What does “I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone” mean?
I was drawn to the fact that many newspapers and online news sources quoted in accord Hillary Clinton’s remark in CNN Democratic presidential debate -“I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone” in the headline of their news yesterday (October 14th).
Among many articles and video’s reporting Clinton’s riposte to the race rival, Martin O’Malley’s attack questioning her political stance on Keystone pipelines during the debate, www.politico.com describes:
“Martin O’Malley cited Clinton’s stance on the proposed pipeline as one of “a lot of reversals.” It’s an argument often cited by Republicans — and one Clinton will almost certainly face if she becomes the Democratic nominee. But Clinton said she is no flip-flopper. “I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone,” she said. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/hillary-clinton-climate-keystone-debate-214773#ixzz3obxPRttu
What is the plain translation of “I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone.”
Is “I never did sth. until I did sth.” a popular pattern of phrase to mean that it is the first time ever someone said or did, therefore is no flip-flop or attitudinal change, and there’s no reason for being blamed? Or is it just a nonce expression?
Solution 1:
I'll take a slightly more critical angle and say that the reason for this expression is to reassert one's own sovereignty and truth-defining power. A very critical view might call it Orwellian.
See, at first glance, the statement is a classic tautology. Of course something doesn't happen until it happens; it also doesn't happen after it happens. Things happen when they happen. However, what this statement really means is that "I didn't take a position until I took a position-- which was exactly when I say it was." Thus, you take the identity-truth (A=A) of the original statement, and modify it -- pervert it, if you like -- to mean what you wish it to mean. Someone who simply wants to make a correction can say "I left work on Wednesday at five o'clock, and not sooner". To say "I left work when I left work" has different connotations entirely. (And it is, by the way, not an advisable way to talk to your boss.)
Hey, these people are politicians, by the way.
Solution 2:
It is rather a plain construction which is very similar to "It ain't over until it is over". She wants to emphasize the fact that she didn't take any postion on it until recently.
Plain translation would be:
"I never expressed my opinion on Keystone in my life time. I recently took a position on Keystone and that is the only position that I took on this issue. There is no flip-flopping on this. It is my husband who might have supported it. Not me!!! Please don't confuse me with my husband!!!"
The link shows what Bill Clinton remarked regarding the Keystone pipeline project in 2012 when Hillary was Secretary of State.
Solution 3:
The sentence is just be taken literally, she is saying that she had never taken a position on that issue before, that is until the moment she took it.
The following extract explains the story behind it:
Hillary Clinton defended her changing political stances by saying that everyone on the stage at one point in time had done the same thing. Clinton also said that the changes occurred because of new information that had been released.
While Clinton campaigned she was asked about the Keystone XL pipeline; she would defer to her time as secretary of state, where she had launched a review. Clinton said that she did not want to interfere with the ongoing decision making between the president and Secretary of State John Kerry. Clinton finally took a stand on the issue on September 22, saying she was against the pipeline.
“I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone,” Clinton said.
(freebeacon.com)