April showers bring—another predictable month of campaign comments! There’s even a special section for those of you who are political junkies—which might be all of us this election season. Additional BIMBOs from Richard Simmons’ press agent, Michigan’s Attorney General, President Obama and GOP strategist Rick Wilson. Examples of the Wrong Thing to Say from an executive about women’s tennis, the owner of a funeral home and the newly elected chairman of the Travis County Republican Party. And unsurprisingly, a delusional comment from former congressman (and repeat BIMBO offender) Anthony Weiner.
THE WINNER
“We’re not all thin-lipped white women with our noses in the air,” said Cynthia Moore, a member of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) about the organization. In a moving column, the author wrote a persuasive argument for how the image of DAR is way out of date, but of course the quote is terrible. She did say in the body of the column that DAR today has people of many races, religions and ethnicities, but the bad quote drives out the good one.)
Town & Country, “Why I’m Proud to be a Daughter of the American Revolution in the 21st Century,” March 18, 2016
THE RUNNERS-UP
“This case has never been about money,” said the lawyer for Manuela Herzer, ex-girlfriend of Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone. After Redstone removed Herzer from his will, she filed a lawsuit claiming he was not mentally competent. (Good try; this is obviously only about money, and the lawyer emphasized that fact with this BIMBO comment.)
USA Today, “Redstone lawsuit by ex-girlfriend to proceed,” Feb. 29, 2016
“Don’t think I’m a crook,” said Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak about an investigation into a state investment fund that found millions of dollars from various sources had been deposited into his personal bank accounts. (Razak hammered home the point when he added, “If I had wanted to rob, I would have robbed the forest here long ago, I didn’t take even an inch, I didn’t take a single tree in Pahang.” There is nothing to say in this sort of an investigation except to commit to transparency and follow the findings and recommendations of the investigating body. Note the word “crook” made it into the headline.)
The Wall Street Journal, “Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak Says He Isn’t a ‘Crook,’” March 21, 2016
“I don’t want the readers of USA Today to think this man is a Howard Hughes recluse in his own home,” said Tom Estey, press agent for fitness expert Richard Simmons, after rumors in several publications claimed Simmons hadn’t been seen in public for a while. (Simmons, who is 67, is entitled to some off time. He finally explained that both his knees have been tortured from a half century of exercise classes, and he had just experienced the death of his beloved dog.)
USA Today, “Rep: Richard Simmons is ‘fine,’ avoiding ‘public eye,’” March 12, 2016
“The system in Michigan is not rigged,” said Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette about charges filed against Stuart Dunnings III, the top prosecutor for Ingham County, who was revealed to have paid for sex over a number of years. (So sad. Dunnings had built a reputation for prosecuting human trafficking and prosecution. Schuette is the big loser in this unfortunate situation.)
The Washington Post, “Prosecutor known for fighting prostitution charged with paying for sex hundreds of times,” March 16, 2016
“(I) don’t feel as if I said things I didn’t believe or acted in ways that would make me ashamed,” said President Obama on his trip to South America. (It’s hard to imagine what the president should have said on a worldwide trip. Note that the word “ashamed” made it into the headline.)
The Washington Times, “Obama says he’s not ‘ashamed’ of his presidency,” March 23, 2016
“I’m not a squishy liberal Republican,” said Rick Wilson, a GOP strategist, in a stinging diatribe against Donald Trump. (About the only thing he can claim to be is very angry.)
The New York Times Magazine, “Rick Wilson Would Take Clinton Over Trump,” March 24, 2016
WRONG THING TO SAY
“You know, in my next life when I come back I want to be someone in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), because they ride on the coattails of the men. They don’t make any decisions and they are lucky. They are very, very lucky. If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport. They really have,” said Raymond Moore, the CEO of Indian Wells and BNP Paribas tournament director. (Stupid, stupid, stupid. Predictably, stars like Serena Williams were asked for their reaction and were very gracious. Moore continued with additional comments about how men’s tennis is the only reason fans watch women’s tennis.)
CBS Los Angeles, “Indian Wells CEO Slams Women’s Tennis, Embarrasses Himself with Revolting & Sexist Comments,” March 20, 2016
“Looks like the same woman to me,” said James Alson, owner of McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral Home, in response to pictures of two deceased women. Alston’s funeral home gave the wrong body to family members, resulting in the funeral and cremation of the wrong deceased body. (A good example of competing with the positive message: in the uproar that predictably ensued, Alston also said, “We have a stellar reputation in this community, we’re known for our care, compassion, professionalism and the quality of our work.” The funeral home also apologized to the family, as they should, and acknowledged that they were cooperating with state authorities. What they did not say was what steps they had taken to reassure other families that the mistake would never be repeated.)
The New York Times, “After Funeral and Cremation, a Shock: The Woman in the Coffin Wasn’t Mom,” March 21, 2016
“Tell them to go f**k themselves,” said Robert Morrow about opposition to his election as chairman of the Travis County Republican Party in Texas. (Morrow has a history of sensational comments and tweets, calling Hillary Clinton an “angry bull dyke,” describing the Republican National Committee as “a gay foam party,” and calling former Texas Governor Rick Perry a “rampaging bisexual adulterer.” You really have to read the whole article—we couldn’t possibly include all of his ridiculous comments here.)
The Texas Tribune, “Travis County GOP Apoplectic Over New Chairman,” March 2, 2016
DELUSIONAL COMMENT OF THE MONTH
“I’m probably the best campaign politician you’ll ever interview. I mean, I’m like perfectly evolved. I’m like the Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terminator,” said former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-NY. (Delusional because he had already tempted fate by tweeting NSFW pictures as a congressman, putting him in the national media spotlight– where he did it again! The only title he can claim is “self-terminator.”)
New York Daily News, “Anthony Weiner calls himself a ‘perfectly evolved’ politician, but doubts he will run for office again,” March 28, 2016
CAMPAIGN COMMENTS
“No, I wasn’t being held hostage,” said Gov. Chris Christie, R-NJ, after a highly-criticized appearance where he endorsed Donald Trump. Christie’s appearance was rather staid for such an energetic campaigner. He added, “I wasn’t thinking, ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’” Note that the quote became the headline.)
Quartz, “Chris Christie clarifies: ‘I wasn’t thinking ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’” March 3, 2016
“He’s not a racist,” said former presidential candidate Herman Cain in his endorsement of Donald Trump. (Hardly a ringing endorsement. Note it also became the headline.)
The Hill, “Herman Cain defends Trump: ‘He’s not a racist,’” March 18, 2016
“Trump is a bully,” said protestor Thomas DiMassimo who tried to rush the stage where Donald Trump was speaking only to be stopped by Secret Service agents. (We’re living in a time where quotable, sensational comments make the news. But note that his most sensational quote didn’t make the headline. In response to Trump’s suggestion that DiMassimo was part of ISIS he said, “I am not a member of ISIS. I have no known ties to ISIS.” Yikes.)
CNN Politics, “CNN Exclusive: ‘Trump is a bully,’ says man who rushed stage,” March 14, 2016
“There is no truth to this somehow being rigged,” said Josh Eck, press secretary for the Ohio Secretary of State, about charges that the state ballot was “rigged” against Donald Trump. (Again, a notable comment with a bad word became the quote and the headline.)
Law Newz, “The Truth About The Confusing Ohio Ballot Supposedly ‘Rigged Against Trump,’” March 15, 2016
“Absolutely I’m not a Nazi,” said a Trump supporter who made a Nazi salute during a Trump rally. (The supporter, Birgitt Peterson, said she was upset because Trump opponents had compared the candidate to Hitler. This is a textbook example of the wrong thing to do and say. It only amplified the charge and, predictably, any mention of Hitler is guaranteed to make news.)
The New York Times, “Trump Supporter Who Made Nazi Salute Explains Why She Made the Gesture,” March 12, 2016
The Trump campaign only fueled the debate about whether Corey Lewandowski was indeed “arrested” by saying Lewandowski “was not arrested.” (The flap is over whether Lewandowski pulled or grabbed a Breitbart reporter, Michelle Fields, at a press conference. Washington Post reporter Ben Terris wrote about it, and that triggered an emphatic denial from the Trump campaign followed by intense scrutiny of the video of the event. The police department announced Lewandowski’s “arrest” even though he voluntarily went to police headquarters to sign the paper work that set a court appearance. The first lesson? Scrutiny is on the Trump campaign, which would do well to rethink its trademark bullying. The second lesson—and one for us all? There is video everywhere all the time. The article has since been updated, removing the Trump campaign’s denial quote.)
The Washington Post, “Trump sticking by his campaign manager despite battery charge,” March 29, 2016
“This election is not about Hillary Clinton’s emails,” said Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. (Classic BIMBO comment. Schultz was sailing along in an interview with Fox anchor Megyn Kelly until she was asked about the situation, then she went semi-berserk. Kelly observed that in the GOP “no one was facing the threat of indictment.” Wasserman-Schultz repeated, “There’s no one that’s facing the threat of indictment on our side either Megyn.” As so frequently happens, the BIMBO comment became the headline.)
Hot Air, “DNC Chair: This election isn’t about Hillary Clinton’s emails,” March 22, 2016
“It obviously was not a knock against Obama,” said Hillary Clinton after her husband, the former president, commented that electing his wife “would put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us.” (Sure sounds like a major criticism to us. Clinton was also asked about the popularity of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ slogan, “Feel the Bern,” which she predictably didn’t like and said, “I’ve never been good at slogans.”)
CNN, “Hillary Clinton: ‘Bill ‘obviously’ wasn’t knocking Obama with legacy comment,” March 25, 016
“Republicans and conservatives are not these horrible people out there trying to oppress people,” said Caitlyn – formerly Bruce – Jenner. (This was a strangely encouraging report. Jenner made the point that just because one changed one’s gender didn’t mean one changed one’s core values and beliefs. Interesting that this sentence, which jumped out at us, wasn’t the headline.)
Salon, “Caitlyn Jenner slams Hillary Clinton: She ‘couldn’t care less about women,’” March 7, 2016
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