Who cares what you think?

[trof]

Probably just me.
Anyway...
I haven't come on here with my hair on fire endorsing or trashing any of the Nebulous Nine, so far.
(OK, alliterative cheap shot. My bad.)

I saw Edwards and Kerry on the talking heads shows yesterday. I saw some not-so-nimble soft-shoe and do-si-do. It's tough being shown past statements, or votes, or videotapes, and now being asked to explain your actions. Especially when what you did/said seems to contradict what you're doing/saying now.

Here's what I don't understand. Why can't you just admit a mistake? A mistake based on bad information?
Why can't you look right into the camera and say "Tim (or whoever), when I did/said that I was going on the information that I had at the time. Information that I believed to be true. Now I have learned that our Commander-in-Chief and many of his so-called advisors lied through their teeth. Some would be more polite and say they "shaded", or "fudged", or "hyped", or "misled". I'm here to call a spade a spade. The time for diplomacy and tact is long past. They lied to us, the American people, and they lied to me. They knew they were lying. Now we know. Of course I would not have (fill in the blank) if I knew then what I know now."

Can anyone explain this to me?
:shrug:

[MoonAndSun]

1. It could be because a lot of politicians simply can not say "I made a

mistake", and because of that, they can not change course on this subject of the Iraq War Vote.

That is my most humble opiniion.

[LeahMira]

3. That and...

... they don't want to be seen as leaving the country open to future terrorist attacks, which attacks over 50% of the public link with Iraq.

Maybe one of the candidates will have the smarts to unlink the two and then tell his or her plan for preventing terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

[trof]

4. The doctrine of infallibility.

I don't understand it.
I've been on both sides of the fence.
Whenever someone has come to me and said "I made a mistake and I apologize" I fall all over myself forgiving them and assuring them it's OK.
That has also invariably been the result when I was the one in the wrong and made a full apology.
Mistakes happen. We're all human. I don't expect politicians to be infallible. I just expect them to do the best they can with what they have to work with.

[Catfish]

2. I respect people who can admit they were wrong.

Doesn't seem to be a trait politicians seem to understand. I would respect someone who answered a question just as you suggest. However, you just know some in the media would pounce on it in a negative way.

[bryant69]

5. Not to mention

The other eight who also want to be president.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[stopbush]

6. Call it the Lee Atwater Effect.

Every Dem knows that any statement that they make on film is going to get recycled by the repigs in a campaign commercial. Edwards could give a well-nuanced response, but the only thing the public would see if a loop tape of him uttering "I made a mistake." This would be prefaced by loaded repig questions, like:

What did John Edwards say about supporting our troops in Iraq?
"I made a mistake."

What did John Edwards say about voting for president bush's tax cuts for Americans?
"I made a mistake."

etc.