¿Dónde?

by Josh Orton, Thu Sep 18, 2008 at 06:38:43 AM EDT

I'm waiting for someone to pop out of a closet somewhere and tell us this was all a joke:

In case, you haven't seen our updates from last night, yesterday John McCain was interviewed on the Florida affiliate of Spanish radio network Union Radio. And in the interview McCain appeared not to know who the Prime Minister of Spain was and assumed he was some anti-American leftist leader from South America.

After the interviewer presses him a couple times on the point and tries to focus him on the fact that Prime Minister Zapatero isn't from Mexico and isn't a drug lord either McCain comes back at her saying, "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."

Then there's a moment of awkward pause before she says. "But what about Europe? I'm talking about the President of Spain."

McCain: "What about me, what?

Interviewer: "Are you willing to meet with him if you're elected president?"

McCain: "I am wiling to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for humans rights, democracy and freedom. And I will stand up to those who do not."

At this point, the interviewer gets tongue-tied presumably because she can't get over McCain not knowing what Spain is.

Sadly, it is not a joke, and it's actually quite worrisome. Stepping back for a moment, I also find it rather surprising.

For all his jumbled responses to the economic crisis, McCain nearly always responds with certainty to questions of international relations. In fact, in the case of Russia's conflict with Georgia, McCain projected an inappropriate amount of certainty - rigid in his assessment and heated in his policy prescription. But he knew the players.

Here, he's lost.

Tags: Election 08, John McCain (all tags)

Comments

33 Comments

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It's actually quite shocking

For all the political caricatures we make of McCain, I would never have expected him to show such real confusion and then hide it so badly. When you add this to his lackluster stump performance yesterday, I start to wonder if the strain of compaigning is taking a toll. In addition to all the physical and mental stress he's under, there may be a strong emotional component as he watches his brand dissolve.

by Neef 2008-09-18 06:44AM | 0 recs
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I wonder about this, too.

I really don't want for us to win this thing just because McCain is simply too old to campaign in competition with Obama.  The horrors of age weigh on me because I've had family members suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia and other afflictions of advanced age.  

It would've been awesome to see John McCain of 2000 squaring off against Obama of 2008.

by Dracomicron 2008-09-18 06:48AM | 0 recs
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Re: I wonder about this, too.

 It is very sad to see the deterioration of John McCain, the person, whether it is being caused by  a lack of sleep, age-related dementia, or another medical condition that we don't know about because he waon't release his records. I hope he takes some time off after losing in November to recuperate fully.

by QTG 2008-09-18 07:24AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

You guys are being far too deferential - you've forgotten already about Iran training Al Qaeda.

The man is a doddering fool.

by Jess81 2008-09-18 06:47AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

That interview was all in English too.  No interpreters.  He didn't recognize the name of Zapatero and he thinks Spain is between Argentina and Brazil. Unfit for the presidency

by moondancer 2008-09-18 06:48AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Wouldn't it be "Que?"  

by Jess81 2008-09-18 06:50AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Nah - Donde works just fine -- Means where?  And McCain doesnt seem to know where spain is because he started rambling about Latin America.

OR

Quien?  Who?
Because he also doesnt know who he was talking about.

by sepulvedaj3 2008-09-18 07:21AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Or

Quando?  Because he didn't know WHY they were asking him about the Mexican revolutionary.

OR

Quantos?  Because he doesn't know HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP.

by Jess81 2008-09-18 08:09AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Doesn't "cuando?" mean "when?"

I think you meant "por que?".

by MikeNH 2008-09-18 08:26AM | 0 recs
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the interview

http://www.cadenaser.com/internacional/a udios/interview-to-senator-mccain-englis h/csrcsrpor/20080918csrcsrint_1/Aes/

by thenurse 2008-09-18 06:54AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Decider Dos

by QTG 2008-09-18 06:59AM | 0 recs
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My guess

is that he couldn't understand what she was saying because of her heavy accent. Not sure why he wouldn't ask her to repeat herself, maybe he didn't want to sound stupid, but clearly he couldn't understand her when she mentioned "Zapatero" or "Spain".

Expect "difficulty with interviewer's accent" to be the official McCain excuse.

by existenz 2008-09-18 07:11AM | 0 recs
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Re: My guess

Maybe he thought she was talking about making shoes?

by MikeNH 2008-09-18 08:27AM | 0 recs
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A regular polyglot

After walking in, McCain also greeted the interviewer with, "Estoy cansado de conocerle." What a leader.

by Double D 2008-09-18 07:21AM | 0 recs
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Re: A regular polyglot

Eso es divertido!

by QTG 2008-09-18 07:35AM | 0 recs
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This is nice but ...

I want it to go away quickly.   I just want the media and Obama's attention centered on the economy and regulation vs non-regulation of middle joe america's pocketbook issues.

This is troublesome but is a take away issue from the real issue Obama finally has found.

by Monkei 2008-09-18 07:30AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but if McCain's foreign policy credentials get much lower, I see either (A) a terrorist attack; (B) an American-led action in either Iran, Iraq, or Pakistan; or (C) we magically "find" OBL on October 28.

And yes, I consider many Americans gullible enough to fall for that.  Certainly enough to think "oh noes we need teh commander in chief dude" in the swing states.

by zombieflanders 2008-09-18 07:37AM | 0 recs
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If they find OBL

it will be in a cell in Cuba where he has conveniently been retained until a needed excuse to bring him out.

by Monkei 2008-09-18 07:59AM | 0 recs
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Good news, everyone!

Turns out that the official word from the McCain camp is that he really and truly WAS lumping the PM of Spain in with the hostile governments.

"The questioner asked several times about Senator McCain's willingness to meet Zapatero (and id'd him in the question so there is no doubt Senator McCain knew exactly to whom the question referred). Senator McCain refused to commit to a White House meeting with President Zapatero in this interview," he said in an e-mail.

I don't know which is worse. McCain not realizing who the PM of Spain is or McCain pledging to continue the radical and reckless separatism that has wrecked our standing in the world. If McCain gets elected, there is a legitimate chance that the world may decide to save themselves and let us rot.

by vcalzone 2008-09-18 07:51AM | 0 recs
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Wait, what?

He won't commit to meeting with a NATO member, but he'll rush to Georgia? That is frankly implausible. Where the hell is the media on this?

The more likely, and scarier, scenario is that he simply forgot.

by Neef 2008-09-18 08:18AM | 0 recs
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Re: Wait, what?

Yup, probably. He's certainly not winning any friends overseas, though.

by vcalzone 2008-09-18 09:50PM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

I don't think it's confusion. I just think he doesn't like Zapatero at all because:

1) He's a lefty

  1. He beat Bush ass-kisser Aznar
  2. He pulled out of Iraq
  3. He is more experienced at dealing with terrorism than the entire Republican Party of the United States

by MNPundit 2008-09-18 07:55AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

no way, listen to the interview -- he talks about all the leaders "in the hemisphere" -- he just mis-heard and got confused.  Not a big story.  The big story would be changing our diplomatic relationship with Spain rather than copping to a minor political mishap.

by snowback 2008-09-18 08:01AM | 0 recs
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Exactly

and that's just what the McCain campaign is doing with this latest email. "McCain won't commit to meeting with NATO ally".

by Neef 2008-09-18 08:19AM | 0 recs
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Re: Exactly

yes, that is what I meant.  The campaign would rather double down on a stupid and easily explained mistake -- a one-day news cycle item -- even at the cost of affecting the real and continuing diplomatic relationship between the US and an important ally.  

That is a big story to me -- this willingness to put short term domestic political gain ahead of long term national interests shows shocking irresponsibility, pettiness, and reckless belligerence in foreign affairs, something we already have seen from McCain several times in this campaign, e.g., with respect to Georgia and the selection of Sarah Palin.    

by snowback 2008-09-18 08:44AM | 0 recs
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It's McCain's MO

Campaign First

by Neef 2008-09-18 08:54AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

It seemed clear to me that he didn't know the difference between "Zapatero government" and "Zapatista movement."  That's the only reason I can think of why he immediately started talking about Calderon and cartels.

If we assume he missed every time the interviewer told him she was talking about Spain, and didn't understand the word "Eurpoe" (I think he thought she said "you" and it confused him--not a particularly good sign), then it makes some sense that he interpreted "Zapatero" as "Zapatista."  It's dumb, and it's far from the caliber of analysis I'd want in a President, but at least there's some semblance of an explanation for it.

by Jay R 2008-09-18 08:01AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Oh, come on!  His response was perfectly reasonable.  After all, Spain was a Mexican colony back when he was a POW, so they are still politically indistinguishable.

by username 2008-09-18 08:17AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?
Yoli Cuello: Will you meet with Zapatero ?
McCain: In what respect, Yoli?
by Neef 2008-09-18 08:52AM | 0 recs
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Re: ¿Dónde?

Soooo, maybe to him Palin really is pretty knowledgeable on foreign policy. Explains a lot.

by Becky G 2008-09-18 08:52AM | 0 recs
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It's ok

Sarah Palin can see Spain from her house.

by sab39 2008-09-18 09:02AM | 0 recs
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and latin american cartels

by sepulvedaj3 2008-09-18 10:27AM | 0 recs
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This worries me.

No joke here. My father suffered with senile dementia and John is showing all the same signs.

I think Dwight Eisenhower had it right 70 (72 in this case) is too old to be sitting in the Oval Office.

by jsfox 2008-09-18 08:57AM | 0 recs

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