What's the deal with John McCain's jaw?

September 8, 2004 11:53 AM

What's the deal with John McCain's jaw? On the Daily Show last week, it was obvious that he has this marble-size protuberance growing out of his left jaw, near the back of his cheek. Google turns up some articles describing swelling there after surgery for skin cancer, but that was in 2001...Anyone have the skinny?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

I hope you get a more definitive answer, but for what it's worth: He's had that for as long as I can remember. I'm not a close McCain watcher, but he had it in 2000, and he had it back in the BCCI scandal days too, I think. I imagine, but can't confirm that it is also a remnant of his captivity and abuse in Hanoi. One of his arms is seriously disfigured from those events. I'm just guessing that this is more of the same.
posted by putzface_dickman at 11:59 AM on September 8, 2004

Because he is a reptile?
posted by sohcahtoa at 12:38 PM on September 8, 2004

It's the wrist watch that he promised his buddy in Hanoi that he would one day deliver to his grandson, the rightful heir.
posted by jazzkat11 at 3:01 PM on September 8, 2004

I saw it the other day on CNN and I too noticed it was far more pronounced that I've seen it before. I have no answers, just saying I do think this is something new.
posted by edlundart at 4:03 PM on September 8, 2004

From the looks of it, it seems like scar tissue. I saw some candid shots of him from the convention and it's fairly shiny and bumpy looking, and rather pink. Not pleasant. Perhaps he had to have a follow-up biopsy or additional tissue excised that we haven't heard about?
posted by Dreama at 6:36 PM on September 8, 2004

jazzkat11, gross but great Royan Tenenbaums reference.
posted by delfuego at 6:44 PM on September 8, 2004

Wasn't that a Pulp Fiction reference?
posted by goethean at 1:29 PM on September 9, 2004