![John McCain [Late Show with David Letterman, 10.16.08]: It’s not wise to make Dave do more work than he has to. John McCain learned this the hard way when he blew Letterman off a couple weeks back, giving him a cockamamie excuse about flying back to D.C. that was all kinds of bullshit. Dave has been giving him the business since, repeating mostly lazy jokes in an effort to get the Arizona Senator to return. We knew he was going to rib McCain about the no-show (right off the bat: “can you stay?”), but the question remained: Is Dave planning on really going in here, you know, like he did with O’Reilly. Much to McCain’s discomfort, the answer was yes. The interview started with Paul gearing up with the Who’s “I Can’t Explain.” It ended with McCain practically jumping off the couch to make an escape. For most of the three-segment chat, Dave pinned the Senator down in ways that Barack Obama couldn’t (or, I suppose, didn’t) during the previous night’s debate. It was an Important Interview masterclass. Go in easy, aim for the gut in round two and then softly back away out and stitch up the scar like nothing happened. Dave claims to be an independent who “knows nothing about politics,” but watch a few recent shows and it’s pretty clear which way he’s leaning. But he’s not in the tank for Obama—he’s a 61-year-old millionaire weighing his options and making a choice. In fact, he hasn’t shown much genuine vitriol toward McCain. It’s Sarah Palin who’s gotten the brunt of Letterman’s wrath—it’s plain to see he’s not kidding when he talks about the prospect of a Palin presidency in frightened and perturbed tones.
And the most powerful part of this interview was when he grilled McCain on his VP pick, saying he can’t recall a worse moment for America in his lifetime and invoking the tenuous fate of his 4-year-old son’s generation. Dave plays the fool, but he’s no dummy—he saves his straight talk for moments that matter. After 26 years as a late night TV host, Letterman has nothing to lose. With his poll numbers dwindling and his campaign’s negativity turning on him, McCain had a lot to lose last night. Dave will still be on TV every night after Nov. 4. A
Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4](http://24.media.tumblr.com/L8H9zWHTif5yg2jc5xLaqhhzo1_500.jpg)
John McCain [Late Show with David Letterman, 10.16.08]: It’s not wise to make Dave do more work than he has to. John McCain learned this the hard way when he blew Letterman off a couple weeks back, giving him a cockamamie excuse about flying back to D.C. that was all kinds of bullshit. Dave has been giving him the business since, repeating mostly lazy jokes in an effort to get the Arizona Senator to return. We knew he was going to rib McCain about the no-show (right off the bat: “can you stay?”), but the question remained: Is Dave planning on really going in here, you know, like he did with O’Reilly. Much to McCain’s discomfort, the answer was yes.
The interview started with Paul gearing up with the Who’s “I Can’t Explain.” It ended with McCain practically jumping off the couch to make an escape. For most of the three-segment chat, Dave pinned the Senator down in ways that Barack Obama couldn’t (or, I suppose, didn’t) during the previous night’s debate. It was an Important Interview masterclass. Go in easy, aim for the gut in round two and then softly back away out and stitch up the scar like nothing happened.
Dave claims to be an independent who “knows nothing about politics,” but watch a few recent shows and it’s pretty clear which way he’s leaning. But he’s not in the tank for Obama—he’s a 61-year-old millionaire weighing his options and making a choice. In fact, he hasn’t shown much genuine vitriol toward McCain. It’s Sarah Palin who’s gotten the brunt of Letterman’s wrath—it’s plain to see he’s not kidding when he talks about the prospect of a Palin presidency in frightened and perturbed tones.
And the most powerful part of this interview was when he grilled McCain on his VP pick, saying he can’t recall a worse moment for America in his lifetime and invoking the tenuous fate of his 4-year-old son’s generation. Dave plays the fool, but he’s no dummy—he saves his straight talk for moments that matter. After 26 years as a late night TV host, Letterman has nothing to lose. With his poll numbers dwindling and his campaign’s negativity turning on him, McCain had a lot to lose last night. Dave will still be on TV every night after Nov. 4. A
