Looks like Kerry isn't the only one making campaign mistakes

[WilliamPitt]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=693&e=10&u=/ap/20040812/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_sales_tax

[Richardo]

1. Love the term "quip" in the headline...

...implies a light-weight, ill-conceived response. One half-step up from "gaffe" :D:thumbsup:

[LiberalCat]

3. I think "quip" lets *bush off the hook.

You can't attack him, because it was just a "quip". Nothing important to see here. Move along.

[Julien Sorel]

2. Nonsense.

Everything Bush does is brilliant and well conceived by Karl Rove, who is the master of all things political. If Rove spends 75% of Bush's money on negative ads, then Kerry must follow suit, or else he's a wimp. Because the two candidates start out with identical name recognition, track records, and public perception, so what one does, the other must also do.

As for this "slip" of Bush/Rove's, it was a cleverly conceived ploy. Bush has put the idea of a flat tax/VAT out there, and when he disavows it, he will look like more of a moderate: "See, if I was really crazy like some people say, I'd be for this national sales tax." These guys simply don't make mistakes -- it's inconceivable.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Yeah, why repeat nonsense?

What is your motivation for repeating such unmitigated bullshit?

[Julien Sorel]

10. Every word the truth.

Believe it.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Why assert that such obvious bullshit is 'the truth'?

I don't get it.

:shrug:

[Julien Sorel]

13. Irony:

the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning (Merriam-Webster)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. Thank you

for answering my rhetorical question.

16. Everybody makes mistakes

to err is human

[Carni]

4. Here's the giveaway statement:

"Later, two administration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bush was not considering a national sales tax."

My take:

The original pronouncement by bush was a code of sorts floated out there for "his base" who will like this plan.

The anonymous "administration officials" comments are just being put out there so the middle class won't know he's going to screw them if he gets back in.

[Beetwasher]

8. This Is Bush Just Being An Idiot. This is What Happened:

The abolition of the IRS and the imposition of a national sales tax is something that they really, really want to do, but they know it's not something that will go over well. However, they probably DO discuss it amongst themselves and probably DO have SECRET plans to implement this should they steal the presidency again. However, THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT IT because it's such a stink bomb. Bush, being the idiot that he is and speaking extemporaneously, let the cat out of the bag.

This is much like some of his "jokes" that he tells in public and thinks are funny. They tell these jokes amongst themselves, but Bush is too stupid to realize that it's NOT funny to most people to joke about how 9/11 is hitting the trifecta or how rich people are your base, and that your NOT supposed to tell these jokes on the stump. He does it because he has no sense of decency or self control.

[Carni]

9. I still think bush floated this out there deliberately under orders.

Drudge was the one to "break" this news.

If it was a gaffe it never would have been a headline on the Karl Rove Internet news outlet.

JMO

[Kahuna]

6. If it was Kerry, it would be a "flip flop" or a "gaffe. These media

whores make me :puke:

[jonnyblitz]

7. I didn't realize the Kerry campaign was making mistakes

even trashing allies (moveon.org) is considered brilliant strategy by many. :eyes:

[yellowcanine]

11. RW pubbies aren't happy unless they are trying to abolish some government

agency or department. Remember how they were going to abolish the Education Dept.? Guess what? It is still there. The latest RW abolishment fad is the IRS - which is laughable because regardless of what tax system we have we will still have to have an IRS, even if it is called something else. Somebody has to collect the taxes. And ther is no reason to believe that a national sales tax could be implemented with fewer federal employees than the current income tax. In fact, it might take more, because there would be more oopportunities for people to cheat - it is much easier to verify income than keep track of millions of sales transactions every day.

[skygazer]

14. Quip

Quip - n. 1. a witty or, esp. formerly, sarcastic remark or reply; jest or gibe 2. a quibble; cavil 3. something curious or odd

Once again, the "liberal media" lets him off the hook because nothing he said fits any of those definitions. He said, "it's the kind of interesting idea that we ought to explore seriously." That's neither witty or quibbling and the only thing odd about it is that it's grammatically correct and makes sense.