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Unforced Errors By Presidential Candidates

Loss Leader

I would save the receptionist., Moderator
Loss Leader
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Watching Donald Trump make a series of about 4 unforced errors per week led me to think of other Presidential candidates who may have done damage to themselves. Were any as bad as what we're seeing today.

Hillary Clinton has a little bit of a problem with fudging the truth - there are no emails, I never requested such and such - but they always seem to be very esoteric issues on the border of anything people might care about.

The only candidate I can think of who made some clear unforced errors would be Michael Dukakis. First, he refused to say that he wouldn't raise taxes (It's an impossible promise to keep, but Bush had no problem pretending to believe it.) Second, he admitted to being a "liberal" as the Republicans had defined it, and he never convinced America that there was a definition of "liberal" that didn't mean "communist." Last was driving around in that tank looking like he was having a great time in that stupid hat. Touring a military instillation is appropriate; treating our defense apparatus as a toy is not.

Any other unforced errors come to mind?
 
Do these count??

1976: Gerald Ford: "there is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration."

1960: Dwight Eisenhower: "If you give me a week, I might think of one." Response to reporter's question of whether the president could give an example of a major idea of Vice President Nixon's that was adopted by the administration. Press conference, August 24, 1960, during Nixon's presidential campaign.

1972: Muskie's "melting snowflakes"
 
Myron Proudfoot said:
Do these count??

1976: Gerald Ford: "there is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration."

1960: Dwight Eisenhower: "If you give me a week, I might think of one." Response to reporter's question of whether the president could give an example of a major idea of Vice President Nixon's that was adopted by the administration. Press conference, August 24, 1960, during Nixon's presidential campaign.

1972: Muskie's "melting snowflakes"
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That 1960 example wasn't the candidate making an error, it was the sitting president talking about him.

I have no clue what that '72 one is referencing.

2008: McCain on his choice of running mate.
 
1972: Watergate. Yeah, Nixon won but would have anyhow without becoming a villain of history.
1988: Read my lips, no new taxes. I always felt bad for GHWB on that one, he did the right thing and got crucified for it.
 
Trebuchet said:
1988: Read my lips, no new taxes. I always felt bad for GHWB on that one, he did the right thing and got crucified for it.
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That was a weird one in that Bush said it in 1988 and it helped him. It would only become an unforced error in 1992 when he had to admit that he hadn't lived up to it - A sleeping 4 year unforced error.
 
Kerry asking for Swiss cheese on his philly cheese steak.

Ok, it was important to some...
 
I think,though Trump is breaking all the records for Unforced errors in a single campaign....
 
Dukakis's tank trip made him a punchline,that is a huge blow to a candidate.
Trump has become a even bigger punchline, and seems to be headed for the same fate.
 
Last I heard, Bush didn't break the "no new taxes", though; he just signed increases in rates for old ones.
 
Delvo said:
Last I heard, Bush didn't break the "no new taxes", though; he just signed increases in rates for old ones.
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The fact is that any change of even a penny anywhere is a "new" tax. If the population grows and tax rates don't change, the greater amount of money collected is "new." If you give everyone $500 back one year and then don't repeat the program, that's a new tax. If you change how carbon credits may be bought and sold, that's a new tax. If you raise the fee for filing a case in federal court by $5.00, that's a new tax.

The phrase was meaningless when spoken and could only be interpreted as a broken promise no matter what happened. Bush mortgaged his 1992 bid to get leverage in 1988.
 
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