I don’t think I’ve seen a politician caught more off guard than John McCain was the other day. One of his top campaign advisors, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, had criticized the fact that many insurance companies pay for Viagra and other erectile dysfunction treatments for men, while not covering birth control products for women. Shortly thereafter, a reporter asked McCain what he thought about this issue and why he voted against a Senate bill that would have remedied such inconsistencies. His initial response was to freeze like a deer caught in the headlights of an automobile. After several seconds of embarrassing silence with a blank look on his face, he hemmed and hawed for a few more seconds before mumbling out an answer.
This made him look extremely unprepared for the job of President of the United States. If he can be tripped up so easily on a question like that, how will he handle questions on issues of greater importance that he might not be anticipating? McCain sells himself on his experience and preparedness for the office of president. In fact, that is his campaign’s primary selling point. This incident did not help his cause at all. He can’t afford too many more stumbles like that. His handlers should take warning.
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