Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fair Enough
UPDATE from TigerHawk:
Here is an embed of the video, lest you have not seen the moment.
Now, it is the case that back in the spring the John McCain used a similar expression in a clip I saw on television this morning. To my admittedly partisan ears, the McCain "lipstick" metaphor was more closely tied to policy proposals and less apparently a double entendre (whether accidental or intentional) than Obama's, and as many have noted the audience reaction was very different. There were no knowing chuckles or red-meat applause for McCain, which may be the difference in how these two remarks are perceived. And, of course, there is the problem that Sarah Palin grabbed the lipstick metaphor for herself on national television less than one week ago in a line that resonated for millions of Americans. "Lipstick" simply means more this week than last. But maybe that is all just splitting hairs.
Sorry to Mindles for stepping on his post.
21 Comments:
By 
Punditarian, at
Wed Sep 10, 06:52:00 AM:
Nice try.
If you can show me a single instance where the Obamessiah told the parable of the lipsticked pig and the stinking "old fish" wrapped in a paper called change before Senator McCain selected Governor Palin as his running mate, I will consider your excuse.
Yesterday's repeated references to lipstick by the Obamessiah and his apostle Carnahan were a direct response to Governor Palin's self-deprecating joke, and reveal the bitterness, vitriol, and hatred that are the underlying leftist emotions.
I emphasize again, that Governor Palin's joke was self-deprecating.
The Obamessiah's remark was a slur, and was received by his audience as such.
Let's not give him a free pass on this one.
By 
, at
Wed Sep 10, 06:55:00 AM:
With the other side just aching for a gaffe or skeleton to exploit, why not ride Obama like a pony for awhile?
It's one thing when his surrogates attack, quite another when he himself does it. That is not, in my opinion, Presidential.
What if he slipped and insulted a world leader, other than our President, and it was taken 'not as he intended it'? Seems to me the guy who is said to choose his words more carefully either (a) doesn't, or (b) intended to insult her, to the delight of his adoring congregation.
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 07:32:00 AM:
Here you go, Pundit. If you google it, you'll find other instances, and a bunch of times McCain used the phrase, too. But I guess that's allowed, huh?
What if he slipped and insulted a world leader...
Heh. Welcome to my world, anon. We've been holding our breath through through every GWB spoeech for the last 8 years!!
By K. Pablo, at
Wed Sep 10, 07:56:00 AM:
It was an amateurish mistake by Obama, as the deniability is not plausible. Much hay can be made of it, so ... game on! "Obama calls Palin a pig!"
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 08:25:00 AM:
McCain said the same phrase in the primaries discussing Hillary Clinton's health care plan. I don't recall a Drudge headline when he uttered that.
Look, I'm a woman executive in predominatntly male profession, and I would be outraged if every time a colleague criticized one of my proposals, some other man swooped in to "save" me from an atack of sexism. Good lord. Talk about marginalizing me.
I'm still shaking my head after reading that McCain's campaign manager asked that Palin be treated with deference. Say what????? Why? Because she's a woman? So am I. Because she's a mother? So am I.
News flash: Not EVERY insult against a woman is sexism just as every criticism of an African american is not racism. To think (or accuse) otherwise sends all of us back 50 years.
By Punditarian, at
Wed Sep 10, 08:37:00 AM:
Yes, lipstick on a pig is an old phrase.
The point is, context.
Look at the Obamessiah hide his face behind his left hand before he launches his petard.
Look and listen to the crowd reaction.
He knew he was attacking Governor Palin. The audience knew it.
So just face facts and admit it, already.
Two points. First, both the Obamessiah and Joe Biden are gaffe generators whose antics will provide much amusement, and much insight into the emptiness of the left's usual drivel, during the upcoming campaign. Second, when a Presidential candidate uses most of his energy and fire against a Vice Presidential candidate, you know that his team is in panic mode.
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 09:04:00 AM:
Pundit, your challenge was show me a single instance where the Obamessiah told the parable of the lipsticked pig
I did. the changing the goal posts. Is that what you guys mean by "change?" Again?
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 09:22:00 AM:
He may not have intended it to apply to Palin, but if you listen to his crowd, it sure perceived that intent. Reminds me a bit of his speech criticizing Hillary when he scratched his nose with his middle finger and the crowd went wild. For a guy who calculates just about everything and is extolled for his smarts, he sure makes a lot of "accidental" insults. Goody
By K. Pablo, at
Wed Sep 10, 09:48:00 AM:
Bah. These debates about Obama's intent are worthless. You can split hairs all you want about when McCain used the metaphor. The resonance of his comment in the public is taking on a life of its own, particularly among that majority of the electorate who do not perseverate over political minutiae the way we do. The strongest memes consist of events remembered incorrectly (see "Bush Lied, People Died").
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 10:15:00 AM:
Obama isn't so stupid as to not understand why the crowd rose and appaulded when he uttered the "lipstick on a pig" line. It really wasn't that great, especially if you assume it not to be an insult. If he had been smart, he would have put an end to it right there. At least with one of those "no no no no" lines that he does so well, but instead he just went on.
It was rude, lewd and totally unprofessional ... and it is indefenseable.
By Counter Trey, at
Wed Sep 10, 10:49:00 AM:
I think we should examine it this way:
He should have known that it would be perceived as a slur given that Palin clearly owns that line regardless of whether we are talking pigs or pitbulls. Yes, it is a common line, and I had even used it in a post on another channel hours before Obama, but once Palin brought the house down with it, she owned it.
If he did not know that it would be perceived as a slur, then it is right to question his wattage. Given his multiple gaffes--of the type that would have buried Quayle long ago--maybe he did not know.
By skat, at
Wed Sep 10, 10:58:00 AM:
The crowd knew he was talking about Sarah Palin. In fact, the old fish comment is directed at John McCain. Apparently, there has been a pig picture, with sunglasses and lipstick, up at Obama's site. You can see it at wnd. Republicans shouldn't be thin skinned, but there is no reason to let Obama get away with this stuff. He thinks he's clever every time he pulls these stunts - watch him flipping Hillary the bird. He acts like a 5-year old when he does this - "I didn't do anything" - complete with indignation that anyone would suggest such a thing.
S Mulder
By Punditarian, at
Wed Sep 10, 11:31:00 AM:
Anonymous, you provided an outdated example of where McCain used the porcine lipstick image, now where the Obamessiah has used it before.
When and where?
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 11:35:00 AM:
I would rather be the bigger man and just let this one slip through. He may or may not have meant it against Palin. In this instance, it is not such a big issue that giving credit is going to do any damage to America, and will show yourself to be the better person. Let it drop, move on, and Barack will shoot himselfin the foot, or one of his friends in the back sooner or later anyways.
By Punditarian, at
Wed Sep 10, 11:41:00 AM:
Anonymous,
I see that the Obamessiah did use the phrase before:
"I think that both General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are capable people who have been given an impossible assignment," Sen. Barack Obama said yesterday in a telephone interview. "George Bush has given a mission to General Petraeus, and he has done his best to try to figure out how to put lipstick on a pig."
Based on that statement I would think that Sarah Palin is in good company, and in addition, I think the Obamessiah owes an apology to Ambassador Crocker, General Petraeus, and President Bush.
The surge was not an impossible assignment, and executing it successfully was in no way putting lipstick on a pig.
It's amazing that this foolish, eloquent young man won't acknowledge that even now.
By Amadeo, at
Wed Sep 10, 11:44:00 AM:
It is quite justified to assume that Obama's comment had Sarah Palin in mind, since as early as Sept 3rd this same joke/analogy was discussed in DU (Democratic Underground) and it referenced to the Palin pitbull/lipstick statement.
Look here and judge for yourself:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6915478#6915540
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 12:51:00 PM:
To give Obama a pass on this is to just ignore blatant sexism in this country.
If this had been an isolated incident than yeah, give him the benefit of the doubt but this thing was a well timed, calculated degrading comic stand up routine that was done in very much the same style as the Hillary flip off.
Not to mention his sexism come to him in a natural fashion as we saw with the Michigan female reported asking him a question and he cuts her off in a very flipant manner, telling her to wait...sweetie.
Sexism isn't a major issue in this election but character is.
The guy seems sexist through and through.
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 01:21:00 PM:
Race Man: How Barack Obama played the race card and blamed Hillary Clinton.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=aa0cd21b-0ff2-4329-88a1-69c6c268b304
By Georg Felis, at
Wed Sep 10, 02:08:00 PM:
This is no accidental gaffe or misstatement. It was written into his speech by a speechwriter, and approved by the candidate in response to the "Pit-bull/Lipstick" comment made by Palin as a deliberate slap and personal attack. She made the original comment as self-deprecating humor. He turned it into a sexist slapdown of all women.
By , at
Wed Sep 10, 03:25:00 PM:
McCain said the same phrase in the primaries discussing Hillary Clinton's health care plan. I don't recall a Drudge headline when he uttered that.
That's because there's a difference between calling Hillary's health care plan a pig, and calling Hillary a pig. The application to the instant case should be obvious.
By Escort81, at
Wed Sep 10, 04:20:00 PM:
I agree that we should not rush to Gov. Palin's defense on this -- she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, I believe, as are most professional women. To that extent, I am with Anon 8:25 AM, and this is coming from a man who consciously opens doors for women, etc., because the way my mother (with her Central European upbringing) raised me has hard-wired that behavior. The Gov. Swift response by the McCain campaign was probably a tactical overshoot.
All of that said, it is quite clear from the response of the crowd that many people took it as a shot back at Palin, regardless of what Sen. Obama intended. At this point, it may not matter what he intended (though that would be nice to know). The political damage is done, and he has lost a few more tenths of a per cent of female swing voters, perhaps in key states.
I would be shocked if Sen. Obama uses any sexist language at home. It would set a bad example for his daughters, and Michelle would not tolerate being dissed, and would smack him upside the head. He definitely does not want to get on her bad side.
Whatever his policies, I don't get the impression that Sen. Obama is a bad guy, and he generally carries himself with a fair amount of dignity, certainly by the fallen standards of today's coarsened culture. As Leon Panetta recently remarked, Sen. Obama is reactive and playing defense right now (and not in the sense of rope-a-dope, when you try and get your opponent to throw ineffective punches to the point of exhaustion), so he is off balance and will make mistakes. This was a mistake regardless of intent.
McCain/Palin has the initiative right now, along with most of the momentum. This is a very tight race, as the last two presidential races have been. Eight weeks is a long time, and this is still anybody's ballgame.
