>Lyndon B Johnson is often reported to have said of Ford that “He can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.” What he did say was “He can’t fart and chew gum at the same time.” The US media deliberately misrepresented the remark in the interests of decency.
>walk and chew gum at the same time (third-person singular simple present walks and chews gum at the same time, present participle walking and chewing gum at the same time, simple past and past participle walked and chewed gum at the same time)
>(idiomatic, informal, chiefly in the negative) To do two normally trivial tasks at the same time; to exhibit basic competence or task-management skills.
>Usage notes: Used in negative phrases to indicate incompetence, e.g. "He couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time."
>1978, United States Federal Trade Commission, Statutes and Court Decisions, Federal Trade Commission:
The philosophy communicated to T.E.C. salesmen was to enroll any person who could "walk and chew gum at the same time".
Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States:
I'm reminded of the press howling about how President Clinton needed to resign because his legal issues cough blow job cough prevented him devoting full attention to the presidency. Which was amusing since anyone paying attention could see it wasn't slowing him down at all.
He went on to clobber Dole in the 96 election.
Story about LBJ, one time a society matron buttonholed Lady Bird and told her that she needed to get LBJ to stop saying manure so much. Lady Bird said I will not because you have no idea how hard it was to get him to say manure.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/presidents/gerald-r-ford-...
>Lyndon B Johnson is often reported to have said of Ford that “He can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.” What he did say was “He can’t fart and chew gum at the same time.” The US media deliberately misrepresented the remark in the interests of decency.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/walk_and_chew_gum_at_the_same...
>walk and chew gum at the same time (third-person singular simple present walks and chews gum at the same time, present participle walking and chewing gum at the same time, simple past and past participle walked and chewed gum at the same time)
>(idiomatic, informal, chiefly in the negative) To do two normally trivial tasks at the same time; to exhibit basic competence or task-management skills.
>Usage notes: Used in negative phrases to indicate incompetence, e.g. "He couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time."
>1978, United States Federal Trade Commission, Statutes and Court Decisions, Federal Trade Commission: The philosophy communicated to T.E.C. salesmen was to enroll any person who could "walk and chew gum at the same time".
Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bvxZgCryUE
Ford on the Phone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEIpAIqzbTg