Politics & Government

Presidential Gaffes: Romney, Obama and Biden Open Mouths, Insert Feet

See some of the latest silly quotes from the men vying for office in November.

If you talk long enough, eventually something stupid is going to come out of your mouth. Unfortunately for anyone trying to win election, much talking must be done.

President Obama is not nearly as famous for foot-in-mouth moments as Vice President Joe Biden or, more recently, Mitt "We are not the 47 percent" Romney. But even Obama has had his share of questionable quotes on the campaign trail. Let's take a look at some of the most recent bizarre lines to come out of the nominees' mouths.

Mitt Romney:

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Following Ann Romney's scare in which her plane caught on fire: 
"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."

Yes, Mitt Romney really did say airplane windows should open. Never mind that well-calculated cabin air pressure.

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Joe Biden:

On domestic manufacturing and jobs:
"Folks, where's it written we cannot lead the world in the 20th century in making automobiles?"

Hey Joe, we entered the 21st century over a decade ago. We'll still be here when you catch up. 

Barack Obama:

On the political culture of Washington, DC:
"The most important lesson I've learned is you can't change Washington from the inside. You can only change it from the outside." 

To be fair, his did not misspeak. But what great bait for the piranhas in the Romney camp. Change from the outside? You got it. 

Since the quote above is a softball, let's remember a classic Obama gaffe, this one from a 2008 campaign stop in Oregon:
"Over the last 15 months we've traveled to every corner of the United States. I've now been in 57 states, I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawai'i I was not allowed to visit. I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it." 

And you thought "I can see Russia from my house" was the best geographical reference from four years ago...

What are your favorite presidential gaffes? Any classic one-liners from Bush? Tell us in the comments!


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