# Favorite Words That a Politician Lived to Regret? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694 "2006-11-16T16:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/1 "2006-11-16T16:21:10Z")
Another political thread, but this time with more of a schadenfreude theme: What is your favorite example of an utterance that a politician lived to regret? Mine comes from April 1940, when a mood of somewhat misplaced confidence had spread among British politicians because Germany had not yet invaded Western Europe, leading Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to remark famously in an April 4 speech that Hitler had “missed the bus.” Chamberlain couldn’t have known, but at the time he spoke, the first support ships for the German invasion of Norway - one of World War II’s most audacious operations and a disaster for the Allies from start to finish - had already put to sea, and the fighting would start in days. And five weeks after Chamberlain’s speech, Germany invaded France and the Low Countries, another Allied debacle. Whoops! Yours? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/2 "2006-11-16T16:30:47Z")
“They won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore.” “Bitch set me up.” “I did not have sex with that woman.” “Mission accomplished.” ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/3 "2006-11-16T16:36:24Z")
“Read my lips…No new taxes.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/4 "2006-11-16T16:53:33Z")
Here, you forgot the ‘e’. I’m in control here. Congress just voted to ban the Soviet Union, bombing will commence in five minutes. [although Reagan may have been too oblivious to regret it] [And then we’re going to Washington, D.C., to take back the White House!]Byaaah!!! [apparently being referred to as the “I Have a Scream” speech] ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/5 "2006-11-16T16:59:36Z")
I think one from the recent election cycle will go down in history as well: > [@Sen. George Allen](#): > > Let’s give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/6 "2006-11-16T17:05:24Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Congress just voted to ban the Soviet Union, bombing will commence in five minutes. [although Reagan may have been too oblivious to regret it] [/QUOTE] Why would Reagan regret that? He was making a joke and a pretty funny one at that. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/7 "2006-11-16T17:19:14Z")
Believe it or not,a president is held to a higher level Also ,it was not funny. Try Romneys remarks about getting brainwashed. Derailed his run at pres. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/8 "2006-11-16T17:27:49Z")
“Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” -George W. Bush, Sept. 2, 2005 I made this comparison once before, but I think that statement is the modern-day, real-life equivalent of “Let them eat cake.” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/9 "2006-11-16T17:31:33Z")
[QUOTE=Renob] Why would Reagan regret that? He was making a joke and a pretty funny one at that. [/QUOTE] Considering that at the time, it was a very real fear, it was kind of in poor taste. It’s funny NOW, but this was during the Cold War. “We found the weapons of mass destruction.” -George W. Bush “Follow me around. I don’t care. I’m serious. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead. They’ll be very bored.” -Gary Hart ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/10 "2006-11-16T18:01:41Z")
“Guiteau, you puss! You don’t have the balls to do it!” ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/11 "2006-11-16T18:12:20Z")
“The Olympics can no more lose money than a man can have a baby” – Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau’ It took about 30 years to pay off the debt. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/12 "2006-11-16T18:30:40Z")
Considering that Trent Lott is only now being allowed out of the national political penalty box, I’d say his comment that “if we’d only elected Strom Thurmond president, we wouldn’t have all these problems today” has to make the list. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/13 "2006-11-16T18:45:13Z")
[King George III](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom), in his diary on July 4, 1776: “Nothing important happened today.” Antiquated, yet still political. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/14 "2006-11-16T18:49:40Z")
“The Democrats are the party of rum, Romanism, and rebellion.” Spoken by a preacher in the election in 1884 in support of James G. Blaine (“The continental liar from the state of Maine.”). The words were connected with his campaign and he lost a very close election when New York went for his opponent, Grover Cleveland (“Ma, Ma, where’s my pa?”). It was the “romanism” that did him in – the Irish vote in NY went heavily for Cleveland, giving him victory in the state by around 1200 votes. Another factor in Blaine’s defeat was another quote from a scandal. Blaine had been involved in the Credit Mobilier (probably the third worst political scandal in US history after Watergate and the Teapot Dome) and, in the course of correspondence, wrote at the bottom of one missive, “Burn this letter.” It became the Democrat’s rallying cry. ---
**Author:** ![M.Meursault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@M.Meursault](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/M.Meursault)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/15 "2006-11-16T18:50:10Z")
[QUOTE=Draelin] [King George III](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom), in his diary on July 4, 1776: “Nothing important happened today.” Antiquated, yet still political. 🙂 [/QUOTE] How would he have known anything happened of importance in the American colonies? The declaration was signed thousands of miles away… In the same vein, Louis XVI wrote in his diary on July 14, 1789 (the day the Bastille was stormed) “Rien.” (Meaning “nothing”). He was referring to his hunting trip results. ---
**Author:** ![M.Meursault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@M.Meursault](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/M.Meursault)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/16 "2006-11-16T18:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=M. Meursault] How would he have known anything happened of importance in the American colonies? The declaration was signed thousands of miles away… In the same vein, Louis XVI wrote in his diary on July 14, 1789 (the day the Bastille was stormed) “Rien.” (Meaning “nothing”). He was referring to his hunting trip results. [/QUOTE] D’oh. Hit submit too soon. He probably wrote his entry, however, before the storming (it occured in the later afternoon, meaning he probably wouldn’t have heard about it until late at night at Versailles). ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/17 "2006-11-16T19:26:51Z")
“People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.” – Richard Nixon “There is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration.” – Gerald Ford ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/18 "2006-11-16T19:54:51Z")
[QUOTE=M. Meursault] How would he have known anything happened of importance in the American colonies? The declaration was signed thousands of miles away… [/QUOTE] Yeah, but that doesn’t stop it from amusing me. ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/19 "2006-11-16T20:07:33Z")
"And then we’re going to Washington, D.C., to take back the White House! Byaaah!!! " That is by far my favorite 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694/20 "2006-11-16T20:17:00Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] “There is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration.” – Gerald Ford [/QUOTE] I’ve never understood how Ford could get himself to say that, especially when it didn’t hide some horrible personal secret, like Nixon’s did. How could he expect anyone to take him seriously with that? And why was important to him to say it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-words-that-a-politician-lived-to-regret/380694.md?page=2)