Keep an eye out for McCain — on YouTube
By Steve Holland
GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican Sen. John McCain is finding out what a difference seven years makes in his new race for the presidency.
In 2000, the loquacious McCain did not have to worry as much about some of his more zanier performances being available for mass instant replay at the click of a mouse.
But the 2008 presidential race now features YouTube, and McCain’s first big brush was the video replay behemoth was last week when he sang “bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” to the tune of the old Beach Boys’ song, “Barbara Ann.”
It was a big hit on YouTube, and McCain later told reporters anyone worried that his song might represent his policy toward Iran ought to “get a life” and realize he was joking.
After a campaign rally in Greenville, the concluding song playing over the sound system was, you guessed it, “Barbara Ann.” Is it his new campaign theme?
“I didn’t anticipate that, but I won’t sing it again,” McCain chuckled later.
Then there was his performance this week on “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, in which McCain joked he had brought an improvised explosive device like insurgents are using against U.S. troops in Iraq to put under Stewart’s desk. Continued…
