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| Lebezniatnikov |
From TPM:
| quote: | Oy
Well, it doesn't appear to have registered in the American press yet. But the story keeps bubbling in the Spanish press about McCain's bizarre gaffe about the Spanish Prime Minister. Here's the front page cut out from the Spanish news channel that did the interview. They've talked to the interviewer now. Her take? McCain didn't know who Zapatero was ...
Late Update: So McCain is the candidate with the foreign policy experience ready to lead on day one. But he doesn't know who the leader of Spain is. He gets confused in an interview, apparently thinking Zapatero is someone from Latin America who is an enemy of the United States and manages to create a minor international incident.
Later Update: Here's another Spanish press reax. In Spain, there seem to be two lines of thinking. The great majority appear to think the McCain was simply confused and didn't know who Zapatero was -- something you might bone up on if you were about to do an interview with the Spanish press. The assumption seems to be that since he'd already been asked about Castro and Chavez that McCain assumed Zapatero must be some other Latin American bad guy. A small minority though think that McCain is simply committed to an anti-Spanish foreign policy since he's still angry about Spain pulling it's troops out of Iraq. Finally, a few of those who lean toward the first view speculate that McCain may have confused Zapatero with the Zapatista rebel group in Mexico.
Even Later Update: One representative reader response, from among many ...
I listened to the interview. The characterization is correct. I originally gave McCain the benefit of the doubt, thinking that he was just snubbing Zapatero (something that would be welcomed by the Spanish right). When I was there, there was a lot of agitation among Spanish conservatives because Zapatero was ignoring the country's relations with the U.S. and making overtures to more leftist countries in the Latin America--Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia (all the countries mentioned in this interview before Spain). There was even a controversy because Zapatero sat down when the U.S. flag was passing by in a parade. I believe his excuse was "his legs were tired." So I figured McCain was giving the Zapatero the cold shoulder in the same manner as the Bush administration has done.
After listening to the interview, however, I agree with the characterization that McCain was unaware of our relations with Spain, or even the country's geographical and political position. When asked about meeting with Zapatero and the country's relationship with the U.S., McCain ignored the question and went into some boilerplate about America's friends and enemies and analyzing relations (think Palin and the Bush Doctrine). Then, he tried to transition his answer into more friendly territory, discussing President Calderon's government in Mexico. He never really addressed Spain, but pushed right into commenting about Mexico. The interviewer actually tried to redirect him several times (again, think Charlie Gibson and Palin), until she actually stated that she wasn't talking about Latin America anymore, but rather Europe. For whatever reason, McCain responded to this question by repeating what he said before about analyzing America's relationships with our friends and enemies.
Seriously, this was pretty bad. |
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/217710.php
Whether this story gets any traction here, I don't know. But it's all over the news in Europe, where McCain already faced a losing battle against Obama in popularity.
| quote: |
Did McCain Diss Spain?
By Lisa Abend Thursday, Sep. 18, 2008
You gotta feel for José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Here the Spanish prime minister is only four months from an end to his government's strained relations with that of President George W. Bush and blam! — along comes John McCain to suggest the next four years might not be any better. During an interview in Miami earlier this week with Spanish-language station Union Radio, a reporter asked McCain whether, if elected, he would receive Zapatero in the White House. McCain answered, "Honestly, I have to analyze our relationships, situations, and priorities, but I can assure you that I will establish closer relationships with our friends, and I will stand up to those who want to harm the United States."
Ouch. The question about Zapatero, clearly framed by the reporter as a question about Spain, came after inquiries on Venezuela, Bolivia, and Cuba. As a result, much of the Spanish press has decided that the Republican candidate, who hails himself as the experienced foreign policy choice in this election, confused Spain — a NATO member and key ally in the fight against terrorism — with one of those troublesome Latin American states. That was certainly the interviewer's impression, for she followed up with a gentle reminder that Spain was a country in Europe. As Spanish newspaper El País put it, "In the best-case scenario, [his answer] demonstrates his ignorance with respect to Zapatero."
Of course, there's a worse-case scenario: that McCain would, if elected, maintain his predecessor's chilly relationship with Spain. Spaniards may, on the whole, revile American politics and American comida de basura (junk food), but they still tend to measure their prime minister's international worth by the esteem in which the U.S. president holds him. And so, for the past four years, the Spanish prime minister has tried, ever so earnestly, to prove that he's one of the big boys. At every international summit he has tried to maneuver himself into position for a photograph with Bush. The press has breathlessly reported on every perfunctory exchange the two have had. And the much-longed-for invitation to the White House — let alone to a certain ranch in Texas — has been the object of countless pages of speculation. But for all the aspiration, Zapatero has never managed to achieve anything like that famous 2003 photo of his predecessor, José María Aznar in the Azores looking like he just got invited to the cool kids' party.
Of course, the fact that the cool kids' party happened to be taking place in Iraq explains a lot of the distance between the two current leaders: upon taking office in April 2004, Zapatero immediately pulled Spanish troops out of "the alliance of the willing." Which is one of the ironies of this situation — that Spain can so strongly support a foreign policy opposed to Bush doctrine (whatever that is), while so strongly hoping for a show of respect from Washington. On Thursday, Spanish newspaper ABC's regret was palpable when it lamented that "the coldness between the governments of the U.S. and Spain could continue if the Republican candidate John McCain reaches the White House."
As for Zapatero himself, the prime minister is apparently taking this latest attack to his ego with characteristic equilibrium. McCain may not know who Spain's leader is, but Zapatero promised to work with the new administration "whatever it is." |
http://www.time.com/time/world/arti...00.html?cnn=yes
So Europe (our allies fyi) seems pretty convinced that McCain is nothing but Bush part deux. Just the kind of president we need in a time of great international security and economic difficulties. |
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| The17sss |
| I see what you're saying, but why would McCain be cool about committing to meeting with a guy who’s on record as saying he hopes Obama wins? |
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| Lebezniatnikov |
| quote: | Originally posted by The17sss
I see what you're saying, but why would McCain be cool about committing to meeting with a guy who’s on record as saying he hopes Obama wins? |
Well for one, because he's a NATO ally and the President of the United States should be man enough to meet with strategic allies even when they vote for the other guy. I thought McCain made a career of doing that? |
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| The17sss |
| I'm sure he'll meet with the guy... but he's got bigger fish to fry right now. This isn't even a real issue at the present time. |
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| jerZ07002 |
| quote: | Originally posted by The17sss
I'm sure he'll meet with the guy... but he's got bigger fish to fry right now. This isn't even a real issue at the present time. |
i disagree - all these little incidents show that mccain is not how he portrays himself. spain is an easily recognizable country, and as someone who is running for the head of the our nation, he should be aware of these things. didn't bush have a similar problem with geography and heads of states? |
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| Renegade |
Looking forward to McCain and Palin threatening to consider the military option if Spain fails to desist from its brutal occupation of South Ossetia the Basque region and its history of harbouring ETA terrorists. |
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| Krypton |
| quote: | Originally posted by Renegade
Looking forward to McCain and Palin threatening to consider the military option if Spain fails to desist from its brutal occupation of South Ossetia the Basque region and its history of harbouring ETA terrorists. |
I think Spain needs a liberation. |
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| Ian |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
I think Spain needs a liberation. |
it does. Let the basques have their region, the catalans pretty much have theirs, and any other region which wants to become something can also do so. Why not :conf:
ps. this got big lols in the UK media. We do see McCain as an aging, bush-like tramp of a person and Obama is just so popular, he's got to you guys what Tony Blair had when he won the election in 97, a huge smile, promise and hope and is running for the opposition party to a lot of people who don't believe in the Bush era and want it over. |
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