John McCain responds to the eye contact question

John McCain was asked today about the charge, pressed by some Barack Obama supporters in comments posted to The Ticket and elsewhere, that he intentionally avoided eye contact with his rival during their Friday night debate as a way of expressing his disdain for him.

Here's what he said on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos": “I was looking at the moderator a great deal of time. I was writing a lot of the time. I in no way know how that in any way would be disdainful."

He also noted that in many of the debates in which he has participated, "I don't look at my opponents because I'm focusing on the people and the American people that I'm talking to.”

He did not mention what others have postulated -- that the severe injuries he suffered as a prisoner of war make a shoulder pivot awkward for him.

Regardless, the vibe between McCain and Obama -- which, as The Ticket previously noted can be key to public reactions to the debates -- will now be even more closely watched Oct.7, when the two next share a stage. It will be a town-hall format for their encounter in Nashville, so there should be lots of body language to analyze.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[daughterose]

Baloney. It was just plain rude. 1 1/2 hours you don't look once at the person you are on stage with? Reader, how would YOU feel if that happened to you? Poor Cindy must have been so embarrassed and ashamed to have her husband publicly display such bad bad manners.

[Jayn]

Alrighty then......John McCain has gotten lots of mileage from his POW experience and injuries, but now.......you are saying the injuries somehow played a role in his lack of eye contact???? C'mon..... His entire body language throughout the debate wreaked of contention and arrogance! What needs to ring true about this to anyone observing is----If the man can't interact respectfully in a debate, with basic human interaction and politeness...then uh.....can he really sit down with an adversarial world leader and make any headway????

[Zoey]

And we want a president who doesn't know how to make basic eye contact? We want someone who is that socially awkward meeting with world leaders? Negotiating? Speaking on our behalf? Representing us to the world? Pulling together allies when we need them? WTF!

[Will smith]

The more I watch McCain being interviewed, in the public eye I have notice very interesting body language that is blatantly obvious which in and of itself note a high degree of the particular trait.
Eye contact--indeed disdain, not open potentially unthruthful, embarrasssed
Fidgetting--nervousness--again untruthful, shifty, sneaky
Forced smile--again not trustworthy
I was initially a McCain supporter but the longer this race goes on I am concerned about John's ethically particularly relative to his political stunts, Palin, Ike and now the theatrics prior to the debate.
I am now leaning more towards Obama, as I fear not only will Mccain be everything he says he is not, but he will ultimately make Bush look like a hero.

[Msvox]

Mr. McCain showed himself to be who and what he is: ill-humored, ill-prepared, out maneuvered and over matched, and even the Republican over sampling in the polls reflect it. Mr. Rove and his vote caging vote flippers will have to steal a much bigger swath of the electorate than in his previous two successful attempts to install an unelected man into the presidency - and don't think they aren't trying.

[Lois from Wisconsin]

McCain doesn't look at Obama because he is lying. It is a typical problem for liars. Can you imagine the rage McCain feels that this upstart Obama can be considered a worthy opponent for him, the war hero? He must therefore do anything and say anything to expose the pretender to the title that he thinks belongs to him. Poor John. Will he never be anointed as the saviour he thinks he is? He knows this is his last chance, But all of the smug looks and self-satisfied smiles, when he thinks he's put one over on Obama, will not save him from himself this time.

[Arizona]

I feel it is a physical disability. Look at footage available of him when he is standing or walking or generally moving. Something is not what it seems. Was it his time as a P.O.W. or is something else happening? Either way you don't bet money on a lame horse in a race. He has my deepest sympathy for having to deal with a physically debilitating condition in this world, but that ends where his candidacy begins.

[John Marok]

Where's the news about Obama calling McCain "TOM"?

[LISANN15]

This is a worthy discussion. I think Lois from Wisconsin hit right on the head. The problem is this the kind of man we want in the WH. Dear God-NO. We cannot make another mistake in electing a president like the last one. I fear Rovian tactics will prevail unless we do everything we can to elect Obama, Oregon will swing Democratic, as probably Calif. Wisconsin must be a dem win. Big battleground state. Do whatever you can to help. Blogs, voter registration, yard sign, phones, go door to door. this is so important

[norma wilkinson]

John McCain has in many ways shown his disdane for Senator Obama and the people at large. His ads have been over the top aggresive and his demeanor during the first debate was cold. Le't see what the next two debates bring us...MORE OF THE SAME? Heaven help us.

[LISANN15]

Obama mis-spoke. the reference to someone first name Tom that came up in the next sentence. Review the debate. The reason it is not in the news is because it is not news. Simply. What is Gods green earth could be made of that. I would belive anything. From the right at this point.

[LISANN15]

Pass the word. McCain had to shut down his blog site. Too many negative comments?

[mitchell in NY]

McCain lost the debate for many reasons, including the eye contact issue. What commentators (remarkably) often miss is that the presidential debate is not a sporting contest.

“Why Obama and Paul Newman won the Debate”
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[danetta]

John McCain was down right rude and an obnoxious. Even when they shook hands John McCain did not even look at him. But of course his neck was broke and he got blinded in the war.

[Jessica]

I think McCain's mannerisms have EVERYTHING to do with his POW experience. Freaking scares the hell out of me. You don't know what condition that experience has left his brain in.

[sue]

McCain is too hawkish both in policy and demeanor. Obama didn’t have to link him to Bush, McCain did that himself.

The answer isn't bomb the hell out of everyone who says nonsense or looks at us cross eyed.

Like it or not, the stability of the middle east will most certain involve Iran's participation. Sorry but we lost our hand and credibility when we decided to invade Iraq for no reason.

[jan]

>Where's the news about Obama calling McCain "TOM"?

He called John Tom then corrected it because he was making a point with reference to Tom Clyburn.

I guess that means Obama was intentionally rude and naive. How dare he think he should grace the same stage as McCain.

[dutch163]

did his war injuries make him smirk too?

[Desiree in Seattle]

I want to defend Senator McCain on this so called "slight of the eyes".

McCain may be shy in personal inclination - He may have difficulty with a shoulder. I don't care if he has disability due to being a POW - It doesn't make him less ideal to be president that he may have some minor physical limitations due to being tortured by America's once enemy - It makes him more so. McCain having served our nation in war may be best suited to be commander in chief.

I listened to the Presidental debates. I felt McCain did a very good job. I also --though I was less impressed --felt that Obama did a good job as well. However, It was Obama's failure to take a stance with protecting Israel no matter what from those who would try to wipe this tiny nation out - that matters a hell of a lot more to me than if McCain decided to look at Obama cross eyed all night.

I want my president to be able to make decisions and to move beyond words to action. I say lets leave pretty boy conduct to Brad Pitt and fashion models. I would encourage everyone to watch the VP debate. It is time for a change - but not just any change- we need to go to a dedicated course to protect America's financial and personal freedoms.

With Obama we seem to get a good "act".
With McCain we just might get good action.

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[Yama]

Why should John McCain eye contact Obama when he continued to call him John or John McCain? McCain probably felt insulted and belittled by that. He always called Obama Senator Obama. Face it, Obama doesn't have what it takes to be president. I wonder how he would address leaders of other countries.

[Tad]

As someone who works a lot in the Middle East and overseas more generally, I have no doubt that Obama will improve the reputation of the U.S. much more easily than McCain. His reputation abroad is already way better than McCain's and he will not be seen as a continuation of Bush policy which is almost universally despised. Whether McCain intends to continue Bush policy (something I think is fairly clear) or not it is virtually certain he will be seen as doing this by most foreign governments and their citizens. It is now seriously dangerous to work in the Middle East as an American and I hope people will vote for Obama so that this danger, so linked to general U.S. security, can be diminished. It is worth noting that our problems with Iran have increased dramatically under Bush and these very problems are now threatening Israeli security. All US presidents will always support Israel because of its nuclear arsenal and the catastrophes that a threatened loss of a conventional war would unleash so only the most naive should try to convince themselves otherwise.

[teresa ohio]

McCain looked annoyed and possibly seething with rage the whole time. Scary.

[Barbara Bachtell]

I thought McCain was condescending in his body language when he purposefully avoided giving Obama eye contact during the debate. I also noticed that immediately after the debate, Senator and Mrs. Obama made the first move to go over and shake hands with the McCains who were cautiously reserved, not friendly, in their response.

[spiritguide]

I guess Obama was right about McCain... he's not a multitasker.. he can't debate while looking at his opponent.. kinda like chewing gum and rubbing your stomach at the same time !

[mossie]

Whatever John McCain thinks about how or why he looked as and where he did, it came across to this viewer as arrogant. Someone who cannot make eye contact in such a situation -- or who does not want to make eye contact -- does not come across as someone I can trust.