“I don’t expect to be a great communicator”

So what is Senator John McCain’s proper frame? Is he the folksy senior senator that is a “straight-talker” or is he a disengaged buffoon? Does he speak truth or is it double-talk? Is he a maverick or does he abide by the party line? The truth is clearly not what he says it is.

But here is something that is pretty interesting. Sen. McCain is a luddite. He is technologically ignorant and willfully so. Recent stumbles on the campaign trail have involved his ignorance about basic concepts such as web-browsing (“it’s a Google”), his aides reassuringly tell us that “[the Senator] is aware of the internet”, but the latest is really cute. Sen. John McCain is learning how to use the internet! Well, by golly, that shows what a real maverick he is: he avoided the internet when it was just a fad but shows he is willing to learn something that he doesn’t have the slightest interest in. Now that’s presidential!

In a New York Times story from Sunday, McCain reveals this bombshell:

“They go on for me, I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself.”

McCain can find the internet on his personal computer now! Holy cow! But there’s more!

“I don’t expect to be a great communicator,”

You don’t really need that skill as a president…

Funny enough—doesn’t this prove his true distance from the beloved, perfect human specimen that is Ronald Reagan? Shouldn’t Republicans see this as a bad sign? Oh, but he was in the middle of telling us about his internet exploits. Everyone, with rapt attention.

“I don’t expect to set up my own blog,”

Oh! He meant directly communicating with the written word! He didn’t actually mean speaking in front of people reading other people’s words! Oh, well then! Kudos, John, for that good ol’ fashion straight-talkin’!

“but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need.”

Oooh! I likey! He actually goes to reliable sources such as the New York Times then! He looks up what experts on issues have to say. That isn’t so bad, really…

The article continues by saying:

Asked which blogs he read, he said: “Brooke and Mark show me Drudge, obviously. Everybody watches, for better or for worse, Drudge. Sometimes I look at Politico. Sometimes RealPolitics.”

Wait. Drudge? The Drudge Report. That’s the first thing he mentions? The E! equivalent for conservative gossip? The political OK! Magazine specializing in rumor and innuendo? The other two are better—but he only visits them “sometimes”. And what’s with the “watching” of the Drudge Report? Is he misspeaking by saying the wrong word (ie. read) or is he misspeaking by actually implying that he isn’t going online himself, but watching as someone else does? McCain actually reads blogs over other people’s shoulders! The man can change! That’s teaching this old dog a new trick…if by teaching you mean shoving something in their face and having them do what they ordinarily do when it is in front of them: read it.

At that point, Mrs. McCain, who had been intensely engaged with her BlackBerry, looked up and chastised her husband. “Meghan’s blog!” she said, reminding him of their daughter’s blog on his campaign Web site. “Meghan’s blog,” he said sheepishly.

So Cindy McCain proves to the world that they have the most stereotypical relationship ever constructed by wearing the family’s pants. But worse, it shows two incredibily scary things about McCain.

1. He doesn’t make his daughter a priority. Imagine if a Democratic candidate forgot to go to his/her daughter’s soccer game.
2. He is ignorant of how his campaign is marketing him. He is unaware of his own website and his daughter’s blog on it. This speaks volumes about his willingness to let those around him “handle” him. This became incredibly dangerous under Bush II, as Vice President Dick Cheney has been given free reign to do and say what he wants and the president has been insulated not only from public opinion, but from the happenings within his own administration. They hand him a piece of paper and say “We need this to stop the terrorists” and he signs it saying, “Well, in that case!” McCain is exactly the same.

As he answered questions, sipping a cup of coffee with his tie tight around his neck, his aides stared down at their BlackBerries.

As they tapped, Mr. McCain said he did not use a BlackBerry, though he regularly reads messages on those of his aides. “I don’t e-mail, I’ve never felt the particular need to e-mail,” Mr. McCain said.

This if further proof of McCain’s detachment, not only from technological advances of the last 15-20 years, but that he shows neither curiosity, nor respect for them. His statement “I’ve never felt the particular need to e-mail” reveals so much about the man.

1. He doesn’t do it.
2. He is not inclined and doesn’t plan to do it.
3. His communication needs are restricted to person-to-person contact (including the phone).
4. He allows others to direct his communications.
5. He is disinterested in communicating with people in their preferred mode.
6. He is unwilling to develop a variety of strengths.
7. He lacks the vision and ability to recognize the benefits of this mode of communication.

Does McCain still sound folksy? Do you still think he’s a straight-talker?

Here’s a point of interesting reference: In 2000, VP Al Gore touted his interest in technologies and trumpeted his ability to recognize a good thing when he saw it by reminding the world that his leadership in the Senate was instrumental in the creation of the internet; eight years later we have a candidate who is happily “aware” of the internet and watches “the Google”. Now that’s real progress.