You Can Put Lipstick on an Ass …

But Barack Obama is still an ass.

With the Obama campaign’s release of a new campaign ad today, we saw a desperate attempt to use John McCain ‘s reported lack of Internet fluency as an indicator that he is generally out of touch. As it turns out, what the Obama camp paints as neo-Luddism is actually attributable to lingering effects of the McCain’s POW injuries. Jonah Goldberg explains:

The reason he doesn’t send email is that he can’t use a keyboard because of the relentless beatings he received from the Viet Cong in service to our country. From the Boston Globe (March 4, 2000):

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.

Mark Steyn wonders how team Obama could have missed this. Maybe they don’t know how to work The Google.

Allahpundit points out a recent NYT piece in which John McCain says he is learning to get online by himself. I would guess that McCain is either accessing the Web with assistive software, like a voice recognition application, or he has an alternative input device that offers better ergonomics for someone with reduced range of motion.

Suitably Flip shares a Forbes article from 2000 that describes McCain as “the U.S. Senate’s savviest technologist” and “an inveterate devotee of email.” The article says Cindy handled the physical aspects of computing for her husband at that time.

This means the charge that McCain “can’t send an email” isn’t just offensive, it’s categorically untrue.

So bring on the next smear, team Obama. The right side of the blogosphere has a Google and they’re not afraid to use it.

September 12, 2008 · Filed Under Barack Obama, Election 2008, John McCain

2 Comments

OMG! No Web Lulz for John McCain!

John McCain must be super productive. If I didn’t use email I’d reclaim hours a week. Barack Obama, of course, sees it a little differently:

Granted there are benefits to being Web-savvy, but c’mon, the man has people for that.

I don’t agree with all of John McCain’s ideas about how to run our country, but when it comes to the American people, he’s way more plugged in than Barack Obama, even if he doesn’t know how to vandalize Wikipedia and read viral email smears.

September 12, 2008 · Filed Under Barack Obama, Election 2008, John McCain