I sometimes think about "This page intentionally left blank" utterances; assertions that are false because they have been made. Paralipsis is one way it can happen, but unintentionally ironic examples happen a lot in politics.
Like this.
John McCain's campaign manager today accused Barack Obama of practicing politics as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Gulf Coast....
"Look at what happened today — did Barack Obama attack John McCain or Sarah Palin?" Davis asked.
Told Obama had criticized McCain and Palin on the campaign trail over pay equity, Davis continued: "So he attacks us while there's a hurricane going on and John McCain suspends his convention basically. What bigger contrast can you have about putting your country first?"
I don't know, Rick, you could have a contrast in which you don't attack Obama while there's a hurricane going on. Which, in case you didn't notice, you just did.
(You could also have a candidate who didn't endanger lives and waste precious resources by giving a grandstanding speech in an area that people are trying to evacuate before a hurricane hits, but that's not a self-defeating assertion.)
If you were to point out that Obama has often gone negative on people for going negative, you might have a fair point as well.
Posted by Matt Weiner at August 31, 2008 09:00 PMIn view of your post, I was delighted today to see a school bus (a van) drive by with a sign in the back window: "This bus is empty."
Posted by: Matt's mom at September 4, 2008 02:07 PM