Now that Senator John McCain is doing the most important thing in his campaign to become the 44th president of the United States, agreeing to appear The Late Show with David Letterman, I think we can say that the Straight Talk Express is on the way to being back on track. It was inevitable, and really, really necessary, for McCain to fix this problem with Dave. McCain was the butt of the joke for nearly three weeks and it hasn't helped his campaign. Appearing Thursday should do a lot to ameliorate his image and in every way it can only be a win-win for McCain and Letterman.
McCain should have known better at the time -- or his people should have. I give him credit for calling Dave directly and explaining the cancellation at the time, but he should have rescheduled immediately and been completely honest with his plans to do Couric.
Being caught on camera being made up for the Couric appearance while Letterman was taping his show was bad form. It's interesting that some at CBS were peeved with Letterman for using the internal feed, but they couldn't do anything about it. At CBS, Dave is king.
I say this not only because it would have been politically savvy of McCain and his camp to keep up good relations with Letterman. I say it because McCain had been on Dave's show 13 times. He's an old pro at doing the talk show circuit. Guests that bail at the last minute rarely escape without being lamb-basted.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-13-2008 @ 3:27PM
Jimmy said...
Ameliorate? Really?
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10-13-2008 @ 3:51PM
0megapart!cle said...
The Straight Talk Express is so far off track that it would take a Military GPS System and a caravan of sherpas to get it back on track again. While I love Dave, I don't think he is up to the task.
It is good that he is going on, but at this point, his campaign is so dead, that the entire operation is really operating for the hope that Obama will drop dead/get caught cursing out hillbillies on camera. (Remember, no candidate has been this far behind in all the polls this close to election day and been able to turn it around)
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10-13-2008 @ 9:54PM
Cincinnati Mike said...
Omega... Not that I have any huge confidence in Johnny Maverick's ability to pull it out, but Ronnie Reagan was about this far behind a WEEK before the 1980 election.
10-13-2008 @ 10:03PM
B said...
1980 was an entirely different election.
10-14-2008 @ 11:52AM
Cincinnati Mike said...
So this election and the one 28 years ago are entirely different elections? Thanks for clearing that up.
10-14-2008 @ 8:10PM
0megapart!cle said...
Fortunately, Reagan wasn't this far behind a week before the election. It was "too close to call", with some polls showing McCain ahead, and some showing Carter ahead, and Reagan surged only after that one and only debate the week before the election. McCain hasn't been tied, much less ahead, in weeks, and there is no final event coming up, other than the debate tomorrow, for him to distinguish himself. If you don't believe me, believe the Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-numbers/2008/10/reagans_comeback.html
At this point, according to RealClearPolitics (which strongly favors McCain in nearly every aspect of their organization, other than their poll averages and prognostications), if Obama won every state where he has a solid lead, and only won a couple of the states where he has a weak lead, he will win decidedly. He doesn't even need Florida or Ohio, for chrissakes! (He would like either one, and has a weak lead in both, but they would just be the icing on the cake at this point)
10-14-2008 @ 10:25AM
Larry Linn said...
Hey Dave, ask McCain if he has ever lied during the campaign. It would be best if you asked him while he was gettin his make-up applied, before you give him a ride to the airport.
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10-13-2008 @ 5:20PM
Scott K said...
Aww I was kind of hoping McCain wouldn't come by so that Dave would keep ripping on him.
"The road to the White House goes right through me"
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10-14-2008 @ 12:52PM
ruby said...
you my dear-are stupid. you must be a obamabinladin fan
10-14-2008 @ 9:49AM
Kim said...
I think you are overestimating Letterman's impact on the voting public. On the other hand, I never underestimate the stupidity of the American voter. If people will cast their votes based on which candidate wears a flag pin, why not let Letterman be the deciding factor?
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10-14-2008 @ 3:43PM
Melissa said...
I shudder to think I live in a world where mending a rift with a talk show host (as much I as adore Letterman) would be enough to prop McCain in the polls.
Then again, this is the world cancelled Firefly.
I like Letterman more when he's ripping on people. I'm a bit sadistic that way.
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10-14-2008 @ 8:11PM
0megapart!cle said...
Typo: Some showing Reagan ahead, not McCain. McCain hasn't been ahead in a long time.
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