Mark Sanford Draws A Blank On McCain/Bush Economics

The most painful clip from the Sunday morning shows: top McCain VP prospect Mark Sanford "drawing a blank" (in his own words) on live TV when asked to name a major economic policy that President Bush and John McCain disagree on.

The transcript:

BLITZER: Are there any significant economic differences between what the Bush administration has put forward over these many years as opposed to now what John McCain supports?

SANFORD: Um, yeah. For instance, take, you know, take, for instance, the issue of -- I'm drawing a blank, and I hate it when I do that, particularly on television. Take, for instance the contrast on NAFTA. I mean, I think that the bigger issue is credibility in where one is coming from, are they consistent where they come from.

Sanford finally came up with an answer -- McCain has opposed earmarks while President Bush hasn't -- but Blitzer twisted the knife a bit further, following up on Sanford's initial mention of NAFTA. "He's a huge supporter of free trade, John McCain, the Bush administration supports free trade. I don't see a big difference."

Sanford said he was going to make a separate point about consistency.

Here's the vid:

Comments

[goplayrabbit]

it was going so well until he said "troubled economic times".

but really it wasn't going well at all before.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#%2325681659

funny stuff

[mm29464]

i am from charleston, sc, and although i do not always agree with him politically, i have to come to mark sanford's defense. his performance was a nightmare but sanford is no dan quayle. he is a smart decent guy, no yokel, and is unusually thoughtful for a politician. he is not your typical politician: he does not lie nor does he spin. he can be quirky and obstinate in sticking to his strongly-held principles ala ron paul, especially when it comes to balance budgets and deficit spending; in fact, when he was in congress, paul and sanford were regularly one of the few holdouts on popular pork barrel bills. sanford could not come up with any significant thing that separates the policies of bush from mccain (2008) because there is no difference between the two. sanford, like the old mccain, has the reputation for being a maverick and bucking the party line for the sake of his principles. i think sanford is personally troubled by how his old friend has morphed into gwb. despite the fact that sanford was very prominent in mccain's campaign in 2000, he did not endorse mccain nor anyone else during this year's primary. his mistake was allowing himself to put up as a mccain surrogate when he is not enthusiastic about the policies that mccain wants to continue.

[ms.understood]

If he was a really smart and decent guy, he would be nowhere near John McCain.

[Iscarius]

Indeed, Mark Sanford is actually a respectable conservative (for all you collectivists, yes, such a thing exists) who does believe in balanced budgets and small government. Neither Bush or McCain care about either of those things. They're fine with spending and increasing the size of government as much as any Democrat. You may disagree with Sanford's positions, but he is a principled man and he's not a liar, which is why he didn't have any pre-planned spin bull$#!? to say.

[SgtLucifer]

Don't drink the water in South Carolina. The governor is also the godfather of the Ms. Teen USA from South Carolina http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

[Einstein44]

Fumbling is an art that the Republicans have mastered...Classic communication among their circle.

[kroses98]

Well, that lets him out of the VP stakes. He wouldn't be able to save his boss's a*s!!!

[trance]

But what about that time where McCain said that thing about that time that the other politician said something about what the President meant when he gave that speech to the people in that place? Huh? - What about THAT smart guy?

[LMT]

He spoke the truth by not saying anything!

[plaidlemur]

Well, at least he looked good in the suit and tie.

Sanford! Clean up that mess on aisle 4.

Oh, wait, that mess IS Sanford.

[jpetaluma]

It's weird. I usually take great pleasure in these kind of gaffes. For instance, I died laughing when McSame fumbled around on the Viagra/Birth Control vinette. That was hilarious. As much as I can't stand many Repugs, I was really sad for Sanford when I saw this. I felt sorry for him. Go figure.

[BOSNIAGATE]

we witnessed the end of a national political career that never happened

[ebonyjsg]

Sanford only drew a blank because actually the truth is, there is no diffrennce between McCain and Bush! Sanford knows that McCain will continue the same policies as McCain! Now if anyone really cares about getting out of the mess this country is in, they honestly just cannot vote for McBush!

[bbbbmer]

Also ridiculously funny was McCain surrogate Carly Fiorina's performance on MEET THE PRESS yesterday, where she, in attempting to punctuate Senator McCaskill of Missouri, punctuated a number of sentences regarding the economy and McCain's supposed superiority on the issue, in Fiorina's eyes, with ..."...as a business person, I believe...".... Fiorina nearly BANKRUPTED Hewlett Packard when she was CEO, and she was universally HATED by both Hewlett and Packard families, in her well documented role of countering nearly every shareholder initiative with programmatic changes later dubbed "Carly knows best"... She was a disaster as a 'business person', resolutely FIRED from HP, and her career has been floundering ever since -- in fact, this McCain gig has been the only steady employment she's had since her HP firing... What a yutz!

[HypocrisyPosse]

Equally telling were Fiorina's blank stare & abject silence as Senator McCaskill pointed to the 400:1 ratio between CEO compensation and average workers' paychecks. Even at a high-tech firm like HP, I'll bet Fiorina's compensation package dwarfed that average.

[circusfifthfloor]

I have relatives who are quite tight with MARK, and are of the same ilk. My wife and I are progressives, and these relatives said they had never met anyone LIKE us before. There are a few of us here who abstain from the kool-aid, but SC will vote Republican if Karl Marx is on the ticket with McCain. Maybe next time, Wolf should stick to questions like, "Governor, do you prefer mild or hot sausage in your Frogmore Stew"? Won't see this guy in the national spotlight again, unless he's standing next to idiots Graham or Demint. Even the wingnuts will not know this guy in the future. Valet parking at the convention, maybe....CFF

[kroses98]

"Wolfie" is still attempting to imitate poor Tim Russert! He has never gotten over the fact that "Meet The Press" was the highest rated Sunday morning program with Tim!

[Camarosc35]

Another potential VP pick gone for McCain; heck, it was always going to be Romney - I guess he would have won by attrition anyway.

[Janet Carter]

Trickle down dementia ! hilarious !

[kroses98]

He forgot to bring his "talking points!"