Palin Says Sputnik Brought Down Communism

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   I am DB Cooperposted 13 years ago

   In criticizing the State of the Union address and in particular Obama's reference to this country needing a "Sputnik moment", Sarah Palin had another one of her "moments" yesterday on "On The Record with Greta Van Susteran". Here's what she said:
   
   "He needs to remember that what happened back then with the former communist USSR and their victory in that race to space. Yeah, they won, but they also incurred so much debt at the time, that it resulted in the inevitable collapse of the Soviet Union, so I listen to that Sputnik talk over and over again, and I think we don’t need one of those.”
   
   Apparently she is confusing the Space Race with the Arms Race. Sputnik happened 34 years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Arms Race did not, in fact, bring down the USSR -- the Soviet economy was already in shambles and on the verge of collapse, but at least one could argue that point. There is absolutely no way that the money spent on Sputnik resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
   
   In addition to getting her history wrong, she misinterpreted the entire context of what Obama was saying. He wasn't saying we should be like the Soviet Union in building Sputnik. He was saying we need to be more like the America that responded to Sputnik. We saw that blinking light flying overhead and we realized someone had beat us, and it launched a new era of innovation and advancement in this country. The "Sputnik moment" was a call to action for the United States.

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      Daniel Carterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I swear the woman doesn't even turn the lights on to read because she's so used to being in the dark and talking out loud about nothing to fill the dark void in her head.
      
      I have no idea how any person can give her an ounce of credibility when she has no comprehension capacity, or at least the desire to try to educate herself with facts.
      
      It's very telling of her intelligence and ability when she continues to make such uninformed statements and draws erroneous, dangerously false conclusions.
      
      Yes, let her rule the Tea Party. I think she has a good following there, although I find it incredibly concerning and sad.

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      uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      One can make the argument that the space race was an arms race.  The prospect of Soviet nukes in orbit must have been petrifying.  One could also argue that we did not take Soviet technology seriously until Sputnik and consequently pursue a policy of engagement by proxy, diplomacy and the space race.  All aspects of US-Soviet relations were colored by the Cold War.  The missiles used to put John Glenn and Yuri Gagarin in orbit were developed from the V-2 rocket.
      
      Sarah Palin isn't wrong in that the "Sputnik Moment" resulted in a more committed and engaged American public.  Subsequent to the great push for all that math and science literacy we see a big turn-on, tune-in and drop out by the "Sputnik" generation and a continued decline in American education.  Shining Handsome Obama must miss that drug culture on American campuses.

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         uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Is our current "Sputnik moment" a crushing national debt or is it the holding of a trillion dollars of that debt by a communist state or is it the projected decline of the West and a Chinese Hegemony?

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         Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         Yes she is.  Who's The greater fool, the fool or the fool's followers?

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         AnnCeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Correctimundo, uncorrecti.  Sputnik was all about military dominance in space.
         
         Obamanoids are all about special moments otherwise known as crises.   
         
         Sputnik is a pretty lame example of a crisis though.   Putt putt sputter. . .   This administration is aching for a really GOOD crisis, an undeniable catastrophe that will free them up to act audaciously.
         
         
         
         
         
         
         http://www.dailypaul.com/node/148609

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You know, I used to have so much respect for Palin.  however, after reading into what some of you guys have said about her, and what i've researched since, I can officially say i lost a lot of respect for her.  It's a shame too, as i thought she was probably one of the best politicians (pre-vice presidential run) out there.  now she's just another joke. kind of sad if you ask me. however, i guess life goes on then.

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      tmbridgelandposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, Palin did seem to somewhat misinterpret Obama. So what? Every really listen to any leading Democrat, the president included? Ask yourself who wrote that line for Obama anyway. He certainly doesn't seem to have any firm grasp of history. I recall Mr Obama saying Lincoln was his favorite president, because Lincoln respected the rights of those who disagreed with him. WTF?? No historical knowledge at all. Palin is at least average.

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      Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's our gal!
      
      Always brilliant - just like her supporters.

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      Evan G Rogersposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Of course the economy was in shambles: socialism doesn't work.
      
      PS - The USSR was responsible for over 4 times as many deaths as the Nazi party in Germany. The leaders actually used famines as weapons against political enemies.

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         William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Actually Socialism works just fine - look at Norway or Germany for an example.
         
         The USSR was nothing like Marx's communism, and it definitely wasn't socialist.

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            lady_love158posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Finally a liberal that at least admits he prefers communism.

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               John Holdenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               What! How do you reach that conclusion from "The USSR was nothing like Marx's communism, and it definitely wasn't socialist".
               
               Might just as well say he's proved his liking for green tea by that statement.

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                  lady_love158posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Leave it to you to ignore the first statement "socialism works fine".

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                     John Holdenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Well I ignored that because it didn't even nod to communism slightly, "socialism works fine" does not equate to "I prefer communism" not even slightly, not by any amount of contorting.
                     
                     And of course further confused by Norway and Germany not being communist countries.

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                        DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                        John, something you need to realize, and it may have been the same in the UK - the terms "communism" and "socialism" are used synonomously in most of the US. You and I know they are very different things, but many don't or don't want to believe there is a difference. Having grown up as a child of the Cold War (just like you) these terms were beat into our heads and still solicit an uneasy feeling when we hear them. Propoganda? yeah, but still very powerful...

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                           John Holdenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                           Agreed, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't take every opportunity to point out the silliness of the belief.

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                              DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                              Agreed

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   DTR0005posted 13 years ago

   Yes, the "Sputnik Moment," was in reference to the increased funding/concentration on math and science that occured in the late 1950's in the United States spurned on by our fear that the Soviets would indeed surpass us in the race to space. And arguably it worked - we made it to the moon in basically less than a decade. Unfortunately we no longer have a true idealogical foe to "kick us in the as*" as it were. But yet again, Sarah Palin with her third-grade understanding of history opened her mouth and reminded me just why two years ago I voted the way I did...

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      TomC35posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Speaking of foes, many politicians in the past decade have tried to make terrorists the big foe (though they are not really a nation, and existed well before 9/11) into the big foe to pit our war machine against.  I have a hunch who is next..
      communists..
      terrorists..
      Martians

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   William R. Wilsonposted 13 years ago

   Yeah, she blew it once again (although her worshipers won't be deterred I'm sure). 
   
   But to be fair, it's long been a staple of the Capitalist Party's official version of history that Reagan brought down the the Soviet Union single handedly by upping the arms race, forcing them into a cycle of military spending that eventually bankrupted them. 
   
   Of course history is always more nuanced than that, and many factors brought down the communists (not least of which is the fact that they weren't actually communists but I digress). 
   
   The real question is, will people ever realize that Reagan and Bush were the biggest Presidential spenders ever, despite calling themselves fiscal conservatives?

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      DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well let's not forget, it's not how much money you borrow and spend, it's how and where you spend it...loll

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      Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I do believe a congressman from texas named wilson helped bring down the soviet union for the first time. Too bad our country can't remember how easy it is to defeat a super power in afganistan. orperhaps those making the decisions remember the expenditures made for both sides and wish to repeat the profits they enjoyed the forst time around.

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   Doug Hughesposted 13 years ago

   Sarah Palin is a walking 'reverse-sputnik-moment'. Instead of being inspired by the accomplishment of a rival, our dear SP is a marvel of mediocrity, ignorance and religious intolerance who is a beacon to - no surprise - mediocre, ignorant, religious bigots.
   
   These people have always been with us - and probably always will - but this is the first time in American history that such an idiot was considered a serious contender for the Oval Office.

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      DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I am seriously thinking about throwing my junior high school janitor, Smitty's, corpse into the running in 2012...

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         Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         DT, please run Smitty as a democrat. we need Palin to secure the republican nomination for president. Please contribute to the Palin for pres campaign every chance you get.
         
         Nothing could be finer,
         Than a swim suit wearing whiner,
         spewing  rediculous one liners,
         making morons go and J ine her,
         on the tea tards ocean liner,
         the Titanic............er

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Whoa there, William R Wilson!
   You can't just start throwing words like "nuanced" into a thread about Sarah Palin
   We're still trying to sort out what a "Sputnik Moment" is.
   You're getting way ahead of us in talking about Reagan and Bush and the fall of Communism. Some of us can't keep up !

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      Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      This one hurt when I got to it. It was the rum and coke spewing back up my nose that caused the pain not your brilliant observation concerning the use of the word nuanced..

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Sarah Palin isn't wrong?
   She missed the entire point of what Obama meant by AMERICA'S "Sputnik" moment. Her entire "analysis" (and I use the term loosely) relates to what happened to the USSR after Sputnik -- she thinks that Sputnik caused the economic downfall of Communist Russia.
   
   I have to believe that Mrs. Palin's Russian-centric worldview must be the result of Alaska's close geographic proximity to Russia. She has put herself out there as an expert in Soviet trade relations. Now she's a Russian historian, too.

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      uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Didn't it result in a reinvigorated, focused and engaged America?  Isn't that what eventually lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union?
      
      As to the "Sputnik" moment it is hardly an apt analogy but he cannot use the "putting an American on the moon" analogy since he is defunding NASA, turning it into a Muslim out reach program(his policy position - not my exaggeration,) and eschewing the American exceptional-ism that lead us to the moon?
      
      "Sputnik" did nothing but beep and flash as it orbited the Earth providing a propaganda tool for the Soviets.  Perhaps that is the real "Sputnik" moment the beeping and flashing of Shining Handsome Obama while 40% of the unemployed now enter their 2nd year without work, inflation is infiltrating, the Chinese are hinting at dumping the dollar and Michelle is starving her husband.

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         DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Actually what likely lead to the Soviet Union's collapse was a combination of a failed economic system frought with vast corruption and a protracted war in Afghanistan.... kinda hits a little too close to home, doesn't it?

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            DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            In reality, it was a lot more than that, but these certainly put the nail in the coffin...

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               uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Well by unintentionally comparing the US to The USSR rather than to Kennedy's "we do these things because they are hard," or Reagan's "shining city on a hill," SHO gives us an image of the triumphant communists and a weary America.  Perhaps that is his subconscious' comparison.  He, like Bezhnev, Andropov and Gorbachev presides over a collapsing state and a failed ideology.  Maybe I was wrong, maybe "Sputnik" is an apt comparison after all.

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                  DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  No I think the President's point was simple: we can't continue "business as usual" and still remain competitive. And here's the kicker - our international competition hasn't spent the last two years endlessly debating on whether their leaders "bowed too deeply to a foreign dignitary," or debating where their leaders were born. Our competitors, the ones who are currently kicking our a&&, are snatching up international patents for alternative energy research and development and we aren't. We aren't because it's somehow become "anti-American" to seriously consider that our resources (fossil fuels) aren't going to be around forever. And the best is - guess who we'll be buying energy off of in the next few decades? Yeah - at this rate, it won't be from American companies - it will be from the Chinese, the Brazilians, and the Israelis.
                  I think the President's sublte point is the following: we can't just arbitrarily villify an emerging industry or industries because it might eventually put someone out of business. Conservatives had made it almost their religious mantra to do so.

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            C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            touche

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         Ralph Deedsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         The USSR imploded from within.

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      Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Of course she is MM, she can see a Russian history book from her house.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Yes, seeing that our arch nemesis had beat us into space did result in a reinvigorated, focused and engaged America.
   There is no immediate causal relationship between our response to Sputnink and the collapse, decades later, of the Soviet Union.
   
   But why would Sarah Palin say we, America, the country she supposedly loves and (presumably) wants to lead, say we, America, would NOT want another "Sputnik moment?"
   Because she misinterpreted what Obama meant.
   
   You can connect dots intelligently, uncorrectedvision.
   Maybe you should volunteer to coach Mrs. Palin.
   She needs serious help.

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      uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25G1M4EXrQ
      
      This is what Democrats used to sound like.  A faith in America's greatness and a desire to pursue that greatness.  Now Democrats regularly choke on the same agenda that JFK embraced.  What happened to make Democrats clench when they hear "God Bless America," or "America is the greatest country in the world."  Ronald Reagan had far more in common with JFK than SHO does.
      
      Besides, SHO is a miserably pedantic and condescending speaker compared to both RR and JFK who continually demonstrated immense respect for the American people rather than sound like some snotty adjunct professor.
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh2DeQtVyJM

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         Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Why are you so terrified of intelligent leaders?  We tried it your way (giving the keys to a moron) for 8 years and look what it got us.

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            uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I have yet to see the blazing intellect of SHO or the benighted idiocy of GWB.  Interesting enough, for an idiot he sure got Hillary, the smartest woman in the world, John (I wish daddy had left me in boarding school)Kerry and the Democrat lead Congress to support his two crazy wars and his evil spending agenda.  What a doofus.

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               PrettyPantherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               You see what you want to see.
               
               As for the Democrats who supported the war, most did it because they were cowardly and afraid of being labeled unpatriotic.  Some did it because they believed the propaganda.
               
               It was a sad and embarrassing time in our history.  Shameful, really.

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                  Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  "As for the Democrats who supported the war, most did it because they were cowardly and afraid"
                  
                  I wasn't aware there was any other kind of democrat.

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         Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         UC, please excuse the crudeness but the only connection between Reagan and JFK is that JFK had a trickle down episode with Marilyn Monroe.
         
         
         //A faith in America's greatness and a desire to pursue that greatness//
         
         There is a difference in American seeking knowledge  and putting it to use and waiting for it to trickle down from actors and beauty queens.
         
         How do we expect our students to excel when we insist on editing knowledge to suit the dumbest in our society. Stupidity isn't trickling down, it's in a head long race to the destruction of our country.

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         pylos26posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         What happened to make democrats clench when they hear “god bless America” ??
         
         Not a democrat or republican, but I don’t understand what the slogan means.
         Is it commanding god to bless America?
         Is it asking God to bless America?
         Does it mean telling God to bless America and no other country?
         What the hell does it mean?
         I have decided that the slogan “God bless America” is ignorant, lame and selfish.
         Oh…don’t forget shallow and stupid.

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            uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you for your insightful, thoughtful, tolerant and enlighten opinion.  God Bless America!

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   We will never know the full extent of Kennedy's potential, will we?
   I myself do not cringe when I hear "God Bless America" -- I kinda like that song. However, I must confess to wishing MLB would go back to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch. Knowing that baseball is America's sport is good enough for me. We don't have to further politicize our sporting events (IMO).
   
   America is the greatest country in the world, aka "American exceptionalism" has been usurped by the Tea Party as one of its mantras. We cringe because they use it ad nauseum.

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      uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The cringing predates Obama's election.  He, in his own written words, cringes at the notion of America's greatness.  As for Kennedy's greatness, he was great at filling the White House pool with hookers and concealing his drug addled condition from the treatments for Addison's.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Let's get back to the OP. If you want to open a thread about the comparative speaking abilities of various American presidents, by all means do so.
   
   We were talking here about Sarah Palin's woefully WRONG interpretation of Obama's speech. And honestly, when I read, before the SOTU that he would be using that term, I had to look it up. But in point of fact, Obama EXPLAINED what he meant by the term and Palin STILL got it wrong.
   She would be a lot more effective in her criticisms if she got at least some of her facts straight.
   Oh wait -- her sheeplike followers don't care a whit about accuracy or facts! My bad.

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      PrettyPantherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly.  Her interpretation is incredibly childish, like something you would read in a high school essay.

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      uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well maybe she was too busy planning the next violent outbreak caused by a campaign graphic and mean talk by those big radio meanies Rush, Hannity and Beck.
      
      I find it amazing to hear anyone complain about Palin when SHO was presided over the most rapid rise in National Debt and Budget Deficit in US history as well as the most protracted period of unemployment in 75 years while all the time "talking" about fiscal discipline and how focused he is on job creation.
      
      Every time he talks he talks about fiscal responsibility and job creation.  Every time he acts he spends more money and kills more jobs.  Yet this absurd juxtaposition doesn't disturb you.  What disturbs you is that Sarah Palin doesn't accept SHO's words as meaningful.  Well neither does he.

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      Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      MM, heres an idea. How about the right show one example of her speaking with out the impediment of her foot being planted firmly in her mouth. For those who are unfamiliar with the process, you simply type a question into the search box and hit enter.
      
      for example, I typed
      
      Here's a response from the christian coalition...She also signed a proclamation declaring September to be energy efficiency month in Alaska. She encourages residents to use energy more efficiently during this month.
      
      This one is hilarious...When an official is elected to office, he/she should be elected according to past history and accomplishments.
      
      What is her history...quiting jobs she was elected to for personal financial gain. That is the best reason for me to promote her, her history of selling out to the highest bidder, aka murdick, the owner of the Faux News Palin Paycheck signer.

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         Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         sry, heres the search info (intelligent remarks by  Sarah Palin)

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Yes, of course.
    And Ronald Reagan was the greatest American president of the 20th century and did not try to hide his Alzheimers from the public during his administration, either.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Actually, yes, you are right about another point, UCV.
    The cringing had started before Obama got elected.
    We learned the cringe response during 8 years of Bush and his swaggering cowboy act.
    Those of us who see America as part of a global community do have a problem with posturing. It tends to alienate other countries (which I'm sure you've noticed from comments from our international hubbers).

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Perfect description, PDP.
    Ranks right up there with the "we must stand with our North Korean allies" speech.
    And Africa is a country.
    And I live in Alaska which is close to Russia so that gives me international relations experience.
    And so many others...

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       DTR0005posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       She's a bright one, ain't she? lol

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    SP doesn't accept Obama's words as MEANINGFUL?
    She doesn't understand Obama's words.
    Period.

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       uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       You missed that one - he doesn't find his words meaningful, either.
       
       You do realize that Alaska is the only state that borders no other state but instead shares an international border with Canada and international waters with Canada and Russia - her point was valid if poorly made.
       
       Corpseman, 57 states, etc... who is free from gaffs when subjected to 24/7 recording of their every word.  Look back at Al Gore gaffs or even better Joe Biden gaffs some time.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Stump -- That's a witty little ditty!
    
    UCV:
    In response to your commens:
    1. You missed that one - he doesn't find his words meaningful, either.
    He doesn't? The president doesn't find his own words to be meaningful? You are right. I missed that one because it makes no sense!
    
    2. You do realize that Alaska is the only state that borders no other state but instead shares an international border with Canada and international waters with Canada and Russia - her point was valid if poorly made.
    The fact that Alaska shares international waters with Russia doesn't give Mrs. Palin the right to claim she has experience dealing with the Russians.
    That's like me saying, I live in California and went to Mexico once. So that makes me a diplomat.
    Sorry. Does not compute.
    
    Corpseman, 57 states, etc... who is free from gaffs when subjected to 24/7 recording of their every word.  Look back at Al Gore gaffs or even better Joe Biden gaffs some time.
    3. You are kidding me, right? You are comparing Sarah Palin to Barack Obama, Al Gore and Joe Biden?
    That's like comparing an unprepared junior high school debate team member to someone arguing their Ph.D. thesis.
    Insulting. Truly insulting. But of course, that's the idea, isn't it?

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       uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Joe Biden.
       
       "His mom lived in Long Island for ten years or so. God rest her soul. And- although, she's- wait- your mom's still- your mom's still alive. Your dad passed. God bless her soul." --Joe Biden, on the mother of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, who is very much alive, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010
       
       "I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. … When one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft. That's me. I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway." --Joe Biden, providing handy tips to protect against the swine flu and freaking us out, "Today Show" interview, April 30, 2009
       
       
       "You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed." –Joe Biden, speaking to an aide standing out of view during an interview on CBS' "Early Show," in the midst of encouraging viewers to visit a government-run Web site that tracks stimulus spending, Feb. 25, 2009
       
       "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there's still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong." --Joe Biden, speaking to members of the House Democratic caucus who were gathered in Williamsburg, Va., for their annual retreat, Feb. 6, 2009
       
       "Jill and I had the great honor of standing on that stage, looking across at one of the great justices, Justice Stewart." –Joe Biden, mistakenly referring to Justice John Paul Stevens, who swore him in as vice president, Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2009 (Watch video clip)
       
       "Look, John's last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs." --Joe Biden, Athens, Ohio, Oct. 15, 2008 (Source)
       
       "When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, 'Look, here's what happened." –Joe Biden, apparently unaware that FDR wasn't president when the stock market crashed in 1929 and that only experimental TV sets were in use at that time, interview with Katie Couric, Sept. 22, 2008 (Watch video clip)
       
       "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me." --Joe Biden, speaking at a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire, Sept. 10, 2008 (Source)
       
       "A man I'm proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States — Barack America!" --Joe Biden, at his first campaign rally with Barack Obama after being announced as his running mate, Springfield, Ill., Aug. 23, 2008 (Watch video clip)
       
       "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." –Joe Biden, referring to Barack Obama at the beginning of the 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Jan. 31, 2007 (Source)
       
       "You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.... I'm not joking." --Joe Biden, in a private remark to an Indian-American man caught on C-SPAN, June, 2006 (Watch video clip)
       
       ~

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          uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Al Gore.
          
          "During my service in the United States Congress I took the initiative in creating the Internet." –during a 1999 interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer
          
          "I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people." -- Al Gore
          
          "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." -- Al Gore
          
          "What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is." -- Vice President Al Gore
          
          "The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century." -- Vice President Al Gore, 9/15/95
          
          "Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things." -- Vice President Al Gore, 11/30/96
          
          "I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future." -- Vice President Al Gore
          
          "People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history." -- Vice President Al Gore
          
          "I stand by all the misstatements that I've made." -- Vice President Al Gore to Sam Donaldson, 8/17/93
          
          "We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a *part* of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a *part* of Europe." -- Vice President Al Gore
          
          "A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls." -- Vice President Al Gore
          
          "For NASA, space is still a high priority." -- Vice President Al Gore, 9/5/93
          
          "[It's] time for the human race to enter the solar system." -- Vice President Al Gore

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             uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Barrack Obama.
             
             "We're not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that's fairly earned. I mean, I do think at a certain point you've made enough money. But, you know, part of the American way is, you know, you can just keep on making it if you're providing a good product or providing good service. We don’t want people to stop, ah, fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow our economy." —on Wall Street reform, Quincy, Ill., April 29, 2010
             
             "One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world -- Navy Corpse-Man Christian Brossard." –mispronouncing "Corpsman" (the "ps" is silent) during a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2010 (The Corpsman's name is also Christopher, not Christian)
             
             "The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries." --Tampa, Fla., Jan. 28, 2010
             
             "UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? It's the Post Office that's always having problems." –attempting to make the case for government-run healthcare, while simultaneously undercutting his own argument, Portsmouth, N.H., Aug. 11, 2009
             
             "The Cambridge police acted stupidly." —commenting on a white police officer's arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his home in Cambridge, Mass., at a news conference, July 22, 2009
             
             "The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings and inefficiencies to our health care system." --in remarks after a health care roundtable with physicians, nurses and health care providers, Washington, D.C., July 20, 2009
             
             "It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian, wheeling and dealing." --confusing German for "Austrian," a language which does not exist, Strasbourg, France, April 6, 2009
             
             "No, no. I have been practicing...I bowled a 129. It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something." --making an off-hand joke during an appearance on "The Tonight Show", March 19, 2009 (Obama later called the head of the Special Olympics to apologize)
             
             "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any seances." --after saying he had spoken with all the living presidents as he prepared to take office, Washington, D.C., Nov. 7, 2008 (Obama later called Nancy Reagan to apologize)
             
             "I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." -- defending his tax plan to Joe the Plumber, who argued that Obama's policy hurts small-business owners like himself, Toledo, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2008
             
             "What I was suggesting -- you're absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith..." --in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, who jumped in to correct Obama by saying "your Christian faith," which Obama quickly clarified (Watch video clip)
             
             "I'm here with the Girardo family here in St. Louis." --speaking via satellite to the Democratic National Convention, while in Kansas City, Missouri, Aug. 25, 2008
             
             "Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee -- which is my committee -- a bill to call for divestment from Iran as way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon." --referring to a committee he is not on, Sderot, Israel, July 23, 2008
             
             "Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel's. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under a McCain...administration. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under an Obama administration. So that policy is not going to change." --Amman, Jordan, July 22, 2008
             
             "How's it going, Sunshine?" --campaigning in Sunrise, Florida
             
             "On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today -- our sense of patriotism is particularly strong."
             
             "Hold on one second, sweetie, we're going to do -- we'll do a press avail." --to a female reporter for ABC's Detroit affiliate who asked about his plan to help American autoworkers (Watch video clip)
             
             "I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go." --at a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon (Watch video clip)
             
             "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" --after being asked a foreign policy question by a reporter while visiting a diner in Pennsylvania
             
             "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." --explaining his troubles winning over some working-class voters
             
             "The point I was making was not that Grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person, who, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, you know, there's a reaction that's been bred in our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way, and that's just the nature of race in our society."
             
             "Come on! I just answered, like, eight questions." --exasperated by reporters after a news conference
             
             "In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died -- an entire town destroyed." --on a Kansas tornado that killed 12 people

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    I hope you have recovered from the rum and coke out the nose!
    That's gotta hurt ... your pride!
    
    "...she can see a Russian history book from her house."
    She may see it, but she'll never read it!
    She's way too busy reading MAGAZINES!
    Which magazines, you innocently ask?
    "All of 'em."
    Yup, she's a real voracious reader, she is.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Oh my goodness! Really? Did she really make that proclamation? September as energy efficiency month in Alaska?
    Ok, so from there we might extrapolate that she is an experienced energy policymaker.
    Or given her Russia experience, and INTERNATIONAL energy policymaker!
    Am I getting warmer? !
    I would love to stay and play -- this sounds like a fun game.
    But my hubby just pointed out that "Behind the Sitcom Scandals" is coming on and I really need a break from all this high level discussion. RFLMAO on that. Luckily no rum and coke out the nose tho
    Night!

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       Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Peace my friend, I look forward to saving the world with your assistance, tommorrow.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    UCV,
    I want to thank you for your research and for posting the gaffe examples for Biden, Gore and Obama.
    You've proved your point.
    And there are some pretty funny ones in there, to boot.
    Just goes to show all lawyers are NOT silver-tongued orators .
    
    Still, these are smart and accomplished men. Argue all you want that real-life experience and "street smarts" are just as valuable. Not when it comes to understanding complex concepts and formulating federal policies... I'm just sayin.
    
    
    Al Gore Education: St. Alban's Episcopal School for Boys in Washington; Harvard University, B.A. 1969; Vanderbilt School of Religion, 1971-72; Vanderbilt Law School, 1974-76.
    
    
    Joe Biden Education: Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware, the University of Delaware in Newark,where he double-majored in history and political science. He went on to receive his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law and was admitted to the Delaware Bar.
    
    Barack Obama Education: After graduating high school from Punahou School in Hawaii, Barack Obama attended Occidental College for two years, then got his B.A. from Columbia University. He later got his law degree from Harvard Law School (where he became the Harvard Law Review's first African American president), graduating magna cum laude. Obama was also a lecturer of constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.

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       uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       And their credentials make them right?  George W. Bush has similar "qualifications" and I doubt you would worship him as some kind of genius.  Education does not cause wisdom.

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          William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Do you understand what Magna Cum Laude means?

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             uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             A logical fallacy is, roughly speaking, an error of reasoning. When someone adopts a position, or tries to persuade someone else to adopt a position, based on a bad piece of reasoning, they commit a fallacy. I say “roughly speaking” because this definition has a few problems, the most important of which are outlined below. Some logical fallacies are more common than others, and so have been named and defined. When people speak of logical fallacies they often mean to refer to this collection of well-known errors of reasoning, rather than to fallacies in the broader, more technical sense given above.
             
             Have a little Wikipedia:
             
             Appeal to accomplishment is a genetic fallacy wherein Person A challenges a thesis put forward by Person B which criticizes Person C (or A) a due to the fact that Person B has not accomplished similar feats or accomplished as many feats as Person C or Person A.
             
             Rebutting this appeal has been popularly called "Ebert's Law", referring to Roger Ebert's ability to critique films irrespective of his accomplishments as a filmmaker. [1]
             
             Condescension is repulsive.  Magna Cum Laude means "with great honors" not "with divine omnipotence."

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                William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                I was responding to your statement that "George W. Bush has similar "qualifications"". 
                
                Obviously there is a big difference between Obama's academic qualifications and Bush's.  That's my point. 
                
                Your lecture about fallacies is irrelevant to my point. Sorry you misunderstood me, I was merely correcting your false statement.
                
                I agree that education does not bring wisdom.  But on the other hand, high academic performance does indicate ability, native intelligence, and drive.

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          William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Bush followed his father and grandfather in education at Phillips Academy and Yale University, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1968 and where he joined Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Skull and Bones Society. He then received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School. He is the first president with an MBA degree.
          
          Bush enrolled in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War and served as an F-102 pilot for a period until he was grounded after failing to appear for a mandatory physical exam and drug test.
          
          His grades at Yale were in the low C to D range.  Sure he got an MBA but getting a degree, and graduating with honors are two very different things.

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             Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             "His grades at Yale were in the low C to D range."
             
             And what were yours at Yale?

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                William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                My daddy wasn't the president, and I'm not running any time soon. 

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                   Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   So you were unable to attend Yale because your daddy wasn't President?
                   
                   Lots of peoples daddies weren't Presidents and they had the intelligence to get in.

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                      William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                      And lots of people who didn't have the intelligence otherwise got in because of family connections.
                      
                      I never applied to Yale, friend.

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                         Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                         Don't fret over  it. I'm sure Jim didn't either.

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                         Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                         I'm sure of that.

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                            Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                            Really? You think you are in a position to judge his intelligence?
                            
                            He seems quite bright to me, Jim. Here's something you may not know: it's hard to tell how much smarter someone is compared to yourself. You might not even realize that rhey are, but if you do, you won't be able to say by how much. Going the other way is much, much easier - you can peg someone not so smart quite accurately.

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                               Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                               Bwess your wittle heart

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                                  Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                                  Why thank you, Jim.
                                  
                                  I'm quite sure I know where you fall.  You probably expect some veiled insult to follow that, but that's not my intent. You are not an unintelligent person - misguided and filled with far too much misinformation, of course, but your processing power is not inadequate.
                                  
                                  I wish I could say the same about most who share your politics.  But you don't mind being lumped with them, that's plain enough.  If the people who shared my views were mostly ignorant fools, I think I'd be embarrassed, but you don't mind at all (or would never admit it, anyway).
                                  
                                  I'm reminded of the look on John McCain!s face when that idiot woman told him that Obama was a Muslim. I know he had to be embarrassed that such ignorami were his base.
                                  
                                  Don't you ever feel a little like that, Jim?  I mean like McCain, of course.   Yes, I know you hold your views honestly and that you have thought them through. But doesn't it sicken you just a little to see the words of some of those who share them?

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    brimancandyposted 13 years ago

    I still say she is just a smart distraction. The more she opens her mouth the more the media ignores everything else that is going on in politics. And, it seems that there are a lot of boo hoos coming from people like her, who have shown no interest whatsoever in saying what they are going to do for this country. Stop all of this back talk, and start the smart talk.
    
    I'm tired of it.

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    Paul Wingertposted 13 years ago

    We're talking about a ding bat who said on national TV that she believes that she can beat Obama in 2012. Need I say more?

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    brimancandy,
    I've heard that assessment before, that Palin is just a distraction. She certainly is that!
    
    There is plenty of smart talk going on in Congress. I'm serious.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    UCV has recently ordered Rosetta Stone CDs to learn Greek.
    Perhaps he should also put a Latin CD in his shopping cart !
    
    True, Bush went to Ivy League schools as well. On Daddy's reputation, drank and partied his way through, and seemingly absorbed nothing.

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       Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       But he made powerful friends, didn't he? And that is the real reason the rich send their sons there, no matter how academically gifted they are not.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Really, Jim? All Democrats are cowardly and afraid?
    John F Kennedy, John Kerry = war heroes.
    Hillary Clinton = the ballsiest woman in America.
    George W Bush, Dick Cheney = chickenhawks.

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       Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       "Hillary Clinton = the ballsiest woman in America."
       
       Woman?
       
       Eh...

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       Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       "John F Kennedy, John Kerry = war heroes."
       
       Do you even know Kohn Kerry's war record?

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          William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Do you?

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             Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Yes, I do.
             
             And anyone who has ever served in combat knows what kind of leader John Kerry was.

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                William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                Well, you're the person who thinks that death threats are just fine.  That pretty much destroys any credibility your moral judgments might have.  I don't really care what you think about John Kerry's military service, friend. 
                
                Keep on hatin.

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                   Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   Death threats ARE just fine.
                   
                   They don't bother me in the least.
                   
                   And your opinion of my credibility is another thing that does not concern me.
                   
                   John Kerry is and was a coward.

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                      William R. Wilsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                      

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                      PrettyPantherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                      Okay, I'm curious.  Would you mind explaining why death threats don't bother you?  Is it because you think they are meaningless, or what?  I'm genuinely curious about your thoughts and promise not to turn it into a contentious debate if you respond.
                      
                      Edited to add:  I've never been threatened, but I've been stalked and it really gets to you after awhile.  You start to wonder if they're off kilter enough to stalk you after repeatedly being told to go away, what else will they do and how far will they go?

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                         Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                         Because I don't receive death threats.
                         
                         Those who do have to deal with them the best way they can.
                         
                         I'm sick of whiners constantly telling us how the right is out to kill you.
                         
                         Death threats come from both sides and they come from twisted people.
                         
                         When I get a death threat I will deal with it.

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                I am DB Cooperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                These comments are just sad. The people who actually knew and served with John Kerry have made it clear that he deserved the recognition he received during Vietnam. The Swiftboaters, who have clearly fooled the likes of Jim, did not serve with John Kerry. Of the 80-something Swiftboaters who went on the record to say that they did not support Kerry, few had ever served in the same unit as Kerry or even known him. The man who went on TV and said "I served in Vietnam with John Kerry" actually just served in Vietnam at the same time as John Kerry... along with hundreds of thousands of other troops. His statement might be technically factual, but I'd like to see Jim say with a straight face that it wasn't misleading. The Swiftboating attacks on Kerry were one of the ugliest and most unpatriotic campaign tactics of the past generation, and Jim and other Republicans celebrate it as a crowning achievement.

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             Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Oh, of course Jim does. And he didn't learn it from Fox either because he never watches that.
             
             Tell us all about Swift Boat, Jim: you know you can't hold it in.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    If you are going to give lectures in condescension you might find it helpful to consult a dictionary rather than Wikipedia. Just a friendly suggestion.

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       uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Patronizingly superior - sounds like liberal attitudes to me.

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       uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Patronizingly superior - sounds like liberal attitudes to me. Hardly a lecture.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Yes, Hill's a woman.
    They require a DNA test to get into Wellesley.

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       Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I heard she cheated on the DNA test.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    UCV,
    You needn't repeat yourself.
    Your comment was irrelevant the first time.

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       uncorrectedvisionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Check your tone you, will see it is not.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Hillary did start out as a Republican at Wellesley.
    Thank GOD she got religion!

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       Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you for finally admitting democrats are not members of a political party but rather a quasi-religion.
       
       Obamablessyou

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Aw come on, UCV.
    Do you have an ounce of humor in you?

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       Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I kinda thought it was funny.
       
       No offense UCV

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Jim,
    Surely you are NOT suggesting Hillary Clinton blindly followed Obama into office? That's funny!

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    I have been unable to find any war record for anyone named "Kohn Kerry." Sorry.

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       Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Fat fingers, my bad.
       
       How about Con Kerry? The band-aid sailor?

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          I am DB Cooperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          And I suppose Jim Hunter was there applying the band-aid.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Thank you, Jim!
    I gave UCV a compliment and even admitted his Biden, Gore and Obama gaffes were funny.
    Went right over his head. Or else he deliberately ignored it.
    Oh well.
    I do like to give credit where credit is due.
    It's rare, but it does happen

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    jokeapptvposted 13 years ago

    i think the us housing mess is now bringing everything down

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Brilliant, jokeapptv!
    Sputnik caused the downfall of the US housing market which is now bringingeverything down! Ha ha ha ha hahahahahahaha!

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