McCain Spain Blunder Redolent of Schwarzenegger Spiegel Gaffe

What Goes Wrong when Politicians Give Interviews and Why

Democrats believe that the differences between Obama and McCain stem from the former's zest and the latter's old fogies' gaffes. While I may not personally subscribe to these alleged McCain facts, the McCain Spain visit did offer more fuel for Democratic fires.

Spain - located in Europe, not South America - hosted John McCain and Time reports on the discourse between him and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

Putting it into perspective, Time refers the reader to an earlier media interview in which the McCain-Zapatero relationship came away as decidedly chilly, with even a reception at a McCain-inhabited White House being called into question.

According to Time, McCain was repeatedly vague when questioned on whether, as president, he would welcome Zapatero to the White House. The question followed queries on American relations with so-called rogue South American nations, leading some to believe that McCain was lumping Spain in with Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia.

To put the quote into context, the issue most likely came up because Barack Obama is on record as being willing to happily meet with Venezuelan President and all-around America-hater Hugo Chavez without conditions. Although there is little that might cause similar concern about Zapatero, McCain apparently is on alert against all things Spanish.

Of course, lest you believe that international gaffes are the dominion of presidential candidates, eradicating the supposed differences between Obama and McCain, let me point you to an unprecedented interview between Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the premier German news magazine Der Spiegel.

Unabashedly partisan and yet sufficiently cynical to appeal to German conservatives and liberals alike, Der Spiegel discussed with the Governator what his ambitions and opinions are in light of the current election.