Steve Benen, formerly of The Carpetbagger Report, gives us what may be the best perspective on McCain’s recent confusion over Spain.
Let’s also not lose sight of the broader pattern. McCain thinks the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia was “the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War.” He thinks Iraq and Pakistan share a border. He believes Czechoslovakia is still a country. He’s been confused about the difference between Sudan and Somalia. He’s been confused about whether he wants more U.S. troops in Afghanistan, more NATO troops in Afghanistan, or both. He’s been confused about how many U.S. troops are in Iraq. He’s been confused about whether the U.S. can maintain a long-term presence in Iraq. He’s been confused about Iran’s relationship with al Qaeda. He’s been confused about the difference between Sunni and Shi’ia. McCain, following a recent trip to Germany, even referred to “President Putin of Germany.” All of this incoherence on his signature issue.
I’m curious. What do you suppose the reaction would be from the political establishment if Barack Obama had made these mistakes over the course of the campaign? What would reporters, pundits, and Republicans have to say about Obama’s ability to lead a complex world in a time of war and uncertainty?
I think an intellectually honest person would agree that if Obama had made these same mistakes he’d be labeled “clueless” on foreign policy. So, why the double-standard?
That’s exactly right. McCain’s strength is supposedly his foreign policy knowledge. Remember Charlie Black said that Palin’s lack of expertise on the issue would be forgiven because she’ll be able to learn “at the foot of the master,” and the master himself is now sitting at nearly a dozen, a dozen, major mistakes on the subject of foreign policy. Not little oopsies, but serious errors either of judgment or factual knowledge.
And yet we’re supposed to believe that McCain is this hard-nosed expert ready to take the reigns of the country and steer it in the right direction while teaching his VP all about it. Obama can’t even have a slip of the tongue before his judgment is questioned, I cannot imagine what would have happened if he was making this kind of volume of mistakes.
