McCain Demeans Women

Fourteen"Sexist McCain" Incidents

These are the instances of McCain sexism of which we are aware. If you know of any more stories, please email them to us!

McCain has a very ugly history of insulting comments and inappropriate humor toward women that should make it impossible for women voters to support him. Former Representative Pat Schroeder, a Colorado Democrat famous for her fight for women's rights recently told the LA Times: "He has always had trouble dealing with women as equals."

Here is a list of the best known incidents, and this brief list is followed by accounts of the incident and related videos and testimony.

#1 – 2008: August: McCain Enlists Current Wife in Nude Biker Beauty Pageant
#2 - 1992: Calling His Current Wife Cindy a Cunt
#3 - 1986: Rape is Funny to McCain & #3b and to a key McCain Fundraiser
#4 - 2008: January : Wife Beating is Funny to McCain
#5 - 1998: Calling a Minor Ugly and Disparaging Attorney General is Funny
#6 - 1999: Degradation of Female Air Force Pilots is Funny
#7 - 2003: McCain thinks French and Female bashing is Funny
#8 - 1991: Opposed to Equal Roles for Women in the Military
#9 – 2007: McCain thinks it’s funny to call Hillary a bitch
#10- 1970’s: Cheated a lot on disfigured wife that waited for him
#11 – 1960-70’s: Supporting the sex trades that abuse women is cool to McCain
#12 – 2008: It’s cool to leer at little girls– then avoid her question
#13 – 2008: McCain thinks it’s okay to mock successful women (McCain’s Mom does not)
#14 - 2008: John McCain says: "Cindy hurt her knee shopping so let that be a lesson"

#1 - 2008, August: McCain Enlists Current Wife in Nude Biker Beauty Pageant

McCain was addressing a biker rally at the annual Sturgis Rally at Buffalo Chip campground in South Dakota. Referring to a traditional beauty pageant, a debauchery of topless women on parade awaiting judgment of their beauty, McCain said to a cheering public: “I encouraged Cindy to compete,” he continued, “I told her with a little luck she could be the only woman ever to serve as first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip.”

McCain dishes out pure embarrassing sexist misery

#2 - 1992: Calling His Current Wife Cindy a Cunt

During his 1992 reelection bid, the Senator was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, his aides, and three journalists who spoke to Schecter who spoke on condition of anonymity, but independently confirmed each other's accounts of the incident. Cindy McCain playfully ran her fingers through the Senator's hair and teased, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain reddened and fired back, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollup, you cunt."

What If the News Ran The John McCain "Cunt" Story

McCain avoids the truth about calling Cindy a Cunt – hiding in plain sight

#3a - 1986: Rape is Funny to McCain & #3b to key McCain Fundraiser

In 1986 the Tuscon Citizen reported that McCain, running for his first term in the Senate, thought he'd try out some new material. Speaking before the National League of Cities and Towns in Washington, D.C. McCain cracked, "Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, ‘Where is that marvelous ape?'"

In 1990, one of McCain's top fundraisers, former Texas GOP Gubernatorial candidate Clayton Williams made a rape joke of his own. Likening the experience of being raped to bad weather, he said, "as long as it's inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it."

McCain feels no need to deny he finds rape joke funny

#3b to key McCain Fundraiser

Here McCain lies about not knowing the character of a key supporter

#4 – 2008, January : Wife Beating is Funny to McCain

Senior national correspondent Jake Tapper, of ABC News asked McCain why he did not choose Nevada’s Republican Governor Jim Gibbons for for his state campaign chair. This is the traditional choice when the governor is of the same party. McCain explained that he had a longstanding relationship with the state’s lieutenant governor. Governor Gibbons has low approval ratings which prompted the reporter to ask if this was the reason he passed over the governor. McCain defended his choice by saying laughingly, “And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago.”

This could only have been in reference to that fact that Gibbons was going through a high-profile divorce, with multiple charges of infidelity. Did he also know that a cocktail waitress had accused Gibbons of grabbing and threatening her with sexual assault in a parking garage?

#5 - 1998: Calling a Minor Ugly and Disparaging Attorney General is Funny

In 1998, McCain was speaking before a GOP fundraiser in Washington, D.C. when he asked, "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father." The joke was ill-received on many levels- for its offense to the Attorney General, for its offense to the president and his wife. But most of all, for its attack on an eighteen year old girl.

Anyone with kids in school will tell you that the teenage years are tough. Kids can be vicious. But when a national representative makes a mean-spirited and uncalled for comment about a defenseless young lady to further his own political causes, it's revolting.

#6 - 1999: Degradation of Female Air Force Pilots is Funny

Former editor of the Arizona Republic, Pat Murphy, wrote a detailed editorial that was carried by a number of different papers in December of 1999. Murphy pointed to an incident in which a delegation interested in expanding opportunities for female pilots visited McCain at his Senate office back in 1991. McCain greeted them by calling them "honey," and "sweetie," and then proceeded to disparage them, calling them "a bunch of Pat Schroeders."

#7 - 2003: McCain thinks French and Female bashing is Funny

In an interview with Fox News, McCain aimed his ill-fated humor at our allies, the French. "You know," he began, "the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who is still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it." This is a country that is heavily involved in the Afghan conflict- in particular, they're training Afghan soldiers to reduce the burden on the US military. McCain's questionable comments raised some a measured ruckus in both foreign and domestic circles, calling the Senator's diplomatic skills into question. But additionally, it was a comment that both objectified and demeaned women, clearly devaluing women by insulting those who don't "have the face," according to McCain's standards. By the way, let's be honest...John McCain isn't exactly an Adonis.

#8 - 1991: Opposed to Equal Roles for Women in the Military

Following the end of the Gulf War in 1991, a large contingent of women in the military were pushing for increased roles. McCain bristled at the idea, and spoke out publicly against it. "The purpose of the military is first to defend this nation's vital security interests throughout the globe and only second to ensure equality." In the 1991 debate over women pilots, McCain took a traditionalist stance. “This nation has existed for over 215 years,” McCain said. “At no time in the history of our nation have women been in combat roles.” McCain’s long-standing opposition to women in combat has raised questions among his critics about his commitment to women’s rights.

#9 – 2007: McCain thinks it’s funny to call Hillary a bitch

McCain thought it was funny when a voter called Hillary Clinton a bitch. IN November 2007, a McCain supporter asked him: "How do we beat the bitch?" And as you can see, it appears that after McCain joked about offering a "translation" of his supporter's query, he said:

"That's an excellent question."

#10- 1970’s: Cheated frequently on disfigured wife that waited for him to come home from war

If a guy would leave his wife and kids because his wife gained weight – of course he would insult other women

11 – 1960-70’s: Supporting the sex trades that abuse women is cool to McCain

During this campaign, McCain has been heard bragging of the sexual conquests of his long forgotten youth. In March, he told a crowd in Meridian, Mississippi.: "I remember with affection the unruly passions of youth." He then told them details of his adventures organizing an off-base toga party for his pals and hiring the local girls.

In another campaign stop in Pensacola, Florida – a bastion of good Christina “Values” , McCain recounted his fun time as a Florida-based fighter pilot while he was dating a stripper known as the "Flame of Florida" and "blowing my pay at Trader Jon's," a local strip club. I guess good Christina abstinence-only must not apply to the boys?

#12 2008: It’s cool to leer at little girls– then avoid her question

John McCain is such a sexist pig that he acted like a real jerk to young lady that asked him a perfectly reasonable question in one of his “Town Hall Meetings” in Michigan. After he intimidated and mocked this nervous teenager who wanted to know why he opposed the Fair Pay Act, he went on The Daily Show and referred to her as “a very attractive young woman.” Horrifying video footage below. Notice the way McCain chuckles through this one because McCain doesn't understand a damn thing about "equal opportunity".

Why exactly does it matter that this (UNDERAGE!) young woman was "very attractive"? What does her physical appearance have to do with anything? Lucky for her that she was, or else McCain might not have called on her. The only thing worse was his lousy response to an excellent question about equal pay for equal work.

#13 – 2008: McCain thinks it’s okay to mock successful women (McCain’s Mom does not)

After wasting his supporters funds on an ad that derides the success of Paris and Britney, not only does Mrs. Hilton chastise John McCain for being foolish – so does his own mother.

#14 - 2008: John McCain says: "Cindy hurt her knee shopping so let that be a lesson"