Great article on "misspeaking"

[kath]

Written a while back, but very relevant today.
http://canadiancynic.blogspot.ca/2004/09/dubya-caught-sodomizing-family-pets.html

Oh, sorry, I guess I "misspoke" there. Bummer. Which just emphasizes how tired I'm getting of this epidemic of "misspeaking" going around. And when exactly does someone misspeak? I'm thinking it's when they get caught flat-out lying, and are forced to 'fess up...<snip>

But what exactly does it mean when someone admits that they misspoke? Apparently, from the available evidence, what it means is, "Well, I tried to foist some total nonsense on you earlier, and I got caught, so I'm going to disavow it without explaining why I said it, and refuse to discuss it further. So there. Next question."

And it's not the completely weaselly way these people try to walk away from their previous BS that's so maddening; it's the way the press let's them get away with it. What exactly does it mean to say that someone misspeaks? Well, technically, there seem to be three (and exactly three) possibilities for a "misspeak", so let's take a look at each one of them.

First, there's when you truly believe what you're saying at the time, but it turns out to be wrong. That is, you were absolutely sincere in your statements, but you were mistaken. Happens all the time, you apologize, and move on.
Second, there's what I call the "true misspeak", when your brain and your mouth are not quite running at the same speed, and you unconsciously say the wrong thing without even realizing it. We've all done it; "Sorry, did I say meet at 5 pm? I really meant 6 pm, sorry, just trying to do too many things at once." Again, this is no big deal -- you were sincere in what you were saying, you just garbled it, so a quick apology and you move on.
Finally, there's when you say something you know is untrue. This is what we in the industry refer to as a "lie". Which, as I'm sure you can appreciate, differs from the first two categories in a fairly meaningful way.

Now, as far as I can tell, these are comprehensive and mutually-exclusive categories -- any alleged "misspeak" has to fall into one (and only one) category. Which suggests that, when anyone claims to have "misspoken", it would be nice if the press would at least have the temerity to ask, "Um ... what exactly do you mean, you 'misspoke'? Can you explain what you mean by that?"

(More at link)

Hillary's so-called "misspeaking" is very clearly in the third category - i.e. a LIE.

[Kalidurga]

1. She proved it when she said whoops I meant Alzheimer's.

There has never been a time that I am aware of that Alzheimer's patients have been demonized. When people say it's okay to just let them die because of some perceived sin they have committed. Or some religious groups saying they brought it on themselves cuz lifestyle. No one suggests we spend to much on research of the disease. So, really her apology is almost as bad as the lie.

[Laughing Mirror]

4. It is an established pattern with her

Trying to pass of fiction as fact, over and over again to such an extent there is no need to even bring up the multitude of examples where she reinvents the past, turning her inventions into some kind of alternate reality. She does not seem too bothered when she gets caught. She gets caught and moves on to the next story, stories that may sound good when she tells them to herself, but false when she gives voice to them so that others hear them.

Believability seems not to matter to her. The little twitter forgiving herself for misspeaking did not impress.

[Kalidurga]

14. My daughter the youngest....

had a friend like that. Her lies destroyed the relationship. She lied even when it didn't make sense like the person she is lying to she is lying about.

[BernieforPres2016]

18. And the Alzheimer's thing was a lie for another reason

Hillary talked about how Nancy Reagan spoke on HIV/AIDS when she was in the White House. But even if she wants to try to omit the part about it being demonized, Ronald Reagan's public acknowledgement that he had Alzheimer's was in 1994, 5 years after leaving the White House. And Nancy Reagan's advocacy for stem cell research as part of trying to prevent Alzheimer's didn't happen until the GWB administration many years after that.

[Kalidurga]

19. Yeah what a train wreck of lies

shockingly there are those here that defend those lies all of them. My favorite is Hillary gets lied about all the time. So, I guess that makes it okay for her to lie all the time.

[NowSam]

2. It is particularly puzzling

Because it seems to be ver common knowledge even among low information voters that the Reagans were sweeping HIV/AIDS under the rug. They pretended it was a non-issue. SO why such a blatant "mis-speak" on it? Is she purposely throwing the race?

[HereSince1628]

5. Mispeech/Misspeak==An improperly calibrated political statement that incites an audience

1) (popular) A euphemism for what is a Jumbotron flashing the word MISTAKE!!!! (see political mistake...a euphemism for a fuck-up)

2) (from political science) a nonapology apology arising for a speaker misunderstanding the audience to whom s/he speaks. Typically a speaker who doesn't understand the ubiquity of media (social and professional) that makes even intimate audiences global.

[Else You Are Mad]

24. I think..

Hillary was giving a prepared statement that she knew would be broadcast nationwide. This was not an off the cuff ambush interview with a random reporter. She knew she was going to have to discuss the Reagans so, at best, she didn't realize the absurdity of what was written for her regarding the HIV/AIDS statement or, at worst, wrote the statement herself and no one told her not to say it. Regardless, she looks bad & rightfully so.

I think the problem is that she didn't think that a statement made on a friday that was meant to pander to Reagan democrats would get the media legs it did.

The problem is, she is playing with a playbook from '92/'96 in a 2016 internet race. Facts in '92/'96 were much harder to check and verify then in 2016. This was proved twice in as many days this weekend. First with the HIV comment, then the Bernie healthcare comment. One just does not misspeak so often on so many easily disproven subjects.

[Faux pas]

3. K N R-ed

[Jenny_92808]

6. Hillary

obviously falls into the LIE category.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. she knows she has lost the left

So she must go after centrists and republicans. No other reason to say something like that.

[FlatBaroque]

16. You are right. She knows 100% Bernie's supporters are not attainable

Just a question of how many she is willing to lose to pick up the disaffected anti-Trumpers

[PonyUp]

8. Hillary should change her last name to Peak, so everyone can call her Ms. Peak. n/t

[Ferd Berfel]

9. lol

[felix_numinous]

12. + 10000 YES!!

[kath]

10. Ha!!

Good one!

[felix_numinous]

11. Misspeak sounds more like NewSpeak

out of the Orweillian/Rovian playbook. I wonder if there is a dictionary of it somewhere.

[FlatBaroque]

13. Easy fix. Just create a new word, "Hillspeak", and render this point moot. /

[Kalidurga]

15. I am gonna steal that.

I'll be like don't be Hillspeaking to me.

[ebayfool]

20. Hillsplaining? Yupper! n/t

[kath]

17. Kick.

[treestar]

21. People who are talking all day every day

are bound to flub up now and then. I'm looking forward to next time Bernie says something and am going to jump on it the same way.

[Ino]

22. I was told by a Hillary fan that it's not lying...

it's "politics" and "being responsive to the electorate."

[Gwhittey]

23. I am going to go Drive on the Parkway

When I mean I am going to Park in the Driveway -- That is misspeaking.


Saying I am going to go Drive down Route 66 Parkway and head toward edge of town to the dinner where I will have a nice burger.

Then say Oh I misspoke I meant I am going to Park in the Drive way. That is clearly not misspeaking.