Dumbest Candidate Catch-Phrase

[WilliamPitt]

[diamondsoul]

1. I voted Joementum

but I think it's a toss-up between that one and "Bring.It.On.". No offense to you or your affinity towards Kerry but that phrase just seemed like a bad choice for anyone who opposed the war and heard Bush say it. Would you believe I don't use it anymore because just thinking about it infuriates me too much?

[Mairead]

39. I did the same, DS, and for the same reasons. (nt)

[West Coast Democrat]

43. I actually thought Joe-mentum was catchy............

it was just the candidate who wasn't catchy.

[anti-NAFTA]

2. Bring it on.

That's basically saying to Bush: "You decide where to attack me. I can't think of any issues to attack you on, so I'll just bend over and try my best to ward off your attacks."

[sallyseven]

3. He is using it as a joke

Come and attack me and I will destroy you.

[gauguin57]

5. none of these ...

... was dumb the first FOUR MILLION times we heard it. But I'm getting sick of "Bring it On," "There are Two Americas" (true statement, but it can't be repeated over and over ad nauseum without getting tiresome), "We're Coming, You're Going, Don't Let the Door Hit You ..."; "Like Father, Like Son, One Term and Then You're Done" ...

The only one I'm NOT tired of is YEEEEEAAAARRRRGH!

[lovedems]

4. Are you serious?

I don't think you have been paying to much attention. The democrats have been doing a much better job at defining the pResident then the republicans have done defining Kerry.

[Hav]

6. .

Well, that's your exclusive interpretation.
If I remember remember right, it is used in the context of making national security an issue in the election by this Administration and so it could also mean, when Bush tries to do that,Kerry will know how to counter that.
Not that you didn't know it anyways...
And btw, there are enough issues that can be used to attack Bush.

[Zomby Woof]

7. YOU HAVE THE POWER!

It is the worst because people actually believed it. The others are only meant to be taken with a grain of salt.

[Kahuna]

15. I didn't like that phrase because Dean implied that..

he was empowering his followers. He didn't empower them. They empowered him.

[AntiCoup2K4]

22. Dean implied no such thing.

What he said was exactly what you just said yourself. Didn't you ever listen to any of his speeches? They all closed with the same theme.

"I don't have the power. YOU do." People powered Howard. Empowered by the people, not by the corporate donors. Get it?

[Kahuna]

28. Actually, I posted what I did because of what his supporters..

have constantly and dramtically claimed, "He empowered me....." :eyes:

[Anwen]

33. Ohhh,

what a terrible thing for his supporters to say! :eyes:

So what? If Dean inspired people to get out and vote, what's the problem with that?

[JVS]

47. The proper motivation for voters is to be screamed at by others about...

how if they don't vote for candidate X the world will explode.

[Zomby Woof]

49. exactly

I am all for real people empowerment, but Dean was NOT the vessel for that to occur. He was so laughably NOT a populist, and his faux-grassroots support evaporated like so much Kool-Aid left out in the sun.

[KeepHopeAlive]

18. Is that bad?

People who feel powerless usually don't vote. I don't understand why believing you have power would be a bad thing.

Power to the people!

[Kahuna]

21. It's bad because Dean didn't have the power to give you..

the power. Only you can do that for yourself. And, it's really sad if people need someone else to point that out to you. It's so obvious that there is power in numbers. Why does someone have to point that out to you? :shrug:

[mouse7]

31. That's what Dean said.

Dean CLEARLY stated that the "power" was the power of his supporters. Dean never claimed possession or credit for the power of the movement. Dean said was all from the supporters.

[Kahuna]

32. But his voters always claimed, "he gave me the power.."

:eyes:

[KeepHopeAlive]

35. I don't recall ever claiming that.

He said, "YOU have the power." I think that's clear.

I agree that it's a sad society when people feel disempowered, but the fact is they do. That's why we need change. It doesn't at all hurt to give a reminder from time to time.

[mouse7]

57. And John Hinkley claimed Jody Foster loved him

Dean could be said to be "responsible" for the empowerment in the way a pitching coach can teach a prospect with a great arm a great curveball. Did the pitching coach give the pitcher the divine power to throw a great curveball? Of course not. The prospect had the ability to throw a great curveball within him already, and the pitching coach simply showed the prospect the skills necessary to properly throw it.

Does a third grade teacher "give" students the "power" of long division? No. Just teaches the skill necessary for a 3rd grader to do long division.

[Zomby Woof]

50. check my post above - titled 'exactly'

Of course I love people empowerment, but from Dean??? :7

Um, no. That is why I have denigrated his phony campaign from Day One. It makes a mockery of real populist movements in history.

[mouse7]

59. People get empowered by whoever they allow to empower them.

Good Lord, have you ever sat down and watch any of the Tony Robbins rubbish? It's all nothing but positive thinking and positive self-messages. But there are millions that swear by Tony Robbins as if he were some reincarnation of the wizard Merlin.

People get results from Tony Robbins because the ALLOW themselves to get results from Tony Robbins. The same thing with Dean. People internally flick the switch that allows Dean's message to work.

I do give credit to Dean for taking some of the time he was in the spotlight to share that message with people, though. Some people need to buy a self-help book to give themselves permission to help themselves. Others need a political leader to do it for them, I guess. Whatever it takes is alright by me as long as it doesn't physically hurt anyone.

[ScreamingMeemie]

41. Honestly, as part of We the People, I feel that I do have the power

and was glad to be reminded of that. It is our government and lots of people have forgotten that. It was a refreshing change to me...although that one speech using it did make me cringe. :hi:

[Zomby Woof]

53. it was sky-high rhetoric

I am surprised at the DUers who I thought knew me better than I would denigrate REAL populism and people-empowerment.

Coming from Dean, it was phony bullshit. It was no different than LBJ saying "We Shall Overcome" or Bush saying "I am a compassionate conservative". It is just so laughably dishonest on its feet.

Yeah, his chanting reminded me of watching a tape of Anthony Robbins seminar attendees on speed. I am uncomfortable with chants led by 'charismatics'. I have seen too many Riefenstahl films from the 30's to ever be comfortable with personality-driven candidates who use yelling as a rhetorical device.

[ScreamingMeemie]

55. I'm sorry Zomby, I still like the phrase and at the time I really wanted

someone to yell for me and for my children. We have grown too lax, too spoon fed. I felt we needed a change. And I'm a little depressed to see that that change doesn't look like it's going to be much. I'll take it though. :) I am my own mind...I didn't find out about the Governor on the internet as so many would have us all believe. I still support his stances,I'm still sorry to see him go.

That said, I still like you too. Because...politics is politics. ;)

I do have the Power...and so do you.

:loveya:

[Zomby Woof]

62. like they say in the mafia

It's not personal, it's just business. :evilgrin:

Of course, if other Dean supporters were as fair-minded and polite as you, then I would have never flamed a single soul. I just can't stand MOST of them. As a mod, you know who they are. ;-) I have never had much tolerance of whiny and self-centered crybabies.

I don't need a centrist-Repuke-lite governor from Vermont to tell me I am empowered though. The message is fine, but I find the messenger very faulty.

I am a progressive of the old school. People like me distrust populist messages from Park Avenue acolytes. But I dislike Dean on two fronts - his record (sealed or unsealed, haha), and his rhetoric. We do need change, but he ain't it. I see "status quo" all over him. Even more than I do with the two frontrunners.

Others can say the same about Kerry or Edwards, but the difference is, Dean is the one packaging himself the most dishonestly of the three. That, and his gawdawful minions (not you) who know NOTHING about politics. They think they invented idealism and activism. So as long as they drag his political corpse through here, I will kick it around. :P

But yeah, none of shit I post in here is personal, it's business.

[curse10]

58. Agreed

:-)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. "We don't need slogans, we need solutions." -John Kerry

Cracked me up every time I heard it.

[joshcryer]

46. Hahaha

Yeah, that is funny..

[Anwen]

9. Bring. It. On.

I hated it when Bush said it, and now I cringe when Kerry says it.

[For PaisAn]

37. Bring it on

Makes me cringe also. It trivializes and mutes the blatant disregard for our military that Bush showed when he said it. It is opportunisitc and disgusting that Kerry would use this slogan in his campaign.

[Eloriel]

10. The Real Deal

Not real, a terrible deal, but oh can he DO those deals.

Plus, it sounds like a fast food chain campaign.

[edzontar]

17. The Real Deal is the worst.

Actually it sounds like a used car lot campaign to me.

[quaker bill]

42. It is just like 'clean skies"

It portends on the surface to be something it is not.

[ShimokitaJer]

11. Rejected Kerry in '04 slogans

"Vote for Kerry... it sure beats thinking"

"Kerry: Because we know what's best for you"

"John Kerry: Same slogans as Dean, with none of that messy follow through"

"Scared? Good. Vote Kerry."

[West Coast Democrat]

40. God, you're using the slogans we use to bash Republicans....

to bash Kerry now? That's sad.

[girl gone mad]

12. I voted "Bring It On!"

But you can add:

"We can go to the moon here on Earth."
"When I got back from Vietnam..."
"..the son of a mill worker..."

[SeattleRob]

13. If we can include other elections...

I vote for Mondale's "Where's the beef?" and Ronnie Reagan's "Go ahead. Make my day."

[Kahuna]

16. I remember those. You're right. They were pretty bad...

Especially, "where's the beef?"

[Kahuna]

14. "Joe-mentum" get my vote.

:eyes:

[rock]

19. "It's your money"

Well, no, it isn't. Not only is the statement false, it's implications are outlandish. For example, should I stop paying taxes? After all, it's my money.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. They all suck

Catchphrases are necessary, but I'm not a fan.

[revcarol]

23. Bring it on.

Reinforces Bush's turning ourselves into a militaristic agressive society.

[corporatewhore]

34. that is exactly my thought too

[citizen snips]

24. Joementum.

That is the worse campagin solgan.

[charlie]

25. An oldie

"Vote for Bob Barr. He's just gooder."

[salin]

36. lolol

that STILL cracks me up.

[RichM]

26. Every Kerry attempt to say that voting for IWR was not a vote for war.

See forked tongue twist to left. See it twist to right. Whatever suits the moment. Me fence-sit. Me play both sides.

[Scott Lee]

70. How about everything that Senator Botox says, period?

[Mattforclark]

27. Joementum may be dumb, but it is also

hilarious.

[Anwen]

45. I agree!

It is just so bad you have to laugh! :D

[VelmaD]

29. Whatever Chimpy's campaign comes up with...

I guarantee it will be dumber than anything we've heard so far from the Democratic candidates. :-)

[BeFree]

30. No difference

"There is no difference between the Democratic Party and the GOP"

That is as stupid as one can get, and he still has the gall to ask us to listen to anything else he has to say.

[West Coast Democrat]

38. That "One-Way Bus Ticket" phrase got on my nerves.......

after the first 50 times I heard it.

[bigtree]

44. I like the 'Real Deal'

It was coined by an African American veteran in response to hearing John Kerry speak. John Kerry is the 'Real Deal'! I like it!

Dumbest: I'm a uniter, not a divider. -Bush

[DrFunkenstein]

48. Actually I Like That "Bring It On" Is A Big FU to Bush

And I thought Joe-mentum was hilarious!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

51. I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK and

I'm Howard Dean's Special Interest...all acrimony aside, I never liked the first because it invokes images of a kicking screaming baby on the floor throwing a tantrum and I never liked the latter because it implies all the frigging nannying that the libertarian minded that supported him seem to rail against....it was a very PATERNAL sounding phrase.

[Maddy McCall]

61. I want my baby back baby back baby back baby back...

ribs.

;-)

[Zomby Woof]

63. goddammit!!

I am hungry now!

I WANT MY RIBS!!! :P I HAVE THE BBQ POWER!!! :bounce:

[Maddy McCall]

64. You have the power....

to get off yer ass and go to Chile's. ;-)

[diamondsoul]

68. ROTFLMSAOSTDHTD!

*rolling of the floor laughing my sill arse off scaring the dogs half to death!

OMG that's a beaut, and I friggin' hate that damned commercial!

[TheDonkey]

52. A Tale of Two Cities, er' America's

gets old... FAST.

[PurityOfEssence]

54. Don't let the door hit you on the way out

Pure, unadulterated boilerplate gobbledeegook.

Let the door catch their trailing foot and rip it right off, tearing the hamstring with it and unzipping them like a banana.

It doesn't help that the delivery's so wooden, either...

[hippywife]

56. You forgot another one...

"Que pasa, Hadassah!" :eyes:

[charlie]

66. Noooooo, he didn't???

Aiyiyi, I never heard that one!

I've gotta say, his oldest daughter is a real sport. When he sent her out on a four-day campaign tour in Oklahoma, it was called

Becca's Boomer Bonanza

Not many kids would put up with that, no matter how badly Dad wanted to be President.

[mgmartin]

60. somw

The "son of a mill worker" who's father was really upper management.

[mgarretson]

65. Joementum was so sad it was funny...

I guess if I'm keeping with the poll, I'd say Joementum. Lieberman had some other ones too... Remember the story about him hoping all the NH McCain-iacs from 2000 would be Lieberman-iacs in 2004?

I think the most annoying phrase in a stump speech I've heard was John Kerry's "Two Roads Diverged in the NH Wilderness." When I volunteered at the NH Clark Headquarters I transcribed some tapes of Kerry events and the two roads crap just made me want to punch my fist into the wall. :) Anybody, remember them?

From Clark Country,
I'm another Clarkie for Kerry!

[Nimble_Idea]

67. I think the DUMBEST thing said was...

"do we just want to change presidents, or do we want to fundamentally change America?"

I think it was obvious , if not for Dean, it was the former.


SHRUB MUST GO

[Scott Lee]

69. You forgot this one....

"I'm Dennis Kucinich's press spokesperson. No, really!"

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

71. Joementum

is the stupidest by far, i thought bring it on was clever in the context Kerry used it.

[LWolf]

72. Bring it on.

1. It doesn't sit well with me to repeat what George says. Don't use his stuff.

2. It exhibits a kind of chest-beating, bully/bluster display that leaves me cold. Which, despite Kerry's military record, constrasts oddly with his "dignified" presentation/image.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

73. "Edwards and Kerry make me want to Ralph"

[citizen snips]

74. I never heard that one.

n/t