DISQUS

AMERICAblog: McCain refuses Obama's handshake after the debate

  • Jim Olson · 1 year ago
    Yep, saw that. It will be all over the tee-vee tomorrow.
  • JustAGuy · 1 year ago
    John, you're just having too much fun. And yes, it looks like McCain let his wive shake Obama's hand rather than do it himself.
  • Jim Olson · 1 year ago
    And watch Botox Barbie back away from the masses. Sorry, Antoinette, but they don't want cake.
  • triple7s · 1 year ago
    She does NOT want to be touched. I have noticed that whenever she is in public, she keeps well away from the "LITTLE PEOPLE". Mrs. Obama was right in there shaking hands and greeting people.
  • Mark in Florida · 1 year ago
    Yes, I noticed a little of the Howard Hughes thing in Cindy too. Shake hands? no need to, Cindy has people for that....
  • triple7s · 1 year ago
    THAT ONE! GET OFF MY LAWN!!
  • bluestockton · 1 year ago
    Damn, I should have looked up from my crossword puzzle sooner. Guess McNasty just doesn't like to shake hands with That Ones.
  • tas · 1 year ago
    McCain is just looking so damn old.
  • tbhull · 1 year ago
    This was deliberate and orchestrated by Rove.

    All that McCain has is to divide and conquer. McCain is asking those undecided are you with me or that one?

    McCain is beginning to resemble O' Brother Where Art Thou's Homer Stokes. "Is you is or is you ain't my constituency?"
  • lovepeaceandallthat · 1 year ago
    I suspect this may be true. They are trying to appeal to their sicko base and if they have McCain up there shaking hands as one human to another that really screws up their message of "Obama is a terrorist.... do we REALLY know who Obama is?...

    and of course "He's a N.... and we can't have THAT as president!" is the unspoken message they are trying to convey to their base.
  • tbhull · 1 year ago
    They are licking the N-log without saying N. Hell, Palin's husband may publicly and deliberately let the N word slip at the end of October.
  • Busboy · 1 year ago
    Maybe Obama has the "grip of death" and McCain didn't want to be forced to his knees........
  • Steve_in_CNJ · 1 year ago
    i think it's a bum rap. he was introducing cindy. a handshake during her introduction would have been rude.

    a couple of snap polls:
    CNN 54-30
    CBS 39-27
  • Jim Olson · 1 year ago
    Bull. He blew Obama off.
  • Steve_in_CNJ · 1 year ago
    disagree completely. he was speaking to him before he turned around.
  • Jim Olson · 1 year ago
    they why, after introducing cindy, did he not shake hands with Obama? its clear that he simply did not wish to do so. It came across as petulant and rude. Even if you don't like your opponent, you play the game.
  • bluestockton · 1 year ago
    In political debates, the candidates shake hands before and after. Period.
  • MC_Haiku · 1 year ago
    maybe you have no manners and therefore cannot perceive that that was a definite snub on mccain's part. obama's hand was right out there. mccain is a loathsome man with no manners.
  • Steve_in_CNJ · 1 year ago
    congratulations! you passed the "asshole" test for your unprovoked insult. you are now qualified to advise john mccain.
  • HereinDC · 1 year ago
    McCain has "Issues"
    LOL

    That's what Linda Douglass just said on Keith Olbermann

    McCain has "Issues"

    combine that with "erratic" !

    Whew!
  • donotmakemecomedownthere · 1 year ago
    Well, no.

    The two candidates shook hands earlier, when Tom Brokaw told them to get the f*ck out of the way of his 12-foot cue cards. Since they already shook hands, this video is not quite... accurate.
  • bluestockton · 1 year ago
    McCain must have forgotten that one reason Ann Richards won her first race for governor of Texas was that Clayton Williams, her opponent, riled a lot of Bubbas by very publicly refusing to shake Ann's hand. As the late Molly Ivins said, in Texas Bubba can get away with a lot of things, but Bubba is not rude to a lady.
  • Busboy · 1 year ago
    Hey, tb, you may have got that figured right on the money. Good analysis!
  • tbhull · 1 year ago
    Where is the media screaming the sky is falling after two days of stock market crash? Wait until Paulson and Wall Styreet beg for the next trillie to leave Treasury's doors for a 150 point dow drop to indicate the end of the world is nigh?

    A good starting question would be why the fuck to we give a shit (base the bailout on a Dow drop) about the Dow when we throw $700,000,000,000,000 out the door to assuage the market and the market immediately thereafter responds by involuntarily shoving 1,000 or so in points in loss (10%) up the taxpayer's arse?
  • tbhull · 1 year ago
    As a rational and meaningful alternative I say we sacrifice the fat bastard Carl Rove on national TV to see if it makes a difference in the DOW. Without completely selling out to the supernatural, we should immediately thereafter render the almost infinite amount of lard off Rove's freshly dead fat arse in order to heat Boston for at least a weeeknd.
  • mccainbush08 · 1 year ago
    And it's 1, 2, 3, what are we fighting for?

    http://snipurl.com/462em

    dk
  • erick28 · 1 year ago
    there you go... i posted my comment on this and thought i was wrong. I am glad you have the footage. Thank you for a great job.
  • grandma · 1 year ago
    Unbelievable......just totally unbelievable.....won't even shake his hand ??!!...

    Either he is a complete jerk or in his second childhood.....or both....

    What an absolute disgrace Mr McCain has shown himself to be.
  • FunMe · 1 year ago
    OMG you are right.

    I saw that ... but wasn't sure. Now I am.

    with his "this one" remark and "this behavior"... it is OVAH for McCrazyCain!
  • Butch1 · 1 year ago
    Interesting that McCain patted Obama on the back getting his attention only to refer him to his wife for shaking hands, it was then, that Obama turned around with his wife and walked in another direction.
  • aquarius2 · 1 year ago
    I keep saying, Brokaw did the same thing at the end. Obama was talking to him and it looked like he extended his hand and Brokaw just turned his back on him and walked away.
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    Watching CNN again and Hillary Clinton supporter, David Gergen, said he doesn't think Obama is going to win because he is black! You can tell Gergen HATES to see Obama do well.
  • aquarius2 · 1 year ago
    Hate to say it but Gergen may have a point. I know Obama is ahead in almost all polls BUT what will those voters do in the booth. We all saw what happened to Kerry.
  • tbhull · 1 year ago
    It is called the Tom Bradley effect. Obama needs to be ahead by at 3% to win. IMO 5%.
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    I'm hoping he is ahead by 10% because of Republican cheating.
  • tbhull · 1 year ago
    The Diebold effect?
  • TXfemmom · 1 year ago
    This time, however, I don't think the country is going to meekly stand by and let the Republicans steal it. If they do, I think there will be civil disobedience to a degree not seen since the Revolution.
  • Milli · 1 year ago
    I totally agree.
  • MC_Haiku · 1 year ago
    i think he is ahead by 20% ... one of the most conservative financial guys - he thinks the wall street journal is left wing - i know is voting for Obama.

    yes, if they try to diebold this one, i think lots of us will be going to states to make sure votes get counted properly.
  • HarpoSnarx · 1 year ago
    I don't know why both Obamas bothered - oh yeah, if they spurned the krackers' handshakes, MEDIA MELTDOWN.

    Is it possible that McSame just topped his Simian mentor on the loathesome scale?
  • MC_Haiku · 1 year ago
    Do you mean Alfred E. Powerbottom, current occupant of the Oval Office?

    Hard to top him, i mean, in a cultural manner, but maybe we could call it a draw as of now.
  • Griffon · 1 year ago
    Geez, what a 2-year-old. Watch the section of the debate starting when Obama calls McCain on his "bomb-bomb-Iran" comment. Not only does McCain look like he got slapped, but following Obama's comment, McCain begins with a practically incoherent reply. That was the "Dope-Slap" moment for me...McCain is probably punching walls tonight.
  • Milli · 1 year ago
    I feel some degree of pity for Cindy (emphasis on some). He's gonna implode after this is all said and done. Ten bucks says she divorces him when this is all over.
  • lovepeaceandallthat · 1 year ago
    Or punch his wife. :-(
  • SociologistTina · 1 year ago
    That's not funny. I think comments advocated violence toward women should be deleted.
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    Andrew Rice debated Jim Inhofe tonight and kicked his ass:

    http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/decision/debat...

    If you are SICK of Jim Inhofe. Show Andrew Rice some love at:

    http://www.andrewforoklahoma.com/
  • David_in_Toronto · 1 year ago
    That's pretty frightening. I had to shake Bob Dole's hand once. Believe me I tried to avoid it, but he walked up to me. It's part of being an adult, a civil adult, and if you'll forgive me, it has something to do with self discipline. I would never have said, Bob Dole, you're our greatest statesman, and shaking his hand was difficult. But isn't that necessary if you want to reach across the aisle? Or just be decent?
  • lovepeaceandallthat · 1 year ago
    I think the handshake is a very deep gesture. It is communicating that the other exists, and has as much right to walk on this planet as you do. You are saying "we are essentially alike, the same species." You can really, really not like someone and still honestly in your heart acknowlege their humaness.

    To NOT shake someone's hand is incredibly horrible... it is saying you DON'T exist as a human being like I exist. You are nothing. You don't deserve to be in my world. You are garbage and I won't protect you from harm. Scary!!!!!!!

    I hope this gets emailed around.... people will resonate with this big time. (Do we know for a fact that he didn't shake his hand earlier? And BROKAW also refused his hand?!)

    My god, they are soooooooo angry that he might win!!
  • JamieinAZ · 1 year ago
    I know you probably like to keep this clean but the only way to describe McCain is as a dickhead.
  • Bush_Bites · 1 year ago
    Dealing with McCain is easy compared to dealing with Hillary.

    It's like when the team from the best league comes into the world series and you know they're going to win because they had the really tough playoff games.
  • TXfemmom · 1 year ago
    At this time and place, making disparaging remarks about Hillary is not a good thing for anyone to do, and it is divisive. If you think it is a smart thing to say, then you must love Cheney.
  • HereinDC · 1 year ago
    I think they shook hands AFTER the debate when McCain walked in front of the teleprompter....and the Brocaw told them to get out of the way.
  • akonuche · 1 year ago
    I think that is the case as well, but I suppose until somebody reviews that part of the video, we won't know for sure. But I'm not certain that portion was broadcast. I think they cut to them just as they were pulling away, so I'm supposing that they did in fact shake hands at that point because at the time, I had thought that that was what they were doing.

    I really don't want us to go saying that McCain refused to shake Obama's hand at all if he did earlier. However, if he didn't, then feel free to rake him over the coals for the disrespect of a fellow Senator.
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    Cindy McCain is asked to shake the hands of average Americans:

    http://img154.exs.cx/img154/2079/superstar5tr.jpg
  • High Crimes & Misdemeanors · 1 year ago
    once a bigot always a bigot.... it is possible he is a member of the CCC - http://cofcc.org/
  • aquarius2 · 1 year ago
    From Politico---Obama wins the day!

    http://www.politico.com/gameday/
  • shanobama · 1 year ago
    I guess he thought a pat on the back was fine? McNasty offering his wife instead? A.w.k.w.a.r.d.
  • AdmNaismith · 1 year ago
    I didn't notice the snub. I was transfixed by the GIANT, SHINY ZIPPER on the back of Michelle's dress. Who dresses this woman?
  • mirth · 1 year ago
    Ding!Ding!Ding!

    We have a winner for Most Shallow Comment tonight.

    FYI: This year Michelle, for the 2nd year, topped the Vanity Fair International Best Dressed list. As is usual with her clothing choices and how well she wears them, "this woman" was stunning tonight in her red dress. Of course unlike uptight prigs, one needs to color outside the lines to recognize good fashion statements.

    Sheesh
  • AdmNaismith · 1 year ago
    I was BLINDED by the zipper on camera (from half-way across the
    auditorium).
    That was not a well-constructed dress, and she needs someone in her camp
    to tell her what will look good on camera for events like this.
    It's what a good stylist or dresser is for.
    --
    Adam D. Sperry, C.A.S.
    N. Hollywood, CA, USA
    818 982 8105
  • akonuche · 1 year ago
    When I saw that live, I thought that maybe I had missed the handshake or that they had actually shook hands when Brokaw told them that they were blocking the teleprompter.
  • hawkseye · 1 year ago
    I thought the same thing.
  • HereinDC · 1 year ago
    BTW,
    Rachel Maddow will be on Jay Leno Thursday Night.
  • Stevious · 1 year ago
    I had to play that one back on the DVR right after it happened to see McCain blow off the Obama handshake...
  • Methuselah · 1 year ago
    actually, at the very end of the debate Obama and McCain came together and shook hands at that moment when Brokaw was trying to read his TelePrompter. It was visible on the master shot that they did have a cordial handshake immediately after Brokaw declared it done.
  • donotmakemecomedownthere · 1 year ago
    Again, he shook his hand earlier, when Brokaw screwed up.

    Let`s pick our battles, people.
  • akonuche · 1 year ago
    Yes, I think they did as well.

    John, please review the debate footage around the point where Brokaw tells them to get the frick out of the way because I do think that is where they shook hands.
  • Ellie · 1 year ago
    I don't care if I hug or shake hands when I first see them, I will always reciprocate when they make the gesture again. It's called being POLITE.
  • sweetauntfanny · 1 year ago
    I really don't think this was an intentional slight. (No, I can't stand McCain either!) I think they shook hands when they blocked the teleprompter, then this is McCain presenting Cindy to Barack. Barack, I think, at first thought McCain was trying to shake hands again and therefore reached out to him, but McCain seemed to intend to present Cindy. Would it have hurt him to shake hands again with Barack? No. But I'm much more pissed at the "that one" slight than this.
  • hawkseye · 1 year ago
    I am glad you pointed that out.
  • zorbinlbl · 1 year ago
    He was infront of the camera...duh... of course he had to play the part of a caring big man
  • TXfemmom · 1 year ago
    It wasn't just John McCain. Did anyone notice Cindy McCain? She put her hands behind her back, like she was afraid to touch or engage anyone. That means do not approach me. She did that to the entire audience. Michelle, on the other hand, warmly shook the hand of all who wanted, and discussed and engaged with people. John is imperial and dismissive of anyone who doesn't see things his way, and refers to the Democratic nominee for President as THAT ONE, and refused to shake his hand, and the wifey refuses to shake hands with any of the PEONS.
  • sisterfaith · 1 year ago
    I saw that too TXfemmom.....and the way Michelle seems to engage people reminds me of the way Princess Di seemed to be able to connect .....and Lady McSame....shadowed Sir John with her hands behind her back.
  • Ellie · 1 year ago
    You know, between the "that one" comment and this obvious diss, I think I am going to finish off this Southern Comfort and go to sleep.
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    Soledad is with the UNDECIDEDS in Ohio. Oh joy, lets keep going back and hearing from the crowd who can't sh*t or get off the pot! Their dials went crazy for Obama tonight, but after having a good talking to by the pundits they are now saying the majority of them would vote for McCain. What a BUNCH of IDIOTS! Also, only SEVEN of them will now say they got enough information to make a decision. IDIOTS! DON'T VOTE - PLEASE DON'T VOTE if you can't make up your mind by now. Just don't do it. This last EIGHT YEARS is due to idiots who wandered to the polls and voted for the guy that made them giggle or against the "geeky guy" with all the boring policy answers!
  • aquarius2 · 1 year ago
    I have to think these people have NO clue what is happening to our economy, to our health care. They are undecided because they are lazy. How they were picked or why they were picked might provide a clue. I wish someone would ask them if they even read a newspaper much less read the internet.
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    agreed.
  • cyninbend · 1 year ago
    I am as incredulous as you. They dialed for Obama but then vote for the opposite? Are they just too stupid to make up their minds or absorb facts, digest information, etc? I wish someone would give simple IQ tests to these undecideds. I am dying to know if they are the ones who sit on the highway unable to merge or use the off ramp, wander around the produce dept. unable to decide on their dinner....and the women who say they had no idea they were pregnant until the baby fell out....
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    "cyninbend"

    I get outraged every election when they give these idiots special treatment. I would guess their IQs are probably in the 90 - 110 range, but they do not have ANY logic abilities. They do not learn by observation but memorize things. They are passive people and I do believe they are the ones who can't merge in traffic and wander around the super market like lost sheep. In fact, they are SHEEP in a human's body and I have NO RESPECT for them. I guess they serve their purpose, but they SURE AS HELL should not be voting! I don't know WHY they think they need to vote when they MUST know they don't have the mental faculties to make a good decision.
  • Mark in Florida · 1 year ago
    Yes, I feel the same way. For god sake, do your homework and read the candidates websites.
  • MNUSA · 1 year ago
    Personally, I think they enjoy the attention.
  • sisterfaith · 1 year ago
    I agree cowboyneok........If the last eight years ain't enough.....there is no hope for these people.
  • Joe_Bourgeois · 1 year ago
    This meme -- that McCain wouldn't shake Obama's hand, when Obama offered -- needs to be propagated as much as possible. It's a fundamental mistake in terms of basic sportsmanship, in terms of the way most people were raised.
  • Gary SF · 1 year ago
    He's never touched a black man and not gonna start now.
  • Indigo · 1 year ago
    Exactly!
  • Busboy · 1 year ago
    Why would Brokaw want to shake hands with a guy whose tax policy would cost Tom millions of dollars a year?
  • lov446 · 1 year ago
    I thought that Brokaw was rude to Obama, and distracted from the program always telling Obama to stop talking.
  • Busboy · 1 year ago
    Obama constantly superceded his time limit and was trying to take over the debate from the moderator. Didn't you hear the warnings?
  • lov446 · 1 year ago
    Brokaw was rude! Look at what Palin did! Barack tried to ans. the questions at least. Is the debate about the moderator or the candidates????
  • justndav32 · 1 year ago
    McCains a cocksucker, and I know cocksuckers; Im a cocksucker. Unfortunately McCains teeth may come out when he's blowing someone, I just dont want him blowing the country collectively.
  • RainbowPhoenix · 1 year ago
    Thank you for those disturbing images.
  • lost_nacf_gop · 1 year ago
    What an assh*le
  • sittenpretty · 1 year ago
    another SORE LOOSERMAN
  • lov446 · 1 year ago
    I did not appreciate Tom Brokaw as moderator. He drew too much attention to himself, and became a distraction; always correcting everybody, even in the end concerning the tele-prompter.
  • Mark in Florida · 1 year ago
    McCain looked cranky.....Then like brave sir Robin, he bravely ran away.....
  • FauxReal · 1 year ago
    I certainly didn't see it that way. They shook hands immediately after the debate. What I saw here was McCain presenting his wife to Obama for a greeting.
  • MNUSA · 1 year ago
    To me, it appeared that McCain tapped Obama on the back to get his attention then directed him to his wife. Obama has spent the entire campaign treating McCain in a respectful and friendly manner.
  • zorbinlbl · 1 year ago
    Well, I noticed at the end of the debate that Sen. McCain was busy just shaking hands with all the men while Sen. Obama was shaking hands with both men and women plus having his picture taken with them. Then when Sen. McCain tapped Sen. Obama on his left shoulder while standing to his right (like when a child does it to make you spin around) and Sen. Obama went to his left to acknowledge Sen. McCain tapping him, Sen. McCain stepped back and away from Sen. Obama extending his hand to Sen. McCain, so instead Sen. Obama then greeted and acknowledged Sen. McCain's wife and little taken aback from the whole ordeal. Then Sen. Obama walked away and continued to greet the audience. That was very distasteful of Sen. McCain and he really showed EXACTLY how he really is. Plus, Sen. McCain walked around very stiff when he spoke and uncomfortable about the whole debate, as if he was being controlled by someone with an Atari game controller, while Sen. Obama was calm, cool and collective.

    The biggest thing that makes me applaud Sen. Obama is how he will not lower himself to Sen. McCain's level of c___p and when answering the question about health care that it is a RIGHT, not a responsibility.

    I haven't voted since 2000, but I will now for I believe my vote will count this time and I will be voting for Sen. Obama. He gives me hope, something that I haven't had for a very long time. And for all of you out there: My family was born and raised Rep. for generations, but in 2000 we changed to independent because there was no way in H___ we were going to vote for Bush, we decided to vote for the man not for the political party.

    WE BELIEVE IN "CHANGE WE NEED"
  • ewastud · 1 year ago
    You are making way to big a deal of the handshake thing. The social situation they were in was common and complicated, like many that I have been in before. Both candidates and their respective wives were looking and talking simultaneously in a couple different directions at once among themselves and didn't coordinate their handshakes properly in the confusion of the moment. It looks to me that McCain belatedly put out his hand for Obama after he realized that Obama shook his wife's hand instead when McCain didn't respond immediately.

    Although the disdain showed for Obama is real in referring to his opponent as "that one" at one point in the debate. McCain is very cold and uncivil toward his political opponents and it does not speak well for anyone who hopes to become presidnet to behave that way.
  • zorbinlbl · 1 year ago
    Ok, then explain why McCain was just shaking men's hands until he was over by Obama who was shaking everyone's hand, and then and only then did McCain shake a woman's hand....it is kinda of funny, my spouse was in the kitchen getting a drink of water when the debate was on and asked if Bush was talking, I replied, "No, it was McCain...the other Bush."
  • Oliver9875 · 1 year ago
    No, no -- they shook hands and man-hugged right before that, just when Tom Brokaw asked them to move out of the way so he could read his prompter. CNN and a couple networks weren't showing that camera angle, but ABC was: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3K_MKwVBZRY&eurl=...

    The perceived slight was in fact McCain re-introducing Obama to Cindy, which caused Obama to redirect his handshake toward her.
  • sisterfaith · 1 year ago
    What struck me.....Michelle was talking and shaking hands with people in the audience......Cindy, on the other hand, was shadowing McSame with her hands behind her back...........and the vapid smile on her frozen face.
  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    Cindy McCain was NEUROTIC!!! Afraid to touch the average "commoner" American people. It was weird. It reminded me of Mary Catherin Gallagher in an amusing way:

    http://img154.exs.cx/img154/2079/superstar5tr.jpg
  • DeathBySnooSnoo · 1 year ago
    Really, John, this is a NON-issue. How many times have you been at a party and been so flustered by all the people you have to greet that you miss a handshake? He didn't refuse the handshake, he just missed it because he was looking Obama in the eye. In fact, he shook Obama's hand moments earlier, right after the debate.

    I'm not voting for Skeletor / Evil-Lyn, but let's attack them on the real issues, rather than go all Fox-Newsy with fake outrage over bullshit.
  • xxxevilgrinxxx · 1 year ago
    That is so tacky and, with all due respect to the commenter previous, a presidential debate is not a house-or-any-other-sort-of party. This man is supposed to be showing us why he should be chosen for one of, if not the most powerful positions in the world. Getting flustered is not an option. Being rude is not an option. Being pissy is not an option. It was tacky.
  • GaryB · 1 year ago
    What a load of tripe! What would become of us if we didn't have Wolf or his ILK to tell us what reality is?? I know; we would evolve into Conservatives. This was an imaginary slight made up by an exuberant pseudo journalist wanting something sensational to say. There is no more apparent disdain from McCain for Obama than Obama for McCain. These men are not buddies & they don't owe anyone any more than common courtesy. Get a life Wolf!