Archives for 2008

Here is my list of the dumbest things said by a politician in 2008. It doesn’t necessarily have to be wrong, or stupid, what they said (for example the Jesse Jackson remark by Bill Clinton), but even when something is correct or factually accurate, it can be dumb or tone deaf to say it. So when we say “dumbest,” we mean things that are just plain dumb, things that are tone deaf, things that are staggeringly incoherent, and things that are just plain offensive. Some of these I consider dumb simply because they are so revealing, others because they are flat out lies. Or, as is the case with some of these, all of the above. I have excluded Bush from the list to keep the race competitive.

Because there are so many to choose from, you are allowed to vote for up to three. The list:

Barack Obama: “It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Barack Obama: “I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”

John McCain: “The fundamentals of our economy are strong.”

John McCain: “That one.”

John McCain: “I think — I’ll have my staff get to you. It’s condominiums where — I’ll have them get to you.”

Hillary Clinton: “No, I really can’t. I think people have short memories. Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn’t wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual.”

Hillary Clinton: “I certainly do remember that trip to Bosnia, and as Togo said, there was a saying around the White House that if a place was too small, too poor, or too dangerous, the president couldn’t go, so send the First Lady. That’s where we went. I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.”

Hillary Clinton: “Sen. Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.”

Hillary Clinton: “You heard Diana talk about coming from a country where votes don’t count. People go through the motions of an election only to have it discarded and disregarded. We’re seeing that right now in Zimbabwe — tragically an election was held, the president lost, they refused to abide by the will of the people. So we can never take for granted our precious right to vote.”

Rudy Giuliani, discussing his Florida strategy: “This is the strategy we chose; this is the one we’re going to use. We believe in it; we believe it’s going to work.”

Sarah Palin, on her national security creds: “We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.”

Sarah Palin on the Bush Doctrine: “In what respect, Charlie?”

Sarah Palin (multiple variations): “I told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ on that bridge to nowhere.”

Sarah Palin: “Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy- Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions.”

Bill Clinton: “Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in ‘ 84 and ’88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here.”

Geraldine Ferraro: “I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white.”

Mike Huckabee: “That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He’s getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he — he dove for the floor.”

John Boehner, on why Republicans killed the bailout: “I believe we could have gotten there today if it weren’t for Speaker Pelosi’s partisan speech.”

Sarah Palin, asked which newspapers she reads: “All of them.”

Mitt Romney, explaining the family contribution to the War on Terror: “One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping to get me elected, because they think I’d be a great president.”

Alberto Gonzalez: “For some reason, I am portrayed as the one who is evil in formulating policies that people disagree with. I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror.”

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Have fun. If you find any glaring omissions, throw them in the comments and I will add them.

Dumbest Thing Said By a Politician in 2008Post + Comments (150)