US Republican presidential hopeful, John McCain, proved today that politicians can never give a yes – no answer to the simplest of questions.A guy called Marty Parrish asked of McCain:
“This question goes to mental health and mental health care. Previously, I’ve been married to a woman that was verbally abusive to me. Is it true that you called your wife a cunt?”
To which McCain replied:
“Now, now. You don’t want to … Um, you know that’s the great thing about town hall meetings, sir, but we really don’t, there’s people here who don’t respect that kind of language. So I’ll move on to the next questioner in the back.”
Apparently the audience gasped, horror struck that someone would use such a word when addressing a possible President. Parrish was then escorted out of the meeting by the Secret Service to be questioned! As all of us know, anybody who would ask an uncomfortable question to a presidential candidate–especially one who has a reputation as a “straight-talking maverick”–is obviously an America-hating terrorist who wants to do physical harm to that candidate.
Which makes me think how lucky we in NZ are to be so accessible to our politicians. We have forums like the Aro Hall meeting where half the city turns up to watch the candidates get heckled, and we can even walk past our MP’s on Lambton Quay and mutter derisive comments, without getting pulled aside by men in black suits.
If you had to ask a highly inappropriate question to the leader of a NZ political party, what would it be?
Nothing too crass please. Witt and conciseness will get you more points than vulgar humour.