[speechlesstx]

McCain invented the Blackberry! :D

He never made such a claim, NK.

NBC Takes Dig at McCain Tech-Savvy, Distorts Adviser’s Blackberry Comments
Photo of Jeff Poor.
By Jeff Poor (Bio | Archive)
September 17, 2008 - 12:03 ET

Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, Ariz. has acknowledged his technological shortcomings, but some in the media continue to portray him as a techno-phobe with no meaningful contributions to that sector of the economy.

The September 16 "NBC Nightly News" examined McCain's rhetoric on the campaign trail in the wake of a serious banking crisis. Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell reported one campaign advisor cited McCain's legislative effort opening the door to technological advancements as evidence of his ability to steer Americans through the turbulent time.

"And Brian, when an adviser today was stressing John McCain's economic credentials, he told reporters that McCain quote ‘helped make this little miracle happen' - the Blackberry or cell phone - citing his work on the Commerce Committee," O'Donnell said.

O'Donnell was referring to remarks made by McCain senior policy adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin, which now many media outlets have distorted make it seem McCain claimed to have invented the Blackberry.

"He did this," Holtz-Eakin said in Miami on September 16, while holding up a Blackberry. "The premier innovation in the past 15 years comes right through the Commerce Committee. You're looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create and that's what he did."

Rather than explore McCain's work on the Commerce committee and any influence he may have had over technological innovations, O'Donnell dismissed the adviser's claim as a mistake.

O'Donnell's segment and other reports about McCain claiming to have invented the Blackberry are similar to mimicking an anti-McCain ad bashing approved by Barack Obama.

"He admits he still doesn't know how to use a computer, can't send an e-mail, still doesn't understand the economy and favors $200 billion in new tax cuts for corporations, but almost nothing for the middle class," the TV ad said.

The media had previously been complimentary to McCain's tech savvy - prior to his 2008 presidential bid.

"In 2000, Forbes magazine called him the ‘Senate's savviest technologist,'" Goldberg wrote. "That same year, Slate's Jacob Weisberg gushed that McCain was the most ‘cybersavvy' of all the presidential candidates that year, a crop that included none other than Al Gore. Being chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Weisberg explained, ‘forced him to learn about the Internet early on, and young Web entrepreneurs such as Jerry Yang and Jeff Bezos fascinate him.'"

[NeedKarma]

He never made such a claim, NK.

God you're easy to bait. LOL! Of course he didn't, he can't even use a computer without aid. Just like Gore never claimed he invented the internet but you didn't right that wrong quote did you?

[speechlesstx]

God you're easy to bait. LOL! Of course he didn't, he can't even use a computer without aid. Just like Gore never claimed he invented the internet but you didn't right that wrong quote did you?

You give yourself way too much credit. The whole Gore thing is old news and if anyone still believes he claimed to invent the internet they should get out more. I have no problem acknowledging his contributions because I have no problem acknowledging facts. How about you?

P.S. Why should I really care if McCain is computer savvy? Neither is my dad... but he's the most intelligent person I know and he can fix or build damn near anything.

[Galveston1]

The Left have to nit-pick since there are not enough real issues to address on the Pub side. When they do find something, their own candidate is less informed than the opposition.

[RickJ]

God you're easy to bait. LOL! Of course he didn't, he can't even use a computer without aid. Just like Gore never claimed he invented the internet but you didn't right that wrong quote did you?

Gore said, as I quoted it, that he "took the initiative in creating the Internet"

Here are scads of sources citing it:
"took the initiative in creating the Internet" - Google Search

Do you disagree?

[NeedKarma]

Do you disagree?

mccain + invented blackberry - Google Search

[RickJ]

What's there to deny? McCain didn't say it.

If we want to count on what others say, then we should take another look at Obama's legislative accomplishments (according to one of his own top guys):

[NeedKarma]

Wow, it's so much fun how childish this all is. I know McCain didn't say it, just like we all know that Gore didn't invent the internet. Why are you spending time on this?

But the rebuttal to your video:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-ge...a_b_87970.html

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.co...hris-matt.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com...ss=132x4519993

[RickJ]

Touché.
Politics. Ain't it great :)

[NeedKarma]

It's interesting - I get to contrast american-style versus canadian-style since we've announced a federal election as well.

[RickJ]

So you're getting some good practice :)

[NeedKarma]

While the candidates may do strange things (spot the weird behaviour headline here) the supporters are not nearly as antagonistic toward each other.

[RickJ]

Often here it is the opposite. Take, for example, the rude and even violent protest that went on outside the Republican's Convention.

I'd characterize the supporters going back and forth as being typically uglier than the candidates words and actions themselves.

[tomder55]

[NeedKarma]

Tom, you'd have to understand the French-English / Canada-Québec situation to fully appreciate where that cartoon was published ("La Presse"). Also it appeared on Aug. 13, 1997.
People may have ill will feelings towards a candidate but not towards the supporters of that candidate.

[tomder55]

No doubt.

I think you may have a distorted view of the American elections because of the passions of the people on this and other internet sites. The truth is that most Americans are nowhere's near as interested or passionate about the elections . The period between the conventions and the elections are when most people even raise an eyebrow .

My neighbors my guess would be majority Obama supporters . However ,we are very cordial and friendly and have taken political action together despite our philosophical differences at the local level when our shared interests compelled our participation.

Otherwise we are more than content to share a beer and a bar-b-que dinner ,and to generally look out for each other .Normally politics is not the main conversation . This time of year my biggest battles are with my Washington Redskin fanatic neighbor.

[RickJ]

Otherwise we are more than content to share a beer and a bar-b-que dinner

Here too :)

I don't make waves with family or close friends. I like the partial anonymity of the internet to voice my real thoughts.

[tomder55]

As far as ill feelings towards the politicians goes ;Kissenger said it best :
“ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.”

[RickJ]

Good one. And semi related:

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."
Winston Churchill

[tomder55]

Just heard another grassy-knoll type theory about the 'Biden selection . Here's the scenario:

The Bambino decides no-way -no -how can he trust Evita on his ticket. But he needs the Clintoons support so there was a pow-wow. He breaks the news to her ,and to soften the blow solicits her opinion on who he should select that would be mutually acceptable to him and her.

The Clintoons in an act of pure vindictiveness suggest the poision-pill Joe Biden. Back then if you will recall Evita's support was not threatened by the emergence of Sarah Palin so there was no reason to not sabotage the OBama campaign. He would lose the general election freeing her to run an "I told you so " campaign in 2012.

The only unresolved issue in that scenario is if Biden is a willing participant in the plot ;a willful idiot... or is Biden just being Biden?