Difference between revisions of "Debate:Should politicians be allowed to misspeak?"
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==Yes== | ==Yes== | ||
| − | Absolutely. People make slips like these all the time, and reasonable listeners know how to distinguish a simple slip from deliberate deceit. Slips and gaffes are practically inevitable in campaigns, with the long days, hectic schedules and minimal time for rest. What counts, then is the ability of readers/listeners to digest and interpret what's said fairly, and decide if it's a slip or something else. McCain has referred to the Czek Republic as Czekoslovakia a couple of times, and I'd write those | + | Absolutely. People make slips like these all the time, and reasonable listeners know how to distinguish a simple slip from deliberate deceit. Slips and gaffes are practically inevitable in campaigns, with the long days, hectic schedules and minimal time for rest. What counts, then is the ability of readers/listeners to digest and interpret what's said fairly, and decide if it's a slip or something else. McCain has referred to the Czek Republic as Czekoslovakia a couple of times, and I'd write those off as slips. However, when he and Palin continue to insist that she was the entity behind the cancellation of Gravina Bridge project, despite the clear evidence to the contrary, that's not a slip anymore. That's plain and simple [[deceit]]. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 00:47, 10 September 2008 (EDT) |
===No== | ===No== | ||
Revision as of 04:47, September 10, 2008
George H. W. Bush got the date of Pearl Harbor wrong. Obama accidentally said he'd been to 55, rather than 45, states. Dan Quayle said he wished he spoke Latin (rather than Spanish) when visiting Latin America. Our current president has made his share of gaffes. Should we cut them a little slack, or hold them to a higher standard when it comes to speaking errors? CraigC 23:38, 9 September 2008 (EDT)
Yes
Absolutely. People make slips like these all the time, and reasonable listeners know how to distinguish a simple slip from deliberate deceit. Slips and gaffes are practically inevitable in campaigns, with the long days, hectic schedules and minimal time for rest. What counts, then is the ability of readers/listeners to digest and interpret what's said fairly, and decide if it's a slip or something else. McCain has referred to the Czek Republic as Czekoslovakia a couple of times, and I'd write those off as slips. However, when he and Palin continue to insist that she was the entity behind the cancellation of Gravina Bridge project, despite the clear evidence to the contrary, that's not a slip anymore. That's plain and simple deceit. --DinsdaleP 00:47, 10 September 2008 (EDT)