Kinsley gaffe

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A Kinsley Gaffe in American politics is the term used when a politician inadvertently says in public that which s/he privately believes to be true, but which the politician would ordinarily refrain from saying, believing the statement to be politically harmful or damaging. The term comes from journalist Michael Kinsley, who famously said, "A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth." He first said this in The Guardian, January 14, 1992.

Though Kinsley's line has been widely quoted, the term "Kinsley Gaffe" has been gaining currency during the 2008 Presidential race, especially following Barack Obama's comments regarding voters who live in small towns ^[1] and Hillary Clinton's mention of the June 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy during an explanation of why she continued to remain a candidate in the Democratic primary race, despite Obama's lead^[2].