His injuries likely prevent him from using a standard set-up.  He would likely be able to get around those limitations by using a customized arrangement.  I’m sure he afford such workstations to fit every one of his homes, his straight talk bus, and his plane(s).

I suppose if he had lost a leg, he’d be using the traditional Navy Peg Leg by this sort of logic?

I find it interesting that these are the same people who time and again fight like devils to prevent the simplest of ergonomic protection legislation from being enacted, and battle the research funding for ergonomic risk evaluation at every fucking turn.

Given the senator’s power, privilege (and comprehensive health insurance), he’s entitled to benefits many civilians in his circumstances are not.

The bottom line is that McCain simply does not want to learn.  Either because of anti-intellectualism and incuriosity, or because he sees computers as a tool to be used by underlings, the same way he would never be interested in new developments that enable disabled people to do housework or file.

How the heck did McCain get restored to flight status in ‘74 if his experiences as a prisoner left him so disabled?  Is flying a ground attack plane really that much less physically demanding than blogging?

Short answer for rea: 1974 was 34 years ago.

People with severe injuries that did not heal well may be able to recover full use and adapt for a time, but those kinds of orthopedic injuries tend to bring limitations later in life when the adaption ability is no longer there.

This “pity the wounded vet” thing lost all semblance of credibility the moment he voted against providing 430M to the VA for outpatient care/treatment for medical services.  That was in 2006.

Frankly, I could give a shit if he uses a computer or not, so long as his policies vis a vis funding for veterans’ care and science/technology funding and development were good.  Course, we know they’re not, so once again to disguise their horrible policies a Republican has to use his military service or another’s military service to shield him from criticism. 

Next up:  McCain can’t add 2 + 2 because of trauma he suffered as a vet.  But let’s make him our next president!

This is such bullshit.  Check out these photos: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/12/yes-mccain-can-use-electr_n_126130.html 

McCain is shown using a Blackberry and a cell phone.  His fingers look pretty damn nimble to me.  It’s his brain that isn’t nimble.

Deep6:

Frankly, I could give a shit if he uses a computer or not, so long as his policies vis a vis funding for veterans’ care and science/technology funding and development were good.  Course, we know they’re not, so once again to disguise their horrible policies a Republican has to use his military service or another’s military service to shield him from criticism.

Yep ... see also Rove’s (non) Service Record.

I use the Blackberry, but I don’t e-mail, I’ve never felt the particular need to e-mail.

That should be the end of the argument. It won’t be, ever, but it should be.

Undiagnosed learning disability, anyone?

I don’t care if he can use a computer or not either.  Maybe other people do.  But Obama and his campaign need to keep throwing shit until something, anything sticks.  If the press turns on you for your latest attack, you just come back with one better.

What are these people waiting for?  As the Kerry campaign found out in 2004, it doesn’t matter how much bloggers refute the specifics of the opposition’s defense or claim.  Once that meme goes permanent, there is little any of us can do.

Unfortunately the new ad didn’t stick, and it may turn out to have a negative impact if the campaign can’t get the freaking door closed on this like, now.  FFS, he raised another $60million in August, where is the new ad?  Don’t they have these things in the barrel ready to go?

If he’s waiting for the 527s to do his attack ads for him, he’s already up shit creek.  I appreciate what moveon and others are doing, but I’ve been less than impressed by many things I’ve seen so far.

Should I even ask where Joe Biden is?

What I find disgusting is your insistence that all differently-abled people must conform to your expectations about their abilities.

Just because McCain could access computers using technologies developed to assist those with different physical abilities doesn’t mean that he must do so.

You’re not taking into account his age, or other mental conditions brought on by his physical disabilities.

The only smear here is the technobessesed having geek fits that the potential next president is perfectly able to function without checking his fucking twitter every two seconds.

He’ll be able to enter the nuclear launch codes via a senior-friendly analog device just fine.

Grow up!

Apologies for double posting but, I just saw Obama’s new ad. *chagrin*

FFS, he raised another $60million in August, where is the new ad?  Don’t they have these things in the barrel ready to go?

Dude.  Calm down.  Deep breath. 

Pandagon is not where you go for all of the latest ads and campaign news.  That’s not what they do.  Go to Washington Monthly to see the new “Honor” ad.  And calm the fuck down.  A lot can happen in 5 weeks, especially with the financial meltdown gaining speed.

You’re not taking into account his age, or other mental conditions brought on by his physical disabilities.

He has mental abilities so serious that they impair his ability to use a computer, but we should put him in charge of the nuclear arsenal anyway?

You know that’s not a defense, right?

Unfortunately the new ad didn’t stick, and it may turn out to have a negative impact if the campaign can’t get the freaking door closed on this like, now.  FFS, he raised another $60million in August, where is the new ad?  Don’t they have these things in the barrel ready to go?

The ad in question came out on Friday.  So I think it’s probably too early to say that it “didn’t stick”, or that Obama doesn’t yet have a followup.

Jeez…

My cousin was a quadraplegic due a freak diving accident.  He had little use of his hands, but used a computer with special cuffs that he fit chopsticks into to punch the buttons.  It was hell on the keyboards, but he got to where he could type almost as fast as a non-disabled person.  In fact, he was one of his company’s computer guys—obviously he couldn’t work on the hardware end of things, but he did programming, data management, and such—for as long as he could continue working.

Inexplicably, he voted Republican, which meant he voted for the people who would love to eliminate the company-provided health insurance that kept him alive and out of bankruptcy for 20+ years, as well as the disability insurance that provided him with an income when he finally just couldn’t work any more.

The only smear here is the technobessesed having geek fits that the potential next president is perfectly able to function without checking his fucking twitter every two seconds.

Swing and a miss!!

The only smear here is the technobessesed having geek fits that the potential next president is perfectly able to function without checking his fucking twitter every two seconds.

Welcome to the 20th century, man.  We use computers here.

A POTUS nowadays who doesn’t understand or care about computers is like a POTUS in 1900 who thought being photographed would steal his soul, a POTUS in 1915 who was afraid to use the phone, or a POTUS in 1930 who still got around chiefly by horse and buggy.

21st.  Shit, it’s the 21st century.

The only smear here is the technobessesed having geek fits that the potential next president is perfectly able to function without checking his fucking twitter every two seconds.

I don’t think that’s really it. I think that we’re talking about a skill set required of every single top executive, globally. We’re talking about the dexterity of mind required to adapt to using the most up to date systems to address problems and determine if innovative solutions using the new technology can solve problems. Even if you don’t feel the need to e-mail your staff all the time, if it could cut (arbitrary hypothetical) 10% of the administration’s cellphone budget by sending e-mail or twitter alerts to all the relevant parties when new legislation is passed (for example) instead of those people constantly calling to see what’s going on… well isn’t that worth it? And how can you understand whether these systems could take the company to the next level of productivity without knowing at least the previous generation (which at the moment is PCs, the current generation is PCs+blackberries/cellphones, the next gen? who knows!)

So it’s not just techno-geeky of us to think this is a problem. What if McCain decides to waste a billion dollars trying to police morals on the interwebs because his understanding is that it’s just a ‘series of tubes’? When my 3 year old niece is learning to read with a leapfrog computer-book instead of the wood-pulp equivalent I think it’s safe to say that computers are pervasive in our society and to understand society in general you have to have some understanding of what they do and how they use computers. McCain lacks that understanding.

Opopo, until you corrected yourself I thought you were being ironic…

John McCain was also tortured to the point where he could no longer stop his mouth from spitting out lies. So any attempt to paint McCain as a liar is belittling the torture he went through. HE WAS A POW!

http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/

I’m just saying:  Rebutting this line of defense seems pointless.  Or is it REALLY just about debating whether or not John McCain is too crippled to use a computer, and if not, does he use them and how often, etc…?

I don’t think that’s really it. I think that we’re talking about a skill set required of every single top executive, globally.

Not only that, but even the most menial of jobs - Welcome to WalMart, you want fries with that? - require some minimal computer literacy/use of computerized systems.

I suspect that Rove felt he needed to make excuses he would never allow for an out of work nerve-damaged chicken handler because most people realize this and use computers in their work in some way, shape or form.  That makes this an issue for all those elders and everybody else.

I can see the point of the people that have posted here, but I’d like to offer some thoughts.

Yes, he probably still has nimble fingers, but typing involves extending and elevating your arms for more than a few seconds.  So maybe it really does hurt.  Maybe he has others do his E-mailing for him.  Even people without disabilities do that.  My wife’s boss isn’t disabled, but she had to SHOW him how to OPEN, let alone compose, his E-mails.  Different generations and different strokes.

The other part that seems to escape some is that Obama’s ad campaign in this is insulting to seniors who grew up w/out computers and for some to whom computers and the internet is mystifying.

Insulting a powerful bloc like seniors isn’t a good path to take.  Short term points versus long term animosity.

Just my take.

Steven

My wife’s boss isn’t disabled, but she had to SHOW him how to OPEN, let alone compose, his E-mails.

Yes, and then if he wanted to keep his job, he probably got the hang of it after a while.  Unless he’s one of those real dickheads who would rather inconvenience someone else every half hour rather than just learn how to do it.

Sometimes I have to give my boss computer advice.  And there are certain idiosyncracies he has as someone who didn’t grow up working with computers.  And that’s OK.  But he knows how to use the computer to do what he needs to do for his work. 

And he’s not running for President.

Wow, what a compassionate post. Keep up this line of “defense.” Please.

I think I heard about a guy with no legs who could run a marathon on prosthetics, so I guess it’s Pandagon’s official position that, if you have no legs and can’t run a marathon, you’re a wuss.

How precious.

I think I heard about a guy with no legs who could run a marathon on prosthetics, so I guess it’s Pandagon’s official position that, if you have no legs and can’t run a marathon, you’re a wuss.

Pointing out that there are dozens of products that would allow McCain to use a computer just like other people with disabilities is the same as saying that the disabled people who use those products suck? 

Republican logic 101 for you.

“I think I heard about a guy with no legs who could run a marathon on prosthetics, so I guess it’s Pandagon’s official position that, if you have no legs and can’t run a marathon, you’re a wuss.”

“Pointing out that there are dozens of products that would allow McCain to use a computer just like other people with disabilities is the same as saying that the disabled people who use those products suck?
Republican logic 101 for you.”

From Pamdragon herself:

“Please. If anything, this excuse is horribly offensive, not just because it is a baldfaced lie, but because it ignores thousands of people with physical disabilities, some far worse than those of the Arizona senator, who can and do use computers all the time.”

In other words, in Pamdragon’s view,  because other people with disabilities do what McCain doesn’t do, McCain not doing what other people do is “horribly offensive.”

Dissin’ the Diabled made a perfect analogy.

In other words, in Pamdragon’s view, because other people with disabilities do what McCain doesn’t do, McCain not doing what other people do is “horribly offensive.”

What’s “horribly offensive” is McCain claiming that his injuries mean that he’s unable to use a computer when thousands of people who are much more disabled than he is are able to do so.  If his excuse was that he doesn’t have time to learn, or that he has staff to do that, or that he’s just not interested, that’s one thing.  But claiming that his injuries were so severe that he’s unable to use a computer is pretty much a bald-faced lie, because there are plenty of technologies that would let him use one if he wanted.  He sounds like a middle-schooler coming up with excuses why he didn’t finish his homework.  The dog ate his computer!

If he doesn’t want to use a computer, just say so.  Don’t try and claim that it’s not that he doesn’t want to use a computer, he would just love to use a computer, but he’s just too gosh-darned handicapped to do it, because that’s a flat-out lie.

Pam wrote:

Perhaps you missed all the right wing swill blasting Obama for his ad about this, saying Obama was belittling the disabled by “picking on” McCain’s disabilities in this regard.

This is what I’m saying.  The POW sympathy defense is just going to work sometimes, and then you move on to something that will get traction.  50 days to the election, less for those places with early voting(like my own New Mexico).  I suppose if independent groups feel they may be more effective at getting a message more traction, I guess that’s fine.  But I find a lot of the lie-catching going on with this particular topic to be inartful.  In my non-expert opinion, more coverage probably isn’t the answer.

You pointed out hoping that veterans groups get involved on this message—Perhaps if more coverage isn’t the answer, the tactic is to change who is delivering the message.  It’s hard to come back once you get accused of picking on the disabled, unless you have someone with relevant credibility to second your arguments.  So, yeah…

“No, what’s offensive is that he uses his POW status as an excuse for nearly everything, including his need for 12 homes as well the reason he cannot use a computer.”

Ok, this doesn’t make any sense at all.

“It’s simply not true that he cannot use one for physical reasons when many disabled people can and do use them. Why can’t McCain simply say he has no use for a computer, doesn’t need to because he has aides to handle it for him, and stop lying? At this point it’s pathological.”

Again, many disabled people run marathons. Many do not. Some prefer to stay in the chair, other try and get legs. Everybodies disabled experience is different, and I would think that someone who claims such lofty liberal ideals, such as tolerance, would understand that. But it seems that that toleration only applies to people who have similar ideological (i.e., schizophrenic incoherence) leanings as you.

“If he doesn’t want to use a computer, just say so.  Don’t try and claim that it’s not that he doesn’t want to use a computer, he would just love to use a computer, but he’s just too gosh-darned handicapped to do it, because that’s a flat-out lie.”

The hypocrisy here sickens me.

Do you think his time as a POW explains why he is so stupid?  Actually, I guess not since he was stupid even before he went to Annapolis.

Again, many disabled people run marathons. Many do not. Some prefer to stay in the chair, other try and get legs. Everybodies disabled experience is different, and I would think that someone who claims such lofty liberal ideals, such as tolerance, would understand that. But it seems that that toleration only applies to people who have similar ideological (i.e., schizophrenic incoherence) leanings as you.

And if McCain was making the argument that he voluntarily chose not to use a computer, just as someone might voluntarily choose to run or to not run a marathon, you might have a point.  But claiming that the choice doesn’t exist is just plain lying given the technology available today.

Everybodies disabled experience is different, and I would think that someone who claims such lofty liberal ideals, such as tolerance, would understand that.

Two things about this.

1.  If you accept this line of thought as valid, ultimately it’s a question of what kind of person you want to be president.  Someone who is incurious, not interested in engaging with the world, and/or who is afraid to try new things?  Or someone who meets the world head on, stays interested and engaged and relevant even when they don’t absolutely have to?  It boils down, not to an “I Can’t”, but “I Don’t Want To” .  I don’t want a president who doesn’t understand the difference between I Can’t and I Don’t Want To.  We cannot afford such a president right now. 

2.  What would you think of someone who was really like this, as a person?  A paraplegic who said, “I guess I will just be bedridden forever because I can’t walk anymore.”  A deaf person who chose not to engage with the world because she couldn’t hear spoken language.  A blind person who, rather than look into a seeing eye dog or a walking stick just said, “oh, well I guess I’m homebound now.”  You’d probably think disabled or no, that they were a pretty weak person who must not really want to be a part of the outside world. It’s their choice to do so, but that doesn’t mean it’s a reasonable choice, or that we have to think they’re smart, or leadership material, or worth going to for advice.  Someone like that sounds like kind of a defeatist jackass if you ask me.

Pointed it out to Jake Tapper. Pointed it out to Ben Smith, who was not aware the answer was first given to Politico in July 2008. You might want to take a look.

John McCain goes online
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11711.html

“Q: But do you go on line for yourself?

Mr. McCain: They go on for me. I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don’t expect to be a great communicator, I don’t expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need — including going to my daughter’s blog first, before anything else.

Q: Do you use a Blackberry or e-mail?

Mr. McCain: No.

Mark Salter: He uses a BlackBerry, just ours.

Mr. McCain: I use the Blackberry, but I don’t e-mail, I’ve never felt the particular need to e-mail. I read e-mails all the time, but the communications that I have with my friends and staff are oral and done with my cell phone. I have the luxury of being in contact with them literally all the time. We now have a phone on the plane that is usable on the plane, so I just never really felt a need to do it.”

As in…

I

Just

Never

Really

Felt

A

Need

To

Do

It.

Please pass this along to as many people as you can.

The hypocrisy here sickens me.

Yes, this is purely hypocrisy from republicans who fought tooth and nail against an ergonomics standard for OSHA to implement that would prevent injuries of millions of workers each year.

These same guys want to pretend that people’s injuries are their own problem. They will say “she can be a secretary now that she can’t cut chicken because she has nerve damage in her arms - no compensation, no workers comp, no medical bills paid, no disability - sorry, but not being able to move your arms is just lazy” to a working class woman damaged by work in a chicken plant, but suddenly acknowledge the possibilities of permanent injuries when excusing a wealthy man’s dislike of a technology?

Yep. Hypocrisy all right.

New York Governor David Paterson is blind, and he doesn’t use braille. He can still perform all the duties of any government official, and given the delegating all of these top-brass politicos do, he really doesn’t have more help than anyone else who would hold the office—his is just more specialized. McCain is differently-abled—so was FDR. Woodrow Wilson broke down and his wife ran the country. These things happen, any of us could become disabled at any time. But none of these people make excuses for being wildly out of touch or portray themselves as magical heroes who don’t need to work as hard as anyone else, no more no less, to achieve what they want, regardless of the sources and effects of their differences in ability.

Shorter Rove: But McCain’s dad and granddad were admirals, and his many-times-great-grandfather was a (Confederate) military leader, too, so he can have anything he wants.

Whoa, whoa, wait: let’s see that again—

My wife’s boss isn’t disabled, but she had to SHOW him how to OPEN, let alone compose, his E-mails.  Different generations and different strokes.

Your wife has to perform a basic daily function of workplace communication for her BOSS, who is allowed to be in charge of her, make more money than her, and fire HER for not knowing how to open/compose/mail merge emails, even though he can’t do it *at all* and doesn’t understand *at all* what the duty entails, because he literally has someone do it for him. And he’s NOT disabled. And he’s allowed to be the BOSS, because, generations. Sort of like how, in some generations, women would work and have their husbands keep the money they made, or children would be considered the property of their parents, or men whose fathers were coal miners had to mine coal, while men whose fathers owned coal mines owned coal mines. McCain isn’t from another generation—he’s in the Senate right now today (except that he never shows up) and he’s trying to attain greater, not less, responsibility in the future. The fact that his disability stems from being a pilot and a POW a really freaking long time ago doesn’t mean he gets to coast on that experience forever.

Opoponax and Ms Kate, this is exactly why I love you both (in a totally hero-worshiping way, of course); once again you wrote my thoughts before I could get them down coherently.  Any regular (ie, non-rich) person who experienced a disability would be expected to adapt and learn new skills so they could be employable.  But McCain not only has assistants to do it for him, he’s so incurious that he apparently never even wondered how the Intertubes work.  We’re not talking about a passing fad here, either, but one of the cornerstones of our economy.  We’ve all seen where eight years of Incurious George has gotten us.

Besides, come on here… isn’t EVERYONE over the age of five curious enough to Google his/her own name now and then?

My little brother is in last-stage ALS (Stem cell research, anyone?), completely paralyzed, and he uses a fucking computer!

“Opoponax and Ms Kate, this is exactly why I love you both (in a totally hero-worshiping way, of course); once again you wrote my thoughts before I could get them down coherently.  Any regular (ie, non-rich) person who experienced a disability would be expected to adapt and learn new skills so they could be employable.  But McCain not only has assistants to do it for him, he’s so incurious that he apparently never even wondered how the Intertubes work.  We’re not talking about a passing fad here, either, but one of the cornerstones of our economy.  We’ve all seen where eight years of Incurious George has gotten us.
Besides, come on here… isn’t EVERYONE over the age of five

(AS VAIN AS I AM AND NEED TO INCESSANTLY)

to Google his/her own name now and then?”

Fixed for you.

Once you get more then a page of your name up in the Google, you stop googling yourself. Mostly because you start finding your name all over dumb-ass sites like this one.

“The hypocrisy here sickens me.
Yes, this is purely hypocrisy from republicans who fought tooth and nail against an ergonomics standard for OSHA to implement that would prevent injuries of millions of workers each year.
These same guys want to pretend that people’s injuries are their own problem. They will say “she can be a secretary now that she can’t cut chicken because she has nerve damage in her arms - no compensation, no workers comp, no medical bills paid, no disability - sorry, but not being able to move your arms is just lazy” to a working class woman damaged by work in a chicken plant, but suddenly acknowledge the possibilities of permanent injuries when excusing a wealthy man’s dislike of a technology?
Yep. Hypocrisy all right.”

Ok. Let me try and follow your logic.

It’s ok to trash all disabled Republicans because some Republicans (disabled or not) didn’t support an obscure piece of legislation that you personally believe should have passed.

I think I’m starting to understand modern liberalism.

Question: Since Sarah Palin made rape victims pay for their own rape tests, does she therefore deserve to be raped?

PS: It won’t really help you win your argument by antagonising me with “hypocritical Republican red meat.” I’m happily writing in Mike Gravel for president.

Somebody help me.
The man can cut his own food on his plate, right?
And handle a doorknob?
And sign his name?
And open his paper U.S. stamped dead tree mail?
And handle speaker’s notes at a podium?
And shake hands (unlike Bob Dole, whose war injuries limited severely the use of his stronger hand)?
But not press keys on a keyboard sitting next to the mail pile?
And not move a mouse with the same hand that he uses to sign his name, on the same table?
And not use a laptop?

Anybody with a PT background here who can clarify?  My background is liberal arts, and I assume that John McCain’s campaign would have put out the message that McCain cannot use a keyboard through official media were it true.  Rove bloviating doesn’t mean jack.

The fact he is in pain if he types, and does not have voice synthesis software .... this disqualifies him to be president?!

Wow, this truly was worthy of so many angry replies and a TV ad. 

Truly.

If this is what is being held against the man - conservatives have got this election in the tank.

And I don’t know who “beans” is - aint me.

Steven

It’s ok to trash all disabled Republicans because some Republicans (disabled or not) didn’t support an obscure piece of legislation that you personally believe should have passed.

1.  Since when is John McCain “all disabled Republicans”?  I’m sure there are plenty of fine and upstanding disabled Republicans, most of whom probably do support legislation that will help disabled veterans and other people with disabilities.

2.  You have no idea what OSHA is, do you?

As a one armed former pizza maker, I can assure you that I am well aware of OSHA.

I’m not going to try and untwist your pretzel (one arm, fear of dough, etc) but you made it for yourself.

Thought of another interesting analogy. 

I’m very short.  Not, like, “little person” short, but definitely short enough to make certain aspects of life awkward or unpleasant.

I can’t reach the top two tiers of shelves in my kitchen, or the space above the cabinets which is usually good for storing big things you don’t use very often.  Can’t reach a good bit of the available storage space in my closets, either.  Or the top shelves of the book cases in my living room.  Let’s not even talk about those ceiling fans with the short little chains to turn them on—no way can I ever get to those.

You know what I’ve done to counteract this?

I BOUGHT A FUCKING STEP STOOL.

yeah, totally.

I’m very short = I am very short because some Viet Cong got medieval on my ass

I got a step-stool = I learned to use multiple platforms of assistive software/hardware whilst being a US Senator

because some Viet Cong got medieval on my ass

Wait, so people who are disabled due to torture by the Cong outrank all other disabilities?  Hm.  Good to know.  I guess that explains why Republicans have always taken such good care of veterans…

Also, you know it’s an ANALOGY, right?  I wasn’t actually claiming that my height makes me disabled.  Just that there are some things I’m physically unable to do, but I get around them by using an extra piece of special equipment.

It’s ok to trash all disabled Republicans because some Republicans (disabled or not) didn’t support an obscure piece of legislation that you personally believe should have passed.

Fascinating how you only seem to be upset at the thought that we’re trashing disabled Republicans.  I guess if we trash disabled Democrats or independents, they deserve what they get, right?

Bob Dole had a more comprehensive internet policy than McCain 12 years ago.  And Dole only has one working arm.

Oh, but he was injured in a plane crash, not tortured, so he doesn’t count.

“Wait, so people who are disabled due to torture by the Cong outrank all other disabilities? “

Being short is a disability?

“Hm.  Good to know.  I guess that explains why Republicans have always taken such good care of veterans…”

Wait, what? Try to focus.

“Also, you know it’s an ANALOGY, right?”

An analogy typically is used to make a like comparison. It’s a linguistic device often employed logically to bolster one’s argument. In other words, based on what you actually produced, no , I was not aware that what you did was supposed to be an analogy.

It’s beyond my comprehension that someone would compare being short and getting a step-stool to being tortured to the point of impaired mobility and disability-assistive technologies.

“I wasn’t actually claiming that my height makes me disabled. ”

Oh, so you’re not claiming that you are disabled, as you did above.

“Just that there are some things I’m physically unable to do, but I get around them by using an extra piece of special equipment.”

Ok. So is this a good analogy?

Short people + step stools

Above-the-knee amputees + mechanical legs

Conjoined twins + 12 hour surgery

Or is it only ok to compare “minor disabilities” to your own non-disability?

“Fascinating how you only seem to be upset at the thought that we’re trashing disabled Republicans.  I guess if we trash disabled Democrats or independents, they deserve what they get, right?”

Fascinating that someone with obvious mental disabilities would cast stones at those with obvious physical disabilities.

I figured the rainbow connection would be more loving.

Oh wait, Sarah Palin, right.

As a disabled computer user who also can’t type—and who uses a computer for work and pleasure, and is online the vast majority of my waking hours—I admit that I primarily find the Karl Rove interview to be funny. I shouldn’t, I should be offended I’m half of all of those of us with disabilities who managed to be perfectly functional despite the spineless ADA and its lack of support for us, but really, it’s mostly funny. 

Voice recognition software (not voice synthesis software, that is for computer users with vision impairments) isn’t as cheap as it should be, but is certainly affordable for a man with that many houses, and it’s great stuff. I make no comments about whether or not somebody’s computer literacy disqualifies him from being president, but I will say that physical inability to type hasn’t been a valid excuse for not using computers for about seven years.

Jumpin Jeezzoot Jehosephat we gots ourselves a regular sockpuppet hokey pokey hoedown goin down here tonighty!

My 4.5 year old daughter is physically disabled, with remarkably similar restrictions to McCain. She also cannot raise her arms above her head, her hands are not completely functional, nor can she put on pants by herself, much less socks and shoes.

She can, however, use a computer. She’s too little to know how to type well, obviously, but she has figured out the two-finger typing method. She also uses the mouse without a problem. Not all kids with her condition can, but she can.

The problem I have with Rove’s statement is that it means that if people accept this excuse, people will look at my daughter and think that she is not capable, either. That is why it is insulting, and why I find it so ridiculous that I am to believe a McCain administration would be any sort of advocate for her. Either he doesn’t know there are assistive devices available, doesn’t want to use them, or is lying.

If McCain was in the private sector and said “I can’t do my job because of my injuries”, he would have to request accommodations. And we all know what the Republican party feels about people asking for “special treatment.”

A friend of mine, a social worker who had an accident that left her quadriplegic, holds down a job with the help of voice recognition software, no-hands phone dialing, and so on. She works for a small disability rights and services organization, and both her day job and her outside hobbies and community activities involve a great deal of emailing, internet use (eg, bill tracking in the state legislature), and so on. Quadriplegic is several orders of magnitude more disabled than McCain’s injuries.

The fact that McCain doesn’t use email or the internet means either that he’s been an executive so long that he considers it a mark of leadership to be incapable of gathering his own information (that’s what executive secretaries, VPs, aides are for), or that he is of a certain generation, typified by my parents (mid-80s), retired from business, who aren’t interested in picking up a skill that for their purposes does the same thing as phone calls, dead tree letters (considered much more polite, anyway), or books, newspapers, and tv.

I get the comparison you’re trying to make with the whole “if a man with no legs gets prosthetics and runs a marathon, does that mean paraplegics who don’t run marathons with no legs are bad people?” argument.  (paraphrase mine.)  Problem is, it’s a bad comparison.

Running a marathon is not considered an essential skill in today’s society.  Sure, I’m impressed by people who can run one with no legs; heck, I’m impressed by marathon runners WITH legs.  It’s a specialized skill, an athletic feat that garners attention and praise precisely because few people, disabled or not, have the training, determination, endurance, discipline, etc. to pull it off.

The ability to operate a computer is not the same thing.

No one’s going to ask you on a day-to-day basis to run a marathon.  If you never run a marathon in your life, you’re probably not missing that much.  Most importantly, running a marathon is not something likely to come up in the course of the presidency.  Operating a computer is.

The fact that you are commenting on a blog demonstrates that you have at least some inkling of how modern technology has changed the way we as a country, as a culture, and to an extent as a world communicate, get news, manage information, develop ideas, work, play, everything.  The reason why so overwhelmingly many disabled people overcome their disadvantages is not because they have some lofty long-shot dream like the marathon runner.  It’s because they understand that in order to function well and efficiently in today’s society, you HAVE to have a working knowledge of computers.

Saying his disabilities prevent him from using a computer is not like saying he’s a paraplegic who doesn’t want to run a marathon.  It’s like saying he’s a paraplegic who won’t learn to walk on prosthetics or even use a wheelchair, claiming that his disability prevents him from getting off the couch and out of his house.  There are tools readily available to help him with this vital task; if he chooses not to use them, that’s not the disability’s fault - it’s his.

And I’m actually harsher than other folk who have commented.  I don’t think other reasons would be valid excuses, either.

He’s never felt the need to send email or get online?  Oh, I’m not saying he’s lying - I’m sure he honestly has never felt that he needed these skills.  I almost wish he WERE lying, because this really calls into question his awareness of and facility with the modern world.  The sheer usefulness of business- and news-related technology is such that it’s difficult (read: impossible) to imagine anyone as active and involved as a senator and presidential candidate NOT feeling a need to use it.  It makes me wonder whether McCain is even aware of the potential - and whether he is or he isn’t, new doubts are raised.

Many older people have trouble with computers, not being raised to use them?  That’s accurate.  However, the man’s running for president of the bloody United States.  He needs to be more on-the-ball than your average senior.  He needs to be more on-the-ball than your average anybody, really.  Because I’m sorry, but the higher your ambitions rise, the higher my expectations rise too.  You want to be a genteel retiree sipping tea on your porch, or a greeter at Wal-Mart, or the owner of a little mom & pop diner?  Use the internet, don’t use the internet, it’s all one to me.  You want to be the leader of the free world?  Learn to fucking email.

Little thought experiment for you.  Think of the stupidest person you’ve ever seen on a forum, in a chat room, leaving a comment on You Tube, wherever.  Not stupid like “I disagree with your conclusions” or “Your logic is faulty;” I mean the truly stupid, the ones that make you want to claw your eyes out to escape the stupid, the ones where you wonder how this person is even able to function among other human beings.  And then think to yourself: that guy figured out how to use a computer.  Do you really want a president who’s less capable than that guy?