Value Judgment: Kerry calls McCain 'Troglodyte'

Value Judgment is a daily weblog written by two independent voters on the eastern seaboard of the United States. VJ will focus on the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaigns, including strategy, tactics, and substance. The authors supported Howard Dean in the Democratic primary. Accordingly, his activities will be a prominent topic on this site.

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August 9, 2003

Kerry calls McCain 'Troglodyte'

Love it, love it. John Kerry 'slips up' and calls Republican Senators troglodytes while on the campaign trail.

Speaking to New Hampshire teachers at a resort here, who were upset with Mr. Kerry's support for the Bush administration's education bill, Mr. Kerry offered an attack on Republican senators for resisting increased education spending that would have seemed incendiary even from the mouth of Dr. Dean.

"You've got 52 troglodytes on the other side," Mr. Kerry said of his Republican colleagues, before abruptly stopping himself. "I take that back — I'll take that back. You have 50 people who believe something else on the other side of the aisle."

I laughed out loud. Wonder what his good buddy John McCain thinks of that.

Posted by J at August 9, 2003 04:27 PM

Comments

You can trust someone who is willing and able to take something back they just said. The alternative, to say something and just keep going without ever admitting poor choice of words, or poor thought, or just plain being stupid, is really very dangerous and what we currently have in office.

Posted by: trogboy at February 26, 2004 06:45 PM

Hmmm... I'd call that the difference between politically savvy and politically niave. I don't necessarily see a connection with honesty, though. It may be honest to correct oneself. But, not all self-corrections by politicians are motivated by honesty IMHO.

That's not to say that Kerry is dishonest, per se. Just that there isn't necessarily a logical connection between self-correction and honesty.

Posted by: Kevin at February 26, 2004 07:44 PM

At least Kerry knows when he has said something wrong. With Bush, he doesn't even realize when he has mis-spoke. That is what is really scary about Bush.

Posted by: Janet at March 16, 2004 08:19 AM