McCain gaffes just keep piling up

Joe1991 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 04:45 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/200...politico/11939

Quote:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said “Iraq” on Monday when he apparently meant “Afghanistan”, adding to a string of mixed-up word choices that is giving ammunition to the opposition.

Just in the past three weeks, McCain has also mistaken "Somalia" for "Sudan," and even football’s Green Bay Packers for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ironically, the errors have been concentrated in what should be his area of expertise: foreign affairs.

McCain will turn 72 the day after Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) accepts his party’s nomination for president at the age of 47, calling new attention to the sensitive issue of McCain’s advanced age three days before the start of his own convention.

The McCain campaign says Obama has had plenty of flubs of his own, including a reference to "57 states" and a string of misstated place names during the primaries that Republicans gleefully sent around as YouTube links.

McCain aides point out that he spends much more time than Obama talking extemporaneously, taking questions from voters and reporters. "Being human and tripping over your tongue occasionally doesn't mean a thing," a top McCain official said.

But McCain's mistakes raise a serious, if uncomfortable question: Are the gaffes the result of his age? And what could that mean in the Oval Office?

Voters, thinking about their own relatives, can be expected to scrutinize McCain’s debate performances for signs of slippage.

Every voter has a parent, grandparent or a friend whose mental acuity declined as they grew older. It happens at different times for different people — and there is ample evidence many people in their 70s are as sharp and fit as ever.

In McCain’s case, his medical records, public appearances and travel schedule have suggested he remains at the top of his game.

But his liberal critics have been pouncing on every misstatement as a sign that he’s an old man.

Already, late-night comics have made McCain’s age an almost nightly topic, with CBS’s David Letterman getting a laugh just about any time he says the words “McCain” and “nap” in the same sentence.

Last week, McCain tried to defuse the issue by pretending to doze off during an appearance with NBC’s Conan O’Brien.

Republicans would like to make the case that McCain is seasoned and Obama is a callow newcomer to the public stage. But that’ll be harder if he keeps up the verbal slips, which make it easier for comedians and critics to pile on.

“First Gaffe of Obama Trip ... Goes To McCain,” blared Monday afternoon’s banner headline on the left-leaning Huffington Post, accompanied by a photo of McCain appearing to slap his forehead.

That referred to an ABCNews.com posting asserting that McCain appeared to confuse Iraq and Afghanistan in a “Good Morning America” interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, who asked whether the "the situation in Afghanistan is precarious and urgent.”

McCain responded: “I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border," McCain said. The ABC posting added: “Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border. Afghanistan and Pakistan do.”

Unfortunately for McCain, that wasn’t an isolated slip. Among the other lapses:

• “Somalia” for “Sudan”: As recounted in a reporter’s pool report from McCain’s Straight Talk Express bus on June 30, the senator said while discussing Darfur, a region of Sudan: "How can we bring pressure on the government of Somalia?"

Senior adviser Mark Salter corrected him: “Sudan.”

• “Germany” for “Russia”: A YouTube clip from last year memorializes McCain referring to Vladimir Putin of Russia — following a trip to Germany — as “President Putin of Germany.”

• This spring, McCain said troops in Iraq were “down to pre-surge levels” when in fact there were 20,000 more troops than when the surge policy began.

• Also this spring, McCain twice appeared to mistake Sunnis and Shiites, two branches of Islam that split violently.

• In Phoenix earlier this month, McCain referred to Czechoslovakia, which has been divided since Jan. 1, 1993, into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He also referred to Czechoslovakia during a debate in November and a radio show in April.

• In perhaps the most curious incident, McCain said earlier this month that as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, he had tried to confuse his captors by giving the names of Pittsburgh Steelers starting players when asked to identify his squadron mates. McCain has told the story many times over the years — but always correctly referred to the names he gave as members of the Green Bay Packers.

Joe1991 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 04:48 PM

McCain Owns First Foreign Policy Gaffe During Obama's Iraq Trip

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_114013.html

Quote:

As Barack Obama began his trip to the Middle East and Europe, the media was already speculating about the possibility of a gaffe. Obama's travel "carries political risk," the New York Times reported, "particularly if Mr. Obama makes a mistake."

But the only foreign policy error made in the last few days came this morning on ABC's Good Morning America, when John McCain made ANOTHER geography gaffe while trying to criticize Obama's visit to Iraq. (Just last week, McCain repeatedly referred to Czechoslovakia, a country that hasn't existed since 1993.)

Asked by Diane Sawyer whether the "the situation in Afghanistan in precarious and urgent," McCain responded: "I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border."

But as ABC's Rick Klein noted: "Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border. Afghanistan and Pakistan do."

Tedminator · #3 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 04:51 PM

Quote:

But McCain's mistakes raise a serious, if uncomfortable question: Are the gaffes the result of his age? And what could that mean in the Oval Office?

I dunno. But if McGrampa is trully mentally confused, I hope he doesn't have a one of those flashbacks and start ranting on about those gooks he hates.

heh that would be awkwaaard.

Joe1991 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 05:00 PM

(I'll just keep ol Mac's screw ups on one thread, otherwise it might seem like I was spamming the board)

Yet Another McCain gaffe
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archi...3/1216697.aspx

Quote:

Wednesday, July 23

“‘Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening,’ McCain said, referring to the U.S.-backed revolt of Sunni sheiks against al-Qaida in Anbar province. ‘I mean, that's just a matter of history.’

The problem with McCain's statement -- as Obama's campaign quickly noted -- was that the awakening got under way before President Bush announced in January 2007 his decision to flood Iraq with tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops to help combat violence.”

hkobb7 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said “Iraq” on Monday when he apparently meant “Afghanistan”, adding to a string of mixed-up word choices that is giving ammunition to the opposition.

Just in the past three weeks, McCain has also mistaken "Somalia" for "Sudan," and even football’s Green Bay Packers for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ironically, the errors have been concentrated in what should be his area of expertise: foreign affairs.

Interesting. I didn't know that Pittsburgh and Green Bay went under "foreign".

Obama does not have any background either. The only reason that he does not have any "gaffes" is that he participates in scarce events that are not scripted. Besides, any mistakes that he makes are masked under the screams of his loudmothed supporters.

Look, a brain fart when cameras and lights are pointed at you is no indication of intelligence. It isn't like he doesn't know the difference between the two, he just might be focused on more important things...like how to achieve world peace.

Joe1991 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-27-2008, 06:40 AM

Vladimir Putin is the President of Germany?

YouTube - McCain: Vladimir Putin is the ...

whatsyurprob · #7 (**permalink**) 07-27-2008, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkobb7

Look, a brain fart when cameras and lights are pointed at you is no indication of intelligence. It isn't like he doesn't know the difference between the two, he just might be focused on more important things...like how to achieve world peace.

And we as voters should be focused on the so-called "experience" factor of a career politician like McCain. Using cameras and lights to explain away the mistakes of a guy who can't seem to remember the location of his 'fly' is laughable.

gmb92 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-27-2008, 11:34 AM

Note that the mainstream press brushes off these gaffes. His age is actually a benefit because it gives him an excuse. The media also seems to give him a free pass on the narrative that he is "experienced" and thus is allowed a string of blunders (when one would have a better argument with the opposite conclusion). Microphones are instead pointed towards Obama waiting for the slightest sign of a mistake, so they can use it to further underscore his "lack of experience".

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