Gaffe-a-day Dean
: Gene Expression has a nifty compilation of Howard Dean gaffes. A few of the smellier dingleberries:
Dean responded,
34 responses to “Gaffe-a-day Dean”
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Disclaimer: I am not a Dean-y baby
But the bin Laden quote is being taken horribly out of context by a press running amok.
Dean DID NOT say we can’t prejudge bin Laden in absolute terms.
He was making a complicated point about the death penalty, which matters if bin Laden were to be tried in some sort of World Court.
The press has no absolutely no shame. -
“I will have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials.”
So…a Presidential candidate should prejudge jury trials?
Should he also weigh in on Michael Jackson’s guilt? -
Get a grip Seth. This is a political campaign for President of the United States. You make complicated points in position papers not in a national forum when asked a simple question…and you surely do not imply the Osama should be judged by a “world court”.
This is just one more example of Dean’s tin ear.
The press has no shame? Welcome to adulthood. -
Brian & Seth:
What, and FDR shouldn’t have said bad things about Hitler? We should wait until he’s tried?
Bin Laden is our generations’ Hitler.
The terrorists are our generations’ enemy.
If Dean does not get that, well, that scares me deeply.
This is a war. He wants to be commander-in-chief. Can he fight this war? -
Should I make a list of Bush gaffes? I fear we might not have enough room on the Internet.
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Yeah, it’s not as if there are any websites out there already doing that.
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And a few books.
I’m not a Dean supporter, but to say that Dean hasn’t said bad things about Bin Laden is silly. One of his main arguments against the war in Iraq is the US should have focused on catching Bin Laden and destroying Al Qaida.
Part of Dean’s appeal is he tries to give complex answers to questions which sometimes results in him saying things that don’t play well or are even wrong. Some people find that refreshing. He just needs to get better at realizing when he is wrong or at least creates that impression. -
Ah, yes, Dean has a “tin ear.” I can’t wait to get Bush and Dean in a debate together. You think Bush will still be able to walk by the end of it?
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Dean’s a Vermonter. More colloquially, his remarks would be roughly:
“As a President, I don’t think I should scream KILL HIM! KILL HIM! FRY IN HELL! It looks undignified, not befitting the office.”
The “prejudge” part was AFTER talking about the death penalty, this is where the press is going amok in putting words in his mouth.
He did answer a simple question, with a reasonable answer, and now it’s being “gotcha”‘ed into something entirely different.
The question was about if Bin Laden should be *tried in America* and *put to death*, right after some talk about whether Saddam Hussein should be tried in Iraq.
Removing all that context to pull a “gotcha” on Dean, shames the press, not him. -
Oliver, what is your interest in Dean. You seem to be a smart guy. I am not an american and thus have a ancillary interest in all of this.
Dean seems to say a lot of contradictory things. It is hard to know where he stands on an issue on a given day. Things are fluid. After every mis-speak his supporters draw even tighter to him. It seems to me than there is some intereting charismatic chemistry going on there.
At least Bush seems relatively coherent on his issues or rather it is more straightforward to predict what he will say on an issue. -
Yes, taking resources away from the hunt for Osama and devoting that to picking up Saddam has made us much safer. God knows that if Army and CIA had instead been hiking in great numbers through the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, *that certainly would not have made us safer*. And to boot, heroin prices would be higher this year.
Um, how many flights have been canceled this week in the new safer United States? -
“Removing all that context to pull a “gotcha” on Dean, shames the press, not him.”
Impossible. As you’ve already asserted, the press is shameless.
A candidate has to handle the press with its boils and pustules. A candidate has to be on guard against being set up. You don’t go up to the blackboard and put an “e” at the end of potato then cry about being treated unfairly. If you use the name Bin Laden and the word pre-judge in the same context, you damned well better be prepared for what’s coming. -
Anne:
Keep beating that dead horse, maybe it will get up!
No need to look at what we have accomplished when you can dream with the Wednesday Evening Quarterback Dean about what might have happened.
You want us to have army and cia hiking in great numbers through the border regions of Afghanistan? You really do want another Vietnam, with lots of body bags, don’t you? -
“Part of Dean’s appeal is he tries to give complex answers to questions which sometimes results in him saying things that don’t play well or are even wrong. Some people find that refreshing”
Refreshing? It’s refreshing that the so-called best candidate the Democratic party can offer responds with answers that don’t play well or are wrong?
I’m a Democrat, and I’ve got to tell you this is depressing. Here’s a guy who leaves his church because of a disagreement over a bicycle path. This is arrogance beyond description. He’s freakin’ scary and I’m afraid he’s going to lead the party right off a cliff. -
For the record, I think Dan Quayle has been subjected to the World’s Longest Spelling Flame.
He didn’t think Murphy Brown was real either. There was much over which to criticize him, but those incidents are mountains out of dust-balls (not molehills).
That a lazy lying press is a known campaign hazard, is no justification whatsoever for a lazy lying press. -
“But Gene Exp says that Bush mangles the language, and thus he implies that Dean mangles politics.” Gene Exp mangles in favor of W. Bush mangles the language (because he is dumb?), and Dean thinks on his feet, and Bush does not think, except thru thru Rove.
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“Um, how many flights have been canceled this week in the new safer United States?”
This is the sort of foolishness that will sink the Democratic party.
anne.elk: How many terrorist attacks have occured in the United States since 09/11/01? -
“That a lazy lying press is a known campaign hazard, is no justification whatsoever for a lazy lying press.”
Indeed, I think we should strip them of their boy scout merit badges.
We would also agree that terrorists trying to attack the airlines is a known travel hazard, but no justification whatsoever for terrorism. -
First, Jeff, your link is not working.
Second, over at freespeech.com I am running a semi-regular feature called the “Dean Embarrassment Watch.”
Link: http://www.freespeech.com/archives/001635.html
Enjoy. -
I’d say leaving a church over a disagreement over a bike path is something to admire. But then I live in San Francisco, and bikes are sacred here.
It is refreshing to have a candidate who speaks his mind and doesn’t check with Dick Morris or Carl Rove to see how his statements will poll.
People make mistakes.
Dean isn’t the best the Democratic Party has to offer, but none of the other candidates running are either. If he gets the nomination, he won’t lead the Democratic Party off a cliff. It will be a close election.
I do think Dean should watch Journeys With George and realize that relationships with the press do matter in a political campaign.
Yes, there have been no terrorist attacks in the US since 9/11, but plenty of people have died in terrorist attacks overseas (including many aimed at US soldiers in Iraq). -
The issue with Dean is not what he should do with Osama. The issue is whether or not The Democrats want to spend another 4 years calling a Republican “Mr President”. The more I watch the Dean campaign, the more I see it becoming an exercise in personal vanity, not an exercise in winning the top job.
Giving the Democrat Left an effective platform to holler from and becoming Commander In Chief are not the same thing. -
Steve
I am sorry, but there is nothing admirable about taking your spirituality so lightly that you will quit your faith–not just your church, but your entire faith–over a bike path.
Further, if he was willing to change over a bike path, how come he couldn’t convert to reconcile his faith with his wife’s? She’s jewish, you know.
Further, if his faith in Jesus is so damn important, why did he release a Christmas message that was completely sanitized of any reference to God, Christ, or even Christmas?
And then, this shallow, shallow man announces he is going to talk about Jesus more in the South? And anyone is supposed to think that is sincere?
Let’s face it. Dean is a putz. Bright yes, but one of those well-educated morons that the ivy league pumps out by the dozen. -
Hugh:
Exactly! I’m dying for a good candidate. That is why it is so frustrating to see Dean at the head of the pack, and what a limping, scraggly pack it is. Oh, for a smoke-filled room where the party bosses find someone who would actually win because he or she actually speaks to the needs and dreams of more than half the people. -
Prof.,
The standard defense of Dean Master patrons (such as Oliver) when caught with Dean Master flaws is either of the two:
1. We covered your back, Dean Master. (Read: We are okay. we do not care what you think. Here “you” refers to anyone not a fan of Dean Master.)
2. Bush did “this and that”. (Read: This and that refers to whatever Bush did or did not do but got bad comments nontheless.)
What would be really cool if Dean Master fans acknowledge their Master’s mistakes. I love it when GOP does that to Bush. But, DM fans are beyond objectivity. They are empty-headed (deaf,dumb,blind – like three monkeys) vessels.
AKB -
the most interesting theory i heard as to why Dean won’t release his gov papers is that buried deep in the pile is evidence of his connection to a child prostitution and pornography ring which he directed from the Montpelier office. i heard, and while i don’t believe it, we cannot just dismiss it out of hand, that Dean worked with people in Montreal to ferry children to NYC and Boston for the purpose of child exploitation. lastly, and while again i cannot over emphasize this is all conjecture, Dean himself was found to be filmed in the act of sexual perversion with numberous young boys.
in theory we must not dismiss this story.
dean in 04? let me move to Chile now. -
My problem is that too many of these statements remind me of the question asked of Dukakis at the first Bush-Dukakis debate — What would you do if Kitty were raped (or some such)? I was listening on radio and thought “Oh, boy. He’s gonna hit this one out of the park!” All he has to do is express his anger then point out we have a legal system. Hoo, boy. Zorba the Clerk then proceeded to kill what chance he had left. I understand it was worse on TV.
Look. Oliver, Anne, et al, if you want to lead the American people, you have to be able to get them to listen. I believe that’s a large part of why Bush beat Gore. People didn’t want to listen to boring Gore. No matter how much the media pounced on Bush’s speech problems, average Americans had no trouble understanding him. Still don’t. Think about it. -
“Yes, there have been no terrorist attacks in the US since 9/11, but plenty of people have died in terrorist attacks overseas (including many aimed at US soldiers in Iraq).”
Brilliant. Yes, we call that war – better fought there than here.
Here’s a strategy for a Republican landslice: pick the candidate found most “refreshing” by the people of San Francisco. -
IMO, Dean and his supporters want desperately, even pathetically, to unring that 9-11 bell. If only Bush would get OBL, we could go back to the status quo ante. They have no need for grand strategies about remaking the Middle East to remove the threat once and for all. Once OBL has a “fair” trial,and is confined to a nice colorful prison that stimulates his rehabilitative proclivities, with opportunities to learn a new trade besides “jihad warrior”, and a caring, nurturing professional staff to help him confront his anger and turn his life around (and with conjugal visits from his four wives, of course), everything will be just peachy, and the virtuous, thoughtful Democrats can rescue the nation from the evil, shallow Republicans.
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Unfortunately, Dean is palpably phoney. And he looks like Hitler when he stands on his soapbox and flails his arms.
Hillary, why so coy, honey? -
When I hear the word “gaffe”, I’m always reminded of Michael Kinsley’s definition of the word. It sure seems to apply to Howard Dean. And people who believe that OBL, if captured alive, shouldn’t get a fair trial should perhaps move to a country more to their liking, like North Korea.
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“And people who believe that OBL, if captured alive, shouldn’t get a fair trial should perhaps move to a country more to their liking, like North Korea”
Keep comparing the domestic political opposition to North Korea, or Hitler, or the fascist of your choice, and see how far it gets you. You’ll be wandering in the political wilderness for the next 10 years.
OBL is likely to be in pieces on the side of a mountain – and if he is not, we should endeavor to make it so. -
Dean’s claim that the liberation of Iraq drained off resources that should have been used in the War on Terror was destroyed utterly by the capitulation of Libya and Iran.
The man is an embarassment to hotheads everywhere, and his fellow Dems are finally realizing it and making an issue of his pandering nature. -
I think deen is doing it purposely so that the american publik gets so use to his moronic statements, that they no long are news. Then (out of context) he can use the RR line: “There you go again”.
I think deen has no substance of his own, but has done a great job of identifying campaign techniques of former successful pres candidates and using them….i.e., klintoon’s — pin your weakness on your opponent; big lie — small correction; what I said is not what I meant; etc. -
Re: Bush gaffes
[Note that Dean fans make the same mistake in noting that Dean has as much foreign policy experience as Bush in 2000]
If Dean does the same type of thing that Bush has done (as some have attempted to debate), then why the imminent need to trade one for the other?
