Page 1 of 3

Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:33 pm
by Bob78164
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert: “We have a very strong relationship with the government of Germany. Looking back in the history books, today is the 71st anniversary of the speech that announced the Marshall Plan. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion.”

Perhaps someone might have explained to her that the D-Day invasion is probably not the best way to illustrate our strong ties with Germany. --Bob

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:48 pm
by Bob Juch
Bob78164 wrote:State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert: “We have a very strong relationship with the government of Germany. Looking back in the history books, today is the 71st anniversary of the speech that announced the Marshall Plan. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion.”

Perhaps someone might have explained to her that the D-Day invasion is probably not the best way to illustrate our strong ties with Germany. --Bob
:lol:

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:58 pm
by BackInTex
Bob78164 wrote:State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert: “We have a very strong relationship with the government of Germany. Looking back in the history books, today is the 71st anniversary of the speech that announced the Marshall Plan. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion.”

Perhaps someone might have explained to her that the D-Day invasion is probably not the best way to illustrate our strong ties with Germany. --Bob
It was the starting point of a beautiful friendship.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:00 pm
by silverscreenselect
Bob78164 wrote:Perhaps someone might have explained to her that the D-Day invasion is probably not the best way to illustrate our strong ties with Germany. --Bob
Well, we've become great friends with Canada since they burned down the White House.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:00 pm
by BackInTex
57 states visited, only 1 left.


Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:49 pm
by Bob78164
BackInTex wrote:57 states visited, only 1 left.

Bit of a difference between a slip of the mind occurring toward the end of a long campaign and what's been going on here. --Bob

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:28 am
by BackInTex
Bob78164 wrote:
BackInTex wrote:57 states visited, only 1 left.

Bit of a difference between a slip of the mind occurring toward the end of a long campaign and what's been going on here. --Bob
With you, there is always a difference.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:47 am
by franktangredi
BackInTex wrote:
Bob78164 wrote:
BackInTex wrote:57 states visited, only 1 left.
Bit of a difference between a slip of the mind occurring toward the end of a long campaign and what's been going on here. --Bob
With you, there is always a difference.
I also don't think the two are comparable.

Put politics aside and answer from your own knowledge of the types of mistakes we've all made. Which one of them do you think is more likely to be a genuine slip of the tongue: saying one number when you meant to say another number, or citing a time when two countries were at war in order to demonstrate the close ties between those two countries?

Which of the two can you imagine yourself doing? Have you ever called one of your kids by the wrong name, and did it mean you didn't actually know your kids names?

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:56 am
by tlynn78
franktangredi wrote:
BackInTex wrote:
Bob78164 wrote:Bit of a difference between a slip of the mind occurring toward the end of a long campaign and what's been going on here. --Bob
With you, there is always a difference.
I also don't think the two are comparable.

Put politics aside and answer from your own knowledge of the types of mistakes we've all made. Which one of them do you think is more likely to be a genuine slip of the tongue: saying one number when you meant to say another number, or citing a time when two countries were at war in order to demonstrate the close ties between those two countries?

Which of the two can you imagine yourself doing? Have you ever called one of your kids by the wrong name, and did it mean you didn't actually know your kids names?
Well, there was actually nothing factually wrong with her statement, for one thing.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:02 am
by franktangredi
tlynn78 wrote:
franktangredi wrote:
BackInTex wrote:
With you, there is always a difference.
I also don't think the two are comparable.

Put politics aside and answer from your own knowledge of the types of mistakes we've all made. Which one of them do you think is more likely to be a genuine slip of the tongue: saying one number when you meant to say another number, or citing a time when two countries were at war in order to demonstrate the close ties between those two countries?

Which of the two can you imagine yourself doing? Have you ever called one of your kids by the wrong name, and did it mean you didn't actually know your kids names?
Well, there was actually nothing factually wrong with her statement, for one thing.
It would be like me citing Lincoln as an example of how Presidents have always given their support to live theatre.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:22 am
by tlynn78
:roll:

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:02 pm
by Bob78164
tlynn78 wrote:
franktangredi wrote:
BackInTex wrote:
With you, there is always a difference.
I also don't think the two are comparable.

Put politics aside and answer from your own knowledge of the types of mistakes we've all made. Which one of them do you think is more likely to be a genuine slip of the tongue: saying one number when you meant to say another number, or citing a time when two countries were at war in order to demonstrate the close ties between those two countries?

Which of the two can you imagine yourself doing? Have you ever called one of your kids by the wrong name, and did it mean you didn't actually know your kids names?
Well, there was actually nothing factually wrong with her statement, for one thing.
At a minimum, can we agree that it was undiplomatic? And that undiplomatic is not a great quality in a spokesperson for the State Department?

Stuff like this is why I sometimes despair over the hyperpartisan nature of our times. It shouldn't be hard to admit this was a screw-up. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I really would hope we can reach general agreement on stuff like this. --Bob

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:42 pm
by silverscreenselect
Bob78164 wrote: Stuff like this is why I sometimes despair over the hyperpartisan nature of our times. It shouldn't be hard to admit this was a screw-up. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I really would hope we can reach general agreement on stuff like this. --Bob
Considering that we went through eight years during which right wingers picked apart Obama for using Dijon mustard and wearing a tan suit, and golfing about 1/5 as often as Trump dies, the magnitude of Trump and company's gaffes that pass by without comment is staggering. The latest:

Kim Jong Un Begged on Hands and Knees to Revive Summit says Rudy

If anyone actually listens to Giuliani, other than Trump and the brown nosers at Fox News, stating that someone got on their knees is a sign of complete capitulation in Korean culture, an admission of guilt and begging for forgiveness, even more so than it is here. There are very few things Rudy could have said that would actually have been more inflammatory and demeaning going into the summit.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:22 pm
by elwoodblues
Trump could drop his pants during the next State of the Union address and his supporters would say that maybe it was hot in there.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:22 pm
by elwoodblues
Double post

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:53 pm
by BackInTex
Bob78164 wrote: Stuff like this is why I sometimes despair over the hyperpartisan nature of our times. It shouldn't be hard to admit this was a screw-up. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I really would hope we can reach general agreement on stuff like this. --Bob
When you continue to claim Trump was asking the Russians to hack Clinton's email and then you post this, you continue to show your hypocrisy around all things political.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:55 pm
by BackInTex
elwoodblues wrote:Trump could drop his pants during the next State of the Union address and his supporters would say that maybe it was hot in there.
Or that he was simply campaigning to get Democrat votes.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:17 pm
by Bob78164
BackInTex wrote:
Bob78164 wrote: Stuff like this is why I sometimes despair over the hyperpartisan nature of our times. It shouldn't be hard to admit this was a screw-up. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I really would hope we can reach general agreement on stuff like this. --Bob
When you continue to claim Trump was asking the Russians to hack Clinton's email and then you post this, you continue to show your hypocrisy around all things political.
Where's your proof that it was a joke? I don't want opinion, I want your proof as to his state of mind. --Bob

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:33 pm
by tlynn78
BackInTex wrote:
Bob78164 wrote: Stuff like this is why I sometimes despair over the hyperpartisan nature of our times. It shouldn't be hard to admit this was a screw-up. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I really would hope we can reach general agreement on stuff like this. --Bob
When you continue to claim Trump was asking the Russians to hack Clinton's email and then you post this, you continue to show your hypocrisy around all things political.

It was not particularly eloquently stated; it also wasn't inaccurate. As Bob said - not a big deal. Yet it generated, so far, ten snarky posts from the left side of the bored. Hyperpartisanship, indeed.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:40 pm
by elwoodblues
tlynn78 wrote:
BackInTex wrote:
Bob78164 wrote: Stuff like this is why I sometimes despair over the hyperpartisan nature of our times. It shouldn't be hard to admit this was a screw-up. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I really would hope we can reach general agreement on stuff like this. --Bob
When you continue to claim Trump was asking the Russians to hack Clinton's email and then you post this, you continue to show your hypocrisy around all things political.

It was not particularly eloquently stated; it also wasn't inaccurate. As Bob said - not a big deal. Yet it generated, so far, ten snarky posts from the left side of the bored. Hyperpartisanship, indeed.
A famous battle we fought against Germany is an example of our strong relationship with Germany? Seriously, I am trying to understand the logic of this.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:44 pm
by Bob78164
elwoodblues wrote:
tlynn78 wrote:
BackInTex wrote:
When you continue to claim Trump was asking the Russians to hack Clinton's email and then you post this, you continue to show your hypocrisy around all things political.

It was not particularly eloquently stated; it also wasn't inaccurate. As Bob said - not a big deal. Yet it generated, so far, ten snarky posts from the left side of the bored. Hyperpartisanship, indeed.
A famous battle we fought against Germany is an example of our strong relationship with Germany? Seriously, I am trying to understand the logic of this.
We cleared the way for the current government. By killing as many Germans as we could find.

This wasn't just ineloquent. It showed complete ignorance of history, both on the part of Ms. Nauert and also on the part of anyone else who reviewed the statement before she made it. It's not a big deal only because she's a low-level spokesperson, so her gaffe will be of little consequence. --Bob

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:45 pm
by tlynn78
elwoodblues wrote:
tlynn78 wrote:
BackInTex wrote:
When you continue to claim Trump was asking the Russians to hack Clinton's email and then you post this, you continue to show your hypocrisy around all things political.

It was not particularly eloquently stated; it also wasn't inaccurate. As Bob said - not a big deal. Yet it generated, so far, ten snarky posts from the left side of the bored. Hyperpartisanship, indeed.
A famous battle we fought against Germany is an example of our strong relationship with Germany? Seriously, I am trying to understand the logic of this.
She didn't say "We have a strong relationship with Germany; for instance, D-Day." I might say, "I have a strong relationship with my husband. We met when I was dating his best friend." That does not mean I'm saying, I have a strong relationship with my husband because I was dating his best friend. But because she is representative of the Trump administration, her phrasing rises to incompetence, at least to lefties.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:51 pm
by franktangredi
tlynn78 wrote:
It was not particularly eloquently stated; it also wasn't inaccurate. As Bob said - not a big deal. Yet it generated, so far, ten snarky posts from the left side of the bored. Hyperpartisanship, indeed.
I wasn't responding as a leftist. I was responding as someone who gets offended by abuses of logic and of the English language.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:58 pm
by tlynn78
franktangredi wrote:
tlynn78 wrote:
It was not particularly eloquently stated; it also wasn't inaccurate. As Bob said - not a big deal. Yet it generated, so far, ten snarky posts from the left side of the bored. Hyperpartisanship, indeed.
I wasn't responding as a leftist. I was responding as someone who gets offended by abuses of logic and of the English language.
There, they're, their, now.

Re: Is just a little competence too much to ask?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 3:02 pm
by T_Bone0806
The problem as I see it is that she went from point A to point Z without a drive in between on the Logic Turnpike.

Thus, my feeling is that it was a stupid statement. I would've said the same thing had it been made by an Obama administration spokesperson. It was a dumb thing to say, or at least a dumb way to say it.