John McCain thinks Spain is a rogue state in South America
Enough worrying about Sarah Palin's foreign policy expertise, time to return to John McCain's.
The Spanish press -- in Spain, on the Iberian Peninsula, east of Portugal and south of France -- is having a field day over a Cadena SER radio interview in which the senator seems to confuse Spain's prime minister with a strongman in Latin America.
In the beginning of the interview, McCain discusses how he would not sit down with presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela or Evo Morales of Bolivia and certainly not with Raul Castro. Standard fare. The interviewer then says, "Let's shift to Spain, would you invite President [Jose Luis Rodriguez] Zapatero to meet with you in the White House?" This is a big deal for Spaniards; Zapatero never received such an invitation from President George Bush. At first McCcain gives a vague answer about how he'll work with anyone who cooperates withe U.S. but is determined to stand firm against our enemies. When pressed again, he makes no promises but notes "the importance of "our relationship with Latin America."
Perplexed, the interview blurts out "But I'm talking about Europe. About Spain!" Even then, McCain indeed does stand firm. He never giving a clue that he acutally knows who Zapatero is. He speaks in English and a Spanish translater is speaking over him so I'll translate back to English: He'll be friends with our friends and stand firm against those who oppose us."
When told of McCain's refusal to invite him to the White House, Zapatero brushed it off, saying he'll work with whichever man gets elected. Then he stumbled into what would be a gaffe here in the U.S., by graciously adding: "tenga el color que tenga" meaning, "whatever his color."
Don't trust on J.Diez its just one nerd who tries to piss on us. Jane, we know who are the people from Canada,Australia, U.S.A. and the 99.9% of the spanish people knows that they espeak english, but we know there are different countries. Spain is one of the biggest(in extension) coutries in Europe an one of the most important. You should know Spain was one of the "3 Conquerors" with France and England a couple of centuries ago and you should know Spain took part in some USA states indepence. And if you should know that Spain is related to USA, your future(who is going to fake the elections) president MUST, at least, know where is spain...
Posted by: Jorge G. | September 19, 2008 at 12:31 AM
The man is incompetent. For years the early-onset Alzheimers that plagued Ronald Reagan was hidden by the handlers. It appears that the same is happening with John McCain. I smell a rat and its name is Cheney. That man will not "go gentle into the good night."
Posted by: Nan | September 19, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Don't worry Mr. McCain. Even Ms. Britney Spears referred to singer Shakira as Mexican, when she really is from Colombia! Mistakes do happen.
Don't be surprised if some people think Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands are all foreign countries!
Posted by: FillRxsNow | September 18, 2008 at 07:46 PM
Zapatero is the grandson of guerrillero assasin Zapata, and we are a big family of incompetent burocrats. Vote McCain in order to bomb Madrid!
Posted by: Luis Zapatista | September 18, 2008 at 06:22 PM
Obama doesn't even know where Latin America is. As a latin american that can vote in the U.S. my vote is still going to John McCain. He is still the most pragmatic and reasonable of the presidential candidates.
Posted by: Diego | September 18, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Does anybody think that McCain just sucks Zapatero and he talked about Mexico because he don´t want to lose the support of the latin people of the USA?
Posted by: Just a question | September 18, 2008 at 04:29 PM
SPAIN > usa
no more
Posted by: asd | September 18, 2008 at 04:27 PM
Unfortunatelly, all imperia are decadent.
Posted by: To Mario | September 18, 2008 at 03:44 PM
The point here is that he showed himself kinda doubtfull about the question. He wasn't able to give a straight answer. And therefore, it was made clear that he had no clue about what was he talking about, at that's crucial for a man who wants to rule with words (and some tons of guns as well, of course).
Posted by: required | September 18, 2008 at 03:43 PM
don't be depressed and vote for Change. I doubt you can learn special things from Spain, except how to avoid the decadence of our past Empire. I think it is a pity the USA cannot be again an strong country to defend our western values like human dignity and equality. Now there are new powers in the world and everybody is happy if they can improve their lifes. However, still they should walk a long way to assume many values that to us are a natural thing. How can you defend all these conquests? Instead using your strong power in education and knowledge to spread democracy and human rights around the world, we check in the last years your government was in a psychotic race to pursue invisible terrorists and bombing the poor countries. What happens to you?. The USA are a part of everybody. We dress the same robes, we list the same music and we see the same cinema. It is not possible be anti-USA but you must take care of your own responsibility with your past and the planet. To be again the first front to defend our best values. If you vote the same guys you will fall in dark hole, dragging the rest of us!!! Can you see this?
Posted by: Mario | September 18, 2008 at 03:39 PM
It's not really "a big deal" for Spaniards whether the american president invites spanish prime minister to meet with him at the White House or not. Spanish opposition leader uses this to attack prime minister Zapatero, but he is the only one in the whole country who gives a shit.
Posted by: Spaniard | September 18, 2008 at 03:39 PM
"tenga el color que tenga" meaning, "whatever his color." is not a gaffe, in spain we all now that it means blue(pp) or red(psoe) for political reasons.
And not red is diferent from comunist.
Posted by: jesus | September 18, 2008 at 03:04 PM
You can get more context if you actually listen to the interview, rather than read it.
You can hear in McCain's voice that he's clearly exhausted. I think he's human and he just spaced it, like we all do from time to time.
That said, what's the implication for his ability to lead competently - make important decisions with clear mind - given the relentless schedule and pressure of being the leader of the free world? If he's making these mistakes on the campaign trail, can we trust him to be competent the 3rd day into a crisis situation?
McCain is a man I respect, but as each day passes I grow more doubtful, based on his behavior overall. He is proving not to be the man I'd hoped he was.
Posted by: Jane | September 18, 2008 at 03:00 PM
We could learn a lot from Spain. Look at where Spain was politically in 1975 and check out the vast improvements in the economy, health care, the arts, and democracy since. Then check out what the USA has done (or not done) in the same time frame. Why do we always chauvinistically ignore the accomplishments of other countries, and reject every opportunity to learn?
Posted by: kp | September 18, 2008 at 02:54 PM
Hi. I'm spanish (from Spain, Europe) also, as J.Diaz.
But please don't listen to him, he speaks as a retarded partisan of sorts (in his case, conservative).
Of course we exist as a country. Spain is a key player in the EU, behind the UK, France and Germany, but already ahead of Italy, even in economic terms.
I believe if McCain was thinking about the past bad relationships USA-Spain, he would have explicitly said so. Possibly dismissing the issue and calling for hypothetical "good relationships with all US friends, as is Spain".
It seems clear in the interview he didn't really know what to say about Spain. He didn't say it was in Latin America, BUT he answered about Mexico. Sure, we have a lot in common with Mexico... only the language and some very basic cultural link.
Quite obviously, his answers are generic ones for any kind of question about any country.
I don't know if he ignores where Spain is, or if he was tired at the moment and didn't think before answering. Anyway, McCain is not in the same intellectual terms as G. W. Bush, thankfully.
Posted by: -J- | September 18, 2008 at 02:49 PM
To Suedehead
McCain never said Spain is in Latin America... nor the opposite. In fact, the feeling you get from the conversation is that his vague answers are clearly trying to hide the fact that he does not know at all where it is. His cautious approach is that it is in Latin America (why else would he mention president Calderon of Mexico, and Latin America again later on in the conversation?), but when he sees the journalists' reaction tries to escape the situation with the vaguest of all answsers.
To Scientist: journalist is asking a simple question and he cannot get it answered. His insistance represents the well informed voter who wants to know what kind of guy is running for office. Sorry for republicans, but if McCain does not even know what continent one of his allies is in, I want to know. The journalist's job in that sense is perfect.
Regarding the opinion of Aznar Cheerleader: Aznar is the previous president of Spain. His party lost the power to Zapatero. With that nickname, I would not take his opinion as an objectivity model. The equivalent nickname in the US would be something like Bush Fan.
Posted by: pablicius | September 18, 2008 at 02:39 PM
Well, he was interviewed by SER, first Spain radio. He must guess something about Spain will be in the questions, and about meeting Zapatero was an easy one, as Bush never did.
Zapatero will be soon head of EU because now it's turn for spanish presidence, as now is Sarcozy for France.
Posted by: Jorge | September 18, 2008 at 02:29 PM
J.Diaz: Don't confuse others, you know this is not true. I really hope Obama to win the generals. I think I'll be a change on our/yours society.
Best Regards. Marc from Spain on holidays in San Francisco (CA)
Posted by: Pijuli | September 18, 2008 at 02:12 PM
McCain has all the signs of early Alzheimers. I'm serious.
Posted by: Mark Billar | September 18, 2008 at 02:11 PM
Jane, Americans speak English and we Spaniards don't think they/you (guessing you are American) are from the United Kingdom.
Are you saying we should be confused as well? Maybe next time we'll think America is right next to Scotland...
Ah! And I hope we don't need to explain why people in Latin America speak Spanish.
Posted by: David | September 18, 2008 at 01:43 PM
Its too late folks! This country hasn't the will or intelligence to return to its past glory. Welcome to the new improved middle ages! You better start learning Chinese!
Posted by: Less Pain | September 18, 2008 at 01:42 PM
To McArthur,
Hey, they all speak english in US and in Brittain, and in Australia, does that mean they are in the same place? how stpued could be that way of thinking..., There is a lot more people speaking spanish as his own language than english man... its normal thet it's spoken in diferent places in the world dont you think?
You guys should be ambarassed of people like McCain or Bush opt and even get to, be a president of USA.
Ben, from spain ;)
Posted by: Ben | September 18, 2008 at 01:38 PM
HI American people:
I'm Spanish, from Barcelona, i write from there.
Is normal McCain, does not know anytthing about my country, really we do not exist, normally, we have Zapatero president, an stupid, bad education,, do not stand up in front your flag, all nations need and wants respect and cortesy.
Zapatero friends are Castro, Chaves, Iran, these aren't good friends for anybody.
Sincerely i do not like these bad treatment from my country to yours, sudently reire our poor troops fom Irak, without notice,,,i is normal McCain and OBama, doesn't want to know anything from Spain, i feel bad in my heart, but i understand it.
We are going very bad way with Zapatero.
Sorry my mistakes writing and sorry i do not want disturb here
reagards
Posted by: J.Diaz | September 18, 2008 at 01:36 PM
ok, don't worry for the mistake. I'm an admirer of Mr. McDonald. Being myself another Spanish supporter of my right-wing national leaders, I will be happy to receive the new Australian President in my land. We are close friends and a growing force of minds around the world. God give us our brilliant intelligence to command this complex, recent, and probably flat planet. First we will send a new armed coalition to invade Russia bombing the South Pole. Later we will send some space-ships to colonize the Sun.
Posted by: Aznar Cheerleader | September 18, 2008 at 01:17 PM
Even if this story is true, how many states did Obama recently say make up our country? Was it "57"? Forget about international affairs, would you trust a person who said this with domestic issues? :) Everybody mispeaks, but this is not a mispeech/typo: Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Obama!
Posted by: Dave | September 18, 2008 at 12:32 PM