Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Mispronounciation + highly partisan political atmosphere = 24 hour news cycle
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance Great, like I'm ever going to get the phrase "brain diarrhea" out of my head now!
Originally Posted By alexbook >>In Bush's case, I think the guy truly wasn't very bright. But then again, that's exactly what his followers WANT in a President (education = smart = elitist = unamerican).<< I never bought that. I've always believed that GWB is actually a very smart man who's pretending to be stupid in order to appeal to the voters.
Originally Posted By Mr X That's how I felt about Reagan, and Bush Sr. is certainly no slouch (I'd say shrewd best describes him), but W doesn't strike me that way at all. Remember, before he ever concerned himself with voters, he spent plenty of time screwing up business ventures and before that barely passing school (I'm convinced he'd have flunked out entirely if not for Daddy's money and influence). That doesn't strike me as the actions of a "very smart man". *shrug*
Originally Posted By markymouse On the subject of Obama's 57 states, brought up earlier in this thread -- I may be wrong, but I have heard this, and I believe it because it makes sense. Obama knows, of course that there are 50 states. Add to that 6 insular areas (DC, US Virgin Islands, etc) and Democrats Living Abroad and you get 57 primaries. If he slipped up and called them, in a shorthand kind of way, states, that doesn't seem like a big deal to me. Partisans on either side refusing to see one answer because they like the other one better frustrates me.
Originally Posted By markymouse And no, Obama doesn't think Guam is a state. But in the context of primaries, it is practically treated like a state. And that's where Obama was when he made the remark.
Originally Posted By Labuda "I never bought that. I've always believed that GWB is actually a very smart man who's pretending to be stupid in order to appeal to the voters." As a Texan who was subjected to his reign of terror both when he was my Governor and then my President, trust me on this - he's not pretending. The man is one who in school would be a solid C student who was passed becase of who his parents were, not because he'd mastered the material.
Originally Posted By Mr X Post 33, I don't think so MM. Specifically he said "we've BEEN to 57" and went on saying something like "heading for the final one in the Continental U.S., unfortunately couldn't make it to Alaska or Hawaii". He sounded tired, I'm quite sure he simply meant to say 47.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>He sounded tired, I'm quite sure he simply meant to say 47<< Exactly right. He had been to 47 states at that point. The funny thing is, it's a relatively minor gaffe, compared to the usual ones you'd see on the campaign trail. It's inevitable, giving the same stump speech over and over, getting very little sleep, traveling like crazy. Usually someone says they're happy to be in X city when they're actually in Y city, or references the wrong sports team. It's inevitable, and only fools would try and make an issue out of it.
