He's Learning To Go Online

[MrsSpringsteen]

Does it matter to you or not that John McCain is not computer literate and has to have people go online for him? Doesn't use e-mail. Is that necessary for a President/candidate in 2008? This has been brought up before, and this is from an interview with him in yesterday's NY Times

Q: What websites if any do you look at regularly?


Mr. McCain: Brooke and Mark show me Drudge, obviously, everybody watches, for better or for worse, Drudge. Sometimes I look at Politico. Sometimes RealPolitics, sometimes.

(Mrs. McCain and Ms. Buchanan both interject: "Meagan's blog!")

Mr. McCain: Excuse me, Meagan's blog. And we also look at the blogs from Michael and from you that may not be in the newspaper, that are just part of your blog.

Q: But do you go on line for yourself?

Mr. McCain: They go on for me. I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don't expect to be a great communicator, I don't expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need - including going to my daughter's blog first, before anything else.

Q: Do you use a blackberry or email?

Mr. McCain: No

Mark Salter: He uses a BlackBerry, just ours.

 

[indra]

Does it matter to you or not that John McCain is not computer literate and has to have people go online for him? Doesn't use e-mail. Is that necessary for a President/candidate in 2008?

No to both questions. I don't care whether or not he is computer literate and I also don't think it's necessary for a President or candidate in 2008. I'm sure any serious presidential candidate has plenty of staffers to check the various news/opinion sites or do any emailing he/she needs.

And on the plus side we know he isn't surfing porn sites.

 

[Vincent Vega]

And on the plus side we know he isn't surfing porn sites.

That's right, Brooke and Mark are doing it for him.

From someone his age I don't expect to be able to use the internet, and I guess it's not really that important for him. He surely has other ways to get information and get in touch with other people.
It can only be a problem in one aspect: legislation. For example half our parliament, and most terrifyingly those in the Justice department, don't have a clue about the internet. Hence, some of the laws they pass are terrible and disgusting.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Even if he has other ways, isn't it the least bit important that he's in touch with modern technology? My mother is over 70 and she knows how to e-mail (too much) and use the internet. At least for perception's sake he should know that. I don't care that he doesn't, there are so many more important things that he needs to know. But it makes him show his age, if nothing else. I would venture a guess that the majority of people who don't know basic computer skills are his age and older. It surprises me that you can be in the US Senate and not know those basics, or maybe it doesn't.

 

[Irvine511]

i find it important that the most powerful man in the world has at least some grasp of the internet.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

i find it important that the most powerful man in the world has at least some grasp of the internet.

I have to agree with that. I wonder if Bush does?

I don't believe you have to be on the internet in order to function optimally (and it can be a detriment in many ways), but in that position it would seem to be a handicap and it just don't look right

 

[Vincent Vega]

My personal opinion would be that someone his age shouldn't run for President, no matter how fine his current medical record or how old his parents got.

It just reminds me of the speech the Alaskan Senator gave about two years ago about the freedom of the internet and the series of tubes. At some point people should accept that age hit them, but unfortunately especially politicians seem to conveniently ignore that fact (not only in the US).

Nevertheless, if his job as Senator or President is in any way hindered (besides the fact that these people pass out legislation that is garbage) by his computer and internet illiterance, I don't know.

 

[indra]

Even if he has other ways, isn't it the least bit important that he's in touch with modern technology?

If you expect this, shouldn't you then also expect any presidential candidate to be a military veteran? If keeping up with modern technology is important shouldn't having the type of understanding of the military that only comes from having been part of it be even more important?

I don't think one needs to be a member of the military to have a grasp of war and how to be the commander in chief and I don't think one has to use the internet to understand it conceptually.

 

[BVS]

He hasn't figured out the series of tubes yet?

 

[phillyfan26]

It's not really this one thing that matters. It's how many things John McCain does not understand that makes one wary of his ability to hold the position of president.

 

[deep]

Are we better off with the internet?


I believe it is seriously "dumbing" down people.


Shit flies all over and is blown out of proportion.

But the "perception" is the reality.


The world would be better if the nets would run only 3 hours a day.


That way people would have 21 hours a day to try and figure out why they are so stupid.

 

[anitram]

I think the Internet has done far more good than anything. Dumbification is the media's fault - the Internet can be and has been a great liberating tool for many people in this world.

As for McCain - it's not that he needs to use it, it's that by being completely unfamiliar with it, he's out of touch with almost every generation. And it really explains why he thinks it's fine to deny having said things that are being looped on YouTube. Clearly he doesn't get that these days, everything is recorded, everything can be brought up. Senator "I never said that" McCain probably never went on YouTube, much less does he understand its reach or influence these days.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I told my mother about this and she said it means he's stuck in the past and doesn't want to move forward. I thought that was a pretty good point.

Most of what I know about computers I have taught myself and learned through experience, I don't know why he wouldn't be motivated to do the same thing. Granted I hardly know everything, but internet and e-mail would be a good starting point for him.

 

[corianderstem]

It's not that he doesn't know how to use it. It's that he doesn't want to use it, because Al Gore invented it, and he can't afford to associate himself with Al Gore.

 

[deep]

I told my mother about this and she said it means he's stuck in the past and doesn't want to move forward. I thought that was a pretty good point.

If he joined you and your mom in a PLEBA chat would you consider voting for him?

 

[bonocrazy88]

What bothers me more are tons of other things that John McCain doesn't know how to do. Or won't. Using the Internet (or rather NOT using it) is just another reason for me not to vote for him.

 

[deep]

What bothers me more are tons of other things that John McCain doesn't know how to do. Or won't.

tons ?

ok,

list a handful.

 

[bonocrazy88]

lol

won't do.
Support gay marriage
support single parent adoption and/or gay parent adoption
support abortion rights (he wants to ban it)
support reproductive rights for women (for instance birth control, etc.)
support eradication of the domestic and global Gag Rule
support comprehensive sex education (insists on abstinence only)
commit to equal pay for equal work

Those are just the issues important to me, let alone the economy, environment, terrorism, and more human rights issues.

 

[deep]

fair enough

the doesn't know how to do had me confused

but, you did include,

won't do

 

[bonocrazy88]

Yeah I guess that's true. I should have clarified that. As for things he doesn't know how to do, I'm sure there are tons, but then again, there are tons of thinks everyone can't do. lol

 

[mobvok]

It's not that he doesn't know how to use it. It's that he doesn't want to use it, because Al Gore invented it, and he can't afford to associate himself with Al Gore.

isn't it a sharp contrast between Al Gore being involved with the internet 30-40 years ago, versus McCain in 2008 still not figuring out what these tubes are?

The President has military advisors...I wonder if President McCain would have an Internet advisor trying to explain this stuff to him.

 

[maycocksean]

meh. . .non-issue in my book.

Kind of like that Obama magazine cover.

I just don't see these issues as all that vital.

 

[deep]

isn't it a sharp contrast between Al Gore being involved with the internet 30-40 years ago, versus McCain in 2008 still not figuring out what these tubes are?

The President has military advisors...I wonder if President McCain would have an Internet advisor trying to explain this stuff to him.

When did McCain ever say anything about these tube things.?

Q: What websites if any do you look at regularly?


Mr. McCain: Brooke and Mark show me Drudge, obviously, everybody watches, for better or for worse, Drudge. Sometimes I look at Politico. Sometimes RealPolitics, sometimes.

(Mrs. McCain and Ms. Buchanan both interject: "Meagan's blog!")

Mr. McCain: Excuse me, Meagan's blog. And we also look at the blogs from Michael and from you that may not be in the newspaper, that are just part of your blog.

Q: But do you go on line for yourself?

Mr. McCain: They go on for me. I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don't expect to be a great communicator, I don't expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need - including going to my daughter's blog first, before anything else.

 

[Vincent Vega]

I guess they confuse that comment with the speech by Senator Stevens from Alaska, who spoke about the "series of tubes", or deliberately attribute it to McCain.

Here you can hear Stevens' speech: Senator Stevens MP3

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

If he joined you and your mom in a PLEBA chat would you consider voting for him?

What the .... is that supposed to mean?

 

[Hinder]

Personally, I couldn't care less that he can't use a computer. So what? THe President of the U.S. has more important things to do than play with computers. But then again, I say this because my fiancee is in his fifties and can only check email..when he really wants to try. The fact that he's not real computer-savvy isn't important. He can leave that computer stuff up to me. As to it 'showing his age'...ummm...so? Non-issue, folks. I'm more worried about those other issues others have mentioned above. Provided he even becomes President.

 

[deep]

Personally, I couldn't care less that he can't use a computer. So what? THe President of the U.S. has more important things to do than play with computers.

McCain is not cool!!

He is not trading emails and texting with :

 

[Hinder]

But that means more hot chicks for you, deep. Pity the aging McCain his infirmities.

 

[Sylvia127]

i find it important that the most powerful man in the world has at least some grasp of the internet.

Pretty sure Barack does!!