Pharyngula: We need a president who will maintain American standards of geography

#1

Well, you must give the guy a bit of credit, atleast Pakistan is an actual country.

Posted by: Jennie | July 21, 2008 2:34 PM

#2

PZ you're surprised? John McCain is 6000 years old, he was here to witness God creating the universe.

Posted by: flyboy | July 21, 2008 2:34 PM

#3

Well, dammit, if Pakistan and Iraq now have a border, it's a very serious situation indeed.

Sort of suggests that the Iran matter is going away, though.

Glen Davidson
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7

Posted by: Glen Davidson | July 21, 2008 2:34 PM

#4

Duh!

Posted by: Richard Harris | July 21, 2008 2:36 PM

#5

Yes, let's make sure Obama gets elected.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/16/ino.01.html

"Throughout our history, America's confronted constantly evolving danger, from the oppression of an empire, to the lawlessness of the frontier, from the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor, to the threat of nuclear annihilation. Americans have adapted to the threats posed by an ever-changing world."

Just one bomb took out Pearl Harbor?

Posted by: noyb | July 21, 2008 2:37 PM

#6

Foreign policy is his strength! Yay!! (We are in trouble)

Posted by: S.Scott | July 21, 2008 2:37 PM

#7

Oy.

Posted by: itwasntme | July 21, 2008 2:37 PM

#8

HAHAHAHA! Holy. Shit.

Posted by: Kobra | July 21, 2008 2:38 PM

#9

I expect nothing less from a man who is running for president of the Canada-Mexico border.

Posted by: Blake Stacey | July 21, 2008 2:38 PM

#10

I think the only obvious solution is to mine the entire border.

And what are you doing here PZ? I thought you were taking a break!

Posted by: Simon Coude | July 21, 2008 2:39 PM

#11

noyb: Notice the header at the top of the CNN transcript: "THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED."

Here's another transcript:
"Throughout our history, America has confronted constantly evolving danger. From the oppression of an empire to the lawlessness of the frontier; from the bombs that fell on Pearl Harbor to the threat of nuclear annihilation -- Americans have adapted to the threats posed by an ever-changing world."

Notice the difference?

Just maybe, you're looking at a typo in a rush transcript. Unless we hear Obama repeatedly talking about a single bomb at Pearl Harbor, like we heard McCain talking about Czechoslovakia, I'm inclined to consider it a nonissue.

Posted by: silence | July 21, 2008 2:41 PM

#12

Oh, come on... we all know he meant the border of Iraq and North Korea. We can't get on him for every minor geographical error he makes. What's next, a presidential spelling bee?

Posted by: randumbness47 | July 21, 2008 2:42 PM

#13

WOW.
.
.
WOW.

This is at least the second time I've seen him publicly confused Iran and Iraq. What a perfect follow-up act for GW.

Posted by: No One of Consequence | July 21, 2008 2:43 PM

#14

Geography is a challenge for many in the US. Miss North Carolina immediately came to mind. Maybe McCain just doesn't have a map. Many US Americans don't.

But look at the "border" between Iraq and Pakistan. Perhaps the US will go in and control the "border country". I'm sure they'd love to.

Posted by: Canuck | July 21, 2008 2:43 PM

#15

bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor, to the threat of nuclear annihilation. Americans have adapted to the threats posed by an ever-changing world."
Just one bomb took out Pearl Harbor?

Weak.

You're going to mock Obama for CNN's bad transcription that left off the s?

And even if it was an Obama gaffe, is that all you've got?

Posted by: Ken Cope | July 21, 2008 2:43 PM

#16

You're all thinking too two-dimensionally! (Same mistake Khan made.) Current U.S. intelligence suggests that Iraq and Pakistan have each claimed the same stretch of the ionosphere above Iran. :P

Posted by: gg | July 21, 2008 2:43 PM

#17

*shakes head and cries*
I'm moving to Canada.

Posted by: Remy-Grace | July 21, 2008 2:44 PM

#18

... of course in this case I think he was confusing Afghanistan and Iraq.

Posted by: No One of Consequence | July 21, 2008 2:44 PM

#19

He couldn't resist the jibe at Britain, could he?

Posted by: Matt7895 | July 21, 2008 2:45 PM

#20

the Iraq-Pakistan border

Fortunately for McCain most Americans won't notice the error.

At least McCain won't be attacking Pakistan, because he doesn't know where it is.

Posted by: BobC | July 21, 2008 2:46 PM

#21

lol! Bait taken, Pharyngunuts pwnd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBMv-GfFwAE

"Bomb." No "s." Singular. Not plural.

Posted by: noyb | July 21, 2008 2:47 PM

#22

And, of course, if he really did say "bomb", not "bombs", it's an easy mis-speak--provided, of course, as pointed out, that he doesn't do it repeatedly. In any case, omitting a large and populous country to invent an entirely fictional geography is a bit more worrying; whilst it might be a mis-speak, it's a large and significant error, the sort that I'd expect a correction (and perhaps apology) for. And is far more relevant to current and future events than just how many bombs fell over 60 years ago.

Posted by: blf | July 21, 2008 2:48 PM

#23

#21: Neglecting an "S" at the end of a word is nothing compared to NAMING THE WRONG COUNTRY.

Posted by: Kobra | July 21, 2008 2:48 PM

#24

noyb: Still, so what? Obama speaks in public a great deal. His prepared speech had the 's'. Assuming that the video is real (and there isn't any particular reason to believe that it is), he simply misspoke.

There isn't any kind of pattern of regularly getting this kind of thing wrong, like McCain has.

Posted by: silence | July 21, 2008 2:49 PM

#25

#16 You're all thinking too two-dimensionally! (Same mistake Khan made.) Current U.S. intelligence suggests that Iraq and Pakistan have each claimed the same stretch of the ionosphere above Iran.

Or considering a spherical earth* it could be a point at the earth's core that McCain is worried about. Especially since we share that same border.

* I'm assuming that McCain isn't a Flat-Earther.

Posted by: No One of Consequence | July 21, 2008 2:50 PM

#26

A couple of months ago, Sen. Obama mistakenly stated his great uncle had helped liberate Auschwitz. It was actually Buchenwald... but the hoots and screams from the right wing were deafening.

We'll never hear a peep I'd bet, about this- only the latest of serious errors from McSame.

Posted by: dusty59 | July 21, 2008 2:50 PM

#27

#23 wrote: "Neglecting an "S" at the end of a word is nothing compared to NAMING THE WRONG COUNTRY."

I see an excellent campaign commercial here: "Obama doesn't know how many bombs fell on Pearl Harbor over fifty years ago. McCain doesn't know where the #$@% he is right now."

Posted by: gg | July 21, 2008 2:51 PM

#28

The "lol pwnd" doesn't exactly make McCain a better candidate.

...

Ron Paul either.

Posted by: Andre Vienne | July 21, 2008 2:51 PM

#29

Oh, I see. B. Hussein gets the benefit of the doubt for a single incident of a misspoken word, but of course McCain didn't misspeak at all. Nope. What he said is actually what he believes. Yep.

Posted by: noyb | July 21, 2008 2:52 PM

#30

I guess that nullifies the pending invasion of Iran.

Posted by: Giljorak | July 21, 2008 2:52 PM

#31

#27: Conclusion: Vote Cthulhu!

http://www.theelderparty.com/

Posted by: Kobra | July 21, 2008 2:53 PM

#32

#29: You mean Barack H. Obama.

Posted by: Kobra | July 21, 2008 2:54 PM

#33

Hey Canuck #14, it was Miss Teen South Carolina, thank you very much. Keep our teen beauty contestants straight!

Posted by: Tom | July 21, 2008 2:55 PM

#34

You know, this probably was just the verbal equivalent of a typo. I believe he almost certainly meant the AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN border, and that's the kind of verbal slip/brain fart that many of us make every day.

I could probably never be president due to my tendency to type a-r-e when I mean o-u-r. Don't know why I have trouble with that substitution, but I proofread carefully and still let it slip thru occasionally. Uh-Oh! A non-standard spelling of "through". Now I definitely can't run for office.

Seriously, folks - there's plenty of real stuff to pick on McCain for...

Posted by: Patrick | July 21, 2008 2:56 PM

#35

*shakes head and cries* I'm moving to Canada.
Posted by: Remy-Grace

You're very welcome to come, but if I may assume from the context that you're from the US, I'd like to respectfully remind you that we're located north of you.

Posted by: Brownian, OM | July 21, 2008 2:56 PM

#36

Actually, he means J. Sidney.

Posted by: blf | July 21, 2008 2:57 PM

#37

#35:
Nice burn!

Posted by: Kobra | July 21, 2008 2:57 PM

#38

#21:

I watched the video. The audio quality is poor enough that it's difficult to hear, but he clearly said "bombs". Note his elongation of the word, something one would not do if it were not pluralized.

It's the audio that is deficient in this case, not Obama's knowledge of history.

Posted by: Skalite | July 21, 2008 2:58 PM

#39

It's a pretty thick border, that's all.

Posted by: Maria | July 21, 2008 2:59 PM

#40

Are we all supposed to vote based on who is more eloquent? Errors, typographical or otherwise, are not the important issues. Let's quit playing GOTCHA.

Posted by: Josh | July 21, 2008 2:59 PM

#41

Betting pool for next week: What will McCain say?

1. "We must keep the pressure on the Soviet Union until the wall that divides Germany comes down."

2. "We must maintain vigilance at the demilitarized zone which separates North Korea and Japan."

3. "The Persian Empire must answer for the slaughter of the 300 at Thermopylae!"

Posted by: gg | July 21, 2008 2:59 PM

#42

I am big fan of Obama but I would not give too much attention to this. As "No One of Consequence" already pointed out he was confusing Afghanistan and Iraq. admit that is more serious than forgetting an "s" but it is still just a misspeak and not a real error. There's more to criticize about McCain so focus on real issues.

Posted by: beebeeo | July 21, 2008 3:00 PM

#43

Ira{q} - Ira{n}
bomb - bomb{s}
How are they fundamentally different mistakes? both are a single letter slip. I'm sure many people would be surprised at how often they make such slips without noticing.

note: I recall bush repeatedly calling Iraq Iran throughout a speech, that's definitely different.

Posted by: locklin | July 21, 2008 3:00 PM

#44

Oh, I see. B. Hussein gets the benefit of the doubt for a single incident of a misspoken word, but of course McCain didn't misspeak at all. Nope. What he said is actually what he believes. Yep.

The youtube is even better. Obama reads "bomb" from his notes, hears it, looks more closely at his notes, and appears to decide that it's better to move on than break the established rhythm of the delivery of his speech.

The contrast between those screaming "epic fail" over that, while Grampy McSame can't remember how many bumblebees make a quarter, going on about wearing an onion on his belt, which was the fashion at the time, on the way to Shelbyville.

Posted by: Ken Cope | July 21, 2008 3:01 PM

#45

Oh, I see. B. Hussein....

Well-poisoning? Is that seriously how you argue? Let me save you some time and effort here and suggest that you skip to the comment where you huffily declare us all to be communist sympathisers and Muslim lovers and leave.

Posted by: Brownian, OM | July 21, 2008 3:02 PM

#46

Oh, I see. B. Hussein gets the benefit of the doubt for a single incident of a misspoken word, but of course McCain didn't misspeak at all. Nope. What he said is actually what he believes. Yep.

Oh, but there are plenty of other reasons to vote against that misogynist old homophobe from the desert.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 21, 2008 3:02 PM

#47

Satire from EGI in 2003.

US invades wrong country

by Gil Le Bell (5/5/2003)

For years the US government has complained about the short comings of elementary education in the United States. Despite recent attempts to improve the education system, reading, science and math have continued to lag other developed countries. This week, it seems that geography and current events are also a point of concern.

Throughout the US led war against Saddam Hussien, the Iraqi Information Minister has held firm to his conviction that US troops were no where near Baghdad and in-fact not even in the country of Iraq. It turns out that he was telling the truth the entire time.

Reliable sources have told EGI that the US accidentally invaded the country of Iran instead of Iraq. Repeated attempts have been made to contact the General Franks and US President George Bush. Neither has returned calls.

To verify what the sources were saying, EGI conducted an independant survey of 300 US citizens. Most of them could not identify Iraq on a map, and when shown pictures to identify Saddam Hussien, most pointed to the picture of Fidel Castro, with Osama Bin Laden receiving the next largest amount of votes.

General Tommy Franks went on record as saying, "Sure geography is a problem with some of our enlisted men, but command staff has a much better grasp. Ah hell, Iran was next on the list anyway. This is actually better. Now we can just cross the Iranian borders to attack both Iraq and Korea."

Posted by: No One of Consequence | July 21, 2008 3:02 PM

#48

McCain is a fucking moron. It's a miracle he's not just sitting there drooling like a chimp with some sort of brain damage.

Oh yeah. He'll make a great leader. I'd love nothing more than to place America in the hands of a gibbering, ass-kissing simpleton who probably gets lost on his own damn tour bus.

Posted by: Capital Dan | July 21, 2008 3:02 PM

#49

And about 3 times in the last week-and-a-half, McCain's referred to conditions in "Czechoslovakia." But the media remains convinced that he's the candidate with foreign policy knowledge.

Someone should ask him if he intends to reopen diplomatic ties with Rhodesia and Siam.

Posted by: John Robie | July 21, 2008 3:03 PM

#50

...B. Hussein gets the benefit of the doubt...

Well, now... there's a telling epithet from noyb. Aren't you late for an Arian Nation meeting or something?

Posted by: Celtic_Evolution | July 21, 2008 3:04 PM

#51

RE: locklin post #43

"note: I recall bush repeatedly calling Iraq Iran throughout a speech, that's definitely different."

How is it any different?

Posted by: Jennie | July 21, 2008 3:05 PM

#52

Hey, that's nothing, in this clip, Obama claims to have visited 57 states with one more to go! (not counting Alaska and Hawaii)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws

So it appears neither are geniuses at geography.

Posted by: kmerian | July 21, 2008 3:05 PM

#53

#43 - While he might have simply swapped a single letter (n for q), it's more likely McCain meant Afghanistan and not Iran, given the context.

Posted by: Alan | July 21, 2008 3:05 PM

#54

Oh, I see. B. Hussein gets the benefit of the doubt for a single incident of a misspoken word, but of course McCain didn't misspeak at all. Nope. What he said is actually what he believes. Yep.

Racist asshole.

Why might it be, though, that Obama should get the benefit of the doubt here, by way of comparison? Context.

See, Obama's reference to Pearl Harbor was merely reference, a rhetorical flourish, not essential to the content of the larger speech. McCain routinely displays staggering ignorance of basic facts about the peoples and politics of the region that represents the single most difficult foreign policy challenge the US faces. Acting like there's no difference makes you look stupid in addition to being a bigot. No surprise, as the two almost always go hand in hand.

Posted by: CJO | July 21, 2008 3:06 PM

#55

# 50 - that should be "Aryan Nation" of course... damn my too quick submit button finger. :/

Posted by: Celtic_Evolution | July 21, 2008 3:06 PM

#56

#35

holy crap that was funny.

others:

I fully believe that leaving of the S was just a mistake. Not repeated. And the idea that if he makes the same mistake over and over ("Nucular") then we should worry.

so, has McCain made this same geographic error more than once?

Posted by: techskeptic | July 21, 2008 3:06 PM

#57

As has been pointed out, the issue with McCain is that he repeatedly makes these kinds of mistakes, mostly because he's 10,000 years old and that's a lot of memories to keep straight. We're lucky he doesn't talk about Assyria, Babylon, or the Roman Empire....

Posted by: Pygmy Loris | July 21, 2008 3:07 PM

#58

Someone get on the PA and tell PZ to get off his PC, and go to the PX PDQ, this very PM. He should buy some IPA, put on his PJs and get some ZZs.

P.S. PU.

Posted by: Micro Zealous | July 21, 2008 3:07 PM

#59

On one hand, I find it very funny that McCain can't keep anything straight. However, I suspect in this case it was just a misspeak, kind of like when my mom would go through all the kids' names before she got to mine. All those countries in his mind, he's bound to mess up.

Then again, I wouldn't want my mom to be president, either.

Of course, this incident taken in isolation wouldn't mean much. However, McCain seems to have a tendency to make these types of mistakes quite often. Czechoslovakia, Sunni/Shiite, now Iraq/Pakistan. These are not necessarily mistakes of ignorance, but more carelessness. I'm not sure that is better.

Posted by: Pablo | July 21, 2008 3:07 PM

#60

"I was concerned about a couple of steps that the Russian government took in the last several days. One was reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia. Apparently that is in reaction to the Czech's agreement with us concerning missile defense, and again some of the Russian now announcement they are now retargeting new targets, something they abandoned at the end of the Cold War, is also a concern. So we see the tensions between Russia and their neighbors, as well as Russia and the United States are somewhat increasing."
Grampy, a week ago, and it isn't the first time he's referred to a country that split into two separate countries 15 years ago.

Posted by: Ken Cope | July 21, 2008 3:09 PM

#61

Josh@40, according to @13, J. Sidney has made essentially the same mistake before. I've no idea if that is correct or not. In terms of significance of the error, having a better-than-vague idea of the geopolitics of a region which is, and will remain, vastly important seems rather desirable. Whilst I concur this can, and perhaps has, descended into a silly game of "gottcha", the USA is currently stuck with a set of quasi-authoritarian pseudo-theocrats who have shown a repeated weak grasp of many issues and facts, including geopolitics. Hence the hypersensitivity of some people to these sorts of goofs, especially when (as in this case) major, and (allegedly) repeated.

Disclaimer: As an ex-pat living outside the USA (currently in France), I'm perhaps over-hypersensitive to stupid geopolitical mistakes.

Posted by: blf | July 21, 2008 3:10 PM

#62

HEY! YOU KIDS GET OFF OF MY BORDER, OR I'M CALL THE COPS!

Some Nice Ugandan man needs my help on The Google, so I have to go, plus those Yugoslavians are acting up again.

Posted by: John McSame | July 21, 2008 3:11 PM

#63

Have we determined which country he was mistaken about yet? Was it Iran or Afghanistan?

Posted by: Jennie | July 21, 2008 3:12 PM

#64

As a couple people have pointed out, this is just a silly, completely mundane verbal flub. I don't believe McCain thinks Iraq shares a border with Pakistan any more than I believe Obama believes there are 57 states.

I mean, "It's a very wide border" is a cute quip, don't get me wrong, but seriously these kinds of mistakes happen to everyone for any number of reasons.

Posted by: Guitar Hero | July 21, 2008 3:13 PM

#65

Only a demonic elitist with Islamic extremist sympathies would require those who would hope to be leaders of 'Merricun furrin' pawlicee (TM) to show so refined a quality as geographical accuracy. Since we rule the world, everyone else will just have to locate themselves where we want to believe they are.

Does this pass the Poe test?

Posted by: Farb | July 21, 2008 3:13 PM

#66

Oh, I see. B. Hussein gets the benefit of the doubt for a single incident of a misspoken word, but of course McCain didn't misspeak at all. Nope. What he said is actually what he believes. Yep.
Posted by: noyb

As far as I know, there is no candidate running who goes by the name "B. Hussein." So, you might want to open a newspaper or something.

I wonder what will happen when retards such as you, noyb, stop being cute. You do realize that most everyone laughs at those who think like you, don't you? You're just comical, garden-variety, potatohead children who echo irrelevancies as though they have some sort of bearing on the thoughts and opinions of adults.

Really, man. Do the world a favor and crawl back into your cave.

Posted by: Capital Dan | July 21, 2008 3:14 PM

#67

Why don't you and noyb get a room, kmerian?

You posted #52 after you blogged, "I refuse to give Dr. Myers any more attention," didn't you. I think you'd better go to confession, now.

Posted by: Ken Cope | July 21, 2008 3:17 PM

#68

Those mistakes happen with McCain as often as Bush can't pronounce a word. Ouch.

Posted by: Steve_C | July 21, 2008 3:22 PM

#69

It's just Aging John's way of marginalizing Iran to the max.

Posted by: CRM-114 | July 21, 2008 3:23 PM

#70

A bomb did fall on Pearl Harbor, and then another and another and so on. Obama wasn't necessarily wrong or misspoken.

Posted by: Rick | July 21, 2008 3:24 PM

#71

Just one bomb took out Pearl Harbor?

And we didn't give up when the Germans dropped it!

BTW, that particular geographical feature of the island of O'ahu is still in existence so no bomb or bombs (not to mention all the torpedos) "took out" Pearl Harbor. Not that Obama said or implied any such thing, but if we're being pedantic assholes here...

Posted by: Sarcastro | July 21, 2008 3:25 PM

#72

Someone buy that guy a globe. They're cool.

Posted by: Michelle | July 21, 2008 3:26 PM

#73

McCain is a fucking moron. It's a miracle he's not just sitting there drooling like a chimp with some sort of brain damage.

Please show some respect for our chimpanzee cousins.

Posted by: BobC | July 21, 2008 3:26 PM

#74

@Kmerian #52

While that's a pretty good mis-speak, I give him a bye, as that's the number of Democratic primary contests that had occurred to that point, including caucuses, Dems living abroad, etc.

Hell, I'm a Republican and I considered that a minor gaffe.

...

'Course, I'm registering independent now that I live somewhere that has open primaries, and almost certainly voting Democratic this year, but still ...

Posted by: Ranson | July 21, 2008 3:27 PM

#75

these kinds of mistakes happen to everyone for any number of reasons.

Incompetence (there were only half a dozen students between McCain and the bottom of his class at Annapolis) and age come to mind. He's older than Reaagan was when he took office, and that turned out well, didn't it?

Posted by: Ken Cope | July 21, 2008 3:28 PM

#76

The spin is: "it's Iran"

Posted by: George | July 21, 2008 3:29 PM

#77

What, Shiraz is in Iran? I would have guessed it was in Australia.

Posted by: Shaggy Maniac | July 21, 2008 3:30 PM

#78

@George #76: And it's a fine spin considering the one letter difference, I'll give them that, but what is there that is so worrisome about the iran-pakistan border beyond the fact that Iran is totally apeshit (and that pakistan isn't very much betteR)?

I'd like to hear that one from them now.

Posted by: Michelle | July 21, 2008 3:31 PM

#79

Please. Geography is just a theory.

Let's teach both sides here, and let the kids decide.

Posted by: Russell Stewart | July 21, 2008 3:35 PM

#80

It's a very w i d e border.

I guess you were being Iranic.

Posted by: Gunnar J Briem | July 21, 2008 3:39 PM

#81

You're very welcome to come, but if I may assume from the context that you're from the US, I'd like to respectfully remind you that we're located north of you.

Really? Last time I drove into Canada I was going south (on the Ambassador Bridge).

Posted by: freelunch | July 21, 2008 3:43 PM

#82

But this isn't just a random error...it's the specific error of confusing Iraq with Afghanistan. A while back, Pres. Bush was conflating the government of Iraq with the people who did 9/11. (Al-Qaeda, a group based in Afghanistan and dominated by Saudi and Pakistani nationals.) Partly as a result of that confusion, we wound up invading Iraq with disastrous results.

So it looks bad if Sen. McCain appears to be making the same mistake. To make matters worse, a couple of months ago, he made some statements conflating the government of Iran with Al-Qaeda.

Now, we as Americans know that this is no big deal; McCain has been overtired and he says a lot of stuff he doesn't mean. But I'm guessing that this is playing really badly overseas...people don't understand the situation, and they think that he's making these mistakes deliberately; that he's trying to propagandize for an invasion of Iran, or an escalation in Iraq. It's causing increased tensions.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but it might help if Sen. McCain got more rest and made fewer speeches. He especially needs to spend less time talking about foreign policy; the risks are just too high.

Posted by: chaos_engineer | July 21, 2008 3:44 PM

#83

I've been following McCain for quite a long time. And previously, I never got the impression that he was this stupid. But some of his statements lately, including this one....I think he's going senile.

Granted, this particular clip is just a slip of the tongue. Clearly he meant the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. But it seems like there's been quite a number of these, and McCain is getting quite old. Mental decline does happen with age, for some sooner than others.

Posted by: Jason Dick | July 21, 2008 3:44 PM

#84

#65 : I'm sorry, but no. The (TM) gave it away.

Posted by: Simon Coude | July 21, 2008 3:44 PM

#85

i'm glad i'm safely out of the way on the border between the Atlantic and France.

Posted by: alex | July 21, 2008 3:45 PM

#86

They are seriously claiming he meant Iran? That just would show that he doesn't know what he is talking about. The border of Iran-Pakistan?

They should have just used the mom analogy I used above. Moms often have a hard time coming up with the right name, not because they don't know the names of their kids, but because they just mix them up on occasion. Most people can relate to that. Therefore, if he just said Iraq instead of Afghanistan, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. However, I am trying to figure out why he would have meant Iran?

Posted by: Pablo | July 21, 2008 3:47 PM

#87

I feel comfortable as well knowing that there are many thousands of oldtree's around me too. No one can single me out as "that tree there" or, "see the one with the squirrel?" But I know where the border is in the region where we seem to be so suddenly interested in their "freedoms" when we used to just enjoy the oil. Time wounds all heals.

Posted by: oldtree | July 21, 2008 3:52 PM

#88

McCain - whatta guy! Single-handedly, even before the election, he just solved the entire Iranian "crisis" ... by erasing Iran.

He's just saved us billions of dollars and a staggering world catastrophe - IF nobody contradicts him in Dubya's hearing for the next six months.

Posted by: Pierce R. Butler | July 21, 2008 3:55 PM

#89

It's becoming apparent that these are not mere slips of the tongue. He doesn't know what he's talking about. In that interview he looks like a kid in middle school bluffing though a book report on a book he didn't read (I was once that kid!).

Here's an idea for an Obama campaign slogan: No More Dumbfucks!

Posted by: Davis | July 21, 2008 4:03 PM

#90

There is no truth to the rumor that J.S. McCain III will be making a whirlwind world tour next month, nor will he be visiting British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, Prussia, East Germany, the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Constantinople and the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, Turkistan, Abyssinia, Upper Volta, the Belgian Congo, British East Africa, French Sudan, Gold Coast, Tanganyika, Transvaal, Basutoland, Rhodesia, Zaire, Siam, East Pakistan, Burma, Ceylon, the Dutch East Indies, Formosa, or French Indochina.

The McCain campaign denies this vicious rumor, and has issued a statement that John McCain is vacationing with his wife on Somers Islands, and is expected to return to the United States in a few days.

/es

Posted by: eyesoars | July 21, 2008 4:04 PM

#91

Have we determined which country he was mistaken about yet? Was it Iran or Afghanistan? Jennie

Clearly, the man doesn't even know which country he's misspeaking about!

Posted by: Nick Gotts | July 21, 2008 4:05 PM

#92

"i'm glad i'm safely out of the way on the border between the Atlantic and France."

The Azores?

Posted by: Rey Fox | July 21, 2008 4:11 PM

#93

ChaosEngineer (@82):

Now, we as Americans know that this is no big deal; McCain has been overtired and he says a lot of stuff he doesn't mean.

Speak for yourself! For starters, I think you're being awfully charitable to assume he doesn't mean it. Having seen the current administration systematically and deliberately use this very sort of geopolitical conflation as the predicate for an illegal and immoral invasion, it's going to take me a while (like decades) before I'm willing to give any Republican the benefit of the doubt on sh!t like this. In the same way that their policies have lost our country the trust of the world, they've lost my trust... and it'll take some bloody time to regain it.

But even on the charitable assumption that it was an "honest mistake," it still has the potential to do the same sort of damage — confusing the public about our foreign policy challenges and objectives ‐ as it would if deliberate. We need our leaders to clarify things for us, not muddy the waters through their own confusion.

And being overtired is no excuse (nor any comfort to the rest of us). If McCain thinks campaigning is exhausting, wait 'til he sees what it's like to actually be the president. If he's going to get confused when he's tired, that right there is a great reason not to put him in the White House.

I agree with the several posters who've said playing gotcha' with every flub and stutter is a mug's game... but McCain's consistent misstatements in the area that's supposed to be his greatest strength feel like more than just "typos"; the strike me — and this is particularly true of the repeated references to "Czechoslovakia" — as evidence of a worldview that's not quite caught up to the current moment. Which is the last thing we need in a president at this particular current moment.

Posted by: Bill Dauphin | July 21, 2008 4:12 PM

#94

But some of his statements lately, including this one....I think he's going senile.

There have been persistent rumors that McCain is getting a little confused in his old age. Memory lapses and so on. At 72, this wouldn't be surprising. He is too old for the office he seeks.

To be fair, some people start showing cognitive declines in their 50s. And I know a former federal official who is in his 80's and he is still pretty sharp. Not real mobile but he spends a lot of time on the internet.

Posted by: raven | July 21, 2008 4:12 PM

#95

He didn't make a mistake. Republicans confuse Iraq and Afghanistan on purpose. Where have you been since 9/11?

Posted by: anon | July 21, 2008 4:14 PM

#96

Maybe that's where Miss Zarves and the 19th story of Wayside School us.

Posted by: N.K. | July 21, 2008 4:15 PM

#97

LOL. how can people buy McCain's "expertise" on foreign policy with this kind of public gaffe, one after another, and another, and another...?

on a serious note, forget geography. forget the surge, let's go back to first principles! read Bugliosi's, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, and let's take it from there.

~C

Posted by: ~C4Chaos | July 21, 2008 4:15 PM

#98

Duh, people. McCain was right. Ever heard of plate tectonics?

Posted by: Jose | July 21, 2008 4:16 PM

#99

"The border betw

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We need a president who will maintain American standards of geography

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