Oops, Obama ad mocks McCain's inability to send e-mail. Trouble is, he can't due to tortured fingers

(UPDATE: An updated paragraph citing McCain learning computer skills is appended below.)

As part of its effort to show the 72-year-old Republican Sen. John McCain as old and out of touch, the Democratic Party's hip campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, which frequently says it honors the former POW's military service to his country, Friday released a new ad.

As noted Friday by our blogging colleagues over at the Technology blog here, the ad says, among other things: "1982, John McCain goes to Washington. Things have changed in the last 26 years, but McCain hasn't.

"He admits he doesn't know how to use a computer, can't send an e-mail."

Here's the ad. Listen for yourself.

Like many of his generation, McCain does not like to talk details a lot about his wartime experiences, certainly not about any lingering physical symptoms. To be honest, it could sound like complaining and, as he's ruefully noted, unlike many others, McCain did come home.

The former pilot does joke sometimes about flying his plane into a telephone-pole-sized North Vietnamese missile.

Last week in his speech to the Republican National Convention, McCain opened up more than usual, mentioning his two broken arms and broken leg from ejecting over Hanoi, and his 66 months of imprisonment and torture, calling it simply working him over.

But something he did not go into in that speech were ...

... some of the lingering results of his poor medical treatment and brutal beatings.

Here's a passage from a lengthy Boston Globe profile on McCain that was published the last time he ran for president. It was headlined "McCain character loyal to a fault." It was written by Mary Leonard.

And it was printed more than eight years ago, on March 4, 2000.

It is available online, where Jonah Goldberg of The Corner blog at the National Review found it.

"McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan -- Ted Williams is his hero -- but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball."

(UPDATE: A spokesman for the Obama campaign and numerous Ticket readers point out a Huffington Post item from July in which McCain says he is learning how to go online and "I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need." That complete post and a photo of McCain using a cellphone is available here.)

Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer denied that the freshman Illinois senator's ad was making an issue of McCain's age. "It's extraordinary," he said, "that someone who wants to be our president and commander in chief doesn't know how to send an e-mail."

The Obama campaign has seen some significant and disturbing poll shifts since its convention in Denver, including a broad movement of white women toward the GOP ticket after that party named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin its vice presidential nominee. And some local and congressional Democrats have begun to fret and grumble over a perceived softness in the Obama-Biden ticket.

According to the Associated Press, Obama campaign manager David Pfouffle issued a stern campaign strategy memo Friday that said, in part:

"Today is the first day of the rest of the campaign. We will respond with speed and ferocity to John McCain's attacks and we will take the fight to him, but we will do it on the big issues that matter to the American people."

The "big issues."

Like fractured fingers?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Staci D. Kramer]

leaving politics aside for just a minute if possible, it's really important to recognize that people far more damaged by war, accident, birth defects, disease -- paralyzed, missing limbs, deformed fingers, cut tendons -- use computers every day through voice recognition software, special tools or hardware and other technology. Sen. McCain chooses not to. To suggest otherwise does all these other people a great disservice.

[rharperpr@rogers.com]

The point is not whether he can send an e-mail, the point is whether he knows how to send an e-mail; if he physically can't then I understand; if he doesn't know how then I don't understand. How can you run a country that is arguablly the most technologically advanced in the world if you don't have any idea of how the most basic technology operates. It is beyond me to comprehend.

[greg]

McCain can move his fingers, and can hold a mouse (there are pictures) and the fact that you guys are so quick to quote jonah is just trashy.

Get a life and get on time.

[Cecile]

Fractured fingers that never heal ?
If John McCain can't push a button on a computer, then he can not handwrite . It's much harder. He can not hold a fork. He can not button his shirt.

[john]

I guess, what I'm saying is, is before you jump to publish something by a partisan hack, you should check to see if it's actually true.

[Steve]

Am I correct to assume that if I am a senior Citizen and I do not know how to use the internet or Email; that I am somehow unintelligent? I would like to just remind the “Teknowennie” Mr. Obama and the rest of the Democrats’ that think like him, that there are millions of Senior Citizens in this country that while they may not know how to work a computer, they most certainly know how to vote!!

Congratulations on another foot in mouth moment Mr. Obama!

[Gerry Farr]

Barak Obama should remember that " a closed mouth attracts no feet".

[Donna J. Callan, M.d.]

Here we go again. Anything said or done to John McCain -"Wait - he's a War Hero."

Your blog would have an ounce of dignity if it included all of the slime that McCain et. al. have been slinging.

Typical Republican Crap! If he can write, he can type or use a mouse or use voice activation programs.

And being a War Hero does not qualify one to be President. That was 40 years ago.

[Jennifer St. Vernon]

I am someone who also is older like McCain, and I have my own set of ailments. Unlike McCain, I need to keep working because of what this administration has done badly in so many different ways.

With Senator McCains resources, his inner circle should be well aware of all of the accesiblity features that make using a computer doable.

Perhaps he is just not that into technology, or perhaps he is following the strategy of both Bush and Cheney....don't do email so you don't leave an electronic trail behind. I find it of interest that Gov. Palin used a personal Yahoo account for official Alaskan business....one can only surmise why that was being both done and allowed.

[Lloyd Revalee]

Did anyone notice what happened when Senator McCain, Senator Obama, and Mayor Bloomberg laid the small wreaths at the 9/11 memorial? Senator McCain and the Mayor ben down and tenderly and respectively laid the wreath. Senator Obama was too important to bend down and show some respect. He just tossed the wreath down.
Senator Obama is also the candidate that insulted the middle class by saying the just wanted to hang on to their Bibles and firearms. And that is the person that the media and all socialists minded people want to be President of The United States. Lord help us!

[Liz]

I am much more disabled than McCain and I use a computer. I live with horrendous pain every day of my life. Every day is like being in prison for me. One of the main reasons is because I cannot get adequate healthcare and unfortunately I am not wealthy like McCain. I'll take my chances with Obama.

[Bob]

I think once again many democrats miss the point. If you are in favor of Obama, wake up, this was a stupid move. While you can make a case about various ways the disabled can access the internet, what you are missing is that there is a wealth of people that will be sympathetic to McCain in this. When Obama is already slipping in the polls, the last thing his campaign team needed to do was lob an underhanded pitch that the GOP can slam back at them. Dumb ad and tactically, incredibly stupid. Team Obama has been chasing their own tails since the GOP convention and the polls are showing the effect. And lastly, I would counter that if McCain can use different methods of accessing the internet, then one would think people who CAN type like David Plouffe can use Google and find out why McCain doesn't send emails.

[dbc]

What a silly issue. You know the Obama campaign is in grave trouble when they are relegated to attacking their opponent on the use of email. Sorry folks, but this story does not exactly rise to the level of international significance. But if it really bothers you that much, I recommend you send McCain a letter and tell him so.

[Carolyn Moon]

If my special education kids with massive cerebral palsy and other handicaps can use a keyboard or mouse, so can McCain. If he can't do "touch typing", neither can I.

[anthony]

Did NOBAMA ever do anything to defend the USA? None
There is no question about McCain willing to defend the USA.

There is too many questions about NOBAMA. He will surrender USA to the his muslim friends if they ask.

If you tax the rich there is no doubt that they will pass the tax to you, poor folks. If you complaint about tax, get some education, do not play sport and think that you will automatically make big bucks. Another suggestion buy lottery tickets with your welfare check then may be you poor people get rich then don't have to worry about tax.

[leo palacios]

i thought that obama was gonna attack the issues. Why is he going after mccain's age and inablility to use a computer. No one is gonna know what pain or discomfort he has because each of us have our own problems that only we live with. Whats absurd is alot of people acting like they know his pains and limitations.

[Fair Play]

Typical Obama/Liberal tatic...to do whatever it takes to push their misguided agenda...including smearing McCain because he is physically handicapped and is unable to type without pain...simply unbelievable as if knowing how to e-mail makes an individual qualiified to lead.......

[G. Host]

My boss never learned to type, but he still punches out emails with one finger.

Yes, McCain has war injuries, but I'm sick of them being his every excuse. And now? He doesn't even have to pull that excuse out of nowhere - you did it for him.

[Jeff]

I love how pointing out Obama's skrewups is somehow "Racist" now. Play that funky race card, black boy!

Now that's a Racist Comment(tm)...or not. Wild Cherry, anyone?

McCain might be able to use a cell phone, but you don't need to be a genius to know that the way you "type" on a phone and the movements and positioning required to type on a keyboard is completely different.

And yes, there's a veritable plethora of programs available to turn speech to text, typing by voice, etc. But they haven't always been around. If McCain never learned to use a computer because it hurts his fingers to type at a keyboard, that could explain his computer "Illiteracy"

Not that I think it matters, myself. I'm not worried about how "Cool" or "Hip" or "Connected to the Intarwebz" McCain is.

I'm worried about the judges the next president would appoint or the taxes he'd raise.

Obama=FAIL.

He's so Cool, Hip and Connected, he should understand that.

[Dan Poore]

Setting aside the specific target of the ad, for a moment, aren't staffers for handling things like e-mail ? I'd imagine both candidates receive thousands of messages each day, both legitimate traffic and spam. Does Obama spend all day going through those messages, to determine what's of value and what isn't, and then take some action on what is legit? Somehow, I doubt it.

That said, congrats to the Obama campaign for insulting millions of senior citizens by implying they're unintelligent because they don't or can't use e-mail. Some seniors may not know how to operate a computer, but they darn sure know how to operate a lever or a hole-punch at the voting booth, this November.

[Thomas See]

Noun, Verb, POW.

[Ronald Evett]

Readers should remember that this is a claim by Jonah Goldberg the McCain's injuries are so severe that he can't find any finger to type with. I don't hold it against John McCain that Jonah Goldberg would try and peddle almost any story, knowing he could back away from the distortion later. He's that kind of commentator. Nobody should believe this stuff coming from a surrogate. If McCain himself makes the claim PERSONALLY, I'll take take it more seriously.

[Tom Cochran]

It's simply amazing how he can sign autographs but can't punch a button. wow

[Suzanne]

All of the comments have missed the point.

McCain is not applying to work at the Apple Store; he is applying to be Commander in Chief. The question is if it is better to have a President with military experience or have to teach military strategy to a novice during a crisis.

Talking about computer savvy deflects from the real experience issue. Maybe if Russia gets really of of line Obama can just Facebook Putin?

[James]

I'm really surprised that the Obama campaign wants to start a comparative debate about what McCain was doing in the 70's and 80's compared to what Obama (by his own admission in his books) was doing during those years. Enough said!