Or do they think we’re stupid?

What do these statements from 2009 have in common?

“The system worked.” ~Janet Napolitano, after a terrorist attempted to blow up a plane on Christmas Day and only failed because of his own incompetence and the vigilance of civilians.

“And as horrific as this tragedy (the Fort Hood massacre) was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.” ~General George Casey

“We need to spend our way out of this recession.” ~President Barack Obama

“There is nothing in the hacked e-mails that undermines the science upon which this decision is based.” ~EPA head Lisa Jackson

“I had to hold my nose and stop those firms from failing.” ~Ben Bernanke, US Fed chairman, citing fears of a second Great Depression to explain why he used taxpayer money to bail out firms like AIG last fall.

“I don’t know anything about cars.” — Edward Whitacre Jr., newly appointed chairman of GM, who added that “a business is a business, and I think I can learn”.

“I promise you, I get it. I will not spend a single penny for the purpose of rewarding a single Wall Street executive.” ~President Barack Obama.

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” ~Sonya Sotomayor, our newest Supreme Court Justice.

“Never allow a crisis to go to waste.” ~Rahm Emanuel.

“Keep your government hands off my Medicare.” ~a speaker at a town hall meeting in South Carolina in July.

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

“I know it wasn’t rape-rape.” ~Whoopi Goldberg on Roman Polanski, who pled guilty to having sex with a minor.

“All of the procedural devices that are available to slow down a measure were employed. It didn’t pass until Christmas eve at 7:00 a.m.” ~Republican Senator Mitch McConnell (Before Thanksgiving, Sen.Tom Coburn, R-Okla., backed off a threat to force a reading of the healthcare bill. But appearing miffed, he made clear he did so reluctantly at the request of leadership.)

Here’s to 2010–the next year of what Mr. Walker calls The Post-Ironic Age, in which 1984‘s doublespeak becomes the norm and no one even recognizes it for what it is.