Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Fair Warning

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Quoth Deval re. Kerry’s gaffe, on second thought:

“He made a mistake,” he said. “Listen[,] if I get this job – count on it. I’m going to say something dumb once and a while, too. Because that’s what human beings sometimes do. I hope I’ll have the presence of mind and the humility to acknowledge it and apologize for it.”

To which reporter Matt Viser snarks:

His candor isn’t necessarily dumb. But it probably isn’t the smartest thing to tell a horde of reporters several days before your election.

Hooey. That kind of thing is exactly the reason why people respond to him so warmly. And it will (I devoutly hope) serve him well in the Governor’s office. Furthermore, predicting such a thing inoculates him from the full media onslaught when the gaffe actually happens — and it surely will happen.

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  2. …when I read that. I think some people have an innate understanding of this kind of graciousness and honest humility, and I get the impression that others do not. For Deval or anyone else to admit that they will be human no matter what they do – well, to say otherwise is just a lie. It’s refreshing to see a politician admit to simply being human.

  3. As Kerry licked his wounds in self-exile last week, Patrick, at a gubernatorial debate in Boston, was telling Massachusetts voters that the senator’s much-maligned attempt at humor was “dumb.” At the time, the senator’s flubbed joke at a California political event was the talk of the political world, targeted by President Bush and many Democrats, too.

    A senior Democratic source said Kerry and his staff were quite unhappy over Patrick’s statement. Kerry cancel ed his scheduled campaign tour for Patrick this weekend, but it is not clear whether the Democratic gubernatorial nominee’s comments had anything to do with his decision. Kerry is lying low anyway after the political beating he took.

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    I thought Patrick handled Kerry’s flub quite well.  He basically repeated Kerry’s own statement and followed it up by saying the real focus should be on “this disasterous war.”  To Kerry and his “staff”:  What’s the problem?

    • remember to read key phrases.  “A senior Democratic source” whose knickers were twisted?  Who might that be?  Someone who can barely make a point and wouldn’t know how to apologize for his own gaffes?  Kerry and his staff are quite unhappy, but not about Deval Patrick.  They’re unhappy that it’s going to be very icy in Iowa and New Hampshire for the next few winters. 

    • I dont like the way Patrick handled it, but I wouldnt say more than that until after election day.  Internal squabbles are not useful right now.

  4. I hope I’ll have the presence of mind and the humility to acknowledge it and apologize for it.

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    Which might be read as Kerry did not do that but I would.

  5. What Matt Viser meant to say but didn’t have the guts to actually write down:

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    “His candor isn’t necessarily dumb. But it probably isn’t the smartest thing to tell a horde of reporters several days before your election, because reporters in general are petty-small minded people who enjoy a three-day gotcha story over actual journalism about the issues.”

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