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Sep 18 08 10:05 AM
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Sep 18 08 10:19 AM
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Sep 18 08 11:46 AM
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Sep 18 08 12:04 PM
justthetracks wrote: John McCain either doesn't know who the Prime Minister of Spain is, thinks Spain is a country in Latin America, or possibly both. 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.
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.
Posts: 858
Sep 18 08 8:41 PM
OMG, let's all freak out about this! Horrors! Let's look at it in a more realistic way, shall we?
He doesn't want to say definitively that he'll meet with Zapatero given that relations between him and Bush have been, shall we say, frosty, and he doesn't want to say definitively that he won't meet with him because Spain is, after all, an ally, so he's filibustering her with a stock answer about the criteria he'd use for meeting with any world leader. The reference to Latin America is his (admittedly awkward) way of steering the conversation back to that area of the world, which is where the interview began. Don't believe me? Just ask the interviewer. She took it exactly the same way. And the punchline? McCain already said he'd meet with Zapatero earlier this year. He may be downplaying that now to burnish his "tough leader" image for the general election, but if so, he's no guiltier of opportunistic flip-flopping than The One is vis-a-vis, say, NAFTA. Exit question: Why would McCain be cool about committing to meeting with a guy who's on record as saying he hopes Obama wins?
Sep 18 08 8:43 PM
Sep 18 08 8:49 PM
Posts: 273
Sep 18 08 9:30 PM
Caterpillarsandbutterflies wrote: OMG, let's all freak out about this! Horrors! Let's look at it in a more realistic way, shall we? He doesn't want to say definitively that he'll meet with Zapatero given that relations between him and Bush have been, shall we say, frosty, and he doesn't want to say definitively that he won't meet with him because Spain is, after all, an ally, so he's filibustering her with a stock answer about the criteria he'd use for meeting with any world leader. The reference to Latin America is his (admittedly awkward) way of steering the conversation back to that area of the world, which is where the interview began. Don't believe me? Just ask the interviewer. She took it exactly the same way. And the punchline? McCain already said he'd meet with Zapatero earlier this year. He may be downplaying that now to burnish his "tough leader" image for the general election, but if so, he's no guiltier of opportunistic flip-flopping than The One is vis-a-vis, say, NAFTA. Exit question: Why would McCain be cool about committing to meeting with a guy who's on record as saying he hopes Obama wins?
Posts: 2209
Sep 18 08 9:48 PM
Sep 19 08 7:48 AM
Posts: 7488
Sep 19 08 9:41 AM
stpattygirl wrote: How is Obama flip flopping on NAFTA?
Sep 19 08 9:51 AM
yoduhh wrote: stpattygirl wrote: How is Obama flip flopping on NAFTA? how quickly they forget! at the texas debate he stated, and he told primary voters in michigan and ohio, that he was against nafta, criticizing it, and that he would unilaterally end it, all the while his senior economic policy adviser was telling canadian officials don't worry, he's just blowing smoke. "Obama was giving Canada "the old wink-wink."" link
Sep 19 08 10:15 AM
CHipBuffalos wrote: Caterpillarsandbutterflies wrote: OMG, let's all freak out about this! Horrors! Let's look at it in a more realistic way, shall we? He doesn't want to say definitively that he'll meet with Zapatero given that relations between him and Bush have been, shall we say, frosty, and he doesn't want to say definitively that he won't meet with him because Spain is, after all, an ally, so he's filibustering her with a stock answer about the criteria he'd use for meeting with any world leader. The reference to Latin America is his (admittedly awkward) way of steering the conversation back to that area of the world, which is where the interview began. Don't believe me? Just ask the interviewer. She took it exactly the same way. And the punchline? McCain already said he'd meet with Zapatero earlier this year. He may be downplaying that now to burnish his "tough leader" image for the general election, but if so, he's no guiltier of opportunistic flip-flopping than The One is vis-a-vis, say, NAFTA. Exit question: Why would McCain be cool about committing to meeting with a guy who's on record as saying he hopes Obama wins? I think it's highly likely that the incident reflects an onset of senile dementia more than anything else. IMHO
Sep 19 08 1:46 PM
Sep 19 08 4:42 PM
luvs2mambo wrote: The focus seems to be amazement that McCain lumped Zapatero in with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia, and perhaps even the Zapatistas of Mexico.
Sep 19 08 5:02 PM
yoduhh wrote: luvs2mambo wrote: The focus seems to be amazement that McCain lumped Zapatero in with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia, and perhaps even the Zapatistas of Mexico. there you have it!! you know all those 'Z' names sound alike!
Posts: 3711
Sep 19 08 5:43 PM
Sep 19 08 6:03 PM
thebatter wrote: Barack Obama thinks we have 60 states. Of course, when HE did that, it was because he was under pressure from the campaign. When McCain does it, he has dementia. Okay. And he doesn't know where Spain is? Keep trying.
Sep 19 08 6:09 PM
Sep 19 08 6:15 PM
thebatter wrote: Yes, I read the whole thread. I was talking about the people who said he didn't know where Spain was.
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