John McCain never would’ve made this bonehead mistake because John McCain is old enough to have actually listened to FDR’s fireside chats.
I actually agree with this. And I’m sick and tired of either side flying into a Tasmanian frenzy every time the opposing candidates cough up a mistake.
There’s a difference between misspeaking and revealing unacceptable ignorance.
Misstating the difference between Shiite and Sunni is not a big deal. Not knowing the difference truly does matter. All policy makers should know that Al Quada and Saudi Arabia are Sunni, Iran is Shiite and Iraq has a majority Shiite population, though Saddam was of the Sunni minority.
Here’s one way of distinguishing the two. Those who mis-speak generally don’t do so more than once or a couple of times, at least in the same way. Though ever politician will commit some sort of verbal miscue at one time or another.