It was a joke, taken grotesquely out of context, but not one a politician more finely attuned to the times and his own vulnerabilities would have made.

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Using these terms metaphorically is just a joke, not to be taken seriously, argue some.

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Mr Chambers, and his many high-profile supporters, always said the tweet was meant as a joke and should not have been taken seriously.

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Others testified the photo was a joke and the girl was conscious when it was taken.

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