Is John McCain losing his mind?

It seems every week, if not every day, John McCain says puzzling things that call into question his integrity and truthfulness. This is also reflected in his campaign. Most, I think, would argue that McCain is just saying and doing things for political expediency.

However, my wonder is whether John McCain is truly suffering from cognitive impairment. There are a lot of "whispers" out there on the internet with some sites that go into full bore conjectural analyses of why they think McCain is suffering from some form of dementia.

McCain's latest "Spain" confusion is but another bizarre utteration that calls into question his ability to think and remember clearly. Now, the McCain camp states that his comments were "working as intended" but it seems pretty apparent that he was less than tuned in during the interview.

So, I'd like to get some gauge of what people think here about John McCain and his faculties.

For the purposes of clarifying the topic, here are some definitions:

Dementia is a condition in which there is a gradual loss of brain function; it is a decline in cognitive/intellectual functioning The main symptoms are usually loss of memory, confusion, problems with speech and understanding, changes in personality and behavior and an increased reliance on others for the activities of daily living (Royal College of Psychiatrists).

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, a neurologic disease characterized by loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting at least six months, and not present from birth. AD usually occurs in old age, and is marked by a decline in cognitive functions such as remembering, reasoning, and planning.

Keep in mind that I am not saying McCain has Alzheimer's. I am just saying that something is remarkably different about him as compared to videos I have seen of him in the 1990's. To me he seems impaired cognitively. It would be impossible from our point of view at this point to definitively say whether he is encountering the first stages of dementia. Furthermore, it would be impossible to say if he has Alzheimer's as that takes extensive face to face testing and even then is only conclusively determined upon brain biopsy.

The reason I think this is important should be self evident. We cannot even remotely consider having a President with the first stages of cognitive impairment (dementia) without considering who would fill his shoes.

I'd like to know where people are on this.

The following choices are to gauge the gut reactions, thoughts, and feelings on this topic.

Feedback such as "don't go there", "this isn't politically relevant", and the like will not be entertained. There is sufficient ostensible evidence to suspect something is wrong and I'd rather be ahead of the curve here because I know such concern won't be supported by the MSM.

If you agree with any of the following statements, check the box and give the thread a kick, if you please. I am using the phrase "cognitive impairment" loosely here but I am essentially referring to loss of memory, reasoning, and understanding (aka dementia).

I'm talking about all of you people... :)

grandfather who has been diagnosed.. Name screw ups.. and Geography are some of the first slip ups.. But it does look like they use some heavy drugs to prop him up for joint appearances.. Like the church thing and service thingy on 9/11.. I would suspect they will do the same when it comes to the debates..

He changes his mind with the polls, and the polls change their mind constantly. Sometimes I wonder if it's all about him. He forms one opinion, the majority of Americans react by forming a different opinion, and he winds up chasing them in circles, like a dog after an ice-cream truck, with no idea what he would do if he actually caught the truck.

No real way to be sure.

to keep up with the stress of the campaign. Everyone loses function when they are overtired no matter what age. This would explain why he is alert one day and seemingly out of it on another. Of course, the stress of being President won't allow for a lot of downtime, either, unless like Bush he turns day to day operations over to his VP!

The Geezer

What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.
Dan Quayle

Somebody needs to tell John McCain that Zapata died in 1919, despite the name of his favorite movie being "Viva Zapata!".

I've met guys like that, they just spout whatever bullshit they think will get them what they want, and when they do it constantly, they get to the point where they don't even know what the truth is. No organic malfunction is necessary when you have a self-inflicted cognitive impairment.

McCain and Bush both strike me as that kind of guy, although in Bush's case, alcohol damage is more evident.

Everyone has a right to wonder about McCain's health because there is something VERY WRONG with him. This is not some mere speculation but in truth a fact. Remember the cancer he has been fighting over the years... well... it is slowly coming back. Doctors may say he is fine but he isn't fine. I have noticed something about him is very off and it is disturbing. He looks stressed and worn out. Stress, as everyone knows, can weaken the body's ability to fight off deadly dieseases like Cancer.

This is one reason he needs to end this run for office. He may claim nothing is wrong with him but he isn't a very well man.

And that is a very unfortunate fact...

Why are they letting him continue his run like this? I knew the Republican Party were greedy pigs who craved power but at the expense of their own canidate's life... (Shakes head) This is madness and it is just plain sad. Power isn't everything!