John McCain, Pony Fan

David Weigel | July 13, 2007

I signed in to a John McCain blogger conference call just now and my eyes widened after he answered a question about what will happen in September vis-a-vis the Iraq debate.

If Gen. Petraeus comes back in September and says, “Look, here’s where we are showing some progress, and here’s what I think will happen if we got out in the next 90 days,” I think that would have an impact. Gen. Petraeus is one of the most one of the most dynamic military figures we've encountered and if people could see him up close they would be impressed. But maybe I’m just digging for the pony.

This is the second time McCain's made a prediction about Iraq and said "I'm digging for the pony." The first time, three months ago, he predicted Moqtada al Sadr would back down from confrontation with U.S. troops surging in Baghdad.

He never found that pony.

(Some quick praise for the conservative bloggers on the call: They were less interested in poking at McCain's campaign troubles or raking him over the coals on immigration than they were in details about Iraq.)

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Comments

von Laue|7.13.07 @ 3:12PM|#

Digging for the pony? Is that like digging for fire?

|7.13.07 @ 3:20PM|#

Is he looking for the mother lode?

von Laue|7.13.07 @ 3:21PM|#

Huh? No.

TLB|7.13.07 @ 3:24PM|#

I suspect that most of those allowed to ask questions have been pre-screened for docility or for being lightweights (Althouse). On a related note, I was banned by CaptainsQuarters when I pointed out the puffball nature of an interview he did*.

Hey, perhaps Weigel might point out that the major bloggers are just like mini versions of the MSM, instead of celebrating it as he does above. Being access-addled puffball questioners isn't something to praise.

* It was his radio interview with MikeHuckabee. He replied with a comment to the comment I left in which he accused me of being a light poster (I used my Typepad account linking to a site other than my main account), then never allowed me to post a followup comment. Both my comment and his comment in reply were later deleted. I'm sure you're glad to know all that.

|7.13.07 @ 3:25PM|#

No my child, this is not his desire.

|7.13.07 @ 3:26PM|#

Like him or hate him, you have to enjoy the use of "find the pony."

|7.13.07 @ 3:30PM|#

And if General Patreus comes back in September and says, "We haven't achieved squat," I predict McCain will declare that the next six months are critical.

|7.13.07 @ 3:33PM|#

I hate him (except for his "Let's not torture people" leadership) and yes, I find his "find the pony" reference most amusing. When I picture him digging, I even laugh out loud.

von Laue|7.13.07 @ 3:44PM|#

it must be obscure, de stijl, no one else wants to play.

(This old man, who spent so much of his life sleeping...)

|7.13.07 @ 3:47PM|#

I hate him (except for his "Let's not torture people" leadership) and yes, I find his "find the pony" reference most amusing.

I hate anyone that ever had a pony when they were growing up. ;)

|7.13.07 @ 3:48PM|#

I know where that pony lives.

You can often finder her kneeling inside of her walls.

|7.13.07 @ 3:53PM|#

Once again, lol@McCain. Hes getting really pathetic.

Seer|7.13.07 @ 3:58PM|#

Someone needs to put this pony down before it suffers too much longer.

von Laue|7.13.07 @ 4:00PM|#

yay joe!

Bryan|7.13.07 @ 4:06PM|#

Dave,
I am sure you picked up the slack and questioned him about his campaign and finance reform plenty. The rest of the bloggers were probably as bored by it as the rest of us.

Dave Weigel|7.13.07 @ 4:39PM|#

I am sure you picked up the slack and questioned him about his campaign and finance reform plenty.

Didn't get to. Questioners were called on by the moderator based on a list of people who punched *1 at the start of the call. I was on hold before entering the call and missed that sign-up period.

MattXIV|7.13.07 @ 5:08PM|#

Someone needs to put this pony down before it suffers too much longer.

Don't worry, if it's in there, McCain will find it. He has spent so much of his life sleeping that he is able to keep awake for the rest of his years.

|7.13.07 @ 5:09PM|#

"Moqtada al Sadr would back down from confrontation with U.S. troops surging in Baghdad."

FYI: Sadr has once again fled to Iran. But feel free to talk shit if that's what gets you hard.

|7.13.07 @ 5:15PM|#

That's really useful, because the problem everyone is afraid of is Mooke himself, all alone, coming out to fight U.S. troops.

Phew, good thing that's taken care of!

D.A. Ridgely|7.13.07 @ 5:50PM|#

Pity he didn't say "But maybe I'm just digging my ass."

|7.13.07 @ 10:42PM|#

hes betting on the bull in the heather

|7.14.07 @ 1:16PM|#

The unintentional comedy of Weigel trying to snark McCain over his prediction that oh wait actually came true is pretty amusing.