Wait, Wait... John McCain Served in Vietnam?

David Weigel | August 30, 2007

Kathryn Jean Lopez giddily posts the new Mitt Romney campaign vid in which the iron governor jogs through a scenic forest with nary any damage to his hair enamel.

I think I also hear some of the guys in the Team Romney headquarters in Boston saying, "I'd like to see, Fred, Rudy, or McCain try that."

To be fair, I hear that Fred Thompson did try to cut an ad like this but couldn't get the Active Mobility scooter to reach the right velocity. McCain's campaign responded to Lopez:

Mark Salter of Team McCain e-mailed me that McCain "Courageous" mini-documentary with the note: "And we'd like to see Mitt try this."

"This" is a video about McCain's service in Vietnam and the torture he survived in the Hanoi Hilton.

Well-edited, powerful stuff. Unfortunately, it's all information we learned back in 1999 and 2000 when John McCain and Mark Salter published a best-selling book about his time in Vietnam. I remember watching college students chase after McCain clutching copies of Faith of My Fathers, begging him to sign them. I'm guessing some of the New Hampshire voters who are turning to Romney and Giuliani this year read the book, and even if they haven't they're aware of McCain's story.

I wonder if McCain got spoiled by his long love affair with the press and reckons voters and reporters will turn their backs on Romnuckabee just in the nick of time to prop him back up. This is a comeback narrative (hero stays true to himself, overcomes adversity, wins election, nukes Iran) without a hook.

Here's another book about McCain.

UPDATE: The clip of John and Cindy McCain in this video is really unfortunate. I don't know if he's slouching or her hair is particularly high but it looks like they're auditioning for roles in Peace and Love: The Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich Story.

Comments

|8.30.07 @ 12:29PM|#

During aviation training in P-cola, McCain crashed his trainer into Corpus Christi Bay. When stationed on the Forrestal he was sitting in his A-4 when it was struck by a rocket accidently fired from an F-4 while preparing to launch; the resulting fire and explosions killed 132, injured 62, and destroyed 20 aircraft. Then he was shot down over Vietnam where he broke both arms and a leg during the eject.

Unlucky? Or worst Naval aviator evar?

Timothy|8.30.07 @ 12:46PM|#

If only Charlie'd done his job right, we wouldn't have to watch this insufferable jackass prattle on about nuking the shit out of things.

|8.30.07 @ 12:55PM|#

Vietnam bragging?

I guess McCain is the new John Kerry. And Thursday is the new Friday.

|8.30.07 @ 1:11PM|#

1. McCain is sitting well back from Cindy in that photo. Compare their shoulders and heads.

2. McCain was in the plane that got shot on the Forrestal?!? OMG, talk about your lousy luck!

3. McCain didn't start this slapfight, and Romney posing as manly-man because he's 20 years younger than his opponents is just begging for this takedown.

T|8.30.07 @ 1:19PM|#

Timothy,

Damn, you're brutal. Poor old guy obviously left his sanity and reading comprehension in that tiger cage, so cut him some slack. It ain't his fault he's frothing, barking insane.

Of course, don't let your sympathy make you vote for the addled old bat. He's still done more damage to the Constitution than the last 3 presidents combined.

Dave Weigel|8.30.07 @ 1:19PM|#

3. McCain didn't start this slapfight, and Romney posing as manly-man because he's 20 years younger than his opponents is just begging for this takedown.

He's only five years younger than Fred Thompson, who looks like a corpse. I think he was the target of the ad. From Romney's perspective McCain has already been vanquished.

|8.30.07 @ 2:25PM|#

de stijl

I hate to tell you but there is no was McCain crashed his plane into Corpus Christi Bay when he was at P-cola. CC Bay is in Corpus Christi Texas.

sick of it|8.30.07 @ 2:34PM|#

He's a fucking American hero, and the ripping he takes from commentators on this site is either shortsighted, personally motivated or ignorant. To say he's done more to damage the constitution than any one of the past three president, much less all of them, is about the stupidest thing I have read, well, in the past 18 years combined. I understand that a lot of you have your own problems with Campaign Finance Reform. Fine. But he didn't pass it himself. Your myopic focus on the issue as it relates to the man shows a sever losers complex. Move on. Seriously. Move the fuck on.

Everything about the comments in this post shows why libertarians will never be taken seriously as a political movement. Its great to be principled. And I definitely don't agree with everything McCain stands for. But as independents and freedom lovers, we should be thrilled by a candidate that is a) a strong opponent to the pork spending and politic log-rolling of Congress; and b) not afraid to take on his own party when he thinks they are wrong. Too many of our politicians now days are more than ready to spend all of our money on special projects for their home district, and go along with shit proposals by their party to keep their place in the power elite and a desire to "win" over doing what is best for the country. For all of his lumps, and there are many, McCain has neither of these problems. Those are the biggest flaws with politicians now days and you all are too cynical or stupid to recognize when someone breaks the cycle.

In conclusion, fuck you, you fucking jackasses.

|8.30.07 @ 2:50PM|#

tom tom,

Sorry - the source I was using listed both Pensacola and Corpus Christi where he trained, but I missed CC when I read it because my eyes jumped ahead to his crashing his trainer jet.

Scooby|8.30.07 @ 2:58PM|#

Hmmm... a McCain backer accusing others of having a "sever losers complex." Interesting.

I don't know about "more damage ... than the last 3 presidents combined", since he had a lot of accomplices. He is at least as responsible as any of the numerous others involved, since he led the charge (to assuage his own guilty conscience).

|8.30.07 @ 3:16PM|#

He's a fucking American hero, and the ripping he takes from commentators on this site is either shortsighted, personally motivated or ignorant. . . . In conclusion, fuck you, you fucking jackasses.

Drink! And then again. And again. And... again. There goes the afternoon...

highnumber|8.30.07 @ 3:17PM|#

He may be anti-freedom, and pro-war, but at least he's honest?

Great. I'm bloody f*cking thrilled for him.

|8.30.07 @ 7:57PM|#

A covert DoooonnnnnnddddeeeeeeerrrrrrroooooOOOOO!!!!

|8.31.07 @ 1:23AM|#

McCain's family's service knocks pretty boy Romney out of the box. McCain endured years of brutal torture when he could have just raised the flag and came home. The government passes a law (banning polygamy)and his ancestors move to Mexico and then back when convenient.

I will be voting McCain-character counts.

mike|8.31.07 @ 1:36PM|#

I think Ron Paul could run circles, literally, around all of them.

John|8.31.07 @ 5:29PM|#

I am a libertarian-conservative and I will be voting for John McCain. Ron Paul is great and all, but he is not a leader. He comes off as whiny and obsessive. Hope for America is crap. Ronald Reagan inspired people, Ron Paul does not and I think he should stop comparing himself to Reagan. And what about Ron Paul's support for massive unprincipled pork barrel spending in his own district? John McCain has integrity, honesty, and will bring conservative reform. All the other candidates are just rhetoricians who will pull a George Bush once elected.

Leadership. Character. Integrity. They matter as much as the issues because without these three principles any meaningful (promised) reform means little.

atrevete|9.1.07 @ 2:40AM|#

Cindy McCain has had bad hair in every picture I've ever seen of her. Either white and supershort or like in this picture. Her stylist must be a secret Hillary supporter. Either that or she has no mirrors in her house.

Bryan|9.1.07 @ 3:00PM|#

Ron Paul is great. John McCain is great. We need to get away from this, one guy is good and everyone else is shit outlook. Both McCain and Paul have their own problems. The only person I could elect that I would agree with 100% is myself, and I probably would end up disagreeing with myself from week to week. How about, instead of generalizing, we talk about policies that we like and policies that we disagree with, and hold off on writing anyone off (or agreeing with anyone) completely. Be honest with yourself on a poilcy to policy basis.