Kerry leading in "biggest douche" race

[steverino]

Definition of Douche on th web:

Keep in mind the Membership Agreement and do not use insults.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: Lisa Simpson

 

[fishbob]

Kerry leading in "biggest douche" race

Nah. He is waay behind Abramoff and Tom Delay.

NOT steverino, and NOT Dr A.

 

[fishbob]

. . . . . His own life story? is he stuck in Iraq? No, he is not. . . . . . .

I know, I know, I know - this has been done to death, but:

Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

 

[Mephisto]

IT would be nice to see the actual quote.

The American Legion Accepts Kerry's Apology; Renews Call For Better GI Bill

INDIANAPOLIS, November 01, 2006 - Late this afternoon, Senator John Kerry issued a statement which said: (emphasis obviously mine) "I personally apologize to any servicemember, family member, or American who was offended" by comments he made about being "stuck in Iraq."

Guess you didn't see this the first time around?

 

[Ladewig]

They are saying completely different things. You seem to not be quite clear on the difference between passive and active voice. "I was misinterpreted" is in passive voice. The active voice version of that would be "Bush misinterpreted me", not "I misspoke". In changing between active and passive voice, the recipient of the action and the performer of the action don't change. But here, the difference goes beyond mere grammar, to fundamentally change the nature of the events. If you say "I misspoke", you are taking responsibility, and saying that you are the one who performed the action. If you say "I was misinterpreted", you are blaming others, and claiming to be the victim of other people's actions. It doesn't make sense to apologize for what other people do, so if he says "I was misinterpreted" rather than "I misspoke", then it's not an apology.

Ronald Reagan on Iran-Contra: "Mistakes were made"
G.W. Bush on Abu Ghraib (May 2004): "Mistakes are made."
John McCain on Iraq (Dec 2005): "Serious mistakes are made in every war. Serious mistakes were made in this one"

I think the passive voice is quite common in U.S. politics

 

[Art Vandelay]

Binary falsehood as anyone can see plain as day.

What does that mean?

It's a clumsy mistake, not a federal offense -- no big deal.

What is the mistake?

You're lucky though that members aren't trying to cast your clumsiness in the worst possible light while ignoring obvious, benign interpretations [cough].

Have you not seen Dr A's responses to my posts over the years?

And I see you're not responding my earlier question. But, then, seeing as how you consider it "pedantic" to claim that there is a difference between "Americans think that it's somewhat likely that Saddam was involved with 9/11" and "Americans think that Saddam was involved in 9/11", your opinion of what is pedantry doesn't countfor much.

I wouldn't be okay with it, but if you accidentally called me a rapist than I wouldn't see what would be worth being sorry for.

What if I blamed you for "misinterpreting" my words, then accused you of trying to distract people from your own mistakes?

When you apologize for something, you are saying that it is your fault and that it's wrong. Accidents seem to be not your fault by definition.

Huh? Just because something is an accident doesn't mean no one is at fault. Your view would certainly change auto liability quite a bit.

These claims are well-supported by information already posted in this thread.

No, they are not.

Do you actually believe that if you recite this stupid lie often enough, you'll convince someone? Don't you think people notice that you are unable to substantiate it?

The fact that you are implying that people have challenged it and I have been unable to support it is simply more evidence of your dishonesty. No one but you has disputed that you are dishonest.

Which part of et al did you not understand?

What part do you not understand? Saying "Bush et al" means that you are including Bush.

Kerry leading in "biggest douche" race

Nah. He is waay behind Abramoff and Tom Delay.

Not on this leg.

I know, I know, I know - this has been done to death, but:

Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

Are you trying to suggest that Bush is in fact stuck in Iraq?

Guess you didn't see this the first time around?

What part of "It would be nice to see the actual quote" do you not understand?

I think the passive voice is quite common in U.S. politics

What's your point?

 

[DaChew]

The troops seem to have taken the comment in good humor.

 

[varwoche]

What is the mistake?

It's thoroughly obvious that in this post, the first time you quote Mephisto the words are in fact Olberman's, courtesy of the Quote function. (A good solution is to edit the cite to something like "Olberman via Mephisto".)

Have you not seen Dr A's responses to my posts over the years?

Price of bread, etc.

And I see you're not responding my earlier question.

Why should I respond to a quote falsifier?

This of course is applying your technique of leaping to the least favorable interpretation and ignoring obvious, more favorable interpretations. (To be clear, I assume your gaffe was innocent. I'm using it to make a point.)

 

[billydkid]

His own life story? is he stuck in Iraq? No, he is not. The troops are. So saying that stupid people are stuck in Iraq is a dig at:
a) Bush, who is not stuck in Iraq
b) The troops, who are stuck in Iraq.

There was no twisting needed. Kerry said what they said he said.

IT would be nice to see the actual quote.

So lets see: Dr A claims that Republicans twisted Kerry's meaning, yet gives no support for his claim. He claims that Kerry apologized, yet gives no support for that claim. And this after multiple other instances of dishonesty on the part of Dr A. Apparently Dr A is pursuing the title as well.

Art, you're just being deliberately stupid.

 

[Art Vandelay]

It's thoroughly obvious that in this post, the first time you quote Mephisto the words are in fact Olberman's, courtesy of the Quote function.

What part of "What's the mistake" do you not understand? If it's "thoroughly obvious" what I meant, why are you complaining? I said that the words were "Originally posted by Mephisto". Is that incorrect? Did someone other than Mephisto post them previously? If not, why don't you shut the f*ck up? I've had it with your BS.

This of course is applying your technique of leaping to the least favorable interpretation and ignoring obvious, more favorable interpretations.

When have I ever done that?

(To be clear, I assume your gaffe was innocent. I'm using it to make a point.)

What gaffe? You have yet to rebut any of my points defending my post.

 

[NoZed Avenger]

Except that he didn't apologize. That's the whole point. He didn't say "I regret what I did", he said "I regret that the Republicans made such a fuss over what I did". That's what is so appaling about his actions.

Agreed that it was a non-apology. And agreed the initial response from a lot of people is probably genuine: given his past utterances and the fact that some high-ranking Democrats have made similar-sounding comments (Rangel when introducing his draft proposal, for example), it was fair game for somments.

But it's the same non-apology offered by almost every modern politician after they say or do something stupid. It is not unique to him -- we can probably pull up half a dozen examples in the last 5-6 years alone.

He stated that he did not mean an insult to the troops, and unless something further happens, I think that his "apology" ends things, from a political/partisan standpoint. The troops are well within their rights to hold a grudge if they don't believe him -- and as far as that, so are you -- but as a political topic, the issue is gone.

That is only my opinion, but that means it is absolutely correct, too.





[For the political forum pedants, if any exist: That was a joke, people.]

 

[Mephisto]

What part of "It would be nice to see the actual quote" do you not understand?

And what part of "Bush is politically STUCK in Iraq don't you understand?

 

[toddjh]

"As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: My poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and [was] never intended to refer to any troop."

Yes, it was. He may not have intended it to be, but it was.

He may not have intended to intend for it to refer to any troop? Because that's what your sentence is saying.

You really think Kerry meant to make a joke at the expense of soldiers? Think about it! Which of the following is more likely:

1. He botched a joke meant to insult the intelligence of a president who -- let's face it -- is not exactly the sharpest bulb in the deck.

or,

2. He deliberately belittled and insulted hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemen and women (one of which he used to himself) in a nationally televised speech the week before midterm elections?

Do you really think option 2 is very likely? Even if he thought anything bad about the troops, which I don't believe he does, he would have to be a total idiot to say so in front of millions of people. A charismatic and engaging speaker he is not, but neither is he an idiot.

Kerry has nothing to apologize for, apart from dismal comic delivery. He's behaving perfectly reasonably by shifting the emphasis onto those who would cynically twist his attempt at a joke, pathetic as it was, into an interpretation that doesn't stand up to even the slightest bit of scrutiny.

 

[varwoche]

What part of "What's the mistake" do you not understand?

The part that is so sure that your narrow interpretations are necessarily the correct ones.

If it's "thoroughly obvious" what I meant, why are you complaining?

It's obvious to readers who follow the thread, but not at all obvioius to readers who come in mid-way.

I said that the words were "Originally posted by Mephisto". Is that incorrect?

It's correct in a hyper-literal, Hymie-the-robot sense...

Some of Hymie's programming quirks included smoking circuitry, excessive neatness, and the habit of taking all of his commands literally. When told to "hop to it," he predictably bounced around the room.

... but could reasonably be interpreted differently by others.

Did someone other than Mephisto post them previously?

If you insist, yes, they were posted to Olberman's website.

If not, why don't you shut the f*ck up? I've had it with your BS.

There are treatments for this condition Art.

 

[luchog]

Let go of your hate, Padawan Art, hate leads to the Dark Side.

Oh, wait, I am a Sith lord.

Never mind. Carry on with your hate and anger.

Yeah, screw the Light side weenies. I mean, look at them, then look at the Dark side and what do you see?

Dark Side = Goth/Industrial black and red shiny vinyl and metal outfits with big stompy boots and pimpin' rides. Super Star Destroyers, come on.

Light Side = Buncha scruffy hippies in robes and sandals who walk a lot or ride POS landspeeders and crappy starships that break down at critical moments.

'Nuff said.

 

[Dr Adequate]

No, they are not.

You are a liar. Moreover, you are lying about the contents of this thread, so everyone reading it can see that you're a liar. This is a very dumb thing to do.

The fact that you are implying that people have challenged it and I have been unable to support it is simply more evidence of your dishonesty. No one but you has disputed that you are dishonest.

You are a liar. I have "implied" no such thing. I have pointed out, however, that your inability to substantiate your lies when I challenge you to do so will not be lost on the members of this forum.

What part do you not understand? Saying "Bush et al" means that you are including Bush.

Of course. But not that I am claiming that it was his idea.

 

[corplinx]

John Kerry doesnt matter anymore. Why bring him up? That one gaffe means he'll be just another incumbent senator in a safe seat for the rest of his career.

Hes irrelevant now fair or not.

 

[fishbob]

Are you trying to suggest that Bush is in fact stuck in Iraq?

Give that man a cigar.

As long as you don't come up with some 'special' definition of stuck, Bush is really really stuck.

 

[SezMe]

Art, give me a link where Bush apologizes for "Bring it on" which arguably has cost US troops lives.

Give me a link where he apologizes for joking about not finding WMDs in Iraq.

Give me ... oh, hell, nevermind. Let's continue to beat to death an inconsequential remark by Kerry and ignore numerous, really serious gaffs by the President and his Administration.

 

[Mephisto]

Since I'm being given credit for someone else's words, I thought I'd try out a few new ones here just to see if I can be credited as one of the greatest thinkers in American politics. Let's see, here's something I thought of once . . .

"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

How about . . .

"Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society."

or maybe . . .

"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions."

I also believe . . .

"War involves in its progress such a train of unforeseen and unsupposed circumstances that no human wisdom can calculate the end. It has but one thing certain, and that is to increase taxes."

And one last one . . .

"The goals of this country is to enhance prosperity and peace."

OOPS! How did that one get in there?