Kerry statement on foreign leaders supporting his candidacy: Gaffe?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

My own feeling is it is a minor gaffe--it's good to call attention to the fact the WHOLE WORLD is watching with breath held to see if we can emerge from being in thrall to this crooked and arrogant administration, but it could have been highlighted in other ways. I think it was a mistake for Kerry to have gotten involved in this personally to open himself up to the current accusations and lectern pounding from Bush and his minions. BTW what is the origin of the word "gaffe?"

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I think it will segue nicely into a discussion about the real roots of

terrorism..that is...painting a big fat target on Americans through the policies of brinkmanship as taught at the James Baker Institute at Rice University.

[mlawson]

2. It is perfectly proper, and he MUST NOT back down on this.

Or anything else he says.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

4. Well to clarify:

I think it's a gaffe because it's a statement (assuming he actually said it) that he would never be able to elaborate on. It would just be wrong diplomatically to "out" governments cheering your campaign while Bush is still in power. So now the Bushies get to pound their fist on the lectern but Kerry has to keep quiet.

[patricia92243]

3. As long as it is the truth, then it is not a gaff.

[Junkdrawer]

5. I thought the Kerry statement was "other leaders", not "foreign leaders"..

Didn't the reporter retract the "foreign leaders" quote?

[madmax]

15. You're right but, no one is listening

:evilgrin:

He never said 'foreign leaders', he said "more leaders" and it's been on the news several times today. bush and cheney should apologize.

:hi:

[markses]

6. Minor gaffe

Will blow over, but he shouldn't go around giving the lunatics ammunition to run some challenge on TV for 7 straight days. That's dumb.

[mandyky]

7. Other - Time will tell

Depends on events like future terrorist attacks, loss of allies in Iraq, etc. Also depends how swing voters feel about "foreign countries interfering in our business".

[sushi]

25. You're right,

but the US interferes in the business of other countries all the time.

[UTUSN]

8. He Knows How to Get Under Their Skin------I LIKE It!!!!!!

Going back to when he said what was needed was regime change HERE!

[K-W]

9. Americans tend to resent foriegners telling us how to run our country,

even if they afe right. This is something that would be a minor minor issue if it came out on its own, but coming out of Kerry's mouth it sounds bad.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

11. But, outside of places like here in TX, aren't many people

concerned that the U.S. is LOATHED around the world, much more so than usual even, as a result of shrubco policies? I certainly care about this...

[K-W]

13. Its one thing to want good foriegn relations.

Its another to feel like you are being told that you should vote for the person that a foriegn leader likes the most.

[sushi]

26. I'm sure you know

that foreigners also resent America telling them how to run their countries.

[Brian_Expat]

10. Before you answer this question. . .

. . . be honest and ask yourself if you'd be spinning it as a gaffe had Dean said it during the primaries.

The only thing that will win this election is honesty, and a big part of honesty is holding yourself to your own standards of behaviour.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

19. I thought we weren't supposed to bring up Dean as it only served

to irritate and alienate his supporters. Oops...sorry..I was just holding you to your own standards..see how that one works?

[hexola]

12. I think there us somebody very, very smart working for Kerry...

2 recent events make me think a smart person is working information for Kerry to great positive effect...were talking PSY-OPs type stuff here...

1) The Drudge world exclusive on Polier. A total loser of a story. The press wouldn't touch it...After his "World Exclusive," Drudge tried to keep it alive...but this story just totally died. Was Drudge set up on this one? Major whack at his credibility. Something made him bite...Makes further bimbo eruptions redundant and thus less sticky. Also highlights differnces in internet media and cable network news.

2)The Foreign Leaders cotroversy. Very clever. I think it was a legit mistake by the reporter(maybe not!)...but I think Kerry sort of let it ride until the correction came out. The mistake allowed him to seem to have said something...without actually saying it. And they managed to drag the entire administration into the political arena...I believe both Powell and Cheney made remarks about Kerry's foreign leaders comment...which it turns out - he did not make.

So we have a potentially fake affair story and "mistake" by a reporter...both seemed to play out in Kerry's favor...

Is someone priming or feeding the media in new, clever way...?

[MrMonk]

14. Kerry should have waited till late summer

to mention that, if at all.

What would fix Bush would be for some number of foreign leaders to say "We couldn't comment on Kerry's statement. We spoke to him in confidence."

[megatherium]

16. Minor gaffe at worst,

it gave the Bush campaign a meagre opportunity to make Kerry look dishonest. This seems to be their game plan now, highlight Kerry flip-flops and questionable assertions. I think they may be pushing on this early because of the Kerry remark (accidently on-mike) about the Bush campaign being lying and crooked.

They did this to Gore incessantly, misconstruing every ambiguous assertion against him. It worked in spades. I don't know what the Kerry response will be, but I'm expecting it will be effective.



Gaffe: from the old French for hook.

[arewethereyet]

17. the reporter says he didn't even say it and he carries on anyway

HUGE gaffe and an obvious lie.

[bemildred]

18. Never shut up.

Never back down.
Never apologize.
Never explain.
Say what YOU want to say.
The very question whether it is a gaffe is already Bush propaganda.

[moondust]

20. LOL. Bush* calls it an "accusation".

Says that anybody making an accusation should back it up. Well, it's not an accusation at all. I think Bush's slip has just told us something. I think it says he is defensive and confused, on the run. Good sign.

[alfredo]

22. That quote will find its way on a kerry ad. Jon Stewart slammed bush

on the should back it up comment.

[BillZBubb]

21. Major gaffe--this one will hurt big time.

This gave the Repugs an phony issue on which to change the dynamics of the discussion. Instead of feebly defending Bush*s lies, job losses, the 9-11 commission, AWOL, and medicare deception, the news is full of Repugs demanding Kerry do something they know he cannot do.

Kerry has not been able to find a satisfactory way to get out of the box he painted himself into.

Momentum swung to BushCo. This is a major gaffe. I see Kerry's poll numbers suffering because of this.

[UTUSN]

28. Neh, Major Dems Have Been Out There, "He Spoke the TRUTH!"

Yesterday BIDEN and HOLBROOKE made Wolf and Tweety's heads explode, laughing in their faces and saying, "So???? He spoke the truth!" Then, when they were pressed to "name names" of which foreign leaders-----BIDEN led Tweety into his own trap and said, with a slow lead-in, then SPRINGING the trap, "Well,...let's see.......Except for the prime minister of Israel, .....and Italy...........and MAYBE Great Britain.........(make a list of the others who want Shrub out)"------it was masterful. As said above, KERRY knows how to get under the Shrubbites' skin and I LOVE IT.

[rocktivity]

23. Doesn't the Bush have more important things to worry about

like finding out who outed Ms. Plame, getting armor and food to our soliders, and putting nearly three million people to work? I'd let this go if I were Bush--I'd rise above it on the ground that I have Presidenting to do.

:headbang:
rocknation

[truthspeaker]

24. Like Howard Dean says

"A gaffe is when you tell the truth and someone in Washington thinks you shouldn't have."

[ProfessorGAC]

27. Strategically Brilliant

Look, the only thing Li'l Georgie has going for him is the reputation as a straightshooting tough guy.

Kerry is countering that with statements like that and the "open mike" statement.

If anyone here believes that Kerry didn't know that mike was still live, let me know. I've got a bridge to sell that you'd be interested in.

By being a straightshooting tough guy, who doesn't "bow down to the polls" and is willing to take the gloves off, Kerry is negating one of Bush's few postives.

Besides, playing nice is how we got where we are. It's about time someone dropped the gloves gave The Idiot the pounding he's deserved since he was about 10 years old.
The Professor

[leesa]

29. I'm glad to see the GOP make an issue out of this because

the world leaders have had enough of this fascism and they are becoming more emboldened to speak out. This may well backfire on the GOP as world leaders actually begin to state their desire to see him out.

[Tracer]

30. The Reporter Says Kerry Said ...

"more leaders" NOT "foreign leaders".

Although I don't see Kerry denying that foreign leaders also support him.

[LeahMira]

31. Senator Biden backs up Kerry...

I heard that Senator Biden said that he also knows that some foreign leaders would like to work with a different person... someone other than Bush. It was on local radio this morning.

Good for Joe!

Now, wouldn't it be interesting if Republicans who have been abroad recently had gotten the same message, and had the honesty to say that. Not holding my breath, but one can always hope.