard not to explode, and I don't think it'll happen. I know most everyone here thinks it's just a matter of time before McCain drops a truly offensive comment (calling Obama "traitor" or "boy" or worse) but I suspect he'll hold it together.

Boring answer, I know.

[dipsydoodle]

10. squinting of the eyes

Not quite sure of that as they don't always seem to point in the same direction. Watch news broadcasts to see what I mean. When his right eye is looking straight ahead his left eye is looking up.

[firedupdem]

11. McEvil will be in his element on Tuesday...his buddy has already

told him the questions that will be asked and he's comfortable. He won't need to get all "mavericky" on Tuesday. We won't see that temper until he talks to a regular group of reporters again...and that probably won't happen anymore this election cycle.

[iceman66]

49. That's a good point.

I wouldn't at all put it past Brokaw to give McCain the questions ahead of time.

[Blackhatjack]

12. I think this is what would push McCain over the top.... quote a military source disagreeing with him

McCain 'thinks' he is a military genius ... and that his wisdom is unassailable.

Bringing up the fact that our military generals disagree with him might just do it.

Maybe "John, we understand you were a POW, but our Generals on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan do not agree with you on that. Are you saying you know better than they do?" Step back .... wait .... watch out for the explosion.

[liberal N proud]

13. Brokaw will pamper him to insure it doesn't happen

He will move Obama away from follow up questions if he sees McCain getting agitated.

They were all over Gwen Ifle with bias before the VP debate but Broke is the one who has blatantly shown bias in his commendatory that he calls news.

[maseman]

53. Brokaw will pamper him?

Yes so he doesn't stain the debate room floor.

[nradisic]

14. He will be obstinate and petulant...

The poll numbers will crach fro McCain after Tuesday. We are on our way to a 60/40 victory and relegating the GOP to being the party of the south...

[Blackhatjack]

15. Check that! ... the GOP is NOT the 'party of the south'... we're taking it to them here in the South

The GOP still has strongholds in the Deep South, but even those are suffering this election cycle.

[iceman66]

52. Well there is that line of states

from ND down to TX that seems impenetrably red.

"Party of the central corridor"???

[liberalmuse]

16. I really think he will.

After seeing his Des Moines interview, I think he'll make a lunge for Obama at some point. He's going to get nasty, and unfortunately, that lid he's keep crammed down so very tight is going to pop off, probably when he makes a vile attack at Obama, and Obama responds respectfully. He'll have to be held back, and perhaps dragged out of the room shouting expletives. Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please! Bwahahahahaha!

I can dream, can't I?

[secondwind]

17. don't forget the snake-like tongue darting in and out also!

[faithfulcitizen]

60. ewww, it's so distracting. I'm told that and the left eye blinking are from nerve damage. Still...

[nomaco-10]

18. You can tell he's been acting like a volcano about to erupt...

and it wouldn't take much to send him over the edge. At this point, I'll be surprised if he doesn't.
In fact, I think he wants to. He reminds me of the Jack Nicholson character in A Few Good Men at the end of the movie on the witness stand.

[Jazzgirl]

19. No, they've got him on drugs to keep him calmed down.

n/t

[Blackhatjack]

21. Either he explodes or his health takes a terrible turn... take your pick. n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

22. No. Depakote helps to control temporal rage.

[goodgd_yall]

31. Yup

He'll just continue with the lack of eye contact and clenched jaw (oh, I forgot---it's always clenched), and "what Obama doesn't understand" crap. But, he'll be medicated enough not to blow his stack.

[Blackhatjack]

25. OR Maybe... Something simple like ..."Hey John! I'm Over Here."

When McCain is in his clenched jaw, squinty eyed, about to erupt mode and won't look at Obama.

[Lint Head]

26. I don't think Obama is cruel enough, but he could use a simple

psychological technique to cause McCain to explode. Obama could say something as simple as, "When I am President I vow to use the power of the executive branch to prosecute members of the House or Senate, be it Democrat or Republican, that are involved in the types of shenanigans that the Keating five were. That is the very kind of thing that has caused the current situation. Someone involve in that kind of corruption is doing major harm to the national security of the United States of America."

:dem:

[TlalocW]

27. If only the town hall format were where

The actual citizens whose questions are chosen got to ask them instead of having Brokaw ask for them, he probably would. McCain has been having trouble keeping his cool with the "little people" lately, and if he could see the punks who would dare question his integrity, past votes, etc. he'd probably sneer at the people asking unfriendly questions. As it is, he knows Brokaw is in his corner and that a certain number of "tough" questions has to get through so he won't transfer his anger to him.

TlalocW

[crankychatter]

28. in the last one it seemed he was trying to goad obama... boy, did he get THAT wrong

I hope he pops a gasket

[Lucky 13]

29. Without question, it will happen.

[Jane Austin]

30. I do think Obama calling him "John" got under his skin last time.

You'll notice that McCoot called Obama "Sen. Obama" and I'll bet McCoot thought it was too familiar of the freshman Senator to call the long-time Senator by his first name.

I'll further bet that in everyday life, everyone calls McCoot "the Senator" and that lots of people call Obama "Barack" - and Barack is fine with that.

[nc4bo]

33. Your post is a lovely dream of mine. From the 1st debate, Obama should know where the hot buttons

are located ;)

[WinkyDink]

34. Watch him STARE at Obama. It's the smart-ass response to his being called on ignoring.

[BlueIdaho]

35. McCain has a massive ego

It shouldn't be that tough to press his buttons -especially now that he's tired and forced to talk about the economy - something he knows nothing about. I'd love to see the Cadaverick go up like a roman candle.

[cjsmom44]

37. RE: Yup I agree

It would be a wonderful sight to see the old man fly off the handle on live television!

[nxylas]

38. Meh. Everyone said that last time.

Meltdowns on live TV only happen in movies about selfish assholes finding redemption through their children.

[crossroads]

39. He will lose it or....

His head will explode - one of the two!

[book_worm]

40. No, it's a town meeting debate with ?'s by real voters I doubt he will blow.

[rvablue]

41. I think Obama's best strategy

is to remain completely calm.

I think McCain is more apt to blow, in the face of sagging poll numbers, if Obama stays as cool as a cucumber.

[Kahuna]

42. No. He didn't do too well being on his best (for him) behavior

for the first debate. He will try to be charming and connect with the audience.

[TheDonkey]

43. It's going to be interesting with him standing a few feet from Obama with no podium

to give him a barrier. He may launch his troll like self at our candidate.

[crazylikafox]

44. Nope. He'll be on his "happy" meds

[saltpoint]

45. It would be a hoot to watch him explode, but my guess is he'll

pay the gruff old warrior thing again and try to reinforce his "superior" command of national security issues.

It didn't work very well the first time and it seems destined to work even less well this time.

McCain's too bossy. Generally people don't like that. Reagan's administration was certainly authoritarian in practice but he presented himself as an affable, twinkle-in-the-eye kind of patriarch. McCain invokes Reagan but has none of his personal charm.

[Blackhatjack]

46. I think McCain's hot button is his twisted perception that Obama doesn't give him proper respect...

... so in reality, anything could set him off if it relates to his perception that it is a 'slight' by Obama.

Something as simple as 'John, you know those negative ads you are running against me contain falsehoods' might just do it. IF not, just follow up with 'John I thought you promised you were going to be above running negative ads during this campaign. What happened?'

[casus belli]

51. Or...

"John, you don't see my campaign pointing out the fact that you wrecked 3 planes, and that the reason you can't move your arms like a normal person is because you ejected improperly during a failed bombing mission resulting in your capture. Now, that's more than guilt by association, that's facts."

[casus belli]

48. I've got $50 on 20 min mark of the 3rd debate. n/t

[chitty]

50. I think an explosion will most

likely happen now that Keating is fully on the table.

Throw a couple of Keatings in his face and see where he goes.

Nobody has had the balls to throw this up in his face for awhile.

[bridgit]

54. The top of his head would pop off like a bottle cap if Obama played it like I'd like to see him do

First, it wouldn't take much just a little tap-tap-tap on McCain's chest and a little something about his war mongering/profiteering lobbyist pals and McCain would explode

[ecstatic]

56. Yes, because his handlers probably took his main anger management technique off

the table (the whole avoid eye contact /direct interaction thing).

[FreeState]

59. http://keatingeconomics.com will push him over the edge :) n/t