Way to win my vote Johnny! As seen on Crooks and Liars:
JOHN MCCAIN: "Now we’ve got the cables. We’ve got talk radio. We’ve got the bloggers. I hate the bloggers. We’ve got all kinds of sources of information."
The hi-res version of the clip is available for download (25.9MB) as well as the full campaign event (162MB). Anyone have a Youtube version that is a little longer?
Update: Remember John McCain [wants] to shutdown [the] blogosphere.
I’m not sure I blame him – the bloggers that he’s referring to, the ones that reach his ears and notice of his staff, are the online equivalents to Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and Bill O’Reilly. The loudmouths, the fearmongers, the intellectually deprived. The ones that attract blogosphere and media followings because of how loudly they type and how outrageously they present their ideas.
I don’t know if at this point the real power of the blogosphere – the power of normal people to connect, exchange information, form relationships, affect real cultural and social change, has yet to reach the national political stage. So maybe what he’s saying is a good thing – it means he recognizes the rhetoric when it’s turned back to him. Anyway I wouldn’t take it personally – he’s not talking about us.
I’d like the hear the next few words he had to say. I’m going to download the 162MB hi-res version later and catch his speech. I’m an Obama fan but I’m not going into the polls blind. I want to hear speeches from both candidates and really understand their positions on issues.
I think your assessment is probably right on.
I am sure that he is talking about “bloggers” like how we complain that we hate Congress but love our own Congressman. I am sure that McCain loves me. LOL
Doesn’t every politician have bloggers complaining as well as praising their words and deeds? Surely McCain has been told what his devoted following says about him. Does he hate all bloggers? Is he part of the political leadership who believe they can control the flow of information and the spin? Does he just hate critics? Either way sounds very anti-free speech. I suspect that the real story is that McCain doesn’t have any idea what blogging really is or who bloggers are. Some advisor said something negative and McCain just picked up on it.