Joseph Arminio
Role at the time: Republican nominee for Delaware’s at-large U.S. House seat, answering a question at the candidates forum
Statement summary
Beginning an answer nearly nine minutes after the moderator’s final warning, Arminio said he had “committed an error” and would acknowledge it, and that it was not the first he had made “or I’m going to make” in the campaign. He did not say what the error was and went on to the economy. About eleven minutes later, in another answer, he again used a male term for McBride.
“Well, first, let me say that I stood in error, or I committed an error before, and I would acknowledge it. And it's not the first error I've made or I'm going to make in this campaign or at any point in my future life.”
The first sentences of Arminio's answer to a policy question, nearly nine minutes after the moderator's final warning. He does not say what the error was, and goes on to the economy.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
Relative to the case’s fixed reference point — Arminio’s use of male terms for McBride at the forum after correction and warning, and his removal for it — Arminio’s answer is mixed. He concedes an error, a partial acknowledgment of the conduct at issue. But he does not say what the error was, does not apologize, generalizes it as “not the first error I’ve made or I’m going to make,” and moves to another subject. The closest competing labels are condemns, which loses because he does not criticize or reject the conduct, and minimizes, which loses because he calls it an error rather than downplaying its seriousness. About eleven minutes later he used a male term for McBride again.