Or in Biden's case, when he's awake, has his foot in his mouth, is around people of colour/different race, the handicapped, the taxpayer, or shortly before or after his first drink of the day.

And for a textbook example of why not, check Muskie crying in New Hampshire in 1972 or Dean hollering in Iowa in 2004. In politics, perception is reality, and if your candidate is perceived as weak, vacillating or out of control, then he is.

Some candidates would never speak if that was the rule...

Al Gore would never be ready to speak.

The problem arises when your candidates are morons. It is hard to hold them back if they are too dumb to know they could hurt themselves.

Advice that both Kennedy and Specter should have considered yesterday.

This is a good rule because the candidate can make a real fool of themselves if they talk in a weakened state. This almost sounds like Yes Minister!

I think Dean was probably all three (though he seemed a tad more maniacle than angry). More like he was re-enacting a scene from Reefer Madness.

Of course, a perfect example of this would be Howard Dean. But this is just common sense! Anyone who's tired, stressed and angry is bound to do something they'll regret later.

...And we're going to California, and New Hampshire, and New York...We're going to Oregon, and Arizona and New Mexico and Massachusetts and Arkansas. And then we're going to the White House!!!---Yeaaaaaahhhhhh!!! It's a shame that no one in Dean's campaign's staff sedated him before giving that speech. Dean's former campaign manager Joe Trippi even told Dean before the speech to give them a pep talk to rally the troops! Talk about mass desertation! Dean's campaign failed in large part because of hubris, arrogance, and a fairly incompetent campaign staff. Considering how thin-skinned Dean is, his campaign staff should have been a little more perceptive towards the bosses needs.

It's a shame Howard Dean's campaign didn't heed this advice.