# Kerry's Botched Joke **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 31, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631 "2006-10-31T19:47:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/282 "2006-11-02T00:47:49Z")
Taking one for the team? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/283 "2006-11-02T00:54:26Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] If that’s not a “flip-flop”, what would you call it? [/QUOTE] Damage control? The Right-wingers aren’t going to be satisfied ‘til they get his head (and, by extension, the Democrats’ heads). Please note that he’s not apologizing for the joke itself; just the botched telling of the joke. “Flip-flopping”, by the way, is changing your mind without any new information. Changing your mind when/if new evidence presents itself is the trait of a good leader, despite what Bush and friends would have you believe. The idea of a president who makes a stand on a position, despite any new evidence which _should_ change his stance, frightens me. It should frighten you, too. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/284 "2006-11-02T01:04:49Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] The above statement was meant to apply to politicos only. I don’t want to cast aspersions on anyone in this thread. [/QUOTE] Too late! We took it as an unsult, so apologize! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/285 "2006-11-02T01:18:44Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Urmm… no. I called her a Dem… did I miss the joke? [/QUOTE] No, I pulled a Kerry of my own. :smack: 😉 But the idea that Hillary Clinton is a die-hard liberal is laughable outside of the protective bubble that is the right-wing noise chamber. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/286 "2006-11-02T01:23:45Z")
[QUOTE=Patty O’Furniture] Too late! We took it as an unsult, so apologize! 😛 [/QUOTE] Not good enough. _Seppuku._ Only honorable thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![looking\_busy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@looking\_busy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/looking_busy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/287 "2006-11-02T01:32:23Z")
[QUOTE=spazattak] Isn’t it your duty as a citizen to put that quote in-context? As you say, the media takes things out of context and re-represents it all the time. Shouldn’t it be our duty to find out the whole story instead of jumping to conclusions about 2% of a speech? A speech, that even if it slams the troops, has absolutely no bearing on whats being done to solve America’s problems in Washington right now? [/QUOTE] As much as this thread shows up how you must be careful in the language it uses, it also shows a weakness of the US media - media should provide analysis and reasoned comment, NOT simple soundbites taken out of context. Quoting out of context is the worst kind of propaganda. Whether you think Kerry was talking about Bush or the troops, the comment should be put into context - NOT reported as FACT that he was speaking about the troops, when there is no strong evidence, as quoted, either way. (I believe he WAS speaking about BUSH) Also, if a comment is open to colours of interpretation, wouldn’t it be best to give the speaker the benefit of doubt as to what he meant? Afterall, how many of you when speaking in public have said something that, on relfection, may need clarification? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/288 "2006-11-02T01:33:53Z")
[QUOTE=looking busy] As much as this thread shows up how you must be careful in the language it uses, it also shows a weakness of the US media - media should provide analysis and reasoned comment, NOT simple soundbites taken out of context. Quoting out of context is the worst kind of propaganda. [/quote] Remember this the next time someone complains about the “liberal media”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/289 "2006-11-02T01:38:02Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Taking one for the team? [/QUOTE] You get a gold star for that one. Now, with luck he’ll disappear until after the election. The '08 election, that is! ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/290 "2006-11-02T01:38:08Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] I can’t believe the horse is getting beat so long after its death. He obviously meant no offense to the troops and he obviously can’t tell a joke. It’s John Kerry, not Shecky Kerry. [/QUOTE] Kerry’s intent might’ve seemed obvious to you and me but apparantly that hasn’t prevented this story from staying in the media for more than 24 hours. The Republicans, right-wing radio ranters, and the rest of their ilk have conditioned themselves to automatically believe the absolute worst about liberals and Democrats even when there’s no logical basis for doing so. How do you think the Swift Boat charge that Kerry faked getting his five medals managed to find its way into the national discourse even though it should’ve been apparent to anyone with more than an IQ of 10 that to pull off such an alleged scam, you would’ve needed more than one person (i.e., Kerry) to be in on it? For many of these people, it won’t do any good to ask what reason Kerry and the other Democrats would have to hate our troops because they’ll only say, “They just do.” ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/291 "2006-11-02T01:57:48Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] The above statement was meant to apply to politicos only. I don’t want to cast aspersions on anyone in this thread. [/QUOTE] Ha! “Was meant” as you wrote it? Or _after_ you realized you were not in the Pit and quickly made an excellent save before a Mod could slap you? Nice save, any way. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/292 "2006-11-02T02:04:26Z")
Clearly, **Doggy** is announcing his intention to sacrifice some puppies to his Dark Lord. There’s just no other way to read that. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/293 "2006-11-02T02:25:37Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Ha! “Was meant” as you wrote it? Or _after_ you realized you were not in the Pit and quickly made an excellent save before a Mod could slap you? Nice save, any way. [/QUOTE] Anyway is one word. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/294 "2006-11-02T02:26:44Z")
[QUOTE=Plan B] James Taranto is clearly my second favorite commentator these days. He’s lived up to his reputation in today’s post on Kerry: [http://opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110009178](http://opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110009178) He includes the famous 1971 quote in which Kerry slanders Vietnam vets. [/QUOTE] It isn’t slander if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/295 "2006-11-02T02:44:01Z")
[QUOTE=dahfisheroo] Sampiro– 1. If Democrats don’t gain a significant number of seats this coming Tuesday (not that they’re a flawless party) we really need to rethink that popular election thingy as it ain’t a workin’. What do you mean by this? [/QUOTE] It was a botched joke about the intelligence of American voters. Let me make it crystal clear, as crystal clear as I know how: I apologize to no one for my criticism of the American voters and their lack of critical thinking. If anyone owes our Dopers on this board an apology, it is the president and his failed team and a Republican majority in the Congress that has been willing to stamp – rubber-stamp policies that have done injury to our troops and to their families. And the late Nipsey Russell for those really bad rhymes on MATCH GAME that ruined our children’s appreciation of poetry. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/296 "2006-11-02T02:45:37Z")
Alright, regarding the above, I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about popular elections and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, Applebee’s employee, Hispanic au pair or American who was offended by it. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/297 "2006-11-02T02:55:34Z")
PS- My favorite moment from the Taranto website is this: > [@](#): > > Even if the statement was a “botched joke,” what on earth would possess Kerry to think that this excuses what he said? George Allen and Trent Lott didn’t get passes for “botched jokes”; indeed, here is what Kerry himself said about Lott, according to Salon: and going on to quote Kerry criticizing Lott’s “poorly chosen words”. So in other words, Taranto believes Kerry is a hypocrite for being irked that a poorly delivered joke about the president was taken out of context and spun into a slam against servicement when, after all, Kerry himself criticized Trent Lott just for saying that America would be in much better shape today if only they’d elected a man whose main platform was institutional segregation by race (who also dated teenagers, albeit female ones and had a daughter in the Second Class he wished to continue) in 1948 rather than going in for this whole Civil Rights foolishness. This and the Michael J. Fox/Limbaugh controversy and all the rest just makes me wonder, are the people who come up with corn-coated crap spin like this really this stupid or do they just think their audience is? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/298 "2006-11-02T02:58:19Z")
[QUOTE=The Cited Taranto] …to suggest that somehow the liberation of Iraq is the product of Bush’s lack of education… [/QUOTE] The “liberation” of Iraq? Those lucky duckies! How very refreshing to find an opinion writer who is capable of offering Dear Leader such a generous assessment! Dare one hope that an Arabic language version of this editorial is available on the streets of Baghdad, to remind them how much a debt of gratitude they owe to that muscular visionary. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/299 "2006-11-02T03:00:06Z")
I admit I’ve only skimmed this 6-page thread, and I doubt I’ve read more than 3 dozen news articles about this non-issue, but I haven’t been able to find what the line was supposed to be? I instantly understood exactly what he meant by the line he said. It was a Bush-bash. Any implication that he was slighting the military is ridiculous and contrived. Kerry was in the fucking military. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/300 "2006-11-02T03:03:26Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Alright, regarding the above, I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about popular elections and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, Applebee’s employee, Hispanic au pair or American who was offended by it. [/QUOTE] Oh, I see, so Nipsey Russel can just go screw himself, is that right? Its because he was black, isn’t it? Don’t bother to deny it, there is simply no other way to read that. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631/301 "2006-11-02T03:03:30Z")
Supposedly the line was SUPPOSED to be: “…or you wind up **getting us** stuck in Iraq.” Kerry flubbed the line by leaving out the bolded words. Like I said, there’s no way that anyone could possibly think that wasn’t about Bush [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerrys-botched-joke/378631.md?page=16)