McCain falls asleep
during the State of the Union?
MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson:
If you’re McCain, who will be over 70 by 2008, you’ll want to make doubly sure to demonstrate your alertness and vigor. You definitely won’t want to slump in your seat, out cold, when Bush starts talking about Iraq. And yet that’s exactly what McCain did tonight, napping on camera for ten agonizing seconds. Lack of self-control? An expression of contempt? Embarrassing in any case.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
85 Responses to “McCain falls asleep”
Register
RSSLogin
View Most Popular
Visit Our Affiliated Site
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
Reports
In depth studies on select topics
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Beck
Big Oil
Bolton
Bush
Cheney
Civil Rights
Dobbs
Drudge
Economy
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Feith
Fox News
GI Bill
Global Warming
Gore
Guantanamo
Hagee
Health Care
Immigration
Impeachment
Iran
Iraq
Justice
Kristol
LGBT
Lieberman
McCain
McClellan
Media
Military
O'Hanlon
O'Reilly
Obama
Politics
Race
Radical Right
Rove
Terrorism
Torture
Veterans
Wiretapping
Women's Rights
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
What a maverick!!! Who else would think to fall asleep while Bush talks about Iraq during the SOTU?
January 24th, 2007 at 11:13 amSorry, John, but this is another reason why you can’t be POTUS. Just give it up. Even your best friends won’t tell you, but we will — leave now, when you can still gather up the stray shreds of respect that remain.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:15 amHeh…I noticed this last night.
As if he needed to look any less appealing to everyone concerned…
January 24th, 2007 at 11:16 amFor those who had the good fortune to miss it or still can’t believe what you heard, here are the Top 10 State of the Union Highlights…
January 24th, 2007 at 11:17 amOn the up side, a sleeping president is an improvement over what we have now.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:19 amAre you sure he’s asleep? Maybe he’s text-messaging his boyfriend, Carl Rove. They’re trying to figure out how to break the break-up news to George.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:20 amHe’s just trying to pander to the majority. He wants to make sure he is seen having the same response as the rest do to Bush’s talk and plans about Iraq.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:20 amHey now, it was a long day for the flip-flopper, he needed some rapid eye movement to gather his conscience.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:20 amGreat political ad material when the time comes :) Thanks John!
January 24th, 2007 at 11:21 amMcCain deserves some shuteye before he and Bush smash full headon into the ‘Iraq iceberg’.
If you have to be off…why not be 180 degrees off.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:21 amBig deal. Bush is sound asleep and in dreamland with his eyes wide open.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:22 amObama looked the same way. I think he is reading the speech, not asleep.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:23 amHe was dreaming of hugging George W. Bush and of smooching with Joe Lieberman.
-GSD
January 24th, 2007 at 11:27 amI agree with sam. I’m not sure he’s asleep, but reading the text of the speech. There’s enough other ammunition that “PingPong” gives us to criticize him for, and much more important.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:29 amHe looked bad on Meet the Press last Sunday, he might not be in good health.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:31 amZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
A snoozer of a story no matter how you cut it.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:32 amKennedy, Biden and Obama got a few winks in too. Never see that on TP.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:33 amLiten… Flip flopping on opinion, day in and day out is tiring… it’s hard work, and John sure has been working real hard lately, lol…
January 24th, 2007 at 11:36 amKennedy, Biden and Obama got a few winks in too. Never see that on TP.
Comment by Kevin
Provide links Kev, so we can see it.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:36 amMcCain is a doddering old fool now, so he should retire from politics, and go nod off for the rest of his life in Arizona!
January 24th, 2007 at 11:37 amThat’s the most washed-out and pasty-faced old MAVERICK that I’ve ever seen! Isn’t the word maverick a contradiction of terms? Maybe his name should be: Old Fella.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:40 amSam & Kevin (12 & 17),
Links, please. Otherwise, say “I saw …”. Support your assertions.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:40 amhey guys cut him some slack, my girlfriend fell asleep during it too.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:41 amI slept thru the entire SOTU speech…..
January 24th, 2007 at 11:42 amgee, I fell asleep too, aparently quite a few did… BUT I am not going to run for President…
January 24th, 2007 at 11:46 am#17 seems to be making the rounds and defending its’ boyfriends George, Dick and John. Isn’t it a shame no one else feels its’ sentiments. It must be getting awfully lonely out there, in NEO-CON WORLD. Waaa… waaa
January 24th, 2007 at 11:47 amHe looked bad on Meet the Press last Sunday, he might not be in good health.
Comment by Tony W
I don’t know, maybe the Reverand Dobson put a curse on him or something.
Still, I thought it was just me and now someone else has mentioned it. I don’t think McCain is in bad health, but has anyone else noticed how monotone the court jester is? Talk about being high on drugs or something, I’m wondering what McCain’s handlers are slipping into his koolaid. On every talkshow this past weekend when he responded to a question, his voice has one single, slow, mundane pitch. Kind of like he was on crack or something.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:51 amI don’t really enjoy defending McCain but I also think he, like many others with their heads down during the speech, were either reading or taking notes.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:56 amThe Straight Talk Exprezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
January 24th, 2007 at 12:17 pmNeed to see them sleeping.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:19 pmFinally I have found common ground with McVain.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:20 pmI’m not a fan of McCain…At all, but isn’t it possible that he’s looking down at something? I’m sure McCain knew that the camera would be pointed at him at some point. Do you really think he’d risk beeing seen sleeping at the SOTU address? I don’t know, it just seems unlikely to me, but still possible I suppose.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:20 pmHe probably just forgot to take his Geritol.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:22 pm#27, No Shit. I was making coffeee (waiting for Sen Kennedy) and listening to McCain and he sounded like a Cheech and Chong record. Seriously, he sounded like a strung out tour bus driver giving a well rehearsed speech to a Tuesday afternoon tour of retired IRS accountants.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:23 pmis he, or isn’t he? …
January 24th, 2007 at 12:25 pmwell, tucker carlson has opined and blogged that he is…
so there.
…
he wasnt sleeping, he was texting dobson.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:25 pmActually, he looks like he’s reading something.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:33 pmJust sayin’
sleep old soldier, sleep.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:37 pmHe is reading the shit Bush is saying. He is not asleep. Everyone is reading Bush’s shit, even the Dems are.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:37 pmprobably, zooey… they all were… biden, obama, etc…
January 24th, 2007 at 12:41 pmcross referencing the script with the speech…
I mean no disrespect to Vietnam vets, but being a POW for as long as McCain was in my opinion is not an asset for being Pres. More like a liability. That and the fact he is a war-monger.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:44 pmI don’t know about anyone else, but I’m sure not prepared to agree with Tucker Carlson any too quickly. He’s been pretty asleep at his switch, IMO.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:52 pmI noticed Kennedy, Biden looking like they where sleeping as well. I do believe they all where reading the copies of the speach they had. When looking down at it appears they where asleep.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:58 pmAgree that he looked terrible on Meet the Press too.
His support of Bush’s war will finish him off a a presidential candidate.
Personally, I can’t stand the guy.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:58 pmIt was further embarrassing when the President starting dozing off as well…
January 24th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
…probably just texting one of his Page-boys…
January 24th, 2007 at 1:13 pmThe perfect 2008 campaign commerical - Bush doing SOTU, and McCain asleep - fade to black - then the question in stark white letters - “Bad to worse?” - fade to black - then “No thank you.”
January 24th, 2007 at 1:32 pmThis is not relevant and makes us look like fools for pointing it out. He may be reading or taking notes, you can’t tell from that clip.
Let’s pick our fights, there are so many relevant ones.
January 24th, 2007 at 1:43 pmI am not a Bush or McCain supporter, but to be fair… if you were watching carefully, as I was, he was not sleeping. It looks like he is reading a Blackberry or notes or the speech script. I don’t care for these guys, but let’s take the shots where they count.
January 24th, 2007 at 1:44 pmgive the guy a break, he didn’t have his afternoon nap
January 24th, 2007 at 1:45 pmtoo bad he wasn’t operating heavy machinery
January 24th, 2007 at 1:53 pmHe wasn’t asleep, he was on his Blackberry. If you watched this, it was obvious he wasn’t sleeping.
January 24th, 2007 at 1:53 pmIt’s all but over for the Republicans:
They are party of incompetence, bigotry, big business over workers, deficit and massive debt, failed wars, failed diplomacy, exclusion, religious extremists, corruption, vile ultra-partisan politics, underhanded slime campaigns, anti-immigrant, the ultra-rich, anti-science, and mostly:
The party of ignorance, the party of the past, the party of very bad, archaic, and dangerous ideas.
January 24th, 2007 at 2:03 pmNOBODY was sleeping. The president’s teleprompter was on the fritz so they stenciled the SOTU speech on the outer eyelids of specific members of the audience. A true bipartisan effeort to get Bush through the night.
January 24th, 2007 at 2:05 pmHe wasn’t asleep, he was on his Blackberry. If you watched this, it was obvious he wasn’t sleeping.
Comment by Scott —
Finally someone with some sense prevails.
January 24th, 2007 at 2:31 pmThank you Scott. You have your act together unlike the rest of the drone worker bees.
McCain will have a hard time becoming anything more than a VP.
It’s sad to say it, but American’s won’t elect somebody president unless they are tall enough, somewhat good looking, and they feel like they can listen to the person talk for the next 4 to 8 years.
Somebody who is short, ugly, or has a funny voice better have some really compelling things to say. Even if they did, their chances of becoming Pres. are still slim in our image-obsessed culture.
I think McCain’s chances at becoming Pres. expired back in 2000.
January 24th, 2007 at 2:36 pmThis is great, the man who wants to be POTUS is sleeping during the SOTU address. He would probably sleep through his daily briefing as well. Think about that for a second and remember Bush’s daily briefing titled “Bin ladon determined to strike inside the united states”.
January 24th, 2007 at 2:48 pmLOVE it.
January 24th, 2007 at 2:55 pmHe wasn’t asleep, he was on his Blackberry. If you watched this, it was obvious he wasn’t sleeping.
Comment by Scott —
Finally someone with some sense prevails.
January 24th, 2007 at 3:17 pmThank you Scott. You have your act together unlike the rest of the drone worker bees.
For America, this is a nightmare scenario. For the enemy, this is the objective. Chaos is the greatest ally — their greatest ally in this struggle. And out of chaos in Iraq would emerge an emboldened enemy with new safe havens, new recruits, new resources, and an even greater determination to harm America. To allow this to happen would be to ignore the lessons of September the 11th and invite tragedy. Ladies and gentlemen, nothing is more important at this moment in our history than for America to succeed in the Middle East, to succeed in Iraq and to spare the American people from this danger.
well in defnese of Mc Cain I would nod of too listeneing to the above meaningless screed
January 24th, 2007 at 3:28 pmThat’s the MSM equivalent of the ‘Dean Scream’ right there.
Goodnight Mr. McCain.
Plenty of time to get some rest.
January 24th, 2007 at 3:28 pmi dont think hes sleeping. he could be reading the speech or even making notes. the clip isnt long enuf to tell anything.
we dont need this kind of stuff. lets address mccain on the issues.
January 24th, 2007 at 3:38 pmThe Snooze of the Doddering Warmonger.
Obviosly none of his grandkids are being frog-marched into the Iraqi meatgrinder. Other people’s children will do just fine.
How much money you make off the war, Senator McCain?
January 24th, 2007 at 4:16 pmI think he’s just reading along. That’s all.
January 24th, 2007 at 6:32 pmHe was reading along in the script for the speech.
Saying he was napping? Give me a break and grow up.
January 24th, 2007 at 6:33 pmhe was reading along. this is stupid.
January 24th, 2007 at 6:36 pmReading along?
January 24th, 2007 at 6:40 pmYou asshat trolls are really too much, you can’t even tell the difference between asleep and reading… no wonder you idiots voted for Bush.
I wish Bush and Cheney would go to sleep, too. And then stay asleep forever.
January 24th, 2007 at 7:10 pmWhat time was it there … let’s see, earlier than 10:30pm. And the dude can’t even get a good night’s sleep knowing this is a ANNUAL event?
Mr. pinkish can stay asleep forever for all I care!
January 24th, 2007 at 7:55 pmHe was not sleeping, damn it:
1. gathering thoughts (i.e. consintratin’)
2. planning Iran invansion
3. batteries recharging
4. disassociation therapy
5. planning next hunting trip
nah, huge living breathing turd sitting like the lump of lard he his sending men and wome off to die for lies
January 24th, 2007 at 8:25 pmI think he and the others were praying… GWB was talking about Iraq at this point.
January 24th, 2007 at 8:39 pmI think McCain was praying… after all GWB was talking about Iran at this point
January 24th, 2007 at 8:41 pmWhat a dumb news story. He wasn’t sleeping, he was looking down at his notes. If you watched carefully, you’ll notice that Barack Obama also “looked” like he was sleeping.
When people like McCain and Obama are expected to be on a thousand different news shows to explain their reaction, they write down notes and material so they can pull out talking points.
If you think he was asleep, you’re just silly
January 24th, 2007 at 10:38 pmI also think he was simply looking at his notes.
Though if we could get an angle that shows his eyes were closed, I’d laugh my ass off.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:55 pmA. McCain was reading a copy of the speech. Those of you who couldn’t pick up on that shouldn’t be allowed within 1,000 feet of a polling place.
January 25th, 2007 at 2:51 amB. McCain is more of a man at 70 than all you sub-par internet commandos on your best day. I’m talking to you, Joe Sixpack-step away from your computer.
Yeah, come on. I dozed off. too, watching the thing. I don’t like Johnny. But sleeping through Dubya’s speeches is certainly his more sympathetic trait.
January 25th, 2007 at 5:00 amI don’t think it’ll hurt him much. Ronald Reagan used to fall asleep at cabinet meetings, and nobody cared much at all.
OTOH, since 2000 he has gone from Teddy Roosevelt reincarnated to just another GOP ‘bot. In 2000, I could have voted for him. Today? No frickin’ way. I might change my affiliation back to GOP so I can vote for him in the primary, just to watch him get creamed.
What is it about the Republican Party that turns reasonably decent people into these fascist creeps their own mothers wouldn’t recognize? Do they really serve spiked Kool-Aid at meetings over there? I saw McCain on Meet The Press last Sunday, and I swear he must have been on some kind of medication or something. Do we really want this guy in the Oval Office? Who will be pulling his strings?
January 25th, 2007 at 9:02 amOne site shows even more Senators appearing to be asleep. I like to think they were all simply praying for an end to this debacle in Iraq.
January 25th, 2007 at 10:36 amYou’re all silly! He’s doing the same thing I’d be doing - playing Texas Hold ‘em on his Blackberry!
January 26th, 2007 at 12:06 pmSenator McCain is CLEARLY reading the speech transcript that everyone gets before the President speaks. He is NOT sleeping…he is reading word for word what Bush is saying & is plenty awake…
January 30th, 2007 at 4:25 pmWho cares? Even if you are interested in what is being said it’s still
January 30th, 2007 at 5:14 pmboring to sit there and listen to it.
Hate To be Capt. Obvious, but it looks the flip flopper has flopped out, his head isn’t moving left to right, as if he were reading. Unless he’s reading the same word, over and over and over again (X100).
February 1st, 2007 at 6:09 pmWhat about the guy behind him sucking his thumb?
February 5th, 2007 at 1:15 amOK. Say what you will about the snooze but everyone who knows McCain is the strongest candidate and I would be very surprised if he did not win. I have not been proven wrong yet regarding candidates being victorious over the years and do not expect that McCain will lose. There is no way that Hilary will win. This is due to many reasons. 1. There are too many people who do not feel comfortable with the idea of a female president. (I personally could care less if it is male or female). 2. She is not remotely qualified. How long has she been a senator? Please. And what has she done? Nada Mucho. 3. She is scum. WHitewater…Her futures scandal…Her alledged jewish heritage… Need I say more.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:16 pmDon’t get me wrong… it is the democrats turn to win but there are no candidates strong enough to beat McCain. Obama by virtue of the racism in this country will hurt him. His religion and race will harm his candidacy. Also he is very very green. I would consider voting for him but he needs more experience and not just ride a popularity parade. Bottom line I will be quite surprised if McCain does not win.
[…] president. Like many others addicted to their converged devices (Sen. John McCain was apparently indulging during the last State of the Union speech, not sleeping), he’s become a constant user, and he […]
March 24th, 2007 at 2:03 am