McCain's bizarre response as to whether he would meet with the Spanish Prime Minister

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Right. And pigs and lipstick aside, he's done a decent job of sticking to the "I'm the new young guy with really fancy talk" thing.

If McCain wants to win us over with his incomparable experience with foreign policy, he should at least make it seem like he knows which leaders belong to Cuba and which ones belong to Spain. That's my point.

Do you believe it's conclusive he didn't know? Or is it possible he was dismissing Zapatero for Zapatero's slight against the US. Right wing groups in Spain interpreted, gleefully, the slight, as a slight against Zapatero, and are using that to gain advantages of their own.

From reading it is unclear to me which interpretation is correct. If he had been prepared for Latin American discussions I can see him not knowing, not that that is excusable. Or given his Iraq stance, it seems more probable to me that he simply doesn't feel any affinity for Zapatero given his abandonment of Iraq and the Allies.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Do you believe it's conclusive he didn't know? Or is it possible he was dismissing Zapatero for Zapatero's slight against the US. Right wing groups in Spain interpreted, gleefully, the slight, as a slight against Zapatero, and are using that to gain advantages of their own.

From reading it is unclear to me which interpretation is correct. If he had been prepared for Latin American discussions I can see him not knowing, not that that is excusable. Or given his Iraq stance, it seems more probable to me that he simply doesn't feel any affinity for Zapatero given his abandonment of Iraq and the Allies.

There are two possibilities and neither one do I find acceptable for a man who's running for president primarily based on his foreign policy credentials.

[exUte]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Do you believe it's conclusive he didn't know? Or is it possible he was dismissing Zapatero for Zapatero's slight against the US. Right wing groups in Spain interpreted, gleefully, the slight, as a slight against Zapatero, and are using that to gain advantages of their own.

From reading it is unclear to me which interpretation is correct. If he had been prepared for Latin American discussions I can see him not knowing, not that that is excusable. Or given his Iraq stance, it seems more probable to me that he simply doesn't feel any affinity for Zapatero given his abandonment of Iraq and the Allies.

McCain and Ohbama the same question:

McCain: would you meet with Zapatero?
Ohbama: would you meet with the President of Spain.

I wonder why they would ask the same question differently for Ohbama? Any ideas?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

There are two possibilities and neither one do I find acceptable for a man who's running for president primarily based on his foreign policy credentials.

Why do you find it unacceptable to be chilly to Spain if we don't need anything from Spain right now?

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by exUte

McCain and Ohbama the same question:

McCain: would you meet with Zapatero?
Ohbama: would you meet with the President of Spain.

I wonder why they would ask the same question differently for Ohbama? Any ideas?

They asked the same question of McCain.

NTERVIEWER: Senator finally, let's talk about Spain. If elected president would you be willing to invite President Jose Rodriguez Louis Zapatero to the White House, to meet with you?

McCAIN: I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are friends and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion.

And by the way President Calderone of Mexico is fighting a very, very tough fight against the drug cartels. I'm glad we are now working with the Mexican government on the Merida Plan, and I intend to move forward with relations and invite as many of them as I can, of those leaders to the White House.

INTERVIEWER: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government? To the president himself?

McCAIN: Uh, I don't, I, ya know, I, honestly, I have to look at the situations and the relations and the priorities. But I can assure you, I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.

INTERVIEWER: So you have to wait and see. If he's willing to meet with you, would you be able to do it? In the White House?

McCAIN: Well, again, I don't -- All I can tell you is 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.

INTERVIEWER: OK, what about Europe? I'm talking about the president of Spain.

McCAIN: What about me what?

INTERVIEWER: OK. Are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

McCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those who are not.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Why do you find it unacceptable to be chilly to Spain if we don't need anything from Spain right now?

Because I don't approve of an approach in which everyone is assumed an enemy (and treated as such) until proven otherwise.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Because I don't approve of an approach in which everyone is assumed an enemy (and treated as such) until proven otherwise.

How has Spain proven to be our friend?

Why do you not approve of this approach?

[YOhio]

So McCain had a brain fart. BFD. Obama at times has mentioned that he would invade Pakistan, that there were 53 states, his Muslim faith, asked the UNSC to denounce Russia (Russia is a member) and so on. They have a mic in their face 24/7, work on little sleep and and mess up on occassion. It's not a big deal.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by YOhio

So McCain had a brain fart. BFD. Obama at times has mentioned that he would invade Pakistan, that there were 53 states, his Muslim faith, asked the UNSC to denounce Russia (Russia is a member) and so on. They have a mic in their face 24/7, work on little sleep and and mess up on occassion. It's not a big deal.

57 states.

McCain answered the question reasonably. Inviting world leaders to the White House is no small thing. I'm sure there are 20+ world leaders that would be in line in front of the president of Spain. In fact, when was the last time the President of Spain visited the White House? I see no issue here, other than Cali throwing more smoke bombs.

The real ass is the reporter that kept asking a question that had already been answered.

Again, Obama said 57 states. What a dope.

[creekster]

Myguess is the name zapatero made him think zapatas and so he got stuckm on Mexico in his mind. No big deal. Zapatero, I am sure, would be wlecome in Washington or any of the 57 states of America.