The Iraq-Pakistan border is not a problem

BRAVO!

Thank you, EM, for behaving like adults.

PZ made an ass of himself over this, and last I checked, so had about 300 of his commentators.

We're strong enough to win while being honest and fair.

PZ made an ass of himself over this, and last I checked, so had about 300 of his commentators.

Apparently making hasty judgments is all right if you do it. Most people in that thread are not judging McCain: many people in that thread point out that it's just a slip of the tongue, some digressed in an argument about average geography or language skills in different nations, and some were testing their own geography skills.

It might be better if everyone behaved like adults, but given the breathless anticipation of Obama's "gaffes" in some US media, I'm beginning to think that pointing out the other candidate's fibs may serve a function.

I, too, watched the video with great expectation... only to sigh and realize that despite many ethical, cognitive and psychiatric flaws that provide his qualification for public office -- underneath that saggy old exterior is a human.

I am a year older than McCain, and I realize that my brain is not as awsome as it used to be. I see McCain making the same kind of slips that I make. I think it is age related, as it is with me. If so, I would expect him to be less effective in the future than he is now. I am not going to vote for him because he is just too old.

it does make a difference if you do it honestly or not. At least it makes a difference to us.

Double ditto.

windy:

Apparently making hasty judgments is all right if you do it. Most people in that thread are not judging McCain: many people in that thread point out that it's just a slip of the tongue

Some people in that thread pointed out that it was a slip of the tongue, myself included.

I did not read all 300+ comments, so I am surely Guilty as Charged. I apologize to those I unfairly maligned.

I stand by my original assessment of PZ and those who did follow his lead; and I reassert my support for EM's unrealism.

I'm pretty sure PZ intended that as a joke, not serious political commentary.

The point about McCain is that he continues to make the same errors: confusing Sunni with Shi'ite and more recently several mentions of Czechoslovakia.

And BTW, Olbermann was kind of snarky about Obama's reference to the friendship of Israel for Israel today.

Wasn't gonna post anymore today, sigh, but after watching our local news.
Rumors have it that McCain is going to go with Mitt Romney for VP. No, no, no (I'm yelling).

Slips of the tongue really aren't a huge issue, IMHO. More sizable ones that seem to display a lack of understanding of an issue or situation, much more an issue, and he's tapped that well repeatedly over the past couple of months.

Of course if the administration is planning on creating one big country out of Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan -- Iraqistan -- and McCain just spilled the beans, that's something else entirely.

Thank you for this, Revere. I had the same thought when I saw the hogwash coming out of the liberal blogosphere and other media on this one. I think McCain is a cowardly, dishonest, chauvinist with much less integrity than I would like to see in someone running for the highest office of our country. That said, there is more than enough material to trash the SOB with than by jumping on some stupid slip of the tongue. Not only is it less than honest as you point out, but it weakens the credibility of other, more genuine, critiques.

Just wanted to thank you for having the wherewithal to see through this one and for making a point of it on this here blog. Kudos.

I think it's disingenuous for people to make more of this than there is; on the other hand, I think it's fair game for shows like The Daily Show to mock such slips of the tongue -- it's their bread and butter.

I'm with natural cynic, though -- when McCain repeatedly stated that Iran was taking Al Qaeda fighters into Iraq, even though Iran is mainly Shiite and Al Qaeda are Sunni, it betrays either a fundamental lack of understanding of the world, or a frighteningly vague mind for a man who wants to be commander-in-chief. (Or, if neither, an attempt to propagate blatant misinformation to promote his political stances and vilify a country he jokes about bombing -- take your pick.)

The Czechoslovakia thing is similar. A slip is one thing, but doing it twice?

On CNN Int'l yesterday I listened to Obama explaining the benefits of his recent trip. He said "......I am going to be dealing with these guys over the next 8-10 years." Does Obama know something we don't?

Obviously, he is the chosen one to win the election, no problem with his forgetting about the elections. But what about the extra 2 years (he could have said 9 if the countdown started today)?

Maybe just a slip....

As for McCain, I am not really sure he will be the Republican nominee unless they want to hand the election to Obama. It is interesting that a record number of Republicans in Congress are stepping down this year, 29 or so. Passing the torch?

Sorry, but I just do not want my POTUS mis-speaking into the Red Phone when ordering the nukular strike. Or pizza. You can excuse your neighbor for that kind of slip, but not a putative POTUS.

I want a POTUS who is better at that stuff than am I in all respects. Not somebody I'd have a cheerful beer with. I guess those 30% who do want that think they themselves would do a good job as POTUS. Scary thought if true. I'm a 999 and I don't want the job.

This is in response to an earlier posting. I have great respect for Mr McCain, as an elderly gentleman and a war hero. He is 72 now and he tends to mix things up that ultimately reflects his decisions. Now as a potential presidential candidate these mix-ups can cause lot of problems at home and abroad. Someone should make him realize that.

Senator McCain will have the best of the best health care available to him, as he does now.
No doubt he is a tad bit worn out from all the campaigning, and no doubt he will be a tad bit worn out from being President. As President he'll have a clear agenda whereas now he has to be able to respond in a moments notice.
His mother is still alive and she's 96.

Now, I well know many of you will find fault with this comment, go ahead, make your case.

Revere: Amen.

I'm another person who is planning to vote for Obama, and wouldn't vote for McCain on a bet. But jumping on stupid speak-os is on a par with spelling flames in internet discussions.

On the other hand, I think the age issue would be worth some serious discussion. For example, given a man of McCain's age, are there good numbers for the probability that he will show Alzheimers or related symptoms in the next four years? There surely are pretty good estimates for his chances of dying in office if elected, even given current good health. Do a lot of spoken gaffes indicate more risk for age-related decline in mental function? How much does mental function normally decline in age?

All that is not going to be discussed in the mainstream media, because it's

a. Too complicated

b. Too depressing

c. Offensive enough to some folks that the McCain campaign can score points by crying foul about it.

But it's kind-of important, right?

Good point, Revere. Playing "pounce the gaffe" has become too much a popular game lately and it really does lower the level of discourse considerably.

Another similar case w/r/t the "100 years in Iraq" item. I think McCain was making reference to our being in South Korea for the past 50 years, and the obvious fact that SK has in the end turned out to be a fully functional democratic society.

The 100 years remark has been pounced like a gaffe, but there is a deeper level of critique that can & should be raised:

Yes, the US experience in SK was ultimately a great success, and yes, it would be a worthy goal to look forward to something similar in Iraq. HOWEVER, the US engagement in SK occurred at a time when our economy was strong, energy was cheap, and the relevant resources were plentiful. The US engagement in Iraq coincides with the worst economic downturn since the last "great" depression, energy is expensive (thus driving other economic adversities), our military is stretched almost to the breaking point, and so on.

We simply DO NOT HAVE the capacity to remain in Iraq long enough, at the level of commitment needed, to see Iraq through it's troubled times and ultimately to the point of being a stable pluralistic democracy. THAT is the key point of criticism: that McCain has not recognized these key differences between the present times and the mid 20th century when such things were possible.

By analogy, as if he said something about middle class families being able to "save for college" as if that was all that was necessary; without recognizing the fact that the costs of college have soared so far out of sight that today's "middle class" is highly reliant on student loans and scholarships. The times have changed, the circumstances are different.

And I also think one can do these types of criticisms without having to use ad-hominem language such as calling a candidate a "liar" and a "jackass." It should be quite sufficient to demonstrate that a candidate's proposals and policies are not realistic, or don't account for empirical realities, or are logically flawed, or contradict the clear will of the electorate. The voters don't want an open-ended engagement in Iraq; they want to wrap this up as quickly as reasonably possible and then focus the fight on the Taliban and AQ in Afghanistan. Turns out that Obama's policy is much closer to that, and it also turns out that Obama's policy is compatible with what Kharzai (sp?) has in mind in his own country.

That works for me.