good and bad for McCain

Seeing as the world media is focused on Obama and his speech to 200 000 in Berlin (photo), I'll spend a moment or two calling some attention to McCain.

First the bad:

McCain has recently

- referred to an "Iraq - Pakistan border" (these countries do not border)

- twice referred to Czechoslovakia, a country that ceased to exist 15 years aago

- mixed up Sunnis and Shiites

- identified Vladimir Putin as president of Germany

But the good:

The Club for Growth says that "When it comes to his support for free trade, Senator McCain has not wavered one bit" and his opponents have called him an "ideologue" on the issue. This despite the fact Rasmussen says only 16% of Americans favour NAFTA and 56% want NAFTA renegotiated. As McCain himself noted in an AP interview, "I have to convince them the consequences of protectionism and isolationism could be damaging to their future. I understand it's very tough."