Shorter John McCain: Whatever the most ignorant American believes is what is true

This is the most dumbass -- and scariest -- definition of reality since Ron Suskind quoted a Bush Administration official saying that when you're an empire, you can create your own reality.

Via HuffPo:

KLEIN: I've done some research, and um -


MCCAIN: I have too.

KLEIN: Also checked, also checked with the Obama campaign and he never, he's never sai -- mentioned Ahmadinejad directly by name. He did say he would negotiate with the leaders, but as you know - Ayatollah,

MCCAIN: (Laughing) Ahmadinejad is, was the leader.

KLEIN: But if -

MCCAIN: Maybe I'm mistaken.

KLEIN: Maybe you are, because -

MCCAIN: Maybe. I don't think so though.

KLEIN: The Supreme, you know, according to most diplomatic experts, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the guy who's in charge of Iranian foreign policy and also in charge of the nuclear program, but you never mention him. Do you, you know, um, why do you always keep talking about Ahmadinejad since he doesn't have power in that, in that realm?

MCCAIN: Oh I thin-Again, I respectfully disagree. When he's the person that comes to the United Nations and declares his country's policy is the extermination of the state of Israel, quote, in his words, wipe them off of the map, then I know that he is speaking for the Iranian government and articulating their policy and he was elected and is running for reelection as the leader of that country. Yes sir, go ahead.

NEW REPORTER: One more quest-

MCCAIN: I mean, the fact is he's the acknowledged leader of that country and you may disagree, but that's a uh, that's your right to do so, but I think if you asked any average American who the leader of Iran is, I think they'd know. Go ahead. Or anyone who's well-versed in the issue.

The implications of "asking any average American" as constituting truth are breathtaking -- and we've already seen what happens when we do that: we get a country that supports invasion of a sovereign nation that did nothing to us because "any average American" got it into his head, via constant repetition by the Administration, that Saddam Hussein was behind the 9/11 attacks and most of the hijackers were Iraqi. And we're likely to get people voting for more of the same because "any average American" is going to believe the e-mails his wingnut friends send him claiming that Barack Obama is a Muslim Manchurian candidate. Just because "any average American" has gotten an idea through having one ear on the 6:00 news and the other on his kids' homework doesn't make it true. Americans are tragically uninformed about what's going on in the world, and relying on their perceptions to constitute understanding of other nations is no way to lead.