Over the many years I have been watching American politics I have seen people say many things they should not have said. Often these self-inflicting wounds have killed their political ambitions. I remember Governor Gary Hart saying he didn’t fool around and if reporters didn’t believe him they should follow him. One did and took pictures of him cavorting with some women on a boat called “Monkey Business.” It cost him the lead in the presidential primary.

Obama made an offhand remark about Pennsylvania people being gun and religious nuts or something to that effect t. It did not go over well. Hillary Clinton made some off-script comments that may have cost her the election. Senator Edmund Muskie made a derogatory comment about Canadians by using the word Canucks (That’s the name of a Canadian Hockey Team) that was twisted against him. It cost him the New Hampshire’s primary.

Of course omissions can sink a candidate, too. Remember when Governor Rick Perry forgot the fourth cabinet post he would eliminate. “Oops” was the famous last words from him.

Sometimes a president says something wrong or lies and is caught. Reagan’s comment on Irangate was beyond credibility causing him to publicly apologize (sort of).

President Trump seldom gets his facts correct or just makes them up as he adlibs. Perhaps his truest statement which I am sure will be used thousands of times is his story before this year’s CPAC meeting. I quote: “You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.” How more honest can he be?