CNN Republican Debate: Non Sequitors 101 With Professor John McCain

Let's unspin Senator McCain's political rhetoric and examine his use of the non sequitor.
(Note: All quotes taken from the official CNN transcript).

The first direct question to Senator McCain came around 20 minutes into the debate. Janet Hook of the L.A. Times posed a difficult wedge question and Senator McCain responded with a variety of rhetorical strategies, including the non sequitor:

"HOOK: ...Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed that California be allowed to implement much tougher environmental regulations on emission requirements than apply to the rest of the country. This is an initiative that conservatives generally oppose, and the Bush administration rejected California's request. Do you side with the governor or with the Bush administration?"

"MCCAIN: Well, there's some physical danger. I have to agree...(LAUGHTER)... with the governor [who is sitting on the front row]."

Senator McCain, knowing that a direct and immediate "yes/no" response to the question will turn off Bush-conservatives or moderate California conservatives begins with a joke to lighten the mood.

After the audience has finished laughing, McCain turns to the non sequitor:

"Look, I'm a federalist. And I believe the states should decide to enormous degrees what happens within those states, including off their coasts. The people of California have decided they don't want oil drilling off their coasts. The people of Louisiana have decided that they do. I applaud the governor's efforts and that of other states in this region and other states across America to try to eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change."

Wait a minute...the question was not "are you a federalist?" Even more, the question is not about oil drilling and whether a state can drill off its coast.

McCain continues with a lengthy discussion about global warming and fails to even mention whether he supports the Bush policy or decision to reject California's standards.

In contrast, former Governor Romney answered the question plain and and straight forward way:

"COOPER: Governor Romney, what did you think of Senator McCain's response? And just to remind you, the original question is do you side with Governor Schwarzenegger or with the Bush administration on this issue?"

"ROMNEY: Well, I side with states to be able to make their own regulations with regards to emissions within their own states."

Later in the debate, John McCain employed an even more blatant refusal to answer the question posed to him. Janet Hook of the L.A. Times asked Senator McCain "if your original proposal [for immigration reform that you put forth in late June 2007] came to a vote on the Senate floor [again], would you vote for it?"

"MCCAIN: It won't [come to the floor for a vote]. It won't. That's why we went through the debate..."

Although Senator McCain has not entirely changed the subject, he has patently refused to answer the question by trying to render the issue irrelevant. Hook followed up.

"HOOK: But if it did?"

"MCCAIN: No, it would not [reach the floor], because we know what the situation is today. The people want the border secured first. And so to say that that would come to the floor of the Senate -- it won't. We went through various amendments which prevented that ever -- that proposal...."

After a lengthy digression to discuss border security, Senator McCain is again pressed to answer the question, this time by Anderson Cooper:

"COOPER: So I just want to confirm that you would not vote for your bill as it originally was?"

"MCCAIN: My bill will not be voted on; it will not be voted on. I will sit and work with Democrats and Republicans and with all people. And we will have the principals securing the borders first."

At this point, McCain's rhetorical strategy is one of straight out refusal to answer the question posed to him.