one more can/can't confusion

[Victor Steinbok]

Here's an example of a can/can't switch. This one is political, so it's
a bit more interesting than an average negation reversal (if you
could/couldn't care less).

As you may well know, the recall drive against Wisconsin Gov. Walker has
kicked off this week (1 year after election). Of course, Walker is not
going to take this lying down, so he is sending out campaign mailers to
supposed supporters. The latest has a photo of a supposedly offending
poster.

http://goo.gl/c6j2I

The sign reads [sic]:

    SCOTT WALKER=ADOLF HITLER "Can You Tell The Difference" I can't! (If
    You can't, you must be in a coma!) DONT LET "THIS" HISTORY REPEAT
    ITSELF!!!!  1933 Hitler Abolished unions! Look at history!

Presumably, the idea is that one CANNOT tell the difference between
Walker and Hitler. Yet the parenthetical "I you can't, you must be in a
coma!" mocks those who CANNOT tell the difference. This cannot be
fixed--being able to tell the difference while being in a coma makes no
sense either. So what we have here is a negation reversal within the
structure itself, as bizarre as it sounds. I guess, Tea-Partiers are not
the only ones with ridiculous posters, but that's beside the point. This
poster is suggestive of how negation reversal /may/ occur.

     VS-)

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