Puzzled by McCain

By the time a presidential campaign season is over, the journalists who have been covering it will be awash in credentials -– meaning the plastic tags of various sizes that hang on lanyards around their necks.

Credentials allow entry to debates and rallies, onto campaign planes, buses and fundraisers. Conventions have their own special, and ridiculously numerous, credentials. They are larger than normal, and separate ones are handed out for every day of the four-day events.

Rarely are credentials fun to look at. But last week, at the vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, the national reporters traveling with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin got a credential with a twist: The front was a crossword puzzle; the back was a list of clues. All were related to the evening’s event.

Among the clues: A four-letter word for “First Dude”? A three-letter word for “SNL lookalike Tina”?  An eight-letter word for “the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull”? A 16-letter phrase that is the title of a book by John McCain? A six-letter word meaning “to engage in a discussion involving opposing points”? A five-letter word meaning “name of terrorist Barack Obama pals around with”? Just kidding about that last one!

(Answers are: Todd, Fey, lipstick, “Faith of My Fathers” and debate.)

--Robin Abcarian

Comments

[A Reader]

If you think cryptically restating an obscene smear by Palin against Obama is a funny way to end your article, think again. Think New Yorker cover. Think IQ of average reader.

[steve rodriguez]

My how that hate and fear Sarah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Sarah go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[deanrdd]

Since William Ayers has not been charged with anything and is not under any type of investigation, if he were attacked, would Palin be culpable?

She did call William Ayers, on national TV, a terrorist. Does she have evidence we don’t know about? Is this legal, calling someone not running for office a “terrorist”?

Could I call my neighbor a terrorist? And get away with it? How about if I put it on TV?

[Paul Stewart]

Obviously the "change" that McCain / Palin and the Republican campaign and supporters are talking about is - changing the subject.....What a hopeless lot. And, it is clear that the majority of right thinking American voters will vote the Republican Party to where it belongs... nowhere....

[Another Reader]

Nothing "Cryptic" about it. It's the truth.

[Richard P. McDonough]

Abcarian is as funny as cancer.

[Ive82]

You know I had hoped that McPalin would stay clear of the race card on this one, but I guess desperate times calls for desperate measures. Her comments on McCain are borderline racist, just carefully worded. I'm surprised she even had the balls to say that "Obama isn't one of us", who exactly was she speaking to when she said those words?

Another low blow to distract voters, I hope American's prove that they can rise above this. If not, well then we have a lot of sad days ahead of us.

[Jack]

So when is the McCain campaign going to sink low enough in the mire to start calling their opponent "Osama" in rallies? Maybe use the adjective 'uppity'? That's really what America needs, a candidate who'll throw honor, dignity, unity, under the bus to win.

[Unci]

definition of a Maverick: "a bull in a china shop"....Cheney for stealing powers of office .... McCain for moving before he thinks ... George Bush for starting a war that that never needed to happen .... Let's call it the Maverick Party

[Idahed]

Those questions, by the way, are the questions Gov. Palin thinks she knows the answers to....no further comments...

[TJ]

That campaign is one sick joke. Maybe they can laugh and fool their way into the White House but it will be without my help. SNL skits on this duo: hard to decipher a skit from the real thing on the campaign trail, etc. Except it is no longer funny to me.
I cannot believe Republicans are so ignorant or dumb to have selected an actor with Alzheimer's, a baseball team owner, and now, a senile war monger with an empty headed silly woman. After watching the slow but steady decimation of our country, beginning with the trickle down economy of Reagan and the failed policies and abuses of Chaney/Bush, and now these two, I am concluding that this is a purposeful stragegy with a defined goal. I do believe that Republicans are in the process of dismantling our government and it will be fait de complet with this election if these two "are so privileged to serve".

The most danger we face now is not a terrorist attack from outside our borders; it is the undermining of our government from these two reactionary radicals who do not know what they do not know. But, that is not a requirement to complete the job they are "tapped" for. Why else would they let this loose cannon, unqualified individual sling their smear while she, herself, is under investigation in Alaska? It is not chutzpa; it is delusion.

[Ann Bedard]

Again I have to say:
CAN 59 MILLION AMERICAN'S BE THAT WRONG?
Headlines of the Lonon Times four years ago.
Answer: YES...Yes they can...God forbid.
Vote and vote for Obama please.-

[no]

How is it a smear when someone correctly points out that Obama has a long association with Mr. Ayers and that Mr. Ayers is, indeed, an unrepentant domestic terrorist? This does not lay well on top of the rest of Obama's unsavory acquaintances.

PS-Anyone using the words "smear" or "gaffe" in the next month should be shaved, stripped and shot.

[chicagopearl]

Get over yourself A Reader. Life is short, and you take yourself and your politics Much Too Seriously! In the end, all it ever turns out to be about are paper bags filled with empty promises. Any veteran of more than 6 Presidential elections can testify to that. Sit back, relax, enjoy the fight and don't forget to grin once in awhile. It's the only thing that separates us from the politicians. :-)

[Sandwichman]

Edward R. Murrow you are not. Have you no sense of decency, sir?

[mungomunro]

Palin is doing serious harm to America with her lies.

People all over the world will think Barac Obama, the leading candadate for the Presidentcy of the USA is a closet terrorist.

One wonders if the Republicans who think Palin is a patriot have stoped to consider the damage her anti- American smear campain will cause to the US.

I hope the true patriots in the GOP will rise up againts this type of America bashing and send Palin home to her family that needs her badly.

[William Gregg]

It is a shame that the media has so little credibility that they can't afford to examine Ms. Palin's managment and leadership experience in the ways that the American voter is entitled.

Here is a political novice being touted as a person thoroughly vetted and prepared to be a heartbeat away to the Presidency in one of this country's most trying times and no one in the media is even speaking with the Alaskans that do know her ... her legislative leadership!

America has beeen forced to accept a first term Governor of 600K people and "marketing gimmick" as a VP and we aren't even entitled to know her credentials? Are we so gullible that we cant see what "John Rove and Karl Mccain" are attempting to sell us?

The rest of the world has got to be seeing this as our just desserts for our decades of arrogance, greed and gross inattention to our country's needs.

Nero must be applauding this fire in ways that only he can truly appreciate ... except for the Putin's and Chavez's of the world ...

[Spaniel]

I became a citizen of this fine country only recently. I did so because I was impressed by the refreshing and beautiful belief in democracy and the surprisingly educated quality of voters in the United States. My confidence in that level of voter knowledge is becoming increasingly strained recently, spurred on by this apparent desire to believe whatever the voter wants to believe, no matter how dumb, as long as it backs up his/her party's ticket. An association with something nefarious, such as terrorism has only to be suggested by certain prominent people and it automatically becomes fact, coinciding as it will with a sound-bite filled episode of Fox or indeed CNN that will stretch the point and one's belief to extremes. Is this really the democracy we Americans want our country to be known for around the world? It isn't the democracy I was taught to believe America was about and that USCIS insists we immigrants learn in order to become citizens of this country. Americans should be forced to take the same immigration test we naturalized citizens have to take before they are allowed to vote. I'd love to see the results.

[letsjustvote]

Talk about out of touch. What does lipstick, Tina Fey, Todd, or even his book have to do with helping the tens of thousands of American people who are losing their homes and jobs?

Eight is enough!

[Brian]

No need to be puzzled anymore, take a look at this..
The real McCain...
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/23316912/makebelieve_maverick/print

[Nkirv]

Questioning Obama's patriotism.
Hm, sounds like an attempt to revive McCarthyism.

[Obama is not a loyal american]

LA Times puzzled about McCain?????? You really know how to spin it. The headlines should read LA TIMES PUZZLED ABOUT OBAMA AS HIS MENTOR WAS THE LATE COMMUNIST FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS WHICH HE WROTE ABOUT IN HIS FIRST BOOK AND A RADICAL MUSLIM GROUP WITH SAUDIS HELP FUNDED OBAMA'S HARVARD EDUCATION. NO ONE KNOWS OBAMA; HE IS A RADICAL AND MOST LIKELY A COMMUNIST.

TELL IT LIKE IT REALLY IS.

[gmichaels]

",,,Think IQ of average reader..."

Better yet .... think of the IQ of the author of this article.

[Sportin' Life]

Agreed, Reader. The entire filthy media establishment is absolutely gleeful now that McCain is launching his slime machine. They love a blood bath, no matter what it does to the country.

[Gaias Child]

don't you start that word salad stuff. let there be some literacy somewhere continuing, also.