Self-inflicted: 2020 Dem contender admits to crowd that he ‘can’t remember’ what ‘GDP’ stands for

April 28, 2019 | Tom Tillison


For as early as it is in the Democratic presidential primary, former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper is having a tough go at it when it comes to his mental agility.
The 67-year-old candidate joined a parade of fellow Democrats vying to be nominated to run against President Trump at a SEIU labor conference Saturday in Las Vegas, and Hickenlooper dropped the ball completely when taking questions from the room.
A union member posed a pre-prepared question/statement on child care, coming just as Hickenlooper had a coughing fit, a la Hillary Clinton, and the candidate forgot what the initials “GDP” stood for.
Not that the audience had to know.
In what proved to be a self-inflicted injury, Hickenlooper volunteered that he did not remember what it meant.
“Let’s take healthcare as a whole where next year we’ll be at 18 percent of our GDP,” he said. “Our gross, whatever that stands for, demographic product.”
In an attempt at being self-deprecating, Hickenlooper then said, “You know, I should know that, I can’t even remember.”
The effort at being humorous fell flat, being met with awkward silence from the hard-left union activists.
But then, the candidate was reading from crudely jotted down notes from the get-go, holding a small piece of paper in the same hand as the microphone.
A tired-looking Hickenlooper said early on that he wanted to talk about three things, but had to refer to his notes throughout and struggled to remember his third point.
He excused this by saying, “When you’re on the road all the time, things slip away.”
Right. Included among those “things” slipping away may very well be Hickenlooper’ presidential aspirations.
Having announced his candidacy on March 4, he also said in response to another question he has “been on the campaign trail for a while and I have a short attention span.”
Never mind that we are almost 10 months away from the first vote.
For the record, GDP stands for “gross domestic product,” which measures the total worth of a country’s goods and services.
The candidate picked a bad time to speak about the GDP, considering the Commerce Department just posted a 3.2 percent growth rate for the first quarter.
A number that prompted a little celebration from President Trump on Friday.
“Just out: Real GDP for First Quarter grew 3.2% at an annual rate. This is far above expectations or projections. Importantly, inflation VERY LOW. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he tweeted.

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump

Just out: Real GDP for First Quarter grew 3.2% at an annual rate. This is far above expectations or projections. Importantly, inflation VERY LOW. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

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10:25 AM - Apr 26, 2019
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Here’s a quick sampling of the responses to Hickenlooper’s fumble from Twitter:

Bethany Khan ✔ @BethanyKhan

Video at the tweet

When #Hickenlooper forgot that GDP was gross domestic product, but service workers in the audience knew. #EconomicForum

4
5:24 PM - Apr 27, 2019

ValerieJC @ValerieJC2

· Apr 27, 2019

Replying to @ValerieJC2
“Quality of life starts with a good job”’- Hickenlooper #WorkersForum

ValerieJC @ValerieJC2

Video at the tweet

That awkward moment when Hickenlooper forgets what GDP stands for #WorkersForum pic.twitter.com/EtPpYp4qOA

3
5:07 PM - Apr 27, 2019
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Wheelwright @Wheelwr15671729


@Hickenlooper you didnt know what GDP stood for. Please don't drop out soon you are providing some great comedy. Lmmfao

1
5:19 AM - Apr 28, 2019
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Tom T. ن‎ ™ @VRWCTexan

#OneBeerTooMany?

2020 hopeful, former CO. Governor John Hickenlooper forgot what #GDP - stood for while he answered a question at the "National Forum on Wages
and Working People."

"Our gross, whatever that stands for, demographic product"

5
1:29 AM - Apr 28, 2019

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https://www.bizpacreview.com/2019/04...nds-for-749536