Caution: Can Iran cigarette jokes be dangerous to McCain's political health?

Eighteen months into a 22-month presidential campaign, actually his second time around, some might think presumptive Republican nominee John McCain would have learned to knock off the Iran jokes.

The Arizona senator got abundant grief last year for turning the words from the Beach Boys' tune “Barbara Ann” into “Bomb Iran,” and singing the altered chorus in response to a question from a man in South Carolina, who'd asked when the U.S. was going to send an “airmail message” to Iran.

But it seems the straight-talking Arizona senator can’t help himself.

Tuesday while waiting with his wife Cindy for cheesesteaks during a trip to Pittsburgh’s Primanti Bros., a restaurant famous for its thick sandwiches piled high with French fries, an Associated Press reporter asked McCain for comment on the news organization’s report that U.S. exports to Iran increased tenfold during the last seven years — with cigarettes ranking as the top export to Iran.

"Maybe that’s a way of killing them,” McCain responded. He quickly followed up: “I meant that as a joke, as a person who hasn’t had a cigarette in 28 years.”

After his wife corrected him –- it’s actually been 29 years since the veteran's last smoke -- McCain said he’d like to look into the Iran export issue more thoroughly and might have a better answer later.

-- Maeve Reston

Photo credit: Hasan Sarbakhshian / Associated Press

Comments

[jim]

Obviously Americans do not want, or deserve, an honest straight forward president--they crave an illusion whose every word is filtered and PC reviewed by dozens of handlers and controllers. Alexis de Tocqueville was right--A people get the government they deserve.

[Christopher D. Osborn]

Wow, that's some kind a sick joke. The funniest jokes are funny because the person laughing and telling the joke finds truth in it. Now, obviously smoking kills, I have a friend who died from it last week, so the less forward truth of it that made him think it was funny to say had to be his wanting ill for Iran.

I could be wrong, I'm no psychologist, but this really is disturbing stuff combing out of the mouth of a presidential candidate. I hope he was misquoted or something.

Sincerely,

Christopher (Fipher) D. Osborn

[NS]

I'm sure he's lost the pro-Iranian vote now.

And the anti-funny vote.

[s j masty]

why does the LA Times persist in treating these lethal threats as "little jokes" or campaign "gaffes," when it's very clear that he approves of killing iranian civilians or he would not make such comments? You demean important issues by treating everything like a little political contact sport. i would love to see if your paper gave similar coverage to little Jewish jokes from Hitler before he rose to power.

[sterling]

Is McCain less intelligent than I thought? Shockingly stupid thing for a candidate for President to say. It really makes me wonder about his self control.

[Patrick Fitzgerald]

McCain must be utterly senile... that kind of 'joke' is completely unbefitting of a U.S. presidential candidate. For all the general political 'experience' he touts, and the more specific foreign policy years he claims, such lack of control over his own speech when he must be aware of the media attention and the impact of that attention demonstrates an absence of forethought and poise that is downright scary. Obama should be slaughtering this bumbling man in every poll, what gives?

[dorian]

maybe Tucker Bounds can remind McCain that "his words matter". Is this the kind of good judgment we can expect from him as president? yikes. Canada, anyone?

[George S.]

A leader shouldn't stereo type and have ill thoughts about peoples death, innocent or otherwise. His mind set seems to be the same as the current president of Iran. Is that what America needs?

United States of America with its glory is being dragged in to slime by small minded people who want to be leaders. The changes we need so desperately is not for price of gas, it really is about a mindset that would bring us out of this slimy quagmire.

[Gypsy Man]

You people need to take a chill pill. That's nothing compared to what Iran says about us.

BTW, check out this great new website I found, www.notwrightforamerica.com. I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more about how Obama is not WRIGHT for America this fall!

[M Smith]

as an outsider looking in I'd consider McCain more dangerous than the current POTUS, some of the stuff that comes from his mouth is beyond logic, he appeals to the lowest common denominator and that's about it.

[Rocky]

The joke was kind of funny, but what was funnier to me was that he changed tone after his wife poked him in the back! (According to the AP) Talk about rapid response! I find that image so hilarious for some dumb reason.

What's not so funny is going on about appeasement when trade with Iran is up about tenfold under Bush.

[Faranak]

As an Iranian living in Iran i don't look at these comments as little" jokes", we Iranian civilians fear what might happen to our country, to our children. We've experienced war and know all the uggliness it brings. Iran hasn't invaded or attacked another country in centuries we are not savages. How many countries has the US invaded?
Shame on You McCain.
Peace out.
Faranak, Tehran, Iran

[Richard]

Come on give the man a break - he is in his dotage - being a little dotty goes with the stage of life that he has thrown himself into.
Post traumatic disorder would be a natural result of his confinement in the Hanoi Hilton. Just as many of the present Guantanamo POW's will find out 30years down the line.
His mental faculties will match the process of increasing senility whatever happens. Put up with his sick "jokes' a little longer.

[Joe]

McCain = Bush Senior Senior

[Donny]

it's a nasty jokes, very not presidential. But when Iran reacts, he'll just said: Look, Iran wants Obama to be President of the United States. Quite Rovian.

[Thomas Mc]

This is just more evidence that he considers the Iranian people, not the government, to be "the enemy."

We don't need 19th century stupidity in a 21st century leader.

[Bryan]

If you are judging the man based on a joke, then it is very obvious that you dislike him in the first place. Just because someone makes a joke with bad taste, it automatically makes him a terrible person?

Now, if the opposite were with Obama, i'd guarantee that the same things would be said, however, I would defend him aswell.

[Christopher Feld]

This is exactly what America must avoid, bellicose statements like, "wiping Israel off the map." Where do you draw the line between (poor taste in) humor or insidious empty threats?

Saber rattling only increases the belligerence of Iran's hardliners and undermines America's credibility among our allies.

Mr. McCain should offer a formal apology to the Iranian people, the most pro-America Muslim nation, and America's greatest ally in Iran against Islamic fundamentalism.

http://usiranalliance.org

[Dana]

yeah, killing Iranian civilians... boy, that sure is funny!! God, I can't believe this man is actually a candidate for president. I also really wish the media would stop referring to these constant inappropriate comments from McCain as "gaffes". A gaffe is a slip of the tongue, not a comment that reveals what you really think. Most decent human beings would be incapable of making these kinds of "gaffes".

[marc]

Anyone who can't see that what he said was tongue and cheek needs to have his head examined.

What we don't need is a president without a sense of humor...

Half of the problem with progressives over the last 40 years is that many of them lost their sense of humor-- their issues became far too "deadly serious". They forgot how to laugh. They lost their ability to see irony in off the cuff jokes.

[Robert]

Not very smart. But neither the Bush crew nor the Obama strategy addresses hostile nuclear threats. Let's see: North Korea and Iran develop nukes and are actually crazy enough to use them or let the plans "leak" out. Sadaam was a crafty power manipulator who knew when to pull back (like after getting stomped in Gulf War I). So ... let's ignore NK and Iran and attack Iraq! Brilliant!

As far as 'let's just talk to them' - that works only when it's backed up by the intent to do something definitive if the talks don't work. Diplomacy is smarter than war, but only if you actually use all the tools at your disposal including the willingness to have a war, with all the unintended consquences they bring. With Iran, we could do a smart, measured attack (rather than getting into a worse than Iraq scenario) and hope for a change of nut cases in the Iranian government.

In domestic cases, a gaffe is embarrasing to the candidate. With foreign policy, a President should keep his fool mouth shut except for measured statements and fully rehearsed "slips" intended to send a message. "Bomb Iran" could have been one of those messages; this one was just stupid and will engender contempt rather than fear. Joe Iranian hates their own government much rather than the US; we ought to capitalize on that.

[Derek]

Come on people, lighten up, that was pretty funny...

[Andrea]

Oh give it a rest. All you perfect people can go pound sand. I mean hell, we all know you have NEVER said something stupid, derogatory, or plain mean in your life. Bunch of hypocrites.

[Horseman]

McCain is increasingly demonstrating that he's unstable. Just another worn-out military jet pilot and tortuned soul with too much letting his inner demons use his mouth. This whole affair of roughing up the Sandinista in a room full of thugs and guns is probably not a one-off event and we could look forward to see more demonstrations if McCain should be elected.

[Lisa]

Very funny, Mr. McCain, very funny! Reminds me of something that the current buffoon in office might say!

[Rick]

Pro America Muslim nation? What planet are you on? This is the country that refers to us as the Great Satan. They are not pro-American and they have a leader who wants to wipe Israel, our ally and friend, off the map. McCain's comment was just a joke; think it's funny or not funny, but stop making it into something it's not. And, it pales in comparison to what the Iranian nut jobs say about America, Americans and the Jewish State.

[michael]

He sounds like Barry Goldwater re-incarnated.

[Good grief]

Hmmm. Joking about killing Iranians. What a wonderfully Christian Republican thing to do

[sam]

i can't believe how many people are defending this as nothing more than an awkward attempt at humor. what does this joke say to the already paranoid leaders of iran? and worse what does this say about mccain's mindset? about his attitude toward the lives of the millions of innocent people who live in iran? this country is going to be the great foreign policy challenge for the next president and he's out there joking killing iranians? judgement to lead my ass.

[Kevin]

I love this guy! It's really a slam on the tobacco industry.

[Justice]

I thought it was a clever joke!

You people need to "light"en up a little (no pun intended). Obamabots have no sense of humor.

[Nancy]

What an incredibly stupid thing to say. We may not agree with Iran's policies, but to make an idiotic comment about the Iranian people is just wrong. Sure we all make stupid comments, but then again the average Joe is not a presidential candidate. It may have been a joke, but it was in extremely poor taste. I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot we Americans would not appreciate a comment like that, either.

[Able]

This is not the first time senator McCain is making such comment/joke. even he was poked by his wife to dismiss the comment as joke, we all know there is some truth behind every joke made. I am afraid this person has a very sick mind set. Some years ago he was cut calling Vietnamese GOOKS, then of course was forced to apologized. apparently pouring Napalm bombs on innocent civilians in Vietnam has somehow eradicated his sense of human compassion. He appears devoid of qualifications for presidency. but wait, we got George Bush as our president who is also a failed draft ducker, drunk driver and a warmonger. way to go America ...

[rabiator]

Some MaCain stuff is inapropriate, but the Cigarette joke must be the be funniest political comment so far this century? And I guess that the tobacco industry just had their worst day ever.

[Arash K]

I wonder how would his campaign react if some one made a joke that "may be the cheese stake he was eating was a good way to jam his artery and put him out of his miserable old life"?
Is this a president we deserve? If so, it is time again to move to Canada. After 8 years of an intellectually inferior president, a deceiving crew of leaders in his cabinet, staff and surrogates, if we have not learned our lessons shame on us.

[Gena Sansone]

I find it very disturbing how biased the media is. I heard about this cigarette joke just once on the television news and had to search for it on the internet. This comment has huge implications, revealing McCain's deep contempt and vicious regard toward all Iranians, but it received scant attention by the media. Yet every faux pas (or perceived faux pas) that Senator Obama or his surrogates make is aired to death, analyzed and turned into hate ads by the Republicans. Right wing media--why don't you give honest and balanced coverage to both candidates?

[Christopher Feld]

Rick, the majority of Iranians are pro-democratic and pro-American. Who else in the Middle East other than Iranians gathered together and held a Peace Vigil for Americans? An overwhelming majority of Iranians did not vote in the "elections" because they are staged and almost everyone wants an elected Supreme Leader.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0603/p09s02-coop.html

The regime declares America is the "Great Satan." Please make a distinction between Iran's government and the people of Iran. Mr. McCain surely failed to do so.

It is comments like McCain's that alienate otherwise moderate and pro-democratic Iranians and drives their support behind the HIGHLY unpopular fundamentalist regime.

Ahmadinejad's comments cannot be excused either. His are worse because they are used as a political tool to bolster his support internally. But the Iranian people too are our allies so defaming the heritage of Iranian-Americans is surely a major issue.

[Jenn]

Add a tainted tomatoe on that cheese steak..

That was a joke..is that funny?

[REDSTEALTH]

I really find that "joke" disturbing but some of you are taking it too far.

[hamed]

These are not jokes... these are very smart comments by McCain in bringing the Jews attention to himself for a better chance of winning this election.... And the Jews are the most important community in America, more powerful than Native Christian residents of USA. So, it is not strange for McCain/Obama to talk about attack on Iran for a better chance of winning this campaign!