Like a lot of TV viewers last night, I was utterly baffled by the stately mansion-like structure that flashed on that big screen behind John McCain a couple of times last night (above) -- my first thought was that maybe it was one of John and Cindy's seven or eight or dozen or so houses. But as you might expect, folks were using the Google through the night and what they learned was rather odd.
Turns out the building is Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, Calif. So -- what was that all about? Was McCain promising to transform education for Hollywood liberals, so they would learn the virtues of low taxes and free markets? Maybe, but the best speculation is that the GOP's AV Club members wanted a shot of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and they goofed.
McCain himself wouldn't have made that mistake, since he's visited wounded troops at Walter Reed and elsewhere on many occasions, and God bless him for that. But it's a sad metaphor when the party that's running the convention this week and running the country for eight years -- during which conditions at Walter Reed deteriorated to an appalling level until exposed by the Washington Post -- can't even tell the difference between the hospital for our troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and a middle school that's 3,000 miles away.
The hits keep on coming. Let's see the trolls justify this! And can anyone tell me why drilling for oil is a good idea? Please? Just one Repub needs to explain to me how this is a good idea!— Wolfgang- So the RNC, McCain staff, and other GOPers do not know the difference between Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where there are wounded soldiers - and a school. I'm shocked - no, actually not shocked. Wow - that's really sad.— pal
- Wow....this obviously isn't McCain's fault, but wow...— Captain Awesome
- Wolfgang: You want to know why, when the price of oil is crippling our economy, more oil might be a good thing? I will leave it to you to investigate this very difficult question. My hint is: supply and demand. (I, myself, am still waiting for someone to defend Obama's shameless and harmful support for federal ethanol and farm subsidies. Any ideas there?) ----- You might want to wait until this is something more than speculation to get yourself in a huff, Will. Education and school choice were a big part of McCain's speech. I see no reason to think that a picture of a school is a mistake in that context.— bon
Comment removed.- Bon, education was part of his speech, but you really look at that picture and immediately think it is a school? And it is just coincidence that the school shares the same name as a VA medical center that was the center of a huge scandal? I have no idea if the AV staff is supplied by the building, supplied by the GOP or what, but it looks like someone f-ed up here.— Captain Awesome
- People, don't blame McSHAME for the wrong "Walter Reed". The guy who usually makes sure the backgrounds are right is in Alaska, trying to find out how many skeletons are really in Palen's closet, since the regular vetter seems to have been asleep after too many Budweisers!— barkleyg
- McCain should have shown a Greek temple, but I heard that idea was already used. If this is the best you got, my money is on McCain.— E Plebnista
- I agree with Cap'n Awesome. Someone messed up while doing a picture search. A complete non-issue. Why should I care?— legatus
- I read over at dailykos, that at a McCain fundraising event, the forks were once placed on the right side of the dinner plate, instead of the left side. Shocking!— Talking Point Slueth
- Comment removed.
- Captain Awesome: The backdrop was horrible. It shrouded McCain in bright green for a good chunk of his speech. More reporting is necessary here, though, to make the claim that this was a mistake by the people who set up the convention. McCain's bit about school choice was very important. Republicans usually try to tiptoe around the teacher's union so as not to upset them. McCain went right at them on behalf of parents and students. I think a school is an appropriate backdrop for that sentiment. (I just wish the school looked more like a school and left either a flag or a blue background behind McCain. I should also note that I agree this does not matter at all. Who votes on background?)— bon
- We're realy stretching here. By the way, did you hear that Obama now says the surge succeeded? He flaied to give any credit to anyone that was correct about it, though.— sleepy
- Comment removed.
- And for the really important stuff....did anyone notice how strange Obama looked on the O'Reilly interview. What was up with his hair anyway? Maybe we found out what Biden brings to the ticket after all.— legatus
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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