TPMtv: McCain's Spanish Fly
We've been bringing you the latest through the day. Now in today's episode of TPMtv, you can hear John McCain's Spain goof and the two reasons why the explanation from his top foreign policy adviser just doesn't add up:
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Comments (14)
There really isn't much here beyond McCain really just not understanding a thing this woman is saying.
Note she asks (per the transcript) "What about Europe?" -- which sounds like "What about you?" as she says Europe so fast. McCain's response is "What about me what?". He was obviously never clear on what she was really saying much of the time, nor that they were talking about Spain or its president.
Seems like TPM is digging for some 'uber-gaffe' (as a post put it earlier) here that doesn't seem to be. Let's go back to his last real gaffe - "economy is strong" -- instead.
September 18, 2008 7:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's a sensible explanation for McCain's confusion, but it does not explain the real gaffe.
After McCain realized his error he could either fess up or digg in. The former might hurt the campaign, but the latter would definitely risk damage to our relationship with an important NATO ally.
McCain chose damage to national interest over damage to his campaign. How is that "Putting Country First"?
September 19, 2008 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
She has a heavy accent -- hard to understand the words, especially if this was done over the phone.
My guess is that he didn't understand, and he was winging it.
He should have just said that he did not hear the question.
And for his advisor to insist that he meant exactly what he said is just insane.
September 18, 2008 9:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's true. She didn't speak clearly. But this guy is wired (or drugged) to NOT understand anything that requires work to hear. That and Randy Shine-Your-Shoe's followup are more indications of how a McHale administration would (not) handle things.
September 19, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
PLEASE - the questions were clear and he could have asked her to restate instead of running over her with his pugilistic talking points
September 18, 2008 10:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
There's also door #3 for the takers.
September 18, 2008 11:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, your alternative ending doesn't hold any water.
McCain clearly didn't hear the interviewer correctly. His "What about me, what?" response is the tell.
The story here isn't McCain's misunderstanding of a question. It's the campaign's insistence that Infallible Leader knew exactly what he was doing all along. Doesn't bode well for us, if McCain is somehow elected.
But this is all a moot point now. This story doesn't have any legs compared to a total near-collapse of the financial system and even the bombing of a hotel in Pakistan.
Stick a fork in this thing. It's done.
-- ARG
September 20, 2008 9:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that he thought he was talking about a Latin American country, not a European one. However, Spain is in our hemisphere.
September 19, 2008 9:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wrong. McCain was talking about the Western Hemisphere v. Eastern, not the Northern Hemisphere v. Southern.
September 19, 2008 2:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's really pretty simple: say "Zapatero", then say "Zapatista". After all we were pretty down on the Zapatistas back in the olden days when McCain was a bit sharper. I'm only a couple of years older than McCain, and I have trouble with names all the time. But then again, at my age I can't imagine running for the chair next to the button. (That doesn't mean I abdicate my judgment on anything if I have time to think about it.)
September 19, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have to agree with the majority of the posts above. I don't think that the initial interview was such a huge mistake, and I don't think the story is worth pursuing. As Josh Marshall points out, the previous questions had all been about Latin America and when the interviewer switched gears, he misunderstood her or missed her "let's talk about Spain," and answered the question as though the head of state in question were someone in the Chavez, Castro, Morales camp. When she specified said "what about Europe" he heard "what about you"--forgivable given her accent.
Now the response of the McCain campaign is more questionable. Rather than admitting a mistake, the have chosen to further offend the Spaniards.
Still, there are enough distortions and red herrings in this campaign and enough genuine issues to focus on. Better to drop this.
September 19, 2008 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
After hearing this the first time, I was thinking the worst that could be said is that John McCain is a bad listener. Then they said he meant it. OMG.
September 19, 2008 11:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I, too, am in agreement in assuming he was not understanding the interviewer's accent. But at the same time, McCain, without anybody's help, sends an indelible message of a befuddled old man.
Kudos to taking the moral high ground on this one. Had the gaffe been made by Obama or Biden, I seriously doubt bloggers of the opposition would have been as kind.
September 21, 2008 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
The interviewer speaks English just fine, and rather sophisticated. We can all understand what she is saying - we've heard this raw without the subtext, as well, with no problems. McCain seems annoyed, and put upon. Never mind the fact that he speaks sooooooooooo slowly, with rough answers - yeah, another sleepy president, that's what we need.
Further, his defiant, argumentive, "we'll kick their a_ _ " approach to diplomcy seeps through here - yeah! we'll bomb Spain too - while we're up there bombing Iran and Russia, with your drafted boys!! And if you asked me, there's a hint of disdain in McCain's demeanor here - there is no one in the world who'll ever convince me that he not of the "white" bourgeois (by marriage and lineage - not like HE earned it) - blech!!!
September 22, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink