Romney WAS joking about the airplane windows

[KurtNYC]

The Los Angeles Times story that relayed Romney's airplane remark to the world was based off a pool report written by the New York Times's Ashley Parker. When we asked Parker this morning whether it seemed as if Romney made the mark in jest, she left no doubt. "Romney was joking," she e-mailed. Parker told us that while the pool report didn't explicitly indicate that Romney was joking, it was self-evident that he was. "The pool report provided the full transcript of his comments on Ann's plane scare," she said, "and it was clear from the context that he was not being serious."

The Blaze hears the same thing from William Everitt, who attended the Saturday night Beverly Hills fund-raiser where the remark happened:

"Basically he was retelling the story and when he said ‘I don’t know why they don’t have roll down windows on airplanes,’ he looked at the audience and everyone laughed,” Everitt told TheBlaze. “It was a clearly delivered joke … There were 1,000 people there that will tell you the same thing.”

So, let this be a lesson to us all: When a gaffe seems too good to be true, it probably is.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/09/mitt-romney-joke-joking-airplane-windows.html

Can we now go back to attacking Romney on real issues ? There are plenty of them.

[arcane1]

1. Well, if the Blaze says he was joking...

then he wasn't

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. What? you don't believe Glen Beck's website???

Un believable....I listened to the tape and if it was humor, then .... I"m Glen Beck.

[ProSense]

2. Bullshit! n/t

[renate]

3. sorry, I don't believe it

I saw the videotape. He didn't do anything that indicated he was following his "simulate amusement" programming.

[KurtNYC]

6. got a link ?

Romney has a weird sense of humor.

[ProSense]

12. "Romney has a weird sense of humor."

Yeah, he was "joking" about his wife being in potential danger.

Said Romney: "I appreciate the fact that she is on the ground, safe and sound. And I don't think she knows just how worried some of us were. When you have a fire in an aircraft, there's no place to go, exactly, there's no -- and you can't find any oxygen from outside the aircraft to get in the aircraft, because the windows don't open. I don't know why they don't do that. It's a real problem. So it's very dangerous. And she was choking and rubbing her eyes. Fortunately, there was enough oxygen for the pilot and copilot to make a safe landing in Denver. But she's safe and sound."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021407539

Let's discuss that issue.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. "And she was choking and rubbing her eyes."

LOL That's a real knee-slapper!!!

Joke my ass.

What's with the OP? Trying too hard.

[reformist2]

125. Yep. That's the context they can't ignore... NO JOKE.

[FrodosPet]

122. Gallows humor? Whistling past the graveyard?

Most comedy is offensive, and has dark roots.

I hate to give him any credit, but in retrospect, I probably would have made a similar joke to try and relieve the gut twisting nervousness I would have been experiencing in a similar situation.

[pinboy3niner]

22. Video (Via The Rachel Maddow Show):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/25/rachel-maddow-mitt-romney-airplane-windows_n_1912167.html

[KurtNYC]

29. Thanks for that -- Yes he is joking there

They cut the clip so you can't hear the crowd reaction but his wife is right next to him. Even Maddow says so. She says he is joking about his wife potentially being injured. Romney likes these types of jokes -- tripping his kids in foot races, posing with money in their hands and: I always thought being rich and famous would make me happy "boy was I right" I have worked around enough corporate types to know that they love these 'I'm such an asshole' type jokes.

Maddow also says this is a non-starter and distracts from Romney NOT joking about 47%.

[ProSense]

48. Why are you misrepresenting what Maddow said?

She mocked him and said she didn't think it was a joke because he wouldn't be joking about his wife almost being in plane crash.

Then she said maybe he was joking in which case he was joking about something very scary about his wife.

[DevonRex]

57. Woah. We have EARS buddy. Rachel did NOT say it was a joke. Nt

[Care Acutely]

59. Why are you lying about what Rachel said, repeatedly?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021412294

[KurtNYC]

70. at the 1:48 mark she says "Maybe Mister Romney WAS joking..."

[ProSense]

76. The rest paraphrased: in which case he was joking about something very scary about his wife.

That is not saying that she believed he was joking, and you ignored the first part of her commnentary where she specifically said she didn't think he was joking.

[lapfog_1]

114. At the 1:20 mark

She says "I don't think he was joking because he couldn't possibly be joking about his wife almost being in a plane crash - you can't joke about that, especially with her standing right there"

[Care Acutely]

131. Rachel:"I DON"T THINK HE WAS JOKING. . he couldn't possibly be jokingabout his wife almost being in

a plane crash"

Your statements about what Maddow was communicating are an absolute falsehood.

Why do you invest so much time today on behalf of the Mitt Romney campaign when it is clear to all that your assertions concerning Romney are false and your statements about Rachel Maddow are mischaracterizations and lies?

[KurtNYC]

160. Does she or does she not say "maybe he was joking" at the 1:48 mark?

What do YOU make of that? Doesn't she cover the other possibility eg. Romney was joking ? and that he not drooling stupid but rather just an unfunny, insensitive asshole?

[obnoxiousdrunk]

138. FYI - Rachel did NOT say it was a joke. Nt

[MariaM83]

213. The glass is half empty! No, it's half full! No, you're wrong! No, YOU're wrong! Half empty! Half fu

I like the part about getting back to real issues.

[bongbong]

19. Coding

> "simulate amusement" programming.

The writing of that subroutine was farmed out to non-union coders, and instead of writing it, they replaced it with an endless loop of

PRINT("We need more tax cuts for the wealthy&quot ;

Then the non-union coders said they satisfied the requirements and collected their six-figure fee.

[boobooday]

4. In our defense...

We would have never believed it if he hadn't already established an undeniable record of cluelessness. It actually sounds like kind of a funny joke. That is completely out of character.

[DevonRex]

21. It wasn't a joke.

[Arugula Latte]

62. And he also thought that cold fusion fiasco at U. of Utah had been a success.

If he had a functioning brain he would have realized that had that really succeeded our entire energy system would have been radically different by now.

[sadbear]

5. I'm sure it's difficult to discern when he's joking and when he's not.

The guy has terrible timing and seems to disregard all the subtle social conventions.

[LuckyLib]

191. And the fact that he has thousands of folks trying to discern what the hell

he meant should tell us something. Anyone that obtuse shouldn't be President. The fact that he is so clueless as to constantly be making strange comments that require "context" should tell us everything we need to know about his potential to serve. Dead in the water.

[bigtree]

7. right because Romney DESERVES a fair shake

. . . like hell he does. I say, let him swim in this; if only to remind him of his sleazy tactic of twisting the President's words for his petty political benefit.

[KurtNYC]

30. why give up the high ground and stoop to distorting quotes?

It is a terrible tactic against an opponent who can't tell the truth.

The truth is on our side. Let's use it.

[bigtree]

38. I'd let romney's campaign worry about that

. . . that's just me

[KurtNYC]

73. you are advocating us using a "sleazy tactic" and that is what I am against here

[Care Acutely]

60. You are doing the work of the Romney Campaign

I wouldn't do that for free. Are you?

[KurtNYC]

163. Therefore you would work for Romney if they paid you. Nice confession.

[mac56]

165. Dude. Talk about distorting a quote.

[yardwork]

147. Who distorted the quote?

[JHB]

150. Yes, let us USE that. Every time someone tires to chide us for taking this gaffe out of context...

...it is an opportunity to bring up the Soviet-grade editing job behind his entire "you built that" theme, and what kind of candidate builds an entire major campaign theme out of complete horse shit?

[progressivebydesign]

201. no one is distorting the quote. It was not a joke. Look at how it's sandwiched in his comments. nt

[KurtNYC]

204. People are spending credibility on this thing

We should be selling the difference -- not narrowing it. We need trust to win swing voters.

In the video clip you can hear the start of laughter as he pauses. Romney has flown hundreds of thousands of miles in his 65 years -- of course he knows why the windows don't open.

[TeamPooka]

8. When Mitt tells a joke he does a fake laugh. He didn't laugh this time. nt

[Brickbat]

9. Honestly? I don't care if he was joking or not. While I'd like to see more talking about the issues,

I have to say I like that for once the media is picking up on non-issues that hurt the other side.

[Grown2Hate]

10. OH, I get it!!! His wife was just in a life-threatening situation! HAHAHA! GET IT?!

Joke my ass... And if it was, it just goes to show even FURTHER what an unfeeling fucking FOOL he is...

[renate]

13. I truly don't think he was joking: here's the clip

At about 30 seconds in:

He was smiling but he really seemed to be ad libbing... and the idea that Mitt Romney could ad lib a joke is to

[Egnever]

17. Well he could be the worlds worst joke teller.

In fact I think he is.

[treestar]

151. He was saying a lot of stuff he should simply have not said

He should have stopped at he was glad she's safe and sound and then shut up. I had this feeling listening to that that if I were his campaign manager I'd be thinking "please shut up" just about then.

[randome]

161. If Obama can draw him out into long-winded answers during the debate, he'll destroy himself.

The more he talks, the more stupid he looks.

[City Lights]

18. Thanks for posting this!

I saw it last night on Rachel's show. I don't think he was joking either.

[Egnever]

14. So?

He is still a tool.

He doesn't seem to have any trouble taking people out of context and running with it.

I say screw him and attack him any way we can.

[DevonRex]

23. It wasn't a joke.

[KurtNYC]

31. It wasn't funny, but to Mitt and Ann and the crowd in that room it was a joke.

[WinkyDink]

198. THEN the reaction should be a revelation to him: THAT THE REST OF US THINK HE'S THAT STUPID.

[DefenseLawyer]

49. No! We're better than that!

Keep the moral high ground damn it. Is winning really that important? It's only the presidential election. Sure Mitt Romney may be elected and sure, he may destroy the country, but at least we will have our dignity!





(sarcasm, for the sarcasmically impaired)

[City Lights]

15. I saw the clip. He didn't look like he was joking to me.

He's got a strange sense of humor if he was joking about that in the middle of telling the audience how thankful he was that his wifey was safe.

[Raine]

16. *IF* it was a joke it's in very poor taste stand next to someone

who had a fright like that and attempt to get yourself a laugh off of it. Probably just the kind of thing Mitt think is funny like cutting off someone's hair, running a blind person into a door and shoving a kid's face into butter, hahhaha ... NOT.

[DevonRex]

20. Sorry Kurt. I heard it. He was serious. It wasn't

a joke. His wife had had an emergency landing.

Why do you keep taking up for Romney anyway? This is the second thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1412056

[randome]

25. Whether it was a joke or not, it doesn't merit much of our time.

We already know Romney is a clueless twit. Brandishing his 'joke' about like a sword just means we want to look at the little things instead of the bigger things that disqualify him.

[ProSense]

27. Romney deserves to be kicked when he's down

People are discussing the issues. Multitasking is not a problem. His character and common sense are also issues. He's running for President.

He deserves no pass. He's unwilling to give the poorest Americans respect, tearing them down every opportunity he gets.

The media gave him a pass on the 211 comment. Anything that can show Mitt's cluelessness is fair game.

[DevonRex]

33. I'm sorry but flat-out stupid is a disqualifier.

Period. You and Kurt kindly talk about your own topics and we will talk about what we want to. Okay?

Tax returns? Going nowhere yet.

His "plan" for anything but cutting his own taxes? Hasn't got one.

The ME? The more he talks the worse it gets.

It is what it is. Obama is the only one with anything on the table. He's not running against Ryan. And there you have it in a nutshell.

[eridani]

187. Why not? Dan Quayle will be Mr Potatoehead forevermore

And Al Gore will always be about earth tones. This kind of crap sinks careers, and why in bleeding hell should we be so noble as to skip chances like this?

[WinkyDink]

197. You spend your time your way, and the rest of will do so our own ways.

[KurtNYC]

36. Well Rex, I think it is a stupid non-issue when there is much better ammo out there

I think it is a strategic mistake to attack someone with baseless junk when there are a dozen REAL issues on the table.

I have survived an emergency landing (DC7 prop jet on fire) and I wouldn't hesitate to joke about it.

Guys like Romney who are surrounded by sycophants make bad jokes all the time and they don't know because the underlings pretend to laugh.

[ProSense]

40. If it's a "a stupid non-issue," why

did you post this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021411403

[DevonRex]

42. And why I told him to get his story straight

in that thread.

[ELY08]

190. Nice

Things that make you go hmmmmm?

[City Lights]

64. We should use all the ammo we have.

I'm tired of keeping the powder dry.

[greatauntoftriplets]

66. Just saw the tape of that speech.

The audience wasn't laughing.

[DevonRex]

67. Nope. Dead quiet. Shocked I'd say, at the stupidity. Nt

[Turbineguy]

26. Behind door number 1....

"I am a moron!"

Behind door number 2.....

"I was just joking!"

[12forward]

28. really a joke?

forgetting to mention the whole "emergency landing" thing

[Incitatus]

32. He was joking about the 47% too

[Cali_Democrat]

34. I have two problems with this post

1) He definitely wasn't joking. Romney is a LIAR so his lying about his statement comes as no surprise. I don't know why you're believing him.

2) This kind of stuff actually does matter and it's not as inane as you might think. It paints Romney as clueless. This kind of stuff penetrates.

[KurtNYC]

37. Romney didn't say it was a joke -- The press core did.

Maddow says it was a joke and she ran the tape on her show.

[randome]

41. Never mind.

[ProSense]

46. She did not! n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

54. "The press core did." I thought it was the apple corps.

[Care Acutely]

56. That's a lie. She did not say it was a joke.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021412294

[KurtNYC]

69. at the 1:48 mark there

"Maybe Mister Romney was joking..."

[uponit7771]

107. A supposition and a claim are two different things, I would admend your statement

supposition

[Care Acutely]

133. Rachel:"I DON"T THINK HE WAS JOKING. . he couldn't possibly be joking about his wife almost being in

a plane crash"

[MindPilot]

35. Apparently he doesn't know how humor works either.

I will buy it was a joke when Mitt can describe to us the basics of how and why airplanes are pressurized. I suspect that will happen right after he shows us what was in the bucket of "hardware stuff". The man is just fundamentally clueless about real life.

[KurtNYC]

52. Mitt thinks dressing as State Trooper and pullnig over girls is a prank

He shoves his kids heads into plates of whipped cream and trips them during foot races. He thinks being an asshole is extremely funny.

[liberal N proud]

39. BULL FUCKING SHIT

THEY COVER ALL OF HIS FUCKING MISSTEPS WITH THIS SAME FUCKING LIE!

The media just gobbles it up and regurgitates it like it is true. I am so sick of these fuckers stuffing another inept moron down Americas throat.

[n2doc]

43. careful, you are showing your true intentions

Blowing a carefully built up profile with a few poorly argued posts that support Romney isn't the wisest course of action.

[DevonRex]

61. Too late. Everybody sees him now. When he

said that Maddow said it was a joke it was all over except for last rites.

[KurtNYC]

128. Yes. Doctor McCoy.

Maddow entertains the idea that it was a joke at the 1:48 mark so excuse the fuck out of me for overstating her confidence in that.

[Care Acutely]

142. You deliberately misrepresented her comments & cherry picked to suit your purpose, defending Romney

Rachel: "I don't think he was joking because he couldn't possibly be joking about his wife almost being in a plane crash"

Her segment, taken in it's entirety, makes it is absolutely clear that she does not say that he was joking. You now claim to overstate a confidence she never imparted in the first place.

[KurtNYC]

90. I just think this airplane joke thing is a flawed meme

I was debating someone in another thread over whether Romney said this stuff as yet another unfunny joke. I didn't want to hijack that thread so I did some research and started this one.

IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU MISTER MIND READER?

[mac56]

174. Somebody needs a nap.

[WilliamPitt]

44. Gaffes are in the eyes of the beholder.

The fact that so many people believed he was serious speaks volumes about what people think of him.

P.S. Board nannies rule.

[kestrel91316]

45. Some "joke". Did he give a hearty laugh when he told about how his wifey was choking on smoke?

[Zoeisright]

47. Guess it was retroactively funny.

Just another lie from Rmoney.

[tarheelsunc]

50. It wasn't a joke, because it wasn't funny.

[Warren Stupidity]

51. And in your other thread you attempt to argue that his statement was accurate.

Why?

What is your motive here?

[KurtNYC]

102. you mischaracterize my statements there

but that is okay. I should know better than to try to have strategy or analysis discussions here because they always devolve into this paranoia stuff. I think it is a mistake to take his unfunny joke and try to make him out to be the stupidest man on the planet.

None of Romney's "jokes" are funny and they are often in the vein of "look what a money grubbing a-hole I am" Romney is not funny or stupid, he is just an asshole.

[JHB]

53. If that was a joke, Mitt makes Steven Wright look like Jim Carrey

Maybe Mitt's whole campaign is a deadpan comedy act? Who knew?

[Kalidurga]

79. Or maybe Twit Mitt is pulling an Andy Kaufman.

Sorry no time to post a vid. But, this could be the biggest Poe ever.

[pinboy3niner]

171. But Mitt forgot to invite everybody over for cookies and milk

[Kalidurga]

193. Would you really want cookies and milk with Twit Mitt?

He would take 99% of the cookies and leave one for everyone else.

[pinboy3niner]

196. You'd pass on the chance to tell him that...

...you don't think he made the cookies, that they must've come from the 7-eleven, bakery or whatever?

[Kalidurga]

207. You win...

that would be hilarious. And then I could ask who on earth decorated the place.

[Cha]

166. lol@

"deadpan comedy act".

[Chiyo-chichi]

185. Mitt is the Pat Paulsen of the 21st century!

[frylock]

186. steve was born cesarian, so he always disembarks through the window

[nolabear]

55. The original footage was on Rachel. If he was joking he's got the dryest delivery on record.

Hell, maybe he was. The fact that no one can read him and so many are willing to believe he's that strange in itself speaks volumes.

[Bucky]

71. He's an odd duck, for sure. But it was a nothing line, a toss off aside from an eccentric dude.

Presidents don't have the right to cavalier about tragic and near-tragic events. But private citizens do have every right to be a little weird. It's what our whole American way of life is about. As long as Romney is never president, I'm cool with his behavioral and verbal oddities.

[nolabear]

148. Me too. Absolutely.

[jeff47]

58. It's as much a joke as Quayle's "Potatoe" incident was. (nt)

[Ikonoklast]

63. The Blaze??? You actually believe one thing they say??????

Wow.

What else does Glen Beck whisper in your ear late at night?

[KurtNYC]

110. My first reaction to reading the transcript was that Romney was joking

Now we have some tape of the event and comments from the press corps.

Have I been disrespectful to you?

[2pooped2pop]

65. Rmoney is a joke but he was not joking.

Just watch it. It's obvious.

[Bucky]

68. I watched the video. He was obviously joking. However

Expect the mob here to insist that he wasn't joking, that a CEO who's logged at least hundreds of thousands of miles in private jets thinks it's reasonable for plane windows to roll down. After all, Rachel Maddow made a big argument about how Mitt just had to be serious about it all since there's just no way he'd joke about his wife's life being in danger at that moment.

As if no one ever made a joke after a near miss of a terrible accident.

As if Mitt Romney had a reputation for not making wierd and innapproprate comments.

As if Mitt Romney was best characterized for his reverence for human life.

[ProSense]

72. So

"Expect the mob here to insist that he wasn't joking"

...you're saying the "mob" insisting that he was "joking" thinks joking about his wife's potential danger is funny?

As if no one ever made a joke after a near miss of a terrible accident.

As if Mitt Romney had a reputation for not making wierd and innapproprate comments.

As if Mitt Romney was best characterized for his reverence for human life.

Well, at least you admit it was "wierd and innapproprate."

Is the "mob" allowed to criticize him for that? I mean, he is running for President, for Pete's sake.

[Bucky]

95. You're reading so much into my comments, tacking on interpretations that aren't there

Well, at least you admit it was "wierd and innapproprate."

Who are you? What do you know about me? I think DUers look silly trying to make a mountain out of this molehill. I only bring it up in the hopes that a couple of people will realize they're trying to force facts (and unimportant facts at that) to fit their pre-fabbed interpretation of who Mitt Romney is.

I think it's pathetic when Republicans do that. When Democrats do that, it's embarrassing. I mean, wasn't the fact-based politics and the not-getting-distracted by ridiculous distractions supposed to be our thing and the "say-whatever" snarkiness supposed to be their thing?

[ProSense]

100. Wait

Well, at least you admit it was "wierd and innapproprate."

Who are you? What do you know about me? I think DUers look silly trying to make a mountain out of this molehill. I only bring it up in the hopes that a couple of people will realize they're trying to force facts (and unimportant facts at that) to fit their pre-fabbed interpretation of who Mitt Romney is.

I think it's pathetic when Republicans do that. When Democrats do that, it's embarrassing. I mean, wasn't the fact-based politics and the not-getting-distracted by ridiculous distractions supposed to be our thing and the "say-whatever" snarkiness supposed to be their thing?

...you didn't post this:

As if no one ever made a joke after a near miss of a terrible accident.

As if Mitt Romney had a reputation for not making wierd and innapproprate comments.

As if Mitt Romney was best characterized for his reverence for human life.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1412451

What's "embarrassing" is watching people trip over themselves to defend Romney when he said something utterly idiotic.

Yes, it's defense: Leave Romney alone, you're "embarrassing" yourselves by pointing out that his comment was really stupid.

Romney is the one who should be embarrassed, don't you think?

[uponit7771]

112. I don't think rMoney is as smart as you do

[soleft]

113. I don't think that's what she was saying

I think she was making the point that if he wasn't serious, then it was a very inappropriate joke. Not that he isn't capable of making weird and innappropriate comments.

Frankly, I didn't think he was joking because a) it wasn't funny b) it wasn't delivered in a comical way.

Bottom line - if he was misinterpreted, it's his fault.

[KurtNYC]

141. yes the pitchforks are out

Ow. Ouch. Ow..

[Astrad]

189. +100

Totally agree. Of course he's joking. He's likely a sociopath but it's clear, like many sociopaths, he's NOT stupid. There's so much to attack this guy over, to pick on this is just petty.

[redqueen]

74. Whether it was a joke or not it's not an issue that will influence anyone's vote.

It was a funny gaffe or joke. People laughed. It's over.

Letting a debate about whether it was really a joke take up more time is bad politics.

[randome]

78. It makes us look petty.

We have bigger fish to fry.

[ProSense]

83. And trying to apologize for Romney is magnanimous?

Oh please, this is a political campaign, and it isn't the first time people jumped on an ignorant statement and will not be the last.

The 47 percent comment could just as easily be written off and excused away.

[redqueen]

88. I'm just saying it's a waste of time to argue about it. nt

[ProSense]

97. No one was doing that until the apologists came out.

Mitt was being roundly criticized and mocked.

[KurtNYC]

121. We have the truth on our side -- Let's use THAT

Where are Mitt's tax returns?
What is on the missing 2 minutes of the donor tape?
Did Romney claim tax amnesty ?

These are real issues.

[aquart]

209. Good of you to take the time to correct us.

Mitt Romney is oblivious and incurious. I have no trouble believing he has no clue about pressurized cabins.

[redqueen]

103. Or like wannabe comedians.

I'll let SNL, Colbert and Jon Stewart handle the low hanging fruit. They're better at it anyway.

I'd rather ridicule his idea of what constitutes the middle class, or his lack of couth regarding attacks on embassies.

[uponit7771]

115. no

[ProSense]

81. People said the same thing about the 47 percent comment

Bush FDIC Chair ‘Aghast’ With Romney, Plans To Write In Huntsman
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021411245

You know, Palin made a lot of stupid comments, and they were played up to show her ignorance. Why exactly is it supposed to be different for Romney?

Is it a stretch to think that an undecided voter or several will hear this and think: This guy is beyond stupid.

[redqueen]

86. Don't you think the 47 percent comment is more directly related to politics ...

Than the airplane window thing?

I don't think it was a mistake to publicize it, if nothing else it was funny.

I do think it's a mistake to let it draw any more air out of the room, though. If people want to believe he was joking, so what? IMO it's not worth making into an investigation.

If it were related to politics sure... but this is fluff.

[ProSense]

89. The "airplane window thing" was damned stupid.

It's ironic that some people want this dropped when so many made a big deal out of Romneyshambles and some of his previous gaffes, which were not nearly as idiotic.

[redqueen]

98. Perhaps because it's too idiotic to be believable.

What's the point in hammering on something so many people will dismiss with 'he must have been joking'.

Whatever. This has gone beyond ridiculous now. I can't believe I got sucked into actually arguing about it myself.

Ugh.

[ProSense]

108. Really?

Perhaps because it's too idiotic to be believable.

What's the point in hammering on something so many people will dismiss with 'he must have been joking'.

This is your argument: Don't make a point that the comment was "idiotic" because some people will "dismiss with 'he must have been joking'"?

You're right, some people are doing that right here. Some are not.

[randome]

101. There is a larger picture to consider.

There are SOME Republicans who are still sitting on the fence regarding Romney. They don't like him but they are conflicted.

If they believe that we are only too eager to make mountains out of molehills, they will adopt a defensive position of voting for their party without considering the larger issues.

We need to focus on direct flaws with Romney, of which there are many. That's the only way we are going to peel away those relatively few undecideds.

[ProSense]

104. Right,

"There are SOME Republicans who are still sitting on the fence regarding Romney. They don't like him but they are conflicted."

...the larger picture is that some Republicans are going to fall off the fence at the sheer stupidity of the remark.

Like I said, there were those who made the same point about the 47 percent comment. Well...

Bush FDIC Chair ‘Aghast’ With Romney, Plans To Write In Huntsman
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021411245

[randome]

116. All human beings are stubborn, to a point.

The Republican fence-sitters are more likely to consider:
"Where are Romney's tax returns?"
Rather than:
"Romney is an idiot!"

It's the same thing when we hurl vitriol at the 'other' side. They are more likely to circle the wagons and be more united against us.

Maybe a good rule of thumb to use is to ask the question: "Is Obama and/or his surrogates making much of this?"

And when most of the journalists who were there say it was a joke, I think it's time to drop it.

[ProSense]

126. And some people

The Republican fence-sitters are more likely to consider:
"Where are Romney's tax returns?"

...also dismissed the tax returns as a non-issue.

[randome]

145. Well, those people were wrong.

I think hiding your tax returns while advocating massive tax changes is more pertinent to Romney's suitability to be President.

[redqueen]

105. Well said. nt

[goclark]

214. It was not a joke

No one in his right mind...and qualifies to be President should play games with words about such a serious incident!
The fact that his words are even up for discussion speaks volumes.

The President of the Usa should never be "misunderstood" about
any issue....President Obama would never have given that
response.

[oswaldactedalone]

75. Watch the video

No way he was joking. He's just that stupid, ill-informed, and out of touch.

[frylock]

188. no no, you have to read the transcript to understand the whole emotion of the event

[Waiting For Everyman]

77. If it was so self-evident, why wasn't it reported that way the first time?

Oops, she forgot that part? I don't think so.

[unblock]

80. welcome to the wonderful world of politics. gore didn't even use the word "invented".

[mac56]

164. This.

[rock]

82. ok

n/t

[gateley]

84. Of course it was a joke -- even Romney isn't that stupid. It's almost embarrassing that so many of

us have made such a big deal out of it. If Obama had said it, we'd think it was hysterical.

[ProSense]

85. "If Obama had said it, we'd think it was hysterical."

Yeah, right!

There would be posts here declaring he lost the election.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

91. Excellent point

except it would be "POSTS" (plural)

[gateley]

92. Well, that too. But only because the other side would be reacting as we are to this.

And we'd be calling them idiots because they thought it was a serious comment.

[ProSense]

94. And that's worth it isn't it?

"Well, that too. But only because the other side would be reacting as we are to this.

And we'd be calling them idiots because they thought it was a serious comment."

Like I said, is it such a stretch to think that an undecided voter or several are going to think: Damn, this guy is too stupid.

This is politics.

[gateley]

172. Good points.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

96. Really?

Not so sure IMHO That's just a little too boneheaded/offensive for President Obama to say.

[gateley]

106. I agree, but my point is ANY joke.

[ProSense]

111. Republicans claim any controversial or stupid remark is a joke.

It wasn't a joke. We don't have to agree with them when they characterize stupid and insensitive comments as jokes.

[gateley]

140. I remember watching Johnny Carson gettin into a race car (serious car, helmet, track, the real deal)

First question was "where's the horn?" which I (and the audience) thought was funny. The Romney remark reminds me of that -- in the same vein, but since Romney isn't a comedian, and he's an oaf, people think he was sincere.

That's my take on it, anyway.

[ProSense]

146. Here's the problem

people are bending over backward to give Romney a pass. He's has said stupid things before. It didn't seem like a joke to many people.

Romney takes comments out of context constantly. He lies. This is not out of context, and people are trying to project intent. It was a stupid comment.

Oh as for issues, here's one: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021411206

Yet somehow it's deemed important to defend Romney against a claim that he said something stupid.

[gateley]

168. Well I'm certainly not bending over backward trying to give Romney a pass -- that was my initial

reaction, that this was meant to be a joke. A really dumb joke, to be sure, but not a serious statement/question.

I just hate to see us respond like they do -- jumping all over something when it isn't warranted.

Did you see the vid of Jill Biden making a gesture that the audience turned into a double entendre? It was funny and innocent. I saw some RWingers post how crass and low class the Bidens are to have done that. It wasn't even intentional, it was to the audience who started the ball rolling, but yet the RW whipped it into something it wasn't.

It's more of a comment on the people responding than it is on the subject person, IMO. I think we're too smart to engage in that crap.

Of course, I could be all wrong about Romney's intent in which case I'd be right on board with this particular event, but it's just too hard for me to believe anybody wouldn't understand the ramifications of de-pressurizing an airliner.

I have to add, though, I always seem to want to give people the benefit of the doubt, even people I loathe (and loathe more each day) like Romney. So it may just be me.

Here's that vid of Jill if you haven't seen it:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=kyLq1PLQpjA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DkyLq1PLQpjA

[randome]

200. Good for you.

[uponit7771]

118. ***********YES ROMNEY IS STUPID!!!************ Damn people!!

This is the same guy who is getting 0% approval from a major G8 demographic when there's absolutly NO NEED to do so...

I don't believe you wrote this!!

The last decade a person got those kinds of stats was in the 40s!!!

This guy is beyond stupid and characterless

[gateley]

137. He's stupid -- no argument from me there, but even a child knows why you can't

open a window in an airliner. I can't believe ANY adult who has SOME intelligence would be sincerely wondering this.

[treestar]

156. Obama would have delivered it better

I don't think he'd joke about it, though, not if Michelle had a landing like that.

[gateley]

170. I always say Obama could do stand up -- flawless timing and delivery.

And I totally agree it wouldn't have been (and isn't) a joking matter, but Romney is one of the most insensitive people I've ever observed. Just saying I think he meant it to be a joke.

[randome]

199. Romney could be Obama's straight man.

More guffaws per minute!

[gateley]

203. Gracie to Obama's George, but Romney wouldn't have to pretend not to understand.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

87. I don't know

if what he said was a joke should make me feel better about it or worse?

[louis-t]

93. He's a terrible joke teller.

But all his fans laugh cuz he's a verra verra important, rich guy.

[Laurajr]

99. Just another one of his UNfunny jokes

yeah that's what you do when your wife could have died you make an unfunny joke.

[Indpndnt]

109. Because the freepers and Glen Beck told you so?

Oh, okay.

[Nye Bevan]

117. Snopes says "clearly he intended it to be taken as a tongue-in-cheek aside".

A review of video footage of Mitt Romney's remarks shows that it is literally true that he did speak the words attributed to him, but it's not true that, as claimed, he was genuinely expressing confusion about why airplane windows don't open. When he said "I don’t know why they don’t do that" (in reference to airplane windows' not opening), his posture and tone clearly indicated that he intended the line to be taken as a tongue-in-cheek aside rather than as a serious statement.

New York magazine reported that:

The Los Angeles Times story that relayed Romney's airplane remark to the world was based off a pool report written by the New York Times's Ashley Parker. When we asked Parker whether it seemed as if Romney made the mark in jest, she left no doubt. "Romney was joking," she e-mailed. Parker told us that while the pool report didn't explicitly indicate that Romney was joking, it was self-evident that he was. "The pool report provided the full transcript of his comments on Ann's plane scare," she said, "and it was clear from the context that he was not being serious."

http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/windows.asp

[ProSense]

120. My interpretation of his comments were different. Still

"his posture and tone clearly indicated that he intended the line to be taken as a tongue-in-cheek aside rather than as a serious statement."

...Mitt decided to joke about a situation in which his wife was in danger. "Posture and tone"? I missed that.

Either way, Mitt's comments were stupid.

[jsmirman]

135. In the absence of a longer clip, I don't give a rip what Ashley Parker says

because we've seen video, I don't need a pool report telling me what to think of that very same video.

Now if there's a longer clip that would alter a reasonable person's impression of his statements, I'd like to see it and see if I agree with Ashley Parker.

As for snopes, I think that's a little more relevant for historical references and urban legends. I had no idea they were getting into the political fact-checking game.

[deutsey]

154. I think Romney's a big jerk, but in this case I also think he intended his comment as a joke

I don't think it was funny, but it seems to me that it's his attempt at dry, self-effacing humor. I thought I could hear people in the crowd laugh when he said it, too.

And regarding whether it was appropriate considering the danger his wife had been in, he starts off by saying they're happy she's safe so everyone is more at ease now and celebrating the happy outcome. In that spirit I can see why he'd feel it was appropriate to make it a joke. Had he said it while she was still in the air and in peril, you'd have to think he's nuts.

I don't know...that's my take.

Now, is this perhaps some form of karmic justice coming back on Romney for all the times he's taken Obama quotes out of context and intentionally distorted them?

[renate]

210. but Mitt doesn't DO dry, self-effacing humor

I absolutely respect and admire your nonpartisan approach to this--I wish I could be the same way--but people in the crowd laughed out of politeness. You're clearly a nice person--you know you've laughed at a joke that wasn't working, just out of kindness, or maybe even awkwardness.

I've seen the video and I honestly believe he was not joking. He is just not bright. He has one skill and physics isn't it.

[deutsey]

212. I think this is a lot like Santorum's "blah people" thing

I swore he was about to say "black people" (and I still believe he was going to say it or he was intentinally doing it as plausably deniable code)...there were plenty of people (right here on DU) who didn't hear it that way, however.

As a lefty who despises Romney and everything he stands for, I WANTED to believe that Romney was so stupid that he couldn't figure out why plane windows don't open. That's when I read about here on DU. When I watched the video of Romney actually saying it, though, it just didn't come across that way to me.

I considered the "polite laughter" of the crowd angle too, but in the rythmn of what he's saying and how he's saying it, it just sounds to me like they're responding to a humorous aside Mitt says in a moment of relief that his wife's ok.

Believe me, I feel like holding my nose as I write this, but that's how it comes across to me.

I'll save my outrage for his comments about the 47%.

[Marr]

119. Seemed like a joke to me.

I'd love it if it weren't, but I calls 'em like I sees 'em.

I'd much prefer to continue talking about his "47%" comments, or his refusal to release his tax returns.

[slackmaster]

123. THERE IS NO JOKING IN POLITICS!!!111!!!

CALL CONGREFS RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!11!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ProSense]

124. Oh, you can joke, but

you have to understand that not everyone is going to think your jokes are funny, and not everyone is going to believe you're joking. Sort of like McCain's "Bomb, bomb Iran."

"CALL CONGREFS RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!11!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

For example, that wasn't funny.

[Nye Bevan]

129. I thought the CALL CONGREFS thing was a little bit funny.

For some reason these running jokes never get old for me. And if that's not acceptable, tombstone me, Skinner. Tombstone me right fucking now.

[KurtNYC]

176. I hope the smile from ProSense means that they were kidding about not finding it funny.

[On the Road]

175. OK, That Made Me Laugh Out Loud

[mac56]

127. Bullshit. Beck is just trying to walk it back.

"Can we now go back to attacking Romney on real issues? There are plenty of them."

I don't know about you but I'm quite capable of multi-tasking.

[ProSense]

130. That's the funny part, it's from Beck

[tularetom]

132. I listened and I never heard his little nervous giggle

that he does every time he (tries to) tell a joke. So I don't think he was joking.

But it's even worse if he was joking. It certainly seems rather inappropriate to be telling an unfunny joke after your spouse has just suffered through a frightening and potentially lethal incident. Nobody with normal emotional wiring would react that way.

[Hutzpa]

134. Thank you

I was going to post this, but got caught up, this is for those that feed on ridiculous stuff, people should have known he
must have been joking, I don't know why people can't see that the man is working overtime to change the subject from
the 47% gaffe or him posting half of his tax returns to anything but the former.

[starroute]

136. Even if he meant it as a humorous comment, he might still have thought it was true

People do that sort of thing all the time. They try to lighten the tension of a distressing situation by saying something light or trivial. But the humor arises from the contrast between the serious problem and the out-of-keeping reaction. It doesn't meant the reaction is a "joke" in the sense of something the speaker just made up and doesn't believe.

For example, you might say after narrowly avoiding an accident, "When I thought the truck was going to run into me, all I could think about was that now I'd never get the chance to replace that ugly bathroom wallpaper."

That's humorous. But it's only funny if the listener knows that the speaker has been obsessing about the horrible wallpaper. If the speaker really loves the wallpaper, or if the bathroom is painted pale pink and has no wallpaper at all, it's not a joke.

Same thing with Mitt. If he did intend the remark as a joke, that in itself would suggest he believes it. And if he doesn't believe it but thought that making up something out of thin air would be funny, he's even more out of touch with ordinary reality than we realize.

[Iggo]

139. Nope. Not a joke.

[TDale313]

143. Maybe he just needs...

to tattoo a sarcasm smilie or the word "joking!!!" on his forehead. It is kinda hard to tell.

[Bobbie Jo]

144. So the man can't even pull off a joke

properly?

Not ready for prime time.

[Texas Lawyer]

149. C'mon, who doesn't joke about their wife gasping for breath on a fiery airplane?

[Drunken Irishman]

152. A 'joke' ... uh huh.

[subterranean]

153. I agree this is a non-issue.

We can't prove that he wasn't joking, but even if he wasn't, this is trivial and deflects attention from his more serious flaws like his "47 percent" remarks, his Medicare plans and his continued refusal to disclose any pre-2010 tax returns.

[ProSense]

155. Here's an issue:

Romney campaign clarifies: Romney was just blowing off 50 million uninsured Americans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021413065

Everything Romney says is relevant.

[randome]

159. But we don't have to pick up and run with every fumble.

Sometimes it's best to let his idiocy shine through without our help. Let the pundits laugh at him. There's a reason Obama and his surrogates aren't running all over the field with this one.

[ProSense]

167. "Let the pundits laugh at him."

Really? I mean, really?

[randome]

202. That's the part you picked out?

What about: There's a reason Obama and his surrogates aren't running all over the field with this one.

I actually think that's more relevant.

[juajen]

157. No cue from Anne that he was joking. She looked abashed.

[notadmblnd]

158. There is a video of it, it didn't sound like a joke.

[Javaman]

162. So making a joke at the expense of his wife's safety is never ending hilarity?

what a dick head.

I'm no fan of queen ann but damn, that's cold.

on top of that, mittens needs to work on his human programming, because his joke delivery sucks.

[Thegonagle]

169. Who cares what it was? The gaffe was spoiling a genuine opportunity to act like a human

being, and catch a little bit of sympathy from a situation that any normal person can relate to: a loved one's life in danger. He could have turned it into an opportunity to talk about things like aviation safety or keeping American aircraft mechanics employed in America--you know, something that resonates positively.

With some poorly chosen words, he instantly squandered the opportunity to look like a less of a boob than he has since the 47% video came out. Poor politician. He brought it on himself.

[chowder66]

173. I do not for one minute believe he was joking when he said that...but

He did seem to be "lighthearted" about the event which seems a bit odd considering it had just happened. He started off about his concern and the smoke - is that supposed to be funny? Was that part of the joke too? So did everything that came out of his mouth happen to be part of the joke or is it only the part about the windows?

With that said, I will give Romney one tiny pass because I think he misspoke with that line about the windows due to "bad reasoning" and just not thinking. It was stated, not "delivered" not really used as a setup. It was just a misspoken statment said without even a hint of a smile.

And yes, the crowd laughed. I can hear it plainly right smack as he ends that sentence and right before the tape goes back to Maddow. It's there. But what I can't discern is if they are laughing at him or with him. Of course if any supporters are asked they will easily say he was joking. It's sad really. You don't know if the man is sincere in his concern for his wife of if he jokes past it. It isn't good either way in my opinion.

If he is sincere - others claim he was joking, if he was joking..it was a bad joke. Either way, Romney is one weird candidate and people can't tell when he is sincere or if he was even really concerned for his wife (which I'm sure he was... but if he can't convey his feelings about his wife (was he joking or not?), how then can he convey anything to get a country to "trust" him?



Transcript:
Maddow: I don’t think he was joking ’cause he couldn’t possibly be joking about his wife almost being in a plane crash. He can’t joke about that especially with his wife standing right there. I mean, has he never seen Goldfinger? (Video plays of man getting sucked out of airplane window).

Right? Maybe Mr. Romney was joking when he said it was a real problem that he couldn’t get the windows to roll down in airplanes. In which case he was joking about something very scary involving his wife that you wouldn’t think a guy would joke about maybe he meant the windows should roll down only on planes flying at very low altitudes or something we do not know. But regardless of what he meant and of how very strange that moment was on the campaign trail this weekend frankly the roll-down-the-windows on-the-airplane moment is unlikely to rock the presidential campaign, it is unlikely to stick the way Mr. Romney’s
remarks did on the issue of the 47% of the country he considers to be victims and dependent on the government and not worthy of his attention as a president or a presidential candidate.

[Enrique]

177. thank you

even if he wasn't joking, it is just a funny-dumb comment. I have no problem with making fun of politicians that say dumb things, but people are being so serious about it.

[lame54]

178. Mitt Tells Jokes?

[Bocks Car]

179. I think he was -trying- to make a joke, he's just really bad at it. I could probably think of 100

adjectives describing Mittens without even including any favorable ones but 'ignorant' really wouldn't be one. One doesn't have to be stupid to be evil, you know...This does seem to be a lot of sound and fury over not much.

edit to fix spelling glitch in title, sorry

[Jennicut]

180. Well he's either an idiot or a cold hearted bastard who joked about his wife

being in a scary situation. Either way, he is one weird out-of-touch, unemotional, robotic man.

Mittens just has the most bizarre personality.

[cr8tvlde]

183. This ^^^ I got all the way to the last post ... took the words right out of my computer.

[lpbk2713]

181. Mittens was retroactively joking ... BWAHAHAHA

[Skittles]

182. it was NOT a joke

but the ONLY defense for such utter stupidity is to SAY IT WAS A JOKE

[cr8tvlde]

184. Yes there are, and being a social illiterate is one for which the evidence

keeps mounting. Maybe we can just pre-admit that "there's something wrong with that boy" and chuckle from here on out.

[WinkyDink]

192. Don't buy this for a second.

[Logical]

194. Your defense of Romney is weird!

[Proles]

195. He definitely was not joking, but even if he were, I'd actually consider that to be worse. n/t

[aandegoons]

205. You know I told my wife the doctor was joking.

Then I woke up with my left leg missing.

[Dash87]

206. I agree

Nobody would be dumb enough to suggest opening an airplane window - at least I would hope. It's an example of Presidential candidates having to be extra careful what they say - especially making jokes.

[beac]

208. You know what? Most of us can multi-task. We can attack Romney on his disastrous policies AND

his stupid gaffes/jokes/whatever.

And guess what? This resonates with a lot of people who aren't paying the kind of hyper-attention to the election that DUers do and it's been ALL BAD for Romney.

HINT: That's GOOD.

ANYTHING that will make people think less of Romney and potentially not vote for him is GREAT. They may be using a silly reason, but Romney is a horrible threat to our country and ANY voter he loses for WHATEVER reason is a POSITIVE thing for all of us.




So, why don't you take your own advice and stop concern trolling on this and engage on some real issues?

[Union Scribe]

211. Doesn't matter. It's become part of his growing catalog

of imbecilic moments that has overall created an accurate popular image of him.

[Why Syzygy]

215. ditto

I scrolled down to say the same thing. It does not matter one bit now that it's in the wild. Urban legends live.
The very fact that it is believable is enough.

And here's a new one .. Willard asks, why won't airlines allow you to strap a pet to the roof . badaboom

[M_M]

216. I saw the video: He Wasn't

Sure, the audience laughed, but he seemed not to notice, and didn't even pause.