Obama hits Spain flap

[Hope And Change]

September 22, 2008
Categories: Barack Obama

Obama hits Spain flap

Last week, McCain's campaign explained what had appeared like an interview gone (mildly) awry by saying McCain had intended to threaten to reverse course and snub the Spanish Prime Minister.

Obama picked up that threat in an interview with the same Miami station today:

Of course. Spain is a NATO ally, and the fact that Senator McCain indicated that he might not meet with Zapatero I think indicates that he wants to continue the Cheney policies of trying to dictate American foreign policy instead of trying to build cooperation. I think that's a mistake.

(via TPM)


By Ben Smith 11:03 AM


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Obama_hits_Spain_flap.html#comments

[Alter Ego]

1. Obama missed the point--McCain didn't even remember that Zapatero

wasn't a Latin American premier.

[renate]

2. I think maybe he's just pretending to take him at his word

There's no actual undeniable proof that McCain is senile, so he's pretending the guy had a clue what he was talking about, and is using his gaffe to link him with Bush, which still isn't good for McCain.

Or maybe he's just trying to get the Spain thing talked about some more. Either way, well played, I say.

[rateyes]

3. I think Obama knows that. He's spinning it well, though.

[CJCRANE]

4. McCain hasn't acknowledged that

it was a mistake.

So McCain now has to agree with the fact that he has snubbed a NATO ally or be forced to admit it was a flub.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. Oh, he got the point all right.

He used McCain's own words to put him in a position which is untenable - continuing the Bush government policy of diplomacy by diktat - and when someone points out, as you just did, that McCain just couldn't remember who Zapatero is, you are left with a choice:

Diplomacy by diktat, or governance by an out-of-touch clueless, forgetful old man.

BOTH are something to run away from. For Obama, win/win.

[Barack_America]

6. He didn't miss it. He's trying to force McCain to admit that.

Obama is just keeping this in the news. He doesn't want to be the one that raises McCain's memory as an issue (because the press would then run to McCain's aid). He wants the press to do it. Obama is raising the issue by, er, not raising the issue...directly. ;)

[CakeGrrl]

8. Obama gets it; he's flipping the McCain spin back in their faces

Since they wanted to play off the gaffe as an intentional statement, Obama is getting on them for making that kind of statement.

He's boxed them in; now that they committed to spinning it one way, if they try to double back and reverse position, he'll nail them for yet another lie.

[Alter Ego]

9. He's getting good at this--if only the media wasn't waiting to lacerate

his jugular at the first sign of weakness.

[backscatter712]

7. I don't blame McCain.

He still holds strong emotions after his service in the Spanish-American War...

Where were you when the Maine sunk?