McCain Forgets Canada

25 July 2008 |permalink | email article

John McCain was questioned on the NBC Nightly News Thursday about why Barack Obama would give a speech in Berlin before becoming president.

“I would rather speak at a rally or a political gathering outside the country after I am president of the United States,” he replied.

But McCain’s memory has not served him well. On June 20, the Republican candidate gave a speech in Canada – to the Economic Club of Canada – in which he applauded NAFTA’s successes.

The implicit meaning of McCain’s political speech, paid for by his campaign, was clear: Obama had been critical of the trade accord.

NBC/Wall Street Journal Survey

A majority (55%) said Obama would be a riskier choice for president. Obama responded that he is “new to the scene and McCain has been around for years.”

In the summer of 1980, more Americans thought that former actor and California governor Ronald Reagan was a riskier choice than President Carter. But Reagan ended up winning by a landslide. Déjà vu all over again?

Quotes of the Day

“”My opponent, of course, is traveling in Europe, and tomorrow his tour takes him to France. In a scene Lance (Armstrong) would recognize, a throng of adoring fans awaits Senator Obama in Paris – and that’s just the American press.” – An obsessive McCain at Armstrong’s presidential town hall in Columbus, Ohio, taking a fresh poke at the media.

“McCain’s frustration at the turn of events is something he cannot conceal. The domestic economy was always going to be a problem for him – even before gasoline hit $4 a gallon…and a record (on national security issues)…that was consistent and in some respects prescient. But now the ground has shifted – and his opponent was right where he needed to be to capture the advantage. July has been a cruel month for McCain.” – Washington Post columnist David Broder.

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