He may be aware of the Internet, but does he realize that it's serious business?

John McCain invented internet awareness.

These are the guys who determine net neutrality issues?  Yeesh.

I anxiously await the "series of tubes" followup.

It's a group of tubes that Al Gore put together, right?

This is like the a Vatican official saying "...you don't have to have a nasty epiphanic it's-up it's-good yowzaa-big-mama ooo-baby-I-like-it-like-that chakra-rending 7.3-on-the-Richter aa-OOO-ga aa-OOO-ga toe-curling earwax-ejecting orgasm to understand, you know, how it shapes humanity...Pope Benedict is aware of sex..."

As said by Bush:

You don't necessarily have to use a brain to understand, you know, how it shapes the country, ... George Bush is away of a brain.

But is he aware of all of its traditions?

Wait, so John McCain doesn't use computers? Seriously? How does he write stuff? Out in the real world where people have to work for a living, the difference between retirement-age guys like McCain and younger plebes -- at, say, businesses or law firms -- is that the old guys hunt and peck on the keyboard, and type two spaces after a period, and still think WordPerfect is the cat's pajamas. Only a politician could get away with simply not using computers at all and being "aware of" the Internet.

Makes me wonder what other fundamental aspects of American life McCain doesn't participate in but is "aware of." Baseball?  Beer? TV? Cars? Retail commerce?

"You don’t necessarily have to use money to understand, you know, how it shapes the country. … John McCain is aware of the economy."

I think it's time for another TNR contest: McCain campaign slogans.

"McCain: He's aware of the Internet."

"McCain: He almost always pushes the right button to answer his cell phone."

"McCain: Building up the courage to use an ATM machine for the first time."

"McCain: He used a computer, once, when someone else pushed the buttons for him."

"McCain: He knows that the little people on the screen aren't actually trapped in the television set."

McCain: He adores his 64; his commodore 64.

willie, if a vatican official actually offered up that quote (showing appropriate...um...enthusiasm during the middle bit of course), I just may have to become a Catholic.

Let's not neglect to enshrine in the pitiful-Republican-statements-about-the-Internet pantheon Ron Paul's contribution as seen in one of his TNR profiling pieces. I'm paraphrasing from memory, but he said, "The Internet is delightful for finding the information."

"McCain: Instead of syncing his iPod, he launched a tactical nuclear strike on Botswana"

"McCain: Just added half of Cleveland, Ohio to a top secret Web conference on terrorism"

"MCCAIN: SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL HIM ABOUT THE CAPS LOCK KEY"

"McCain: Attraction to Suicide Girls not a problem, can quit anytime he wants"

See this is one of the great things about having a parliamentary democracy, along with a daily question period, in which the Prime Minister and the Ministers have to answer questions, on the sport and without referring to notes, posed to them by the Opposition.

To be sure, we do elect a lot of incompetents and idiots - being a master debator is not a guarantee of excellent in office.  But not on this scale ...

And, by the way, I'd fire SooHoo's SooSorry ass.  This is one of the most pathetic excuses for a political reply I have seen in a long time.

P.s. Almost anything remotely resembling "wit" that I might have concocted, has already been said and far better.  Jeesh - tough crowd.

"McCain: What, me surf?"

Lieberman: "You don’t necessarily have to know a Sunni from a Shia to understand, you know, how radical Islam threatens the world. … John McCain is aware of the Muslims."

McCain: He Loves That Clip of The Water-Skiing Squirrel on YouTube, Too.

McCain:  As Seen On geocities.yahoo.com/.../JohnyMac4495

McCain: The TMZ.com Candidate

McCain:  Building A New-Fangled Contraption Economy

John McCain: The Mouse Doesn't Go On the Screen!

John McCain: An Aide Just Explained "Reply All" To Me, I'll Be More Careful In The Future

"McCain: His Osborne 1 should be finished downloading 'The Deer Hunter' two weeks from Thursday"

"McCain: Getting really good at 'Tank'"

"McCain: Eagerly awaiting the $500,000 from that nice Nigerian bank official"

"McCain: Finds commenter 'williamyard' at TNR.com brilliant, yet strangely humble"

McCain 08: Plz send me teh votez.

After reading that last 'yard bit about McCain awaiting the $500,000, I had this really disturbing image of McCain sitting at a computer reading spam:  "6+ inchez for John McCain."

cnalls :

You inadvertently revealed your lack of tech saavy.

First, the tubes are called the Internets, with an "s." Haven't you heard Dubya use the appropriate term hundreds of times. Second, since you don't appear ti know, the Internet is a place (where the tubes live) not a space.

:-D  I kill myself. No, miceelf, you kill me. Commodore 64. . . Ha, ha, ha.

yard: Your Atari 2600 reference is brilliant. There was a level of Tank where you could have dueling, invisible tanks, inside a maze with invisible walls, with bouncing bullets. So you're driving blind, in a maze you can't see, which is fine because you can't see where you are, or where your opponent is, and every time you shoot your bullet bounces around until it hits either you or your opponent, essentially at random.

Pretty much the perfect metaphor for Republican foreign policy in the age of Bush and McCain.

McCain: Obama PWNED!  Iran PWNED!  Recession PWNED!  

Brilliant, adaglas.  I don't know why, but John McCain + Stupid Internet Meme = Instant Hilarity.  I look forward, sincerely, to LOLCains.  

Or McCainRolled.  There must be karaoke footage of him somewhere out there.

McCain: I can haz presidency?

Electorate: DO NOT WANT!

McCain needs to hire Cory Taft as his new PR guy! It's the World Wide Interweb!

www.youtube.com/watch

Cory Taft explains everything about John McCain

www.youtube.com/watch

McCain: still looking for the any key. (apologies to homer simpson)

McCain: Still waiting on that TAB he ordered.

Honestly, the guy flew top notch jets back in the 60's, you would think fighter pilots would be into high tech stuff.

Blackie: he crashed a few, and was not allowed on the Phantoms, because of his temperament.

This should be a game-changer, not just campaign trivia.

No joke. How many Americans want to elect a president in 2008 who doesn't use a computer?

hepneck: "I can haz presidency?" Terrific!  Now all we need is "Monorail McCain."

lonestarpedro: I had the same thought. However, should Team Obama decide to exploit this they still need to be delicate. There are many folks out there unable, unwilling, or afraid to use the Evil Box.

McCain, though--there's no excuse, really.

I read an interview with Tony Blair, one of those softball lifestyle thingies, just after he resigned. He got to express his wonderment about the experience of riding on a train, and driving his own car, both things he had apparently (campaign gags aside) not done for ten years.

OK, that was one thing. But then there was the thing -- and I'm going on memory here but I'm pretty sure, because I was rather flabbergasted -- about how *he didnt know how to use a cellphone*. Because he'd always had an aide to take calls for him. I mean, dude. Same with answering emails - these guys dont have computers; they've got secretaries.

*blinks*

"There are many folks out there unable, unwilling, or afraid to use the Evil Box."

This just in: TNR claims McCain is gay.

Bigfish, you go too far. ;-)

McCain: All Your Deficit Are Belong To Us

Okay, one more, very a propos to McCain for those of you who play world of warcraft or pretty much any mmorpg (you know who you are):

McCain: Leeroy Jenkins!!!!!