Kerryism of the Day
The senator's caveats and curlicues.
Posted Tuesday, May 18, 2004, at 5:47 PM ETSince 2000, Slate has poked fun at George W. Bush for his torture—some say it's merely abuse—of the English language. Our "Bushisms" collection captures (as Editor Jacob Weisberg explains in his latest volume) the president's ignorance, incuriosity, laziness, and thoughtlessness expressed in frequent gaffes. Now that Democrats have settled on a presumptive presidential nominee, it's time to cast an equally cold eye on the pomposity and evasiveness of John Kerry.
Here's how to read a Kerryism. The text below is Kerry's quote translated into plain English. Kerry's actual quote, however, is full of caveats and pointless embellishments. To read these, click the numbers above the text, which will take you to the caveats and embellishments, presented as footnotes. (Words in brackets before a number are what a normal person would have substituted for the ornate phrase Kerry delivered. To see the ornate phrase, click the number and read the footnote.) To return to the main text, click the number at the beginning of any footnote. To see the whole quote as Kerry delivered it, with all the caveats and embellishments, click here. To get back to this Kerryism, click "Return to English version."
Today's Kerryism:
"Let me just say1 that the2 abuse of Iraqi prisoners3 is4 unacceptable5. And the response of the administration6 has been slow7. I believe the president needs to [give]8 an explanation. What happened there has done a disservice to all of our troops9 10 11, and it12 undermines America's13 efforts in the region. It [puts]14 our troops15 in further jeopardy. It can increase acts of terror against America16, and it undermines the17 effort of the United States in the region. So18 it is important to [understand]19 this as rapidly as possible and to make that explanation20 to the world."
—Los Angeles, May 5, 2004
[3] which the world has now seen
[6] —certainly the Pentagon—
[8] guarantee that the world is going to have
[9] who serve with great valor
[10] and greater courage
[11] and, I think, with distinction
[14] has the potential of putting
[20] and any other appropriate comments
Got a Kerryism? Send it to .
on the Fray
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