# Stay the Course **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 22, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475 "2006-10-22T20:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ted\_baskerville\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@ted\_baskerville\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ted_baskerville_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/1 "2006-10-22T20:10:32Z")
Not really sure where I should post. Am I completely losing my mind or has the Bush strategy for Iraq been stay the course? Bush is now saying that is not their strategy and they never said it was. > [@](#): > > ``` > STEPHANOPOULOS: James Baker says that he’s looking for something between “cut and run” and “stay the course.” > > BUSH: Well, hey, listen, we’ve never been “stay the course,” George. We have been — we will complete the mission, we will do our job, and help achieve the goal, but we’re constantly adjusting to tactics. Constantly. > > ``` Here are some other things Bush has said: > [@](#): > > ``` > BUSH: We will stay the course. [8/30/06] > > BUSH: We will stay the course, we will complete the job in Iraq. [8/4/05] > > BUSH: We will stay the course until the job is done, Steve. And the temptation is to try to get the President or somebody to put a timetable on the definition of getting the job done. We’re just going to stay the course. [12/15/03] > > BUSH: And my message today to those in Iraq is: We’ll stay the course. [4/13/04] > > BUSH: And that’s why we’re going to stay the course in Iraq. And that’s why when we say something in Iraq, we’re going to do it. [4/16/04] > > BUSH: And so we’ve got tough action in Iraq. But we will stay the course. [4/5/04] > > ``` I guess the debate is: Is Bush lying? Or spinning beyond belief? Or am I going crazy? [http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/22/bush-stay-the-course/](http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/22/bush-stay-the-course/) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/2 "2006-10-22T20:14:19Z")
[QUOTE=ted\_baskerville@yahoo.com] I guess the debate is: Is Bush lying? [/QUOTE] That’s no debate. It’s a GQ. The answer is yes. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/3 "2006-10-22T20:15:55Z")
Since he is religious and can not lie ,he must have been misquoted. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/4 "2006-10-22T20:26:04Z")
More truthiness, that’s all. He wants something to be true, therefore to him it \*is \* true. And a sizable number of people will think so alongside him. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/5 "2006-10-22T21:09:02Z")
When the talk of Baker changing strategy started, I was looking forward to seeing how they were going to reconcile that with their “stay their course” propaganda. I’m not sure what I expected, but this Orwellian changing of the past is a little disappointing. Too much like Rummy denying that he said they “knew” where the WMDs are. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/6 "2006-10-22T22:01:06Z")
Okay, wait… I can field this one, I think… Bush never actually denied that he’d _said_ “We will stay the course.” if you bother to read the transcript, his precise words are clear: > [@](#): > > Well, hey, listen, we’ve never been “stay the course,” George. You see the difference? He claimed “we’ve never _been_ ‘stay the course!’” Not “said,” “been!” Which is just common sense, because how can anyone literally\* be \* a phrase like ‘stay the course?’ People can be tall or short; they can be Republicans or terrorists, but they can’t literally _be_ the phrase ‘stay the course!’ It’s a completely nonsensical statement! And if there’s one thing Bush appreciates, it’s proper use of the English language. Must you people reflexively bash the President for even the most obviously true and unambiguous remarks? If you’re going to go around claiming that he and others have been the phrase ‘stay the course,’ then by all means, show us the evidence! But you can’t, can you? And why all these lies and innuendoes about Bush being an imperative clause, right before the elections? _Mere coincidence?_ Where was your outrage when Clinton spent \*eight years \* evading all mention of whether or not he was ‘stay the course?!’ _CHAPPAQUIDDICK!_ ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/7 "2006-10-22T22:04:43Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Okay, wait… I can field this one, I think… Bush never actually denied that he’d _said_ “We will stay the course.” if you bother to read the transcript, his precise words are clear:You see the difference? He claimed “we’ve never _been_ ‘stay the course!’” Not “said,” “been!” Which is just common sense, because how can anyone literally\* be \* a phrase like ‘stay the course?’ People can be tall or short; they can be Republicans or terrorists, but they can’t literally _be_ the phrase ‘stay the course!’ It’s a completely nonsensical statement! And if there’s one thing Bush appreciates, it’s proper use of the English language. Must you people reflexively bash the President for even the most obviously true and unambiguous remarks? If you’re going to go around claiming that he and others have been the phrase ‘stay the course,’ then by all means, show us the evidence! But you can’t, can you? And why all these lies and innuendoes about Bush being an imperative clause, right before the elections? _Mere coincidence?_ Where was your outrage when Clinton spent \*eight years \* evading all mention of whether or not he was ‘stay the course?!’ _CHAPPAQUIDDICK!_ [/QUOTE] Brilliant! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/8 "2006-10-22T22:26:11Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] And if there’s one thing Bush appreciates, it’s proper use of the English language. [/QUOTE] You are lucky I wasn´t eating anything at the time I read that, you would have carried my death by choking on your consience for the rest of your life ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/9 "2006-10-22T22:40:14Z")
[QUOTE=Ale] You are lucky I wasn´t eating anything at the time I read that, you would have carried my death by choking on your consience for the rest of your life [/QUOTE] How would he have known? > [@(mock)Ale](#): > > Oh, man! You owe me a new monitor! Hahahaha… _choke_ Arrrrrrrghhhh! (I suppose you could be dictating.) ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/10 "2006-10-22T23:09:38Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] How would he have known? [/QUOTE] What?, my obituary won´t be on every TV channel across the world for three weeks? There goes my ego. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Electrical\_Storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@Electrical\_Storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electrical_Storm)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/11 "2006-10-22T23:28:14Z")
[QUOTE=ted\_baskerville@yahoo.com] \ I guess the debate is: Is Bush lying? Or spinning beyond belief? Or am I going crazy? [http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/22/bush-stay-the-course/](http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/22/bush-stay-the-course/) [/QUOTE] Channeling George Costanza: “It’s not a lie if _you_ believe it.” 😛 I can pretty much hear that going through GWB’s head. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/12 "2006-10-23T06:22:02Z")
[QUOTE=ted\_baskerville@yahoo.com] I guess the debate is: Is Bush lying? Or spinning beyond belief? Or am I going crazy? [/quote] You’re not crazy; the Republican Party simply believed that you have the attention span of a goldfish and wouldn’t notice Bush’s blatant lying. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/13 "2006-10-23T06:26:40Z")
Bush coming apart at the seams or what? ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/14 "2006-10-23T06:35:56Z")
No, he’s just creating a new reality. And you obviously have a defective memory. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/15 "2006-10-23T12:41:43Z")
You guys need to cut Bush some slack. I believe he never did say “stay the course”, we simply misheard him. Here are some phrases that he probably actually said that we misheard: spay the horse pay the whores Ray the Norse may divorce may the force I’m sure that every time we thought he said “stay the course” he really said something else as in the list above. And even if he didn’t, 9/11 changed everything! ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/16 "2006-10-23T13:38:54Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Okay, wait… I can field this one, I think… Bush never actually denied that he’d _said_ “We will stay the course.” if you bother to read the transcript, his precise words are clear:You see the difference? He claimed “we’ve never _been_ ‘stay the course!’” Not “said,” “been!” Which is just common sense, because how can anyone literally\* be \* a phrase like ‘stay the course?’ People can be tall or short; they can be Republicans or terrorists, but they can’t literally _be_ the phrase ‘stay the course!’ It’s a completely nonsensical statement! And if there’s one thing Bush appreciates, it’s proper use of the English language. Must you people reflexively bash the President for even the most obviously true and unambiguous remarks? If you’re going to go around claiming that he and others have been the phrase ‘stay the course,’ then by all means, show us the evidence! But you can’t, can you? And why all these lies and innuendoes about Bush being an imperative clause, right before the elections? _Mere coincidence?_ Where was your outrage when Clinton spent \*eight years \* evading all mention of whether or not he was ‘stay the course?!’ _CHAPPAQUIDDICK!_ [/QUOTE] Too funny! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/17 "2006-10-23T19:38:21Z")
[QUOTE=OttoDaFe] No, he’s just creating a new reality. And you obviously have a defective memory. [/QUOTE] Why would Bush need a new reality? He’s been creating about five to ten new realities in every public appearance for more than six years; at this point there must be literally thousands of surplus Bush realities drifting around in the ethers. The reality in which he never promised to stay the course may well be the same [reality](http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020513&s=chait051302) in which he never promised to deliver a balanced budget. I only wish it was my reality. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/18 "2006-10-24T00:51:24Z")
[QUOTE=ted\_baskerville@yahoo.com] I guess the debate is: Is Bush lying? Or spinning beyond belief? Or am I going crazy? [/QUOTE] Who are you going to believe? Your president, or your lying eyes? ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/19 "2006-10-24T01:37:47Z")
Bush and company lie as matter of policy. > **[Delusions of Empire - Antiwar.com Original](https://original.antiwar.com/justin/2004/10/20/delusions-of-empire/)** > > Ron Suskind, former Wall Street Journal reporter and author of The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill, - Justin Raimondo for Antiwar.com Original ‘We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality – judiciously, as you will – we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.’" ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475/20 "2006-10-24T04:29:46Z")
I’m finally starting to understand now… Bush is actually a brilliant theoretical physicist who has, using quantum mechanics, figured out a way to travel between all of the possible universes. He is being entirely truthful when he makes his assertation, because, in one alternate universe he did not ever say, “Stay the course”. In that universe he is in fact a cat in a box belonging to Herr Professor Schroedinger. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-course/377475.md?page=2)