Politicians, of course, misspeak and say wrongheaded things, whether it’s President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. Now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, let’s review:

“So, there’s a big difference between equality and equity. Equality suggests, ‘oh everyone should get the same amount.’ The problem with that, not everybody’s starting out from the same place. So, if we’re all getting the same amount, but you started out back there and I started out over here, we could get the same amount, but you’re still going to be that far back behind me. It’s about giving people the resources and the support they need, so that everyone can be on equal footing, and then compete on equal footing. Equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place.” —November 2020

“We invested an additional $12 billion into community banks because we know community banks are in the community, and understand the needs and desires of that community as well as the talent and capacity of community.” —September 2022

“It’s time for us to do what we have been doing, and that time is every day. Every day it is time for us to agree that there are things and tools that are available to us to slow this thing down.” —January 2022

“I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled. Certain issues are just settled.” —July 2022

“The brilliance of this inaugural class and its leaders is the ability to see what can be, unburdened by what has been, and then to make it real in a way that will be replicated around our country.” —February 2024

“So, Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine. So, basically, that’s wrong, and it goes against everything that we stand for.” —March 2022

“But we all watched the television coverage of just yesterday. That’s on top of everything else that we know and don’t know yet, based on what we’ve just been able to see. And because we’ve seen it or not doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.” —March 2022

“The significance of the passage of time, right? The significance of the passage of time. So, when you think about it, there is great significance to the passage of time.” —March 2022

“You know, when we talk about our children — I know for this group, we all believe that when we talk about the children of the community, they are a children of the community.” —May 2023

“This issue of transportation is fundamentally about just making sure that people have the ability to get where they need to go.” —July 2023

“I think the first part of this issue that should be articulated is AI is kind of a fancy thing. First of all, it’s two letters. It means artificial intelligence, but ultimately what it is, is it’s about machine learning.” —July 2023

“So, I will say what I know we all say, and I will say over and over again: The United States stands firmly with the Ukrainian people [and] in defense of the NATO alliance.” (Ukraine is not part of NATO.) —March 2022

“Let’s start with this: Prices have gone up, and families and individuals are dealing with the realities of — that bread costs more, that gas costs more. And we have to understand what that means. That’s about the cost of living going up. That’s about having to stress and stretch limited resources. That’s about a source of stress for families that is not only economic but is on a daily level something that is a heavy weight to carry. So that is something that we take very seriously, very seriously. … So it’s a big issue, and we take it seriously, and it is a priority, therefore.” —November 2021

COPYRIGHT 2024 LAURENCE A. ELDER