Monday, April 07, 2008

Book reveals McCain's temper in calling wife a "cunt"

I'm not so sure how to respond to this story. I found the story through Shakesville, with the original source coming from Raw Story. But I'm also seeing the story posted on Americablog, Daily Kos, and Crooks and Liars. The original source story is Raw Story:

John McCain's temper is well documented. He's called opponents and colleagues "shitheads," "assholes" and in at least one case "a fucking jerk."

But a new book on the presumptive Republican nominee will air perhaps the most shocking angry exchange to date.

The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter, which will arrive in bookstores next month, reports an angry exchange between McCain and his wife that happened in full view of aides and reporters during a 1992 campaign stop. An advance copy of the book was obtained by RAW STORY.

Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain's intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

The man who was known as "McNasty" in high school has erupted in foul-languaged tirades at political foes and congressional colleagues more-or-less throughout his career, and his quickness to anger has been an issue on the presidential campaign trail as evidence of his fury has surfaced.

As Schecter notes, McCain's rage is not limited to the political spectrum, and even his family cannot be spared the brute force of his anger.

Now I don't know if this incident actually took place or not. Schecter lifted this story from three anonymous reporters, so I can't say how accurate this story really is. And I'm not going to get into any commentary as to Senator John McCain's supposed use of the word "cunt" to his wife. I will admit that it is a rather degenerating and reprehensible word that any husband can use against his wife, and any husband that uses such a word should deserve a punch in the mouth. But the linking of McCain to this story does say something about McCain's explosive temper here. It is a temper that is quick, and potentially unbalanced. The nightmare scenario here would be for a confused President McCain to lash out in quick anger over a rapidly developing crisis--without having the ability to stop, control your emotions, and objectively look at the crisis and the options you can make as president. And that is a real danger, when you consider that a President McCain will have his finger on the nuclear trigger. Do we really want President McCain to nuke Iran?

I found this interesting quote through a NewsMax article discussing McCain's temper:

When people have come forward to relate their bizarre experiences with McCain, only minor publications or the foreign press have run their accounts. The favored treatment is reminiscent of the way the press turned a blind eye to John F. Kennedy's dalliances — except that voters have far more need to know about evidence of instability than presidential infidelities.

"The White House is a character crucible," according to Bertram S. Brown, M.D., a psychiatrist who formerly headed the National Institute of Mental Health and was an aide to President John F. Kennedy. "It either creates or distorts character . . . . Even if an individual is balanced, once someone becomes president, how does one solve the conundrum of staying real and somewhat humble when one is surrounded by the most powerful office in the land and from becoming overwhelmed by an at times pathological environment that treats you every day as an emperor?

"Here is where the true strength of the character of the person, not his past accomplishments, will determine whether his presidency ends in accomplishment or failure."

This quote really does say something about the need for emotional maturity within the president. The White House is a character crucible [that] either creates or distorts character. A president will be living and working in a powerful office, 24-hours-a-day, surrounded by "Yes Men" hoping to stay on the president's good graces, and not have to deliver the really bad news. A president living in this environment must be able to gather both the good and bad information from his aids without having to blow up in an irrational manner. A president will need a great amount of humility when stepping into the Oval Office because everyone will treat you with the reverence of an emperor--and that reverence could go quickly into a president's head. A president will need emotional maturity when dealing with members of the congressional leadership, lobbyists, foreign leaders, ambassadors, and a whole host of other people who do not agree with the president's ideology, or his political policies--you don't tell your political opponent that they are "shitheads" or "assholes" in front of their faces, just because they don't agree with you. And most importantly, a president will need to quickly learn the art of compromise in order to get your political agenda through. Does McCain have this type of emotional maturity in order to become president? I don't think so.

And it scares me to think that McCain could become president in November.

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