Obama campaign: McCain ‘got confused again’

July 16, 2008

Yesterday, John McCain delivered a high-profile speech on his Afghanistan policy, and unfortunately for his campaign, it didn’t go well. He went from opposing more troops in Afghanistan, to supporting more troops, to saying the troops shouldn’t come from the U.S., to saying some of the troops should come from the U.S. Ultimately, McCain ended up supporting the same policy Barack Obama has been articulating for months.

Today, the Obama campaign kept the pressure on.

Building on Tuesday’s news cycle, when the campaigns’ respective speeches on Afghanistan dominated headlines, the Obama camp organized an early morning conference call on Wednesday. Senior foreign policy adviser Dr. Susan Rice and communications strategist Robert Gibbs were offered up to reporters. Dr. Rice opened the proceedings by calling McCain’s Tuesday speech “surreal” because of the candidate’s newfound emphasis on the need for more U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Later in the afternoon on Tuesday, after his speech, McCain appeared to be trying to take some of that back, when he noted that an increased troop level could potentially be achieved by using NATO forces.)

“Up until a few days ago, his view was that we hadn’t diverted any effort and attention from Afghanistan to deal with Iraq. That there was no need for additional American forces in Afghanistan. That all, in effect, was going well,” Dr. Rice said Wednesday, adding: “Yesterday, he woke up and came to the sudden conclusion that indeed Afghanistan merited more strategic focus — something the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been saying for months — and that we would therefore be willing to put in additional combat brigades. But then he got confused again, as to whether those needed to be American or NATO [troops] or some combination thereof.”

One of the McCain campaign’s principal talking points yesterday was that Obama presented a detailed policy in Iraq without consulting with commanders on the ground first. This morning, Gibbs turned this around on McCain: “Those reporters who were traveling with Senator McCain yesterday can verify whether he was consulting with the commanders on the ground in Afghanistan multiple times yesterday that would coincide with the multiple positions he seemed to take.”

But it was Rice’s reference to McCain being “confused again” that’s likely to draw interest.

I’ve already heard some argue that these constant references to McCain’s “confusion” are a not-so-subtle way of reinforcing questions about McCain’s age. The last time Obama aides used the word, some media outlets raised a fuss.

The truth is, every criticism is not a veiled reference to McCain turning 72. People of all ages get “confused.”

The kicker, though, is that McCain really has been confused. Whether he’s 72 or 22 is irrelevant — he’s demonstrated time and again that he just doesn’t understand the basics.

* McCain continues to believe Czechoslovakia is still a country.

* McCain has been confused about the difference between Sudan and Somalia.

* McCain has been confused about how many U.S. troops are in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about whether the U.S. can maintain a long-term presence in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about the source of violence in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about Iran’s relationship with al Qaeda.

* McCain has been confused about the difference between Sunni and Shi’ia.

* McCain has been confused about Gen. Petraeus’ responsibilities in Iraq.

* McCain has been confused about what transpired during the Maliki government’s recent offensive in Basra.

* McCain has been confused about Gen. Petraeus’ ability to travel around Baghdad “in a non-armed Humvee.”

* McCain has been so confused about Iraq, in November 2006, he couldn’t even do a live interview about the war without reading prepared notes on national television.

* McCain has been confused about his vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

* McCain has been confused about his position on contraception.

* McCain has been confused about what the Internet is.

* McCain’s confusion about economics has been breathtaking.

* McCain has been really confused about how the Social Security system works.

* McCain is confused about how his own energy policy works.

Given this, yes, I think it’s entirely reasonable for Obama campaign aides to mention that McCain “got confused again.” It seems to me, this is far more polite than saying he’s utterly clueless about the world around him.

The problem isn’t that McCain’s critics are picking loaded terms; the problem is McCain doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about.

He seems confused about economics.

One day he says he doesn’t know much about economics and the next day he says that he’s quite knowledgable on economics.

Then he picks Phil Gram to be his senior economics advisor. Talk about bad judgement there.

  • Can someone please explain why it is ok for McCain’s campaign and Republicans to question Obama’s “experience” [=youth], but anything that even remotely might bear on McCain’s age is off-limits?

  • What in the hell has McCain been doing the last 20 years? If he just learned a little bit per day, he would not be so confused and clueless today. Maybe he was playing Pong all those years in office.

  • Dale asked: “What in the hell has McCain been doing the last 20 years?” and the first answer that came to mind was Vicki Iseman.
    But that’s not fair, because he got his buddies some pretty good real estate deals during that time, too.

  • Can someone please explain why it is ok for McCain’s campaign and Republicans to question Obama’s “experience” [=youth], but anything that even remotely might bear on McCain’s age is off-limits?

    Because for as long as I can remember, Republican politicians and their proxies have been allowed to cry like little babies every time someone makes any kind of remark remotely critical of them and get people to back off on the criticism. The press never calls them on it, and Democrats usually don’t like to look like name-calling bullies so they spend their time trying to explain what they meant and look like they’re spinning like a top. Any Democrat who tries the same thing is called out as a “whiner” by the press, and since Republicans actually like to look like name-calling bullies they don’t bother trying to explain their criticism, they just pile it on and then additionally make fun of the Dem for being a “whiner”. So Republicans keep doing it because it works for them.

  • This makes McCain’s upcoming VP choice much more interesting. He needs to make sure he picks someone who doesn’t make he himself look bad. Given how poorly McCain has been performing lately, he may be down to one possible choice that won’t make the #2 on the ticket look better than the #1.

    Yes, we may be seeing the potential return of J. Danforth Quayle.

  • Did anyone notice that when standing beside Christian right leader Rod Parsley and accepting Parsley’s endorsement, McCain first referred to him as “Ralph” Parsley, the second time sounded like “Rob” Parsley. He finally got it correct on the third try. We have had 8 years of a president bumbling words and syntax. Do we want another president who bumbles names and facts?

  • Why is it so difficult for the MSM to accept that McCain really doesn’t know what he’s talking about?
    McCain is also confused about his senatorial duties while running for the presidency. It means he does need to show up and vote and be part of the senate discussions he gets paid to do.

    McCain is also confused about Bush in thinking his policies are not the same.

    In fact, McCain is more confused than he is oriented to his own policy stands.

    McCain’s “experience” is merely a “reputation”. As one commenter here noted…”McCain has had one bad year he’s repeated 39 times to make 40yrs ‘experience’.” Being wrong for years can be considered experience but hardly a selling point.

  • Hmm. When was the last update to McCain’s mental map? He does know that Yugoslavia broke up, right? The USSR?

    Of course, as President he’ll have people to pay attention for him…that has worked so well for W.

  • JSMcC*nt is scarily senile.

    And he does nothing to correct himself or inform himself because he’s so confident that he knows everything he needs to know.

    So we are adding St. Ronald’s senility to Boy George II’s incuriousity to create a whole new level of dangerous incompetence.

  • It is very plausible that John McCain is showing early signs of dementia – and I say that with concern for his health, not glee. Campaigning for president is very stressful and I would not be surprised if he “disappears” from the campaign trail for days at a time and his appearances are more and more controlled.

  • Thank you *so much* for putting all those lists together. I use them selectively yet frequently to combat any right-wing propaganda that ends up in my email box.

    As to the dementia issue: That’s occurred to me, too. Or at least, memory problems. We still haven’t seen his entire medical file from the Vietnam war.

  • Really, guys, it’s mean to say “confused.” Little Johnny would prefer it if you used nicer terms like “charmingly befuddled” when describing his state of mind, otherwise he’s liable to get cranky and need a nap.

    Give it a try: “John McCain has been charmingly befuddled about what transpired during the Maliki government’s recent offensive in Basra.”

  • The political arena has been a stacked deck against Dems for the last 40 years.
    The Repubs are all talk and slogans and the MSM has such a double standard.
    Every Dem molehill becomes a mountain.
    Every Repub mountain a molehill.

    Anyone remember Nixon won in 1968 with a Secret Plan to End the Vietnam war.
    Humphrey and Wallace as a third party candidate had more votes. Both were advocates of Stay the Course or ramp up, though Humphrey did moderate in the fall. But he almost beat Nixon even though Wallace took many traditional Dem votes and plenty of anti-war Dems sat out after RFK was killed.

    In 1972, Nixon had his dirty trick squad, the Plumbers, in full operation. As the Watergate hearngs revealed, Nixon and the Repubs were orchestrated a steady sabotage of Dems through the primaries and fall campaign. Anyone recall or know that George McGovern was a decorated WWII B-24 bomber pilot? He enlisted in 1942 and and served until 1945. He flew 35 missions out of North Africa and Italy with the 15th Air Force and most were against the German heartland.

    How about Dukakis and Willie Horton. How many know that the furlow program was instituted by the previous, Repub governor? Dukakis had no direct involvement or responsibility for Horton’s release. Unlike Huckabee who campaigned on the “raw” deal for Wane DuMond and persoanlly intervened. DuMond had a long criminal history and served 14 years of a 50 year sentance on one rape charge. There were other reports from women about his sexual assaults and rapes but none went to trail. He was released in Sept of 1999 on the condition that he move out of state and went to Missouri. In June of 2001, authorities were moving to arrest him for a rape and murder of 39 year old Carol Shields. But before his arrest, he raoed and murdered 23 year old Sara Andrasek. He ended up being convicted of raping Shields and Missouri was preparing to prosecute him and seek the death penalty for Andrasek but he died in prison, Sept 2005. By the way, there were a number of right wing activists, pundits, wriers and talk show hosts who were also behind the Free DuMond band wagon. Just like Iraq, they all claimed there was “No way to Predict” his future actions, despite many letters written warning how dangerous an individual he really was. And this made how much noise in the Repub primary?
    In addition, Huckabee granted 1,033 pardons and commutations in his 10-1/ 2 years as governor of Arkansas. The three previous governors combined, Bill Clinton, Frank White and Jim Tucker, granted 507 in 17-1/ 2 years. So who is really soft on crime?

    Of course, we have the pounding and smears in 2000 against Gore and the Swiftboating in 2004. How many people remember or know that Kerry served a full tour on board a destroyer off the coast of Nam? He volunteered for a second tour and also volunteered for Swift boats as opposed to some cushy assignment. But all you heard was that he left Nam early (in his second tour). And Gore’s short stint in Nam was burried, along with Chaney’s six deferments and W skiping out on the last two years of his single, six year Guard service.

    How many recall that Georgie lost every debate to both Gore and Kerry? That is probably because the MSM revised the scoring by focusing on who “exceeded” expecations. Basically, the MSM said that Georgie was weak in debates and that anything better than a D- was above his average. Gore and Kerry were pegged at A/A- as their norm. So Georgie “won” because he did a D+ and Gore/Kerry “only” did their average A- on facts but were not as warm and likable as the village idiot.

    Someone noted that it would be a good strategy to use sports analogies to sell Dem principles that a good professional game, with money and careers on the line, needed good refs. And the “free market” also needs good refs in regulators and rules.

    Looking at the 200 and 2004 debates, Georgie “won” because he beat the spread. But do we really want to send to the Super Bowl the team that beat the spread or the team with the best record of out right wins? Do we want major golf tourneys won by low handicap or outright lowest/best score?

    Hope my comments might provide some ammunition against the garbage that will be coming down stream over the next few months.

  • The Rove play book plainly emphasizes that Dems are to be attacked on their strengths (i.e. Kerry being a war hero was obliterated by the Swift Boat campaign). Therefore, whenever anyone attacks McCain on his strength (experience or POW status) they have to scream bloody murder, so that his “strengths” aren’t obliterated.

    Repugs are very good at showmanship. Remember when Dems filibustered (or blocked) a critical vote and they had podiums set up on the steps of Congress and had the reporters at the ready to crybaby for the public…? Dems need to do more of that!

  • Czechoslovakia is pre-9/11. McCain still believes in Czechoslovakia. This makes McCain pre-9/11.

    Somewhere, tiny little voices are whispering in the shriveled brains of GOPer delegates: “Do we really have to nominate this guy?!?”

  • Dale:

    Pong is a computer game; McCain would have to have his wife or some aide play it for him.

  • Why is anyone wasting time and energy discussing why the right is upset at the term “confused”? If they are upset, it is working.

    Hammer them, hammer them fucking hard, and don’t stop till Obama is Prez. They deserve nothing, nothing at all. They would do the same to you..

  • It could have nothing to do with his age. It could have everything to do with the fact that he finished 894 in a class of 899.

    The man is stupid. Always has been.

  • give the guy a break! he’s been busy learning how to get onto the internet, and you know that takes a long time.

  • I guess when your guy is the affirmative action candidate you better attack the other guy.

    • Comments are closed.