Two other observations on foreign affairs expert McCain’s ideas about Eastern Europe:
- He wants to kick Russia out of the G8.
- He wants to rearm Europe with missiles
Boy, is foreign affairs expert McCain ever qualified to be President!
Coming soon: Foreign affairs expert McCain discovers the difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
Please share widely!
I wonder what you’d say about McCain’s qualifications if, you know, he said the USA had 57 states.
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p>KBusch, what this site needs from you is insightful and wonky foreign policy musings!
States of confusion and denial make 52. But, 57?
State of Mind, State of Being, State of the Art…
…Obama later conceded that he misspoke, that during the primary he was visiting the 50 states and seven territories and he never made the mistake again. It’s called learning from your mistakes. Something a President should be able to do.
is that John McCain didn’t seem to know that Czechoslovakia no longer exists. Clearly Obama has never thought that there are 57 states.
that Austria and Hungary have overcome former irreconcilable differences. They’re also suing New York for their state slogan.
…comes from the Ottoman Empire.
The Holy Roman Empire is really the confederation that should be the focus of our foreign policy planning.
McCain does show evidence of thinking that the Soviet Union should be the focus of our European policy planning.
nostalgic for the good old days and fattened up on oil profits
is that it was George W. Bush that first called him on it!
You’d need to dig a trench to fit under that bar.
They are examples of how McCain is human and makes mistakes, as they do.
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p>Distactions, like gaffes or fist bumps, are better suited for the Republicans to promote because Republican politicians want the government to go against the will of the people. McCain wants to keep occupying Iraq, which most people think is terrible. McCain wants to keep tax cuts for the wealthiest people, which most people don’t want. McCain wants to privatize Social Security, WMPDW.
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p>Keep the focus on what we the people want: to end Iraq, to protect Social Security, to make the rich pay their fair share.
Many voters claim to vote on the basis of character or qualifications or some sort of other such ineffable thing.
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p>McCain claims that his experience, particularly in foreign affairs, better qualifies him to be President than Obama. It’s useful to point out how he simply doesn’t understand much about the important matters of governance. His experience is like the experience of a student who sits through a lecture doodling and passing notes — he was present but inattentive.
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p>That’s a case it’s useful to lay out. If laid out, it’s harder for McCain to give his usual nonsensical policy recommendations on social security, Iran, G8, and taxes because people will come to expect that stuff he’s saying is stupid rather than “straight talk”. It makes it easier to win the argument on the issues.
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p>You and I may try to reason and argue based on the facts. Low-information voters are more likely to reason based on appeals to authority. The goal, then, is to undercut McCain’s authority.
If there is one thing we can take from the Republican playbook, it’s that attacking the other side’s perceived strengths is a powerful weapon. McCain is thought to be strong on foreign policy. If this leg is knocked out from under him, there’s nothing left for him to stand on.
Most Americans aren’t sure whether Minnesota and Michigan are different states. Distinguishing the Czech Republic from Czechoslovakia is a big “whatever.”
he never really got called on it.
most americans will kinda sorta get the idea of where he’s talking about. like they kinda sorta know where prague is, but couldn’t really nail bratislava for you. and they aren’t up staying up at night worrying about it.
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p>bush got hammered because he drew a complete blank on the leader of pakistan. if he would have just pulled a name out of the hat; ummmm . . . bashir al-jahdifidiboghidhiffied, he probably would have been better off.
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Huh, I think you’re right about Americans very, um, fuzzy knowledge of geography, but Americans probably don’t know much about dentistry either but rightfully expect their dentist to know about teeth than they do.
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p>Possibly that’s a way to put some bite into this issue.
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p>Maybe?
I could be wrong, but the issue is one that strikes me as one which will only bother CSPAN addicts.
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p>Maybe a visualization exercise will help. Pretend you’re a McCain supporter (we’ll call him BoEa Zipper). BoEa doesn’t care much for “facts” but does think hay farmers make great senators. He wants a strong manly candidate, one that shares his distaste for gays and taxes.
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p>I can see him buying into the not one of us attacks on John Kerry, but can’t see him caring about getting the name of a former Eastern Block country wrong. They should be bowing down to us for freeing them, right?
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p>I agree it’s distressing, but this dog is only gonna hunt if you can link it to a larger, more distressing pattern.
Though not necessarily in tone.
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p>This precise issue cut exactly zero ice against Bush, except with people who were already not going to vote for Bush.
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p>The choir has already been preached to.
Or maybe read less RMG.
“Yes, I’d like to send this letter to the Prussian consulate in Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4:30 autogyro?”
would it be funnier with Grampa Simpson? Just a thought.
But Mr. Burns might, and Mr McCain certainly does.
And McCain is rich! Rich! He’s the elistist! What’e the matter with people, can’t they see he’s rich? Rich, I tell you!
Possibly McCain’s numerous positions on issues can be compared to his his numerous positions regarding his first wife: He leaves and acquires attachments and positions as a means of gaining wealth and power.
We need to keep our focus. What’s important is how the candidates propose to deal with the situation in Mesopotamia.
is receiving campaign contributions from some folks in high positions in the government of Atlantis and is planning to visit there in some quasi-official status. My understanding is that he established some contacts there during his wild and crazy youth.
We did it again today.
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p>This is pathetic…somebody has to make him sit down and write out “Czech Republic” 20 times.
He mentioned Czechoslovakia again today. I was aghast again.
As much as I think McCain’s base won’t give a damn, it’s shockingly ignorant. A US Senator should know better.
…he’s been voting on Ambassadors to the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic since 1993…assuming he showed up for those. And since he wants to put missiles in one of the two you might think he could exhibit a basic amount of geo-political knowledge since there is a good chance of the proposal destabilizing the government.