John McCain Speaks to Jay Leno

Senator John McCain made his first post election appearance on the Jay Leno Tonight Show on November 11^th, Veterans Day. It was John McCain's fourteenth appearance on Jay Leno and he was gregarious and relaxed, happy one suspects for the campaign to be over.

John McCain told Jay Leno a funny story about Arizona, the state he represents in the Senate. If Virginia was at one time considered the "Mother of Presidents," perhaps Arizona could be considered the "Mother of Also Rans":

"And we have a problem in Arizona. It's really kind of a sad thing, because Barry Goldwater from Arizona ran for President of the United States. Morris Udall from Arizona ran for President of the United States. Bruce Babbitt from Arizona ran for President of the United States. I, twice. Arizona may be the only state in America where mothers don't tell their children that some day they can grow up and be President of the United States."

John McCain was effusive with praise for his running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, and about time too. People being identified as "unnamed McCain staffers" had been trashing Sarah Palin the week since the election. Scurrilous stories about clothing, Africa, and NAFTA filled the news from people obviously very anxious to shift blame for the failure of the campaign.

John McCain told Leno, "One -- these things happen in campaigns too. I think I have at least a thousand, quote, top advisors. 'A top advisor said' -- people I've never even heard of, much less a, quote, top advisor or a high-ranking Republican official. It's -- these things go on in campaigns..."

John McCain was later effusive with praise about two men named Joe, Joe Lieberman and Joe the Plumber, who were each in their own way assets in his campaign. Joe Lieberman is now facing the wrath of his fellow Senate Democrats for putting county over party. Joe the Plumber is facing life after his fifteen minutes of fame have expired.

It would not be a John McCain conversation if a story about his five and a half years as a prisoner of war did not come up. Typically, the story McCain told Leno was not about himself, but of another aviator named Mike Christian.