|
There's a difference between an obviously thoughtful and informed man making a slip like this, and listening to someone who clearly has no idea what he is talking about (i.e., Dean probably knows the Soviet Union is defunct and just misspoke, while it wouldn't have been clear had Bush said it, especially a couple of years ago, that he possessed that knowledge). I think the "Bushisms" thing has gotten kind of old and tired - half of them are just slips that most people could make - but the fact is that, at least early in his political career, Bush had no fricking clue what he was talking about when it came to most issues beyond American borders (and a few within the borders), and THAT'S why people jumped all over things. You're right that there's probably a double-standard, and if Bush said this today he'd probably be mocked a bit, but that's because he's created ample precedent and made himself a bit of a target through past blunders.
__________________
"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
- Anatole France
|