Don't Think of an Elephant!

It probably seems like "beat-up-on-Mitt" week here on PMM (as well as in London). But I finally heard an explanation of his constant gaffes that makes sense. I have tried my amateur psychology on his relationship with his dad, George Romney. But it was Jonathan Alter I just heard on Chris Matthews's show Hardball, that put it all together for me.


Alter explained that the most famous gaffe of modern U.S. political history is the campaign-killing comment of Mitt's father, George, about being subject to "brainwashing" by the U.S. Generals in Vietnam. Alter then went on to explain that Mitt is so careful not to make his dad's mistakes that he is constantly telling himself, "Don't make a gaffe! Don't make a gaffe!" It's like when someone tells you not to think of an elephant. What comes to mind?

Don't you dare think about an elephant!
from Wikipedia under free use license

Now, if we can only figure out Biden and Obama's gaffes. Of course, we could always start by quoting them in context.