McCain Fails to Wear Blackface at NAACP Convention

Presidential nominee John McCain spoke before the NAACP today, but the rumors that he would don blackface makeup went unsubstantiated when the Ohio crowd at the historic organization's 99th anuual convention saw nothing but white skin and liver spots. As is usually the case, a disapproving frown (pictured below) often blanketed the Republican nominee's countenance many times throughout the duration of the speech.

* McCain gives his trademark look of disapproval.

According to a member of Barack Obama's camp, McCain was toying with the idea of wearing blackface to try and "endear" himself to the African-American voters who perceive the 71-year-old as "old" and "curmudgeonly." Jill Lewis, one of the Democratic nominee's public relations assistants, said, "We heard from a reputable source that this was supposed to happen; apparently, we were wrong."

However, while team Obama is stewing over McCain's decision to nix the stunt, Republicans are describing the accusation as pure nonsense. Senator Tom Coburn of Ohio (R) called the claim an "obvious attempt to sully McCain's character." Similarly, fellow Republican senator John Warner (Virginia) characterized the Obama camp's accusation as a mere story: "I don't know what kind of jungle juice the Democrats are drinking, but it has to be something that's helping create some wild fiction."
* Ted Danson wore blackface (ala Al Jolson) at a Friars' Club roast for his then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg; the stunt led to the former Cheers star being dubbed a racist.