Genesis of the Political Gaffe

A political gaffe; mocked by cartoonists, questions by academics and criticised by the voters is something that inevitably comes more and more with such a strong media surveying their every move, but how does a gaffe happen exactly?

There are two thoughts that I have on the matter where a misplaced word or emphasis on such can spell a bad week in the polls and plenty of spin to ensure a reputation is repaired.

One reason is publicity. Yes, I know that the above statement contradicts this but on the other hand, it could very well make sense. Politicians are like reptiles; requiring the sun, or in this case; exposure to ensure they are in the voters mind with a chance of re-election. Unfortunately positive publicity does not always stick in the mind of the voters. 

When a gaffe occurs it might be tactless (and plenty are) but this goes without saying that not all of them are without tactics. What I am saying here is that the gaffe in question might be done of purpose, so as to generate publicity that sticks to the said Member of Parliament. In saying this, such a manner of PR is nevertheless controlled and the gaffe is not bigger than can be handled (or at the very least, is tried not to be).

The second reason alluding to how a gaffe might be created comes from a genuine stuff up. Politicians are required by moral law and societal expectation to be ahead of the current affairs in terms of forming an opinion, and from this a screw up as it is plainly put, can become likely. Opinions often need to be filtered and considered for the wider scope that is the community and this step, if the politician is put on the stage abruptly (and proverbially) then a disconnect can occur and the unfiltered opinion can be exposed.

While some might argue that the disconnect is a positive allowing politicians to be shown through a spin-less perspective, it might become destructive as the media will focus more upon the sensationalist opinions that are yet to be fully formed and thus, limit the scope for policy development and information to the general public.  

How do you think a Gaffe is established, run by the machine, or by the mouth?