My takeaway from the final presidential debate last night was a deep sense of concern, even anxiety, over what John McCain is doing to the public perception of old white guys. People already treat us as if we’re all goofy. They use euphemisms like “irascible,” which, as we all know, means “showing signs of early Alzheimer’s.”
Did you see those parts where Obama had that big smile going, like he was fighting back a giggle? I get that in meetings. It’s not good. Right after folks get that big smile, they start looking you up and down to see if you have dry pants.
The main action in that debate was in the McCain reaction shots, especially when he was doing the big eye-blink thing and then looking around for clues. We all know what he was thinking: “Oh, boy. Don’t remember coming here at all. Where in the hell is this? Maybe blinking my eyes will help.”
I’m worried about the effect this is going to have on the rest of us old white guys who still have to go out there and survive in the marketplace. I love Obama, but I wanted to slap that big grin right off his face. Maybe if I shave my head and get some neck tattoos people will take me seriously.
All Obama had to do last night was say, “John, they’re calling your name in the day room.” McCain would have been out of there. That might have been better for the rest of us. Sheesh. Not good for us. Not good at all. --Jim Schutze
