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 Friday, March 21, 2008
Bad Rap

Many of my fellow Democrats love to lambaste John McCain over this. About a year ago, early in the presidential campaign, McCain was speaking to a small gathering of veterans in South Carolina. Someone in the group asked about Iran, whereupon McCain joked about "that old Beach Boys song" and started to sing, "bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran" to the tune of "Barbara Ann". (Except that in McCain's case, both "sing" and "tune" need to be in scare quotes.)

Partisan Democrats of a certain type love to present this episode as an argument against McCain -- except that now it is "argument" that needs to be in scare quotes. Typically there's no argument at all, just some sputtering with indignation and pointing at the clip as if it is self-evident grounds for McCain's immediate disqualification.

Look, if you've got a real argument, make it. If you think McCain is more likely to get us embroiled in a bad war, or is more likely to antagonize foreign leaders in a way that is contrary to American interests, by all means state your case and we can debate it. And if you think McCain's readiness to make this silly joke is evidence of a cavalier attitude toward war, we can debate that, too.

But don't just say, "Omigod, he sang 'bomb iran'! He's so evil!" because that's just stupid. It's just a harmless joke. It's not a window to any deeper attitudes. Sometimes the word play is too good to resist. (Ask MoveOn, who couldn't resist "General Betray Us".)

McCain's own response was exactly right:

"Please, I was talking to some of my old veterans friends," he told reporters. "My response is, lighten up and get a life."

I'm about as big an Iranophile as you'll find in the United States, and I'm not the least bit outraged by McCain's joke.

11:25:46 PM  [permalink]  comment []