You know, McCain not looking at Obama really is a big deal.

[LeftyFingerPop]

Was it a tactic used in an attempt to diminish the presence of Obama?

Was it a tactic used to keep McCain's anger in check?

Was it a "natural reaction" on McCain's part?

If McCain's handlers do not correct this for the next debate, we will know that it is a tactic.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Several commentators remarked on it last night,

and not favorably. To my mind, the action implied McCain was afraid to look at Obama.

[barbtries]

2. it shows contempt

from a contemptible man. hope it comes back and bites him in the ass, hard.

[ThePowerofWill]

21. No it does not.

It shows fear. When you talk/debate someone and they won't look at you it shows fear, not contempt. When you show contempt you look at your opponent and scowl or show scorn roll your eyes etc.

[barbtries]

25. yes it does too

contempt is born in fear.

[ThePowerofWill]

26. Hardly.....

I have never felt contempt for someone out of fear. I never have failed to look someone in the eye i held in contempt, and neither do most others. Contempt comes from a feeling of superiority not fear.

[barbtries]

27. fear and loathing

lead to contempt. we loathe nothing more than that which we fear. two sides of the same coin. i believe that mccain's disrespect betrayed contempt; you believe it reveals fear. i don't disagree with you, you are free to disagree with me.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

35. That's probably the best way to describe it...

...it's not simple "fear," because it's fear laced with anger, resentment, and self-image issues that are clearly at the heart of McCain's motivation.

It's not simple "contempt," either. "Contempt" is Oracle's Larry Ellison suing the city of San Jose California because of ordinances at the airport which don't allow him to land his private jet 24/7. Larry Ellison will look you straight in the eye and tell you to kiss his ass because he's drunk on his own power and pretty much cares for nothing beyond being the happiest Larry Ellison he can be, at anyone's expense.

McCain's "suspending his campaign" stunt blew up in his face. The organizers of last night's even were furious with him. I do not see him as a "sly old fox." I think he played the "suspend the campaign" gambit and LOST. Really, really, LOST. So when he stepped out on that stage last night, he stepped out there as a guy who rolled the dice and got a lot of bad press as a result.

"Contempt born in fear." Fear of an opposing candidate who is all of the things that he will never be, and at a VERY early age as well. That accounts for the numerous "What Senator Obama doesn't understand" asides last night.

Obama understands John McCain, and McCain KNOWS it, and that's why he won;t look him in the eye.

:patriot:

[devilgrrl]

34. it shows DISRESPECT

eom

[barbtries]

38. disrespect is on the face of it

he should not be disrespecting his opponent in the context of a debate between presidential candidates. why is he disrespectful? where did he get the idea that treating barack obama disrespectfully was a good idea, or acceptable in civilized discourse?

[speedoo]

3. It's a VERY big deal.

I doubt McCain's handlers can correct it. It's no tactic, it's something McCain can't help.

[all.of.me]

4. It's not a tactic. He's not trustworthy. He's a liar, cheat, criminal, etc.

Those people don't look you in the eye.

[rzemanfl]

5. Only three reasons I can think of:

1) bigotry
2) McCain is ashamed of what he's become
3) inability to look the executioner in the eye when he knows what's coming

Oh, wait, I forgot "He was a POW."

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. #2- kind of

McCain comes face-to-face with the person he's been smearing for the last 2 months.

Aka guilt.

[lunatica]

23. It's cowardice in the realm of body language

If you can't look at someone when you're talking to them you're afraid of them. It's an attempt at covering up your fear. So is disdain, dismissive behavior and belittling someone. All of which McCain did to Obama last night. Had the behavior been reversed everyone would have been shocked at the lack of respect shown.

[lumberjack_jeff]

32. There's also anger

If McCain has a face-to-face discussion with Obama, McCain will get angry. Temper tantrums are a learned behavior, but at his age, he's too old to un-learn it.

[godai]

6. Commonly used tactic in meetings to try to intimidate.

Someone running a meeting will normally look at a speaker or everyone to promote communication. A tactic, when someone says something that the boss doesn't like, is for the boss to never look at the person whom the boss disagrees with.

Apparently this is what McCain was trying to do last night. They've (Rove) been trying to knock Obama offstride all week but it hasn't worked.

[madrchsod]

7. last night crash pulled a nixon

he looked as bad as nixon did against kennedy. i doubt anything will change in the next one.

his biggest problem will be palin melting down in front of the nation. after her performance i doubt there will be very few undecided left in america.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. I think it may be why McCain is not doing well in the post debate results

I personally didn't notice, but I focus on content mostly, not body language, and I thought that gramps unfortunately held his own. I went to sleep unhappy. I am feeling much better this morning.

I did notice his senior moment with his favorite pen, the one he said was old, just like he is (or something like that, the exact words escape me). Of course his good old pen that he was waving at us was a brand new sharpie that was on the podium for his use. That moment was rather creepy, but nobody seemed to pay attention.

[Frank Cannon]

11. McCain was glearing throughout the whole night

He looked like he could barely contain his rage, but I did give him points for doing so.

I thought Obama won, but then again, he is playing for my team.

[rzemanfl]

16. You really like that new word, don'cha? eom

[Frank Cannon]

22. It's hugh! n/t

[luckyleftyme2]

17. HAVE YOU EVER SEE A LIAR

Have you ever seen a liar look you in the eye! His mannerisms give him away like the thumbs up when he went into his rehearsed answers! check out u tube to see his comments denying the statements he made about Iraq; he's caught flat footed.
BUSH WITH THE EYE TWITCH AND MCCAIN WITH THE SHOULDER JERK AND THE RIGHT THUMB UP !
YOU SEE THIS YOU KNOW THEY ARE LYING!
LATELY THATS MOST OF THE TIME!
HERO= PERSON WHO COMMITS AN ACT OF BRAVERY TO SAVE ANOTHER WITHOUT CARE OF PERSONAL
ENDANGERMENT!
CODE OF CONDUCT=COUNTRY FIRST -DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR
NAME -RANK -SERIAL NUMBER

THE ECONOMY IS FINE=OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY- UNFIT TO LEAD!

[barbtries]

37. i often find him creepy

the smiles out of nowhere. the warmongering without respect to whether it's right or necessary. on and on.

[radfringe]

9. reminds me of cheney - never looks at anyone he is talking too

always looks down or away

[BeHereNow]

36. Bingo- it is a declaration of POWER, only it doesn't work for McCain.

Cheney has perfected the body language of announcing
he holds all the power.
McCain simply looked paranoid and shifty trying the technique on.

BHN

[zbdent]

10. If McCain was telling the truth, he could look Obama straight in the eye ...

[kskiska]

12. Tweety suggested that in order for McSame to perform

he has to work himself up into actually hating his opponent, which leads to treating him with contempt, which doesn't play well.

[Blue Diadem]

13. I'm not sure what it was. IMO, it's very difficult not to look

at someone. I've seen people do it for a short period of time, totally ignore someone near them and talk "around" them, and it's alway appeared to be done by someone who is attempting to be superior to the person they're ignoring.

Whatever McCain's reason, his not looking at Obama was strange.

[ROakes1019]

14. downcast eyes

McCain hates so many people, including many world leaders. Can you imagine him sitting across from these leaders and not ever looking at them while discussing world affairs?

[terrya]

18. It's arrogance, it's disdain for some "uppity" guy.

It's rude.

If it's a tactic, it backfired big time. I was pissed watching that.

[TexasObserver]

19. It demonstrates that McCain is fundamentally a cantankerous asshole who lacks presidential qualities

It is a basic failing of his.

[Mari333]

20. you have to give obama credit for looking at mccain and not laughing

[SE_Ohio_Dem]

24. Yeah, I said it...

Hey. John. When was the last time you looked a Black man in the eye ?

- - Was it the old guy who gives you the hand towels in those fancy DC restaurants that you just pretend doesn't exist ?

- - Was it the young kid who cleared the able after your meal while you just lean back and don't even break the conversation to say thanks ?

- - Was it the vet who sleeps on the heating grates over near the Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania looking for a buck to get breakfast ?

Looks like you've got lots of practice trying to pretend the black guy in the room doesn't really exist.

Better practice up. You're going to look pretty silly in the Oval Office photo shoot when Barack invites you over for that obligatory post election hand shake and your standing there, shaking his hand, looking down at the carpet trying to count the number of arrows in the presidential seal. Here's a tip...thirteen.

[CK_John]

28. It was an outright racist signal, saying it's ok to be a bigot. n/t

[MiniMe]

29. Or was he scared to look at Obama

For whatever reason. I don't think he could have met Obama's look

[earth mom]

30. What McCain did was so wrong and just downright rude and disrespectful.

It was for sure a tactic to dismiss and disrespect Obama.

It was something right out the * & Cheney playbook. :puke:

[ThomWV]

31. I think it was simply another display of cowardice - like his near No-show

The man is simply afraid of Obama. Who could blame him? Obama is going to take away the only thing McCain has ever wanted - glory - and there is not a thing on earth he can do about it. He can not look defeat in the face.

[prayin4rain]

33. he acted like such a complete and total tool last night

I actually think his performance may have been rated better by people if he hadn't acted like such a complete ass. My opinion of him went down even lower after seeing a 72 year old man stand up there and act like GD junior high kid!!!! Ugh, I just thought it was pathetic. Mean people suck. Also, he kept lying and Obama would have to spend his time explaining why what Mccain said was not accurate while Mccain sat over there with a sh*t eating grin. I just didn't like it at all.

[Fuzz]

39. It was intentional and planned. To diminish Obama as not worthy

of being on stage with him. A way of dismissing him.