Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
The double whammy in Dan Quayle's gaffe was that he misspelled potato while correcting someone else's spelling of the word potato. Since he was correcting a child, that may have made it a triple whammy.
Of course the incident speaks nothing of Dan Quayle's intelligence, but it was red meat for his hateful detractors in media.
As many of the comments to George Savage's post "A Case For Cain" have pointed out, the expectation is that the liberal media will start the drum beat that Cain lacks intelligence, which will then become a meme with comedians, writers and eventually it will be accepted as news itself.
Once that "big dummy" news wave starts to break, reversing it is like shoveling you know what against a tide. It happened to Quayle, it is happening to Palin and just to show I'm fair it seems to have happened somewhat to Joe Biden.
With Barack Obama of course we have seen the opposite. He's had gaffes worthy of entire Saturday Night Live seasons, and I'm sure if Sarah Palin had wondered aloud about words in "Austrian" SNL would have made sure the world never forgot it.
If we expect Cain to be Quayled, then Herman better be careful not to throw the left any softballs.
Too late though. As Herman gains attention, so will this video.
I can almost understand confusing the language of the Declaration of Independence with the language of the Constitution, because the Constitution was written to mold governance after the ideals stated in the Declaration.
However, to confuse the two in the middle of a speech where Herman is chastising the left for failing to read the Constitution makes him look like a hypocrite. This may be his Potato moment, and that's unfortunate:
On the bright side, Congressman Lynn Westmoreland was re-elected, and this was the biggest "gotcha" gaffe on film I've ever seen (admitted by me even though I generally dislike Colbert):
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Comments:
Sep '10
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
A Potato moment? Why wasn't there a 57 state moment?
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
Agreed. Barack has had a ton of them. But the media won't put the "Dummy" label on him no matter how many he has.
May '10
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
Cain's gaffe doesn't bother me much. The Declaration of Indendence doesn't bear any legal weight, but it is as descriptive of America's original identity as the Constitution. That's what his speech seems to be focused on: knowing what America is and what we should be trying to restore, rather than redefine.
Aug '10
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
Of course the media is going to go after Cain. They can't stand the idea of a black man in the White House.
I actually wish commentators could use this tactic just to make a point about how foolish the criticism is going the other way... but I know, I know: no such point would ever be taken.
Dec '10
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
Tommy, you give the MSM way too much credit. There is not a shred of evidence that the MSM has the first clue as to the content or meaning of our founding documents.
Sarah Palin gave a speech to a Tea Party event and mentioned 1773. The MSM immediately began ridiculing her ignorance. They of course chuckled at her lack of education and corrected her gaffe by pointing out that the correct year is 1776. They know with certainty that important stuff happened in 1776, they just don't know which stuff.
Edited on June 1, 2011 at 10:18pmAug '10
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
The same mistake is made in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." As Lincoln famously said, "The expression of that principle, in our Declaration of Independence, was most happy, and fortunate. Without this, as well as with it, we could have declared our independence of Great Britain; but without it, we could not, I think, have secured our free government, and consequent prosperity. No oppressed, people will fight, and endure, as our fathers did, without the promise of something better, than a mere change of masters.
The assertion of that principle, at that time, was the word, "fitly spoken" which has proved an "apple of gold" to us. The Union, and the Constitution, are the picture of silver, subsequently framed around it. The picture was made, not to conceal, or destroy the apple; but to adorn, and preserve it. The picture was made for the apple—not the apple for the picture."
The purpose of the Constitution is to preserve the Declaration. The Constitution should be read through the lens of the Declaration.
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
Tommy, I love the clip. Nobody will play this one on the MSM because the content is too effective: We see a confident conservative, speaking extemporaneously, intimately familiar with the principles animating our nation's founding. Yup, Cain conflates the Declaration with the Constitution during his TelePrompTer-free speech, but I nevertheless come away convinced that he knows our Constitution far better than a certain former constitutional lecturer living on Pennsylvania Avenue.
If that, and fumbling the definition of the Palestinian "right of return" are Cain's biggest gaffes, I can cope.
Just think of the political devastation Cain will visit upon Obama when the debate moderator asks a question, any question, about how jobs are created in America.
Aug '10
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
Hegesias: Of course the media is going to go after Cain. They can't stand the idea of a black man in the White House.
I actually wish commentators could use this tactic just to make a point about how foolish the criticism is going the other way... but I know, I know: no such point would ever be taken. · Jun 1 at 12:05pm
Yes! They're racists! We fight fire with fire, using a page from the 'progressive'
playbook.
Dec '10
Re: Herman Cain's Gaffe: As Bad As Misspelling Potato
I agree with Tommy that it will be problematic. However, I look forward to a forthright person (Cain) being able to freely admit to conflating the Declaration and the Constitution, then directing attention to the lack of consisitency in policy objectives with either, amongst some primary competitors and the complete lack of faithfullness to either, from the competitor in the general election.