John McCain and Jay Leno, November 11

John McCain was back as Jay Leno's guest on The Tonight Show. This interview was different than his recent visits.

McCain was there as the loser of the presidential election, not potentially the next president of the United States.

NBC heavily promoted the appearance, his first television interview since the election.

It was McCain's 14th time on the show.

Being Veterans Day, Leno had members of the military in the audience. They greeted McCain warmly, with cheers and applause.

Leno introduced McCain as a "real American war hero," not an older than dirt coot. Now that the election is over and "Barack," as Leno calls him, has won, he has backed off the "McCain is old" jokes a little bit.

I wondered how awkward the interview would be, given that Leno was so rough on McCain during the campaign and so easy on Obama. It really wasn't awkward because McCain was so forgiving.

Leno asked him what he thought was the main reason he lost the election?

McCain said, "Maybe too many people saw me on the Jay Leno show."

When Leno complained that he didn't see the funny McCain enough on the campaign trail, the McCain from Saturday Night Live, McCain replied that Americans weren't looking for a standup comic, that these are serious times.

Leno brought up Sarah Palin. He said the polls show she hurt McCain.

McCain said he was proud of her and he couldn't be more happy about having her as his running mate. He said she inspired and energized people.

Leno asked, "Did she ever get off message?"

He said mavericks tend to do that, but he wouldn't blame Palin for his loss. I think McCain should thank Palin. Without her, maybe Obama would have won in a landslide.

Leno asked about the Republican "aides criticizing her."

McCain implied that people claiming to be top aides weren't.

Leno wanted to know if McCain seriously considered Joe Lieberman as a running mate. McCain never really answered.

McCain said that he won the Republican nomination because of Lieberman. He made the difference in New Hampshire, getting the independents out to support McCain.

Leno discussed the price Lieberman was paying for supporting him. He suggested that McCain should lure Lieberman over to the Republican side with some expensive clothes.

McCain asked, "Neiman Marcus?" He just sort of laughed it off, even encouraging Leno.

Clearly, that was a jab at Sarah Palin and McCain didn't address the clothes issue. I think McCain should have stood up for her. He had the chance, but he didn't.

It bugs me that Leno whines about negativity and smears in the campaign, and yet he was constantly smearing Palin. Leno was constantly mocking McCain as old and out of touch. Constantly. His jokes incorporated all the Obama and Democrat talking points. Leno was a complete smearmeister. What a hypocrite!

Leno asked if instead of the economy the Iraq war had been the main issue in the election if he thought he would have won. McCain wasn't going to go there and deal in the "what might have been."

I thought Leno made a fool of himself when he talked about Obama-mania.
Transcript

Jay Leno: At what point did you feel like you're up against almost a historical movement? It seemed almost bigger than either candidate. You know, when I watched Senator Obama give his speech and I saw people who had not been part of the process --

Senator John McCain: Never been -- oh, yeah.

Jay Leno: -- suddenly moving --

Senator John McCain: Especially a lot of young people too. 9

Jay Leno: A lot of young people. At what point did you realize, "Oh, this is kind of bigger than both of us"?

Senator John McCain: I never thought that, because I'm a fighter. We always -- I knew I had a headwind. I can read the polls. They tried to keep them from me. "You don't want to read that, Senator." But no, I knew we had a real headwind.

Jay Leno: Do you feel the press kind of favored him? Did you see sort of --

Senator John McCain: Yeah, it's all the press's fault. (Laughter.)

Good grief.

Leno sounds like he's a member of a cult.

What a dumb question!

McCain brushed off his stupidity with good humor.

Leno asked about hostility from the media, specifically mentioning David Letterman.

(Read more about Letterman's childish hissy fit and his disgraceful treatment of McCain hereand here.)

Jay Leno: Was there any hostility in the media? Like that Letterman fallout, was there any hostility there? (Laughter.)

Senator John McCain: You should have seen "The View." (Laughter.)

Jay Leno: I saw "The View," yeah.

Senator John McCain: No, but look, we're big guys. We're supposed to be able to take this kind of stuff, you know. You know, one thing I think Americans don't want is a sore loser. And I've got a great -- I get to go back to the United States Senate and work on a lot of issues and continue to serve. That's been my life. That's been my life.

On Joe the Plumber, McCain said he's a great guy. He had kind things to say about Joe Wurzelbacher.

Leno asked about 2012. Would McCain run?

Jay Leno: Now, in 2012, you'll be 76. Still a young man.

Senator John McCain: Yeah, here we go again. Ready to go again.

Jay Leno: Ready to go again? (Applause.)

Senator John McCain: I don't -- I wouldn't think so, my friend. It's been a great experience, and, you know, we're going to have another generation of leaders come along, and I'll hope that I can continue to contribute. That's all.

There's no way McCain would be the Republican nominee in 2012. I suppose I can understand Leno bringing up the subject, but I can't believe anyone really considers McCain's response to be news.

I bet he'll still be in the Senate though. I'm sure he'll prove all those sicko Leftists wrong, the ones who were insisting that McCain would die in his first term as president, putting Sarah Palin in charge.

In honor of Veterans Day, Leno asked McCain to share some thoughts with the audience. McCain told a story about being in prison in Vietnam. He gave a condensed version due to time constraints.

Jay Leno: Maybe you could -- could you share with us something maybe you didn't get a chance to share during the campaign.

Senator John McCain: Just about every day, but 11 especially on Veterans Day, I think of a guy I was in prison with a long time ago. For a few years we were in Hanoi and prison camps in north Vietnam. They kept us in solitary confinement, two or three to a cell. They finally moved us into large cells, 20 or 25 prisoners in each cell. The guy that moved in with me was a guy named Mike Christian. Mike was from a small town near Selma, Alabama. Very poor family. Enlisted in the Navy at age 17. Later became an A6 bombardier navigator. Was shot down and captured. He loved this country. I moved in the same room with him. The uniform we wore in prison was blue, like, short-sleeved shirt, like, pajama trousers, and shoes -- sandals that were cut out of automobile tires. I recommend them highly. One pair lasted me five and a half years. (Laughter.) Part of this change in treatment, they let us have some packages from home in which were small items -- some of us -- like a handkerchief or a scarf. He took his blue shirt, fashioned himself a bamboo needle, got a piece of white cloth, piece of red cloth, and sewed the American flag on the inside of his shirt. Every evening before we would have our bowl of soup, we would put his flag -- his shirt on the wall of the cell and pledge our allegiance to the country. It was an important part of our day. One day the Vietnamese came, searched the cell, found his shirt, removed it, came back that night -- and I'm telling it fast -- opened the door of the cell, called for him to come out, closed the door of the cell, and beat him very badly for a couple hours. Then they threw him back into the cell. The cell in which we slept had a concrete slab, light bulbs in all four corners, naked light bulbs. We cleaned Mike up as well as we could. I went over to lie down on the concrete and go to sleep. And I happened to look over in the corner of the cell, and underneath the lightbulb, with a piece of white cloth and a piece of red cloth and his bamboo needle, was Mike, with his eyes almost shut from the beating that he had received, sewing another American flag. He wasn't doing that for us. He was doing it for his country. He wasn't doing it for himself. He was doing it for his country 12 and our ability to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country. I'll never forget Mike Christian.

That's an incredibly moving story.

Leno ended the interview by praising McCain's heroism again.

Jay Leno: Senator John McCain, thank you for being here. Thank you so much for your patriotism and your service to your country. I know you've got to go. Cindy is in the audience. There's his lovely wife Cindy right there. John McCain, thank you, sir. (Applause.)

The camera cut to Cindy McCain in the audience. She was smiling and applauding.

I give McCain credit for doing the interview and not holding a grudge.

Before asking for McCain's thoughts on Veterans Day, Leno said something that really annoyed me.

Jay Leno: Any thoughts on Veterans Day today? I know this is one thing -- you see, we had a lot of fun with you, but it's always about age, maybe you're cranky, but it was never about your patriotism or about your love of country because you are a true soldier and a true hero.

Senator John McCain: You're very kind. (Applause.)

I don't think Leno is very kind.

Leno showed no respect for the patriotic and heroic McCain when he was carrying water for Obama and Biden during the campaign. Leno has a very weird idea of having "a lot of fun."

He's still bashing Sarah Palin.

Leno has repeatedly said that people were turned off by McCain's negative ads and his negative campaign. He alluded to it in this interview as well. It's disingenuous for Leno to claim how much he admires McCain.

No, Leno's not kind. He's two-faced.