Foolish Democratic Quotations of 2009

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:43 AM -0500 11/29/09, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>I don't have any specific suggestions to offer, but Biden and Rep.
>Grayson should be good for a few each. There should be a number at local
>levels as well--if I come across any during the week, I'll forward them.
>
>VS-)

How about Obama's "They hang on to their guns and
religion" quote about Pennsylvania?  Not
necessarily foolish, but something I'm sure he
regretted ever saying.  What are the criteria for
foolishness?

LH

>Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>>On Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 9:27 PM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>>>Thanks to everyone who answered my previous post asking for notable
>>>quotations of 2009.  As usual, the list I am compiling has more foolish
>>>quotations by Republicans than by Democrats.  Yes, I know, some will
>>>say this is terrible of me, but as long as people like Dan Quayle and
>>>George W. Bush and Sarah Palin are Republicans, Republicans will
>>>dominate foolish-quotations compilations.  However, I do strive as much
>>>as I can for balance, so I am pleading for suggestions of foolish
>>>quotations by Democrats.  I would welcome any suggestions of such
>>>quotes from 2009.
>>>
>>
>>A "Bidenism" might do the trick. Jeremy Stahl on Slate has documented
>>some choice examples, e.g.:
>>
>>"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, (be)
>>suggesting they ride the subway."-dispensing handy tips to protect
>>against the swine flu in interview with NBC's Matt Lauer, April 30,
>>2009
>>
>>"What am I going to tell the president when I tell him his
>>teleprompter's broken? What will he do then?"-mocking Barack Obama's
>>fabled reliance on teleprompters in a commencement address at the Air
>>Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., May 27, 2009
>>
>>"If it fails, I'm dead."-offering thoughts on his own "self interest"
>>regarding the success of the stimulus during a conference call with
>>governors, Sept. 24, 2009
>>
>>More here: http://www.slate.com/id/2229640/
>>
>>--Ben Zimmer
>>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org