McCain Jokes With ‘Late Night’ Host About Potential VPs Celeb ‘Looks’
EmailABC News’ Jennifer Duck reports: Even New York City traffic couldn’t stop John McCain from appearing on stage for the big event on Friday, "Late Night With Conan O’Brien." "Normally on Friday we would tape our show at 4:30, but to accommodate Sen. John McCain we agreed to tape the show at 5:30. Sen. McCain wasn’t available at 4:30 because that’s when he eats dinner," O’Brien joked with the audience at the beginning of the taping. McCain’s plane arrived later than expected due to congestion in the skies, but with New York’s Lincoln Tunnel shut down and a high-speed police motorcade leading the way, Sen. McCain made it from Newark Airport to the NBC studios in record time. "You made it in remarkably just in time," O’Brien jabbed sarcastically at the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "They couldn’t tell at home because, you know, because it all gets pulled up in editing, but I shaved twice." McCain shot back with a smile, "I had dinner and a nap." When O’Brien brought up the senator’s age, 71-year-old McCain slowly slumped over the side of his chair and pretended to take a nap. "Wake up!" O’Brien said as he put a hand on the Senator’s shoulder and poked at his face. “You just gave a lot of people a scare.” Last time McCain appeared on “Late Night” he gave O’Brien his take on the role of a vice president. O’Brien referred back to the appearance quoting McCain. "You said and I quote, ”The vice president only has two duties. One is to break a tie vote in the United States Senate. The other duty is to inquire daily as to the health of the president.’" McCain responded, "And that job will be very, very important with my vice president!" O’Brien then rolled full-screen pictures of McCain’s vice presidential hopefuls next to candid shots of celebrities who would play them in a made-for-TV movie. "I don’t know if you’re aware of this — NBC, desperate for programming, has put a made-for-TV movie into the works about Sen. McCain’s choice for the vice president. I don’t know if you’ve seen the casting yet, but I’d like to share it with you right now," Conan said as the side-by-side pictures flashed on screen. The cast of characters O’Brien chose for the pretend movie made McCain chuckle and slap his knee. Characters included Gov. Charlie Crist played by Bob Barker; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played by Snoop Dogg; Mitt Romney played by "any local weather man"; Joe Lieberman played by a bassett hound; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal played by Kumar from the "Harold & Kumar" movies; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee played by Gomer Pyle; and national co-chair of the McCain Campaign Meg Whitman played by Tom Petty. (fast forward to the end of the 2nd segment). You can fast forward to the end of the second segment to watch the potential vice president candidates sketch.
Rick Santorum Sweeps 3 States 
Pentagon to Open Additional Jobs to Women
At least McCain has a sense of humor. Obama takes himself too seriously and don’t even dare to face his opponents in debates.
Posted by: Sylvia Johnsen | July 19, 2008, 2:50 pm 2:50 pm
Correction to my previous missive:
Presidential candidates do not debate until after they have been won the nomination of their parties.
By the way, Toots McGee, Senator McCain did not rat out his fellow P.O.W.’s. As much as I dislike the man, giving and signing false confessions as a way of avoiding torture was a common practice during Vietnam, if not most wars of the past century, and is allowable under the Geneva Convention.
Posted by: Mickey Bitsko | July 19, 2008, 3:44 pm 3:44 pm
McCain’s a good sport. Obama comes across as a starched shirt; an empty starched shirt
Posted by: Marty | July 19, 2008, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
McHothead is trigger-happy.
Not a jokester
Posted by: anon | July 19, 2008, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
”The vice president only has two duties… The other duty is to inquire daily as to the health of the president.’”…McCain responded, “And that job will be very, very important with my vice president!”
Is McCain hinting a doctor as his VP?
Posted by: Angel | July 19, 2008, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
I do not hold any human mistakes the candidates made against them — I wouldn’t want someone going through my past. Now, on personality, Obama is serious; McCain is funny and, many times, inappropriate with his comments. I want a serious, intelligent, fact-finding President who will listen to all sides. McCain reminds me of someone with “frat boy” intelligence who shoots from the hip and that is what we have now and look where this country is today. Time for a President who is serious, thoughtul and a 21st century type of a guy — one who won’t tap dance on the White House stairs.
Posted by: diana | July 19, 2008, 6:11 pm 6:11 pm
Wow, those folks who don’t get the McCain and Republican company’s brand of humor must be a bunch of whiners who have psychological problems stemming from a mental recession. They really should seek some Democratic help to get another life.
Posted by: wassup | July 19, 2008, 6:28 pm 6:28 pm
To me, few things are more pathetic than a humorless person…and that includes one who happens to be running for president.
Interesting how displaying a sense of humor is considered a flaw in some cases but not in others. Clinton cracked jokes and his partisans loved it. I have a suspicion those are the people who now disapprove of McCain doing the same thing.
I also find it interesting that making jokes on a late night talk show proves beyond a doubt the man is not “serious, intelligent, fact finding.” I fail to see how joking around on a late night talk/comedy show is “inappropriate.” That’s what they do on those shows.
Posted by: MizFW | July 19, 2008, 7:32 pm 7:32 pm
Mccain wouldn’t have time to tell jokes if the media would take the microscope off of Obama and reported to the public that Mccains economic advisor Phil Graham who called Americans, “A nation of Whinners” also worked on Mccain tax policies while the Chairman of USB Bank. The controversial USB Bank that helped wealthy Americans evade billions of dollars in taxes leaving the hardworking middle class shouldering the burden. We’ll that explains why Mccain’s tax policies designed by Graham give the wealthiest Americans tax credits. As much as I heard the comments the Nation of Whinners I never knew that Phil Graham was the Chairman of the USB Bank. Now this is a perfect example of how much the media focuses on Obama and hangs on to his every word while the Mccain camps get away with conspiracies like this. Phil Graham = Tax loop holes for the Wealthiest Americans and John Mccain signed on to the program but talks about how he understand how Americans are suffering due to the our failing economy. What more does it take for anybody to see what a fraud Mccain really is?
Posted by: Jerry | July 19, 2008, 7:50 pm 7:50 pm
i heard a lot of people say george bush had a good sense of humor
it is obviously really important to have a president with a sense of humor because that makes them a good president
ie george w bush
Posted by: bhrandon | July 19, 2008, 8:20 pm 8:20 pm
mccain has a good sense of humor. obama’s words and campaign are very creepy.
im not saying he would be a dictator if elected but he does sound like one!
Posted by: kurt | July 19, 2008, 8:39 pm 8:39 pm
Now Now Children. This bickering is so silly. Be grateful that for the first time in a long time you actually have a choice between two very good candidates. Either McCain or Obama will be good for the U.S. But in my humble opinion Obama would be the better of the two if only because his thinking is more forward than McCains. Most of Europe and for that matter the rest of the world would agree with that.
Posted by: wvalentin | July 19, 2008, 9:07 pm 9:07 pm
At least comics could have some fun with Mccain.
Posted by: Tina | July 19, 2008, 10:19 pm 10:19 pm
It is past 8 PM and McBush is still up??? He needs to drink his glass of warm milk and get to bed..
Posted by: Repubsout | July 19, 2008, 10:39 pm 10:39 pm
While it is nice that McCain has a sense of humor, I would think that the constant attention to his age must be tiring. He’s old, we get it. His problem is that he thinks by joking about it we’ll all forget it. The problem is that it is a real concern for some. Just like Obama’s “youth and inexperience” is a problem for Obama.
And if you don’t think McCain has slowed down, just look at his speeches and his quicker thinking 8 years ago. Unfortunately for McCain, he doesn’t have Reagan’s charisma where he can dismiss his age with a wink and a smile.
Posted by: MIguy | July 19, 2008, 11:25 pm 11:25 pm
Cheap set jokes are not indicative
of a sense of humor.
McCain has no sense of humor.
He’s not presidential.
Posted by: anon | July 20, 2008, 12:27 am 12:27 am
The old geezer probably did fall asleep…LOL
Posted by: JD | July 20, 2008, 4:19 am 4:19 am
Love the wording on this, has anyone seen the words “presumptive nominee” in front of Obama. As usual ABC, showing your bias.
Posted by: Brad | July 20, 2008, 4:35 am 4:35 am
I am glad that McCain has a sense of humor, he is going to need that trait? Given that he has no viable plans for the Economy since his Economics Guru(Gramm) was tossed under the bus. Who is going to help McCain with his letters & numbers? That many Americans thought he was better on International Affairs, is now taking a death knell hit, considering the facts that The Bush administration leeked an email that Iraqui PM Maliki favors a withdrawal of 16 months or less, the Bush Admin. is now contemplating a withdrawal in the near horizon, meetings with top Iranian Diplomat and Bush & McSame following Obama’s strategy for Afghanistan. It seems McLame has lost his last chance to use the naive attack.
I suggest that McBush take the job of Ambassador to Czechoslovakia!
There he could do no harm.
Posted by: James | July 20, 2008, 6:22 am 6:22 am
What do you expect from Republicans. I mean…Bush continued to read “MY PET GOAT” while he was told America was under attack, McCain must take his nap after dinner even if we are under attack. Where do they get these guys from?
Posted by: Jake | July 20, 2008, 7:45 am 7:45 am
Sense of humor and quick wit
are something spontaneous.
They are situational,
unscripted, unexpected
and well-timed.
They are not about saying and
doing things in a skit on SNL
or other shows. Or acting
senile or doing geriatric
jokes on late night talk shows.
Posted by: anon | July 20, 2008, 11:56 am 11:56 am
Among McCain’s disabilities,
the lack of a sense of humor
is one of the prominent ones.
Posted by: anon | July 20, 2008, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
Obama can’t joke about himself because all of his lines have to be etched in stone tablets by lightening bolts. The guy suffers from a ‘God Complex’ -an idea he got from all his ‘old media’ groupies.
Posted by: Wm Babbington | July 20, 2008, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
McCain was not named songbird by his fellow POWS for no reason. The enemy even erected a statue of their hero.
Posted by: enduser | July 20, 2008, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm
Even if I don’t support his presidency, I have to give McCain credit for being funny. Of course, I think I liked the ‘cigarettes for Iran’ thing more than the media did.
Posted by: Novae | July 21, 2008, 2:38 am 2:38 am
McCain was eating the Blue Bird special at 4:30pm and couldn’t be disturbed. Senior citizen McCain will be falling asleep in the Oval office while we bleed money in Iraq and the economy continues down the tubes, more Americans lose their jobs and the dollar is replaced with the Chinese yuan
Posted by: Bob | July 21, 2008, 8:58 am 8:58 am
GO JOHN. SENATOR OBAMA, FOR ALL HIS GRAND STANDING, SPEECHES AND FLIP FLOPPING CAN NOT HOLD A CANDLE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE, PATRIOTISM, SERVICE TO AMERICA AND TRUTHFULLNESS. COME NOVEMBER SENATOR OBAMA WILL JOIN THE RANKS OF HILARY AS AN “ALSO RAN”.
YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER USING HILARYS’ COMMERCIALS THAT SHE RAN DURING THE PRIMARIES…HOW SWEET THAT WOULD BE.
Posted by: BOO HOO | July 21, 2008, 11:18 am 11:18 am
McCain is a good sport. Despite all the media focus and praise on Obama, I think McCain is standing up like a true trooper. I think that it’s really very sad that so many are so quick to criticize him rather than listening with an open mind.
Posted by: Missy M | July 21, 2008, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
McBUSH is standing up like a true trooper….LOL…That is his carboard cutout dummy you see….McBUSH is taking a nap..
Posted by: Repubsout | July 21, 2008, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm