Then, once he understood it, he didn't want to admit that he'd made such a stupid mistake. So instead of saying, "Oh, the SPANISH president, of course I'd meet with him," he said that "I'll meet with anyone who wants to work with us."

Republicans are spinning Palin's hesitation on the Bush Doctrine question.  She may have been clueless about what the Bush Doctrine was, or just unsure on how to answer without tying herself to Bush's failed policies, so she bluffed her way through the question.  The Republican spin - not only does she know what the Bush Doctrine is, but she's a maverick, different from Bush, in fact, better than Bush in protecting America:  

House Speaker Newt Gingrich described Sarah Palin's lack of clarity on whether she subscribes to the Bush Doctrine as reflecting lessons learned in the last seven years, adding that President Bush would have had a "much harder case to make" in the run up to the Iraq war if he were trying to meet the imminent threat standard articulated by Palin during her Thursday interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.

McCain is in Iowa today speaking before cheering crowds.  He is not faltering or forgetting anything.  He doesn't look tired.  He's laying the blame on the failing economy on the Democrats.  He said Obama's not about change, he's part of the problem we're facing this week.  He wants to find solutions now, today, but the Dems refuse to act before the election.  Here's one of the emails going out to Republican mailing lists this week blaming Democrats for what we really know to be Republican failed polices:

George Bush has been in office for 7-1/2 years.  The first six the economy was fine. A little over one year ago:  1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2-1/2 year high; 2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon; 3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.  4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +  5) American's were buying new cars, taking vacations, living large!...  
But Americans wanted 'CHANGE'!  So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress and yes--we got 'CHANGE' all right. In the PAST YEAR:  1) Consumer confidence has plummeted ;  2) Gasoline is now over $4 a gallon & climbing!;  3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 10% increase);  4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLION  DOLLARS and prices still dropping;   5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.   6) as I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~ $2.5 Trillion dollars has evaporated from their stocks, bonds & mutual funds investment  portfolios! YES, IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE...AND WE SURE GOT IT!  .... remember the president has no control over any of these issues, only Congress.

Senator John McCain's once easy-going if irreverent campaign presence -- endearing to crowds, though often resulting in gaffes -- has been put out to pasture.

Pressed on why McCain would keep seguing into a discussion of Latin America if he knew who she was talking about, Cuello said: "I think because I was talking with him before about Latin America. He was not giving me a straight answer. I wasn't expecting a straight answer."

Asked why she thought McCain would duck the question, she said: "The policies regarding Iraq. Because he's a Republican. The [Bush] administration doesn't have good relations with Zapatero."

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/mccains_spaingaffe_interviewer.php

Sounds like an accurate portrayal to me , not much of a gaffe but following the policy of the current administration which is nuts to me...

Here, we'll see if McCain does the same or tries to do the same (he doesn't have the fawning press to overlook his 180 as Obama did) and slowly retreat to his initial position all the while claiming it's never changed.