John McCain Gets Confused About Spain, but His Advisers Get Dumb

Crabtownboy · Sep 18, 2008

Even the conservative media could not ignore this one.

In a radio interview broadcast in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries Thursday, the Republican presidential candidate repeatedly dodged questions as to whether he would invite Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House if McCain wins in November.

"All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not," he said. "And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."

He had been asked, however, about a leader outside the hemisphere.
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http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Sep18/0,4670,EUSpainMcCain,00.html

MADRID, SPAIN (AP) - John McCain either doesn't want to meet Spain's prime minister any time soon or isn't quite sure who he is.

In a radio interview broadcast in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries Thursday, the Republican presidential candidate repeatedly dodged questions as to whether he would invite Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House if McCain wins in November.

"All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not," he said. "And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."

He had been asked, however, about a leader outside the hemisphere.

McCain added, when that was pointed out: "I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom and I will stand up to those that do not."

Responding to the first of four questions on whether he would confer with Zapatero, McCain said he'd talk with leaders who are cooperative with the United States. Then he discussed Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his work in fighting drug cartels.
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http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/18/jose-luis-rodriguez-who/

Memo to Randy Sheunemann: Your candidate can do worse things than get confused. Like he could imply that a NATO ally might mean us harm.

I'm pretty sure that John McCain was the former, not doing the latter, in a recent Spanish-language radio interview, but his chief foreign policy adviser apparently insists otherwise.

Sheunemann's insistence to the Washington Post that McCain knew who he was talking about when he clearly didn't is not only bizarre but affirmatively counterproductive to the campaign. If McCain was on the ball when he seemed unsure whether the leader of a NATO ally wanted to do harm to us, then he has larger issues than mere confusion—larger even than the difference between "Zapatero" and "Zapatista."

The interview (audio is at the bottom—hat tip to TPM) runs 5½ minutes. The first three minutes are pretty standard: The reporter takes McCain through Venezuela, Bolivia, and Cuba, asking how the United States should deal with their respective governments. The Arizona senator clearly knows what he's talking about, naming the leaders of different countries and mentioning Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. He gets a zinger in against Barack Obama, asserting that he's never been south of the border in his life. (Sarah Palin beats Obama in that regard!)

Then the reporter switches hemispheres: "Let's talk about Spain. If you're elected president, would you be willing to invite President [sic] José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you? "

In fairness to McCain, the reporter has a strong accent and sped through Zapatero's name. After displaying a detailed grasp of his subject matter for three minutes, McCain suddenly goes Sarah Palin, giving generic talking points about being willing to meet with friends, then he goes off on what seems to be a tangent: "And by the way, President Calderon of Mexico is fighting a very, very tough fight against the drug cartels. I'm glad we are now working in cooperation with the Mexican government on the Merida plan, and I intend to move forward these relations and invite as many of them as I can of those leaders to the White House. "

That last bit about inviting as many Mexican leaders as possible to the White House seems to be the key. The guess here is that McCain didn't catch the question, heard "Zapatero," mistook it for "Zapatista," and thought it was a question about Mexican politics. Hence the diversion to Calderon and the discussion of inviting Mexicans to the White House.

The reporter repeated the question and McCain, presumably realizing that Mexico was not the subject at hand, retreated to platitudes about standing up to those who would do us harm.

"Honestly, I have to look at the relations and the situations and the priorities, but I can assure you I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America," he said. "I know how to do both."

She tried again.

Again, I don't [he seems on the verge of saying he doesn't know who she's talking about]—all I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not, and that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region.

The hemisphere? Latin America? The entire region? She tries again: "But what about Europe? I'm talking about the president of Spain."
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http://www.usnews.com/blogs/robert-schlesinger

targus · Sep 18, 2008

I guessing that you started this thread for everyone to cut and paste examples of candidate gaffes. So here's mine. :saint:

SUNRISE, Fla. -- At first, it seemed as if Barack Obama might just be speaking figuratively, as is his wont sometimes. "How's it going, Sunshine? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everybody. It's good to be in Sunshine!" Obama declared on taking the stage this afternoon for a rally at the BankAtlantic Arena in Broward County, Fla., just west of Ft. Lauderdale.

Obama, who often comments admiringly on the climate and regional aura of his various destinations, may simply have been evoking the warmth of the Sunshine State, which he campaigned in for the first time this week after staying away for months to observe the Democratic Party's primary ban against the state. Or perhaps it was a term of endearment, similar to his recent (and later regretted) use of "sweetie" in speaking to a woman reporter.

But then he said it again, and again -- "When we are unified sunshine, nobody can stop us!" -- and it became clear: Obama thought he was in Sunshine, Fla. But he was not. He was in Sunrise, the name given to this particular swath of South Florida palm trees, bungalows and outlet stores.

If the 16,000 in attendance noticed, they didn't make it known. There was no dropoff in applause as Obama experienced recently when he opened a speech in Sioux Falls, S.D. by declaring, "Thank you, Sioux City!" before realizing that he had named the Iowa city by mistake. Perhaps the crowd here also thought the "Sunshine" might be a figurative reference, or perhaps there is simply less local possessiveness when it comes to a Sun Belt exurb with vaguely defined borders and an even more vaguely defined identity, especially given that many of those in attendance came from elsewhere in the county.

Perhaps Obama was thinking of one of the many songs that involve sunshine, or perhaps he was just hot and tired. It's been a busy week for him in Florida, and it's very warm and humid. More than 90 degrees. Too much sunshine.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/23/for_obama_a_bright_sunshiny_da.html

Crabtownboy · Sep 18, 2008

targus said:

Were you not the one who strongly said we should stay on the topic in a thread. This one is about McCain's confusion over whether Spain, a NATO partner, is an ally or an enemy. But maybe he just does not know the name of the Spanish leader. Both are, well, pretty bad.

You can start a new thread about Obama.
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targus · Sep 18, 2008

Crabtownboy said:

targus said:

Were you not the one who strongly said we should stay on the topic in a thread. This one is about McCain's confusion over whether Spain, a NATO partner, is an ally or an enemy. But maybe he just does not know the name of the Spanish leader. Both are, well, pretty bad.

You can start a new thread about Obama.
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Like I said, I guessing that you started this thread for everyone to cut and paste examples of candidate gaffes.

All you did was cut and paste - how am I supposed to know what your intention was?

Perhaps my understanding of the topic is correct and I am on topic. With the lack of information we have no way of knowing.

Would you like some more links. I can google a lot of them.:tonofbricks:
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carpro · Sep 18, 2008

Crabtownboy said:

Even the conservative media could not ignore this one.
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More fodder for the "so what" trash can.

Crabtownboy · Sep 18, 2008

targus said:

Crabtownboy said:

Like I said, I guessing that you started this thread for everyone to cut and paste examples of candidate gaffes.

All you did was cut and paste - how am I supposed to know what your intention was?

Perhaps my understanding of the topic is correct and I am on topic. With the lack of information we have no way of knowing.

Would you like some more links. I can google a lot of them.:tonofbricks:
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So you do not follow your own advice. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. The topic, subject, matter at hand was McCain and Spain. Open another thread.
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targus · Sep 18, 2008

Are you sure about that?

Bro. Curtis · Sep 18, 2008

I prefer the Biden gaffes. Telling a paralyzed man to stand up. Jokes about Indians......Biden is a moron.

Salty · Sep 18, 2008

quoted from Post # 1:
In a radio interview broadcast in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries Thursday, the Republican presidential candidate repeatedly dodged questions as to whether he would invite Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House if McCain wins in November.

Lets see there are Spanish speaking countries in this hemisphere.
Much ado about nothing AKA making a mountain out of a molehill

LeBuick · Sep 18, 2008

targus said:

Are you sure about that?
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Yes, Sunshine... :laugh: :wavey:

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