# Most "out there" comments made during debates? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361 "2004-10-09T14:22:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/1 "2004-10-09T14:22:15Z")
I was reassured but confused by President Bush’s forceful denouncement of the Dred Scott decision, and his pledge not to nominate Supreme Court Justices who would uphold the legal tenets of slavery. “Hmm”, I thought to myself, “that’s astonishingly liberal for him.” 😛 The moment was so bizarre – does he think the Democrats are painting him as someone who wants to return to pre-Civil War era plantations? I just can’t figure out where it came from. I thought there might have been a mioment where he decided not to go along some idea path, and suddenly had no where to go in his answer. So he fell back on the “oppose slavery” emergency reboot disk. I was pained by John Kerry’s squirmy, weaselly unwillingness to clearly state his opinion on abortion and federal funding to pay for it if necessary. I _think_ his position is that federal funds can be used to pay for abortions in at least some cases, which I agree with. Did I miss a wound? Did Kerry get his balls shot off in a firefight with the Cong? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/2 "2004-10-09T17:59:42Z")
What the hell are green eye-shades? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/3 "2004-10-09T18:40:44Z")
Ah, youngling. At one point it was a popular device in cinema and literature that accountants, like poker players, would spend their days under bare lamps hunched over tables. The clear-green eyeshades allowed the worst of the glare to be filtered out while not actually restricting visibility. - Jonathan ‘Old Guy’ Chance ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/4 "2004-10-09T18:49:10Z")
“Need some wood?” At that point a mental image of Bush in his aviator uniform flashed through my mind and my mental imp began to repetitively whisper _halfhardhalfhardhalfhardhalfhard_ ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/5 "2004-10-09T19:11:42Z")
That “need some wood?” line made me cringe. This one I still don’t get “we’ve got a great country. I love our values. And I recognize I’ve made some decisions that have caused people to not understand the great values of our country.” His values are our values or our values are his values and what values are those exactly? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/6 "2004-10-09T22:32:41Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Ah, youngling. > > At one point it was a popular device in cinema and literature that accountants, like poker players, would spend their days under bare lamps hunched over tables. The clear-green eyeshades allowed the worst of the glare to be filtered out while not actually restricting visibility. Thanks, gramps 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/7 "2004-10-09T22:42:46Z")
“Need some wood” was funny (since Bush either forgot that Kerry was right or was just lying), but Dred Scott was hands-down the most surprising comment of the night. Was that an attempt to court black voters? 😕 For that matter, Bush came up with a few talking points out of nowhere. But Dred Scott wasn’t a talking point, it seemed like he was seriously trying to answer the question and that was the best he could do. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/8 "2004-10-09T22:56:36Z")
Yes, the Dred Scott comment brought to mind Ray Romano saying, “I’ve always spoken out against slavery.” And then there was Cheney’s line, “I’ve never said there was a connection between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein.” ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/9 "2004-10-09T22:56:48Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “Need some wood” was funny (since Bush either forgot that Kerry was right or was just lying), but Dred Scott was hands-down the most surprising comment of the night. Was that an attempt to court black voters? 😕 For that matter, Bush came up with a few talking points out of nowhere. But Dred Scott wasn’t a talking point, it seemed like he was seriously trying to answer the question and that was the best he could do. Could the “Dred Scott” thing have come out of his earpiece? President Bush seemed to draw a blank for just a second, so Rove spat out “Dred Scott! I am anti slavery!” And GWB took it from there. Not being snide, snarky, or snotty. There were a couple-three times last night when I thought the Deus Ex Machina came to Bush’s rescue. Did anyone else get that feeling? ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/10 "2004-10-09T23:00:21Z")
What’s with Bush constantly bringing up the International Criminal Court during the debates? I don’t get it, is he afraid they might prosecute some members of his administration? ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/11 "2004-10-10T03:39:43Z")
The President’s “need some wood?” comment immediately made me think of Bob Dole, Viagra and inappropriate images of the President. Where did Kerry get that “fact” from, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/12 "2004-10-10T04:04:20Z")
> [@MaceMan](#): > > The President’s “need some wood?” comment immediately made me think of Bob Dole, Viagra and inappropriate images of the President. Where did Kerry get that “fact” from, anyway? From [Factcheck.org](http://factcheck.asc.upenn.edu/article.aspx?docid=265), the site that Cheney mistakenly referred to as [Factcheck.com](http://www.factcheck.com) during his debate with Edwards (Check out “the facts about [factcheck.com](http://factcheck.com)” at the top right of the page). ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/13 "2004-10-10T14:08:25Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > Could the “Dred Scott” thing have come out of his earpiece? > > President Bush seemed to draw a blank for just a second, so Rove spat out “Dred Scott! I am anti slavery!” And GWB took it from there. > > Not being snide, snarky, or snotty. > > There were a couple-three times last night when I thought the Deus Ex Machina came to Bush’s rescue. > > Did anyone else get that feeling? My take was that the Dred Scott comment was that it was a memory remnant of a briefing/practice run that was designed to show Bush had a grasp of history, was intelligent and understood, better than _you_ Average American, the traditional scope of the Supreme Court and would weigh his choices wisely and make a decision against the sweeping backdrop of\*\* HISTORY\*\*. Of course, He mangled it and ended up sounding weird. As weird as Kerry sounded when Bush laughed at the timber company stuff – whatever the “truth” afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/14 "2004-10-10T15:32:17Z")
[Here](http://fairshot.typepad.com/fairshot/2004/10/dred_scott_roe_.html) is an explanation for Bush’s Dred Scott reference. It makes more sense to me now. > [@](#): > > It wasn’t about racism or slavery, or just Bush’s natural incoherence. Here’s what Bush actually said: > > **If elected to another term, I promise that I will nominate Supreme Court Justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade.** > > Bush couldn’t say that in plain language, because it would freak out every moderate swing voter in the country, but he can say it in code, to make sure that his base will turn out for him. Anti-choice advocates have been comparing Roe v. Wade with Dred Scott v. Sandford for some time now. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/15 "2004-10-10T15:58:52Z")
Even though I’m a Kerry/Edwards supporter, I was a bit taken aback when Mr Edwards made reference to “leaders of other worlds.” Is this another thing our government isn’t telling us? We’ve made _Contact?_ ---
**Author:** ![MrJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@MrJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJones)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/16 "2004-10-10T16:22:01Z")
Bush continued to mention the evil “Liberals.” “First, the National Journal named Senator Kennedy the most liberal senator of all. And that’s saying something in that bunch. You might say that took a lot of hard work.” " That’s what liberals do. They create government-sponsored health care." It was George W. Bush channeling Archie Bunker. Maybe somebody wired an old episode of _All In The Family_ through that device on his back. Here come the Liberals! Oh, no, the Liberals are invading! Hide the women and children! I was waiting for Mr. Bush to start calling Kerry a Commie Pinko. I’m glad Kerry’s not falling for this old trick. Somebody should tell Mr. Bush that Liberals are responsible for some significant advances in American history that Conservatives fought tooth and nail, among them civil rights, social security, and the eight-hour workday, to name just a few. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-out-there-comments-made-during-debates/268361/17 "2004-10-10T16:52:08Z")
I was feeling a little :dubious: when Kerry said he supported Clinton in going to take out Saddam in 1988. Empowering governors indeed!