Washington Post article on McCain's temper

Parent Cafe
21

<p>“I think it irks him no end when he sees others abusing their positions.”</p>

<p>Well, of course this is what his defenders say. but it is hard to fit the facts set forth in the article with this. What I see is a guy who will vindictively try to harm the careers of underlings who cross him, who shows a lack of respect to colleagues (while demanding total respect himself), and who uses coarse language, screaming, and shoving against people who disagree with him. You know, I don’t think that old guy’s finger needs to be on the button.</p>

22

<p>

</p>

<p>Certainly I’ve complained about supervisors, etc. to my peers, but never in a way that was demeaning, abrasive, provocative, loud, or with inappropriate language (before you think I don’t ever use inappropriate language, guess again - just not when dealing with my co-workers, and not even when talking with non co-workers). There’s a big difference between bullying and k’vetching.</p>

23

<p>

</p>

<p>It’s about setting boundaries, not feelings. If someone from work were to yell at me or curse at me (especially in public), I wouldn’t take it personally because I think most people know that that’s totally inappropriate professional behavior, and the issue isn’t about me, but about this person’s immature way of responding and communicating.</p>

24

<p>Well, unfortunately, we don’t know all the details and we probably won’t know. But then again, there are those that will assume that McCain is some mean, insensitive, unprofessional, self centered, and sadistic person. </p>

<p>Forget the fact that he’s been in the senate and re-elected for 26 years. Granted, it’s not as long as Ted Kennedy and all his drinking problems, but it’s a pretty long time.</p>

<p>My comments previously were facetious. Mainly because of all the Obama supporters who cry when anyone here questions his lack of experiences and someone mentions Reverend Wright. They all cry about how that’s not ALL of what Obama is about. That there are so many other things. Apparently, the good people of Arizona know something about McCain in order to have kept him in office for 26 years. I doubt he’s had the physical and safety impact on others that Ted Kennedy has had, yet he too has impressed the voters of his state with the good things he does that they keep voting him in also.</p>

<p>I have been in some very high stress jobs in my life where sometimes safety and lives were actually a factor. I have told people working for me that accidents and mistakes are NOT AN OPTION. I have said that I will indeed at times micro-manage and be the meanest SOB they have every seen. That includes how I speak to them. That it isn’t personal, just business. If they can’t handle it, then leave now because it might not be pretty. Sometimes that’s the way it is. Most of the times it’s guys I worked with and they handle that so much better. They can have that in your face, rude, screaming, cursing, etc… Then an hour later go have a beer together. Not everyone, but many. Fortunately, I am not in that line of work any longer and so it isn’t an issue. But I do know what it’s like to hire someone and tell them straight to their face; “Sometimes I am going to treat you totally like garbage”. It isn’t personal, it’s our positions and our jobs. The satisfaction and rewards are there, but sometimes you just have to deal with it.</p>

<p>Now some of you will believe that there is NEVER a time to talk to others that way. You’re wrong, but I know that you will never be convinced of it, so I won’t waste my time on it. Also, none of us know exactly the situation with McCain. Just because we heard he jumped all over an aid; so what? We don’t know the entire story. Maybe the aid was an idiot and has caused 10 mixups already in a week. We don’t know. Again, there will be some that think we should never be mean to anyone else. Well; when you’ve got safety, lives at risk, millions of dollars, thousands of jobs, etc… all at risk, then we’ll talk about it. Maybe McCain was wrong to jump all over this person. On the other hand, maybe he wasn’t.</p>

25

<p>So now Senator Smith who was in the article came out today and said yes, we had our differences, but what was reported never actually happened…I guess on page 40 tomorrow the Post will have a retraction</p>

26

<p>Cripes, Christcorp, did you read the article…at all? </p>

<p>The kid he jumped on was a volunteer…a Young Republican. He wasn’t getting paid to take abuse from some overweening powermonger. Working in politics myself, I know that whatever happens you don’t yell at the volunteers. If they screw up, you put them on something else that they can do. You don’t go off on a red-faced rant on somebody who is giving up their time, their opportunity to make money elsewhere, and their energy for you. </p>

<p>McCain was watching his speech on tv after the event, saw that the box he was standing on wasn’t high enough for his whole face to be seen by the camera. Rather than taking a deep breath, reflecting that the incident was in the past and could not be rectified, turning his thoughts to something else, he jumped up, went to the floor, found the kid and started castigating him while other people were standing around. This shows incredibly poor judgement as well as a lack of personal control that I don’t want to see in a president during these difficult times. </p>

<p>He probably told the kid he’s 5’ 11" when he’s really 5’9" anyway!</p>

27

<p>Thank you b&p - That figures!</p>

<p>“Let’s see, what can we get on McCain? ooh - I heard he has a temper; yeah, let’s run with that! Now if we can only drum up a couple of people who might be able to say SOMETHING, ANYTHING slightly negative. Surely he’s ticked somebody off over the last 20-plus years. If you can just get a tiny angle, we can build a whole article around it. Beat the bushes people! I want that story! We need SOMETHING negative on McCain - and that’s all we’ve got!”</p>

<p>:rolleyes:</p>

28

<p>“Forget the fact that he’s been in the senate and re-elected for 26 years. Granted, it’s not as long as Ted Kennedy and all his drinking problems, but it’s a pretty long time.”</p>

<p>Is Teddy running for president? I didn’t know that! And I guess you’ll vote for him, because by your logic, he’s even better than McCain, since he’s been reelected more times.</p>

29

<p>The Post article is no surprise since it has traditionally leaned left like the NYT.</p>

30

<p>“If anyone here has never yelled, ranted or screamed about paperwork they needed, or how someone didn’t complete the job properly, then chime in”</p>

<p>At work, in front of co-workers? NEVER.</p>

<p>Gone to my mom/boyfriend/sister and vented? Sure. But not at my co-workers, and CERTAINLY not at my subordinates. And I’ve spent most of my career in am industry famous for its stress and bad tempers (big corporate law firm with brutal hours and deadlines).</p>

<p>As it happens, I don’t think that blowing up at a Young Republican in 1986 is a good reason to keep someone out of the presidency in 2008. But it is certainly possible to act professional towards your subordinates, even in a high-stakes environment where their mistakes have caused problems for you.</p>

31

<p>If the items in the Post article are true, it doesn’t matter whether the paper is left-leaning or not. What, you expect right-leaning papers to dig up dirt on McCain?
I just searched Google news, and didn’t find anything about Smith denying the account. I did find a message from McCain’s mouthpiece saying that most of the article was “fiction.” We’ll see how it develops.</p>

32

<p>hunt; your response is so far left field it’s funny. If you read my entire post instead of picking out individual words and sentences to mean what you want it to say; you’d see that I mentioned Ted Kennedy in the same comparison that others have used Obama. That being, that even though you can find imperfections in everyone, that isn’t the only thing that person is about. That they have other attributes that make them who they are. That is the mantra from the Obama fans when people mention Wright and his other acquaintances. I’m saying that the same standards apply to McCain with his so called temper; or Kennedy with his social issues. But, if you want to dissect people’s comments and twist the meaning, then go ahead. It just makes your response that much more less credible.</p>

33

<p>Good point, Hunt.</p>

<p>As for the ‘left-leaning Washington Post’, most of their editorial page is now home to George Will, Charles Krauthammer (sp?), Robert Novak and other well-know ‘lefties.’ I read it every day and I’d say their editorials run 5 conservative columns to 2 liberal columns. They are not the paper of Watergate any more but another corporate-owned entity. </p>

<p>They did have a editorial today regarding McCain’s economy speech which they summed up as ‘Elect me first and I’ll give you my plan afterwards.’</p>

34

<p>If you want to here some Republicans opinion about McCain take a check out a Youtube clip. Those interviewed in clip include Sen Smith(R-NH, Rep Dornan(R-Ca), Tracy Usry(US Senate Minority Staff, James Lucier(US Senate Chief of Staff, et al. I never heard any of the things these people are talking about.</p>

35

<p>The article would carry more weight if it wasn’t grounded solely on McCain’s political enemies. The sources used are pork barrel senators, a democratic political operative who’s written a book based on unnamed sources, and a ‘young republican’ aide who appears on the 700 club.</p>

<p>Surely if McCain is as dangerously unfit as some would have you believe, there must be sources without a grudge that would be willing to come forth and save us from making a huge mistake.</p>

36

<p>“Surely if McCain is as dangerously unfit as some would have you believe, there must be sources without a grudge that would be willing to come forth and save us from making a huge mistake.”</p>

<p>You mean Republicans? They didn’t come forth and save us from making a huge mistake with the last guy…why would we expect them to do so now?</p>

37

<p>“But I do know what it’s like to hire someone and tell them straight to their face; “Sometimes I am going to treat you totally like garbage”.”</p>

<p>Christcorp, I’m surprised that somebody with your attitude takes offense so easily. I picked on your point about Ted Kennedy because it is such a typical Republcan response to any criticism of a Republican politician–to identify some Democrat who is worse in some respect.</p>

38

<p>“You mean Republicans?”</p>

<p>Actually, I was thinking of those democrats that have worked with him. Or maybe the press and talking heads that seem so fond of him.</p>

<p>And Hunt, isn’t there a tiny part of you that believes the article would be stronger if it had mentioned that those quoted all have a huge stake in knifing McCain in the back?(And that all quoted are featured year after year on news shows and papers as pork barrel piggies)</p>

39

<p>You think those two women he knifed in the back are involved in pork barrel politics?</p>

<p>Also, check out this article from 2006, with similar material, including a couple of slams from Smith:</p>

<p>[John</a> McCain’s Temper Preceded Vietnam](<a href=“http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/8/30/123006.shtml]John”>http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/8/30/123006.shtml)</p>

<p>Newsmax is a conservative news source that was hyping George Allen at the time.</p>

40

<p>Actually Hunt, in an article that uses political enemies as sources, I do wonder who these women actually are. Don’t you?</p>