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

[D. Foster]

A coorection to my previous comment: the New York Times interview with John McCain was By ADAM NAGOURNEY and MICHAEL COOPER and Published: on July 13, 2008

[Joe]

There are some who just can't vote Republican. For those we have Obama? Even Dems deserve better. Too bad they let his thugs steal the caucuses and the nomination from Clinton.

Bush set this country and the Republicans back along way. McCain is not Bush. McCain is not perfect, but Obama is nothing but a front for Daley and a fraud.

The Dems deserve to lose because they let Hillary slip away.

[brit]

SO WHAT??? DO YOU IMAGINE DONALD TRUMP, CARLOS SLIM (2nd RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD) OR WARREN BUFFET (RICHEST IN THE WORLD) SLAVING OVER A KEYBOARD? DOES THAT MAKE THEM LESS EFFECTIVE AS LEADERS?

WHAT A VERY LAME ATTEMPT BY THE OBAMA CAMP! THE BOTTOM-LINE IS A PRESIDENT HAS STAFF DO HANDLE ANYTHING FOR THE CHIEF COMMANDER. I DO NOT BELEIVE HE IS HIDING BEHIND THE ISSUE OF WAR INJURIES AND FURTHER, SEN. OBAMA, A MEASURE OF A PRESIDENT IS NOT WHETHER HE CAN OR CANNOT SEND OUT A COMMMUNICATION THROUGH A COMPUTER.

THE TAG LINE ON YOUR LAST AD SHOULD STATE: "HI, I'M BARACK OBAMA AND I'M A DUMMY FOR HAVING APPROVED THIS GOOFY MESSAGE".
LET ME KNOW SOMETHING MORE SUBSTANTIVE THAN TRIVIAL NONSENSE....

[Mark]

This article is dishonest, and you know it.

The issue raised in Mr. Obama's ad is that Mr. McCain has not learned how to send an email. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FRACTURED FINGERS. Attempting to warp the truth is insulting and unethical.

However, I HATE THIS NEW AD from Mr. Obama. I do not hate it because it is dishonest, it seems to be correct, and I do not hate it because it disrespects McCain's suffering and sacrifice as a POW, it does not. I do HATE IT because IT. IS. PETTY. I just watched the Will.I.Am. "Yes We Can" video again. It invokes the most perfect aspects of Mr. Obama's candidacy, the reason he chose to run. Mr. Obama actually believes he can appeal to "the better angels" of our national psyche and begin the job of bringing this nation towards "a more perfect union." This new attack ad abandon's that ideal.

Yes, I know politics gets ugly, and I know Mr. Obama needs to hit back in the face of DISHONEST McCain ads mischaracterizing Mr. Obama's comments about lipstick and his attempts to protect children from predators.

As for the lipstick, the campaign should air an ad playing Mr. Obama's recent comments and Mr. McCain's similar comments earlier this year as well as reveal the history of the term maybe by shooting a page explaining it in a history of politics text or something similar. It is a non-issue twisted to appear to relate to gender. This expression has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with pointing out Orwellian political dishonesty in a blunt manner.

As for the sexual education charge. This IS an issue, a critical one, and an opportunity. I myself once worked at a rape crisis center, and I led sexual predator awareness sessions with preschoolers. Considering the fact that two thirds of our abused clients were under the age of eleven, the youngest during my time there being two months old, these classes were absolutely necessary. We taught them about "safe and unsafe touches" and "telling someone you can trust" if someone touches you in your "private zones where you bathing suit goes." This simple, direct language allowed us to both protect these children's innocence and make them aware of the obscene dangers of our world. The point here is that protecting our youngest citizens from sexual predators is, tragically, absolutely necessary.

But I digress. Obama needs to hit back, and this is how. Bring in a professional, someone who has worked to protect children and worked to help young children reassemble their shattered psyches after abuse, a lifelong and inconstant task, and allow them to speak about the needs to teach protection and reporting as early as children are able to speak. Then say, "I am Barack Obama, and I approve this message because this is a REAL problem demanding REAL action because we MUST protect our children." That's the adult campaign focused on real issues that I expect from Mr. Obama.

[Emmet]

NK wrote:
"If you can punch telephone numbers into a phone, button your shirt, push a button to vote on the senate floor, or tap your fingers you can use e-mail if you take the time to learn how to do it. Don't give us a tortured finger excuse."

McCain CAN'T button his own shirts

Let's bear in mind, McCain did not try to exploit McCain's disabilities, Obama tried to exploit his disabilities, and score points on the fact that McCain "doesn't know how to use a computer", painting McCain as old and out of touch. McCain has every right to defend himself.
That's like criticizing a wheelchair-bound man for not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Good article from Slate's Jacob Weisberg on McCain's tech savvy from the 2000 campaign:
http://www.slate.com/id/74812

[David L. Hagen]

Obama needs to apologize for criticizing a veteran because of his war disabilities.

[carol]

Good Lord, who do the McCainiacs think they are fooling with this latest whine? If he can hold a pencil and write, he can peck on a computer with one finger. My husband can't type and uses one finger to use the internet.

There are scores of disabled people who manage to use the Internet through voice activated technology.

[Joan Dheere]

I read this in the online version of the LA Tmes--was it really printed on the front page of the Times?? If so, it is a disgraceful propaganda piece.

I work with severely disabled children who are often wheelchair bound and have no functional use of their legs, arms, hands, or fingers. They use computer assistive devices to communicate with others, and yes, to send emails--and, most of them are under 10 years of age. These are brave young students who never offer an excuse for their multiple disabilities. If Mccain and his cronies are going to throw out the POW card again, and again, and again--especially in this ridiculous attempt to excuse Mccain for laziness and intentional ignorance. Does this also mean that the Pander in Chief will not be be able to input the code or push the button for the detonation of nuclear devices? Ooops forgot about Palin for a minute.

[ebillhaney]

Obama, an associate and friend of terrorist William Ayers and a racist pastor, has no business trying to compare himself against McCain. This ad just shows that even Sarah Palinn is 10 times the "man" than Obama will ever be.

Democrats are scared because the country realizes that they have nominated a blow hard with no experience and no accomplishments. Obama's story should be entitled the "audacity of hype."

Thank you John McCain for representing or country with courage and honor in the military and in the United States Senate. While Obama has placed nearly a billion dollars of earmarks in bills in the last 4 years, you have never asked for 1 earmark in 26 years.

[Nan]

Maureen, Have you ever used one of those fancy dictation programs? I have a friend with MS who used one for a while but it frequently misinterpreted what he said and took forever to get even a short e-mail sent. Sometimes the mistakes were quite funny... like instead of "Dear Jeff and Sandy" it would say, "My dear little chickens." I'm sure John McCain doesn't have time for that kind of crap and I have a sneaking suspicion that he has plenty of help from secretaries, pages and such to send out important memos and yes ((gasp)) to push buttons even. And don't you think he might have just a couple of people in his employ for such things when he's president? Besides don't you think it's more important to know when to push a button and having someone else do it on your behalf than perhaps someone who might just opt to have all buttons removed so that the need to push them hopefully never arises?

Hello... FDR anyone? The man couldn't walk for Pete's sake and look how he influenced and changed the nation. Don't look now but your ignorance is showing.

[Emmet]

Bubba writes:
"The McCain campaign's lies make it clear that John McCain would rather lose his integrity than lose this election"

Mr. Bubba, you should cite the Obama campaign when you use their press releases, otherwise its plagiarism and mind-numbingly uncreative.

But thanks for playing!

[angler]

We get it: POW POW POW!

Not like they haven't used this as excuse for everything else.

[uh huh]

At least Poor ol' John can still hold a Budweiser can

[Cathy]

Give me a break!! My grandma had her hand almost severed in an industrial accident and she sends email. Is tehre Any issue that he won't play the POW card on???

[Emmet]

and why again did mcCain vote against the GI bill?

Posted by: benjoya | September 13, 2008 at 07:22 AM

If there are two versions of a veterans bill, and I vote against one of them because I favor the other version, then am I really voting against "THE GI bill"?

[Katrina]

So John McCain can't use email, but Stephen Hawkin can? Seems it has less to do with injuries or age than with a willingness to learn. This isn't about wanting someone kewl in the White House who knows what OMG stands for--it's about having someone out in front on technology--someone who understands that if we slip any further behind, we're all going to wind up cleaning toilets for Chinese entrepreneurs.

[Mad Dog]

Free Anti-McCain Posters

www.rabblerouzer.com

[pointus]

"Like many of his generation, McCain does not like to talk details a lot about his wartime experiences..."
You're kidding, right? That's ALL the guy ever talks about! In McCain's case, it's: "Noun, Verb, and POW."

[Mark B]

This article is dishonest, and the L.A.Times author must know it. The issue raised in Mr. Obama's ad is that Mr. McCain has not learned how to send an email. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FRACTURED FINGERS. Attempting to warp the truth is insulting and unethical. However, I HATE THIS NEW AD from Mr. Obama. I do not hate it because it is dishonest, it seems to be accurate, and I do not hate it because it disrespects McCain's suffering and sacrifice as a POW, it does not. I do HATE IT for one simple reason. IT. IS. PETTY.

I just watched the Will.I.Am. "Yes We Can" video again. It invokes the most perfect aspects of Mr. Obama's candidacy, the reason he chose to run. Mr. Obama actually believes he can appeal to "the better angels" of our national psyche and begin the job of bringing this nation towards "a more perfect union." This new attack ad abandon's that ideal. Yes, I know politics gets ugly, and I know Mr. Obama needs to hit back in the face of DISHONEST McCain ads mischaracterizing Mr. Obama's comments about lipstick and his attempts to protect children from predators.

As for the lipstick, the campaign should air an ad playing Mr. Obama's recent comments and Mr. McCain's similar comments earlier this year as well as reveal the history of the term maybe by shooting a page explaining it in a history of politics text or something similar. It is a non-issue twisted to appear to relate to gender. This expression has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with pointing out Orwellian political dishonesty in a blunt manner.

As for the sexual education charge. This IS an issue, a critical one, and an opportunity. I myself once worked at a rape crisis center, and I led sexual predator awareness sessions with preschoolers. Considering the fact that TWO THIRDS OF OUR ABUSED CLIENTS WERE UNDER THE AGE OF ELEVEN, the YOUNGEST during my time there being TWO MONTHS OLD, these classes were absolutely necessary. We taught them about "safe and unsafe touches" and "telling someone you can trust" if someone touches you in your "private zones where you bathing suit goes." This simple, direct language allowed us to both protect these children's innocence and make them aware of the obscene dangers of our world. The point here is that protecting our youngest citizens from sexual predators is, tragically, absolutely necessary.

But I digress. Obama needs to hit back, and this is how. Bring in a professional, someone who has worked to protect children and worked to help young children reassemble their shattered psyches after abuse, a lifelong and inconstant task, and allow this professional to speak about the need to teach protection and reporting as early as children are able to speak. Then say, "I am Barack Obama, and I approve this message because this is a REAL problem demanding REAL action because we MUST protect our children." That's the adult campaign focused on critical, real issues that I expect from Mr. Obama. That is the approach Mr. Obama took in his extraordinary speech on race. That is the standard to which he must return.

[Roger Kathman]

This is ridiculous. If you can point, you can do e-mail.
Maybe he's too feable to push the button to defend us.

Heck, I have seen people type with their toes. This POW stuff is wearing thin. It's been forty years. Get over it.

[Bill]

I'm an attorney. Of course there are many software packages that make it possible to dictate and have the transcription appear on your computer. But the best software packages available produce transcripts that are riddled with errors, since the software misunderstands your speech, uses the word "their" instead of "there," etc.

That's why attorneys have secretaries. They get the job done flawlessly, and it is a better use of the attorney's time.

Last I checked, John McCain is a U.S. senator. He's busy. And he has excellent staff support. Why should he waste his time dictating into a computer and then spend his time editing the flawed transcription that appears on his computer screen. Especially when the editing process will be slower than for any of the rest of us because of his injuries?

That would be foolish for him to spend his time that way. And John McCain is no fool.

[Jamie]

As a professional who works with people with disabilities, this excuse is beyond lame. As stated above, technology allows people with truly debilitating diseases and injuries to use computers. If he can use a tiny blackberry or other device, he can use the much larger keys on a computer. If Stephen Hawking can do it, then Mr. McCain can find a way past his "POW" injuries to do the same.

[GA Coast]

Is this the best Obama can come up with? I know lots of people who don't use e-mail, but what does that have to do with running the country? Basic computer skills are a job requirement for entry level positions in most offices and advanced skills are mandatory for some higher level jobs, while they are a capability-adjunct for just about everyone. But mandatory for the President of the USA? I don't think so.
As usual the Dems are trying to pulli us off message, which is Obama's lack of experience and credibility.

[Jimman35]

Typing with fingers is not a requirement for sending email. There are multiple programs and bulit-in assistance that helps millions of people with disabilities much, much more severe than McCain's use computers on the same level as people without. McCain's lack of computer savvy is a reflection of his age, his lack of curiosity, and his admitted detachment from what is going on around him.

[Dee]

I admit the Obama add is weak. But an insult to McCain as a POW? I am SO FED UP with this Republican boo hooing!

No matter how legitimate the criticism, the McCain camp either cries sexism, if it's Palin getting some heat, or twists ANY comment against McCain into an affront on his service to our country.

With all due respect, McCain's fingers were fractured not amputated. And even if that were so, there are millions of amputees and even PARAPLEGICS that can send an email! Therefore, like millions of Americans, myself included, McCian should be able to figure out how to "finger peck", even with only two index fingers, and press the send button!

I honor McCain's service, but am finding it a little LESS THAN HONORABLE that he has stooped to using his POW status as a campaign tactic. Not to mention, if McCain is that broken down, I don't think he's up for the job of President. And GOD FORBID the job should be passed to PALIN!!!!!