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September 10, 2008
The Lipstick Smear (Updated)
Topics: Political News and commentariesI can't help but offer my two cents worth on Swinegate; I think it's one of those "much ado about nothing" events that comes along in every campaign. It's making a very big deal about what a guy that can't think for himself says without a teleprompter - something that everyone has known for awhile - except of course those that are Obama supporters - who can see nothing in their candidate but perfection. I don't really believe that Obama said what he did intentionally; I do believe he can't help himself because he's a lost cause without someone or some thing telling him what to say.
Besides, if we on the GOP side of the political equation leap to find sexism in everything Team Obama says, aren't we acting much like we accuse Team Obama of being in leaping to find racism in every word uttered by anyone and everyone that disagrees with him. The difference, of course, is substance. Up until Swinegate,.we've made sure there was something of substance to hang our hats on, with Swinegate it seems a bit dubious.
This point having been made, RedState offers a different and convincing counterpoint:
... It's the laughter that's the problem for Obama. If nobody had laughed, he'd be in a better position to say that people are exaggerating this; as it stands, you can certainly make the case that the crowd took it as an insult direct against Palin. And it's not like this is the first time that something like this has happened, has it?So I sort of see both sides, as does RedState later on in his post - it's either Sexist, or just plain dumb - take your pick.
Here's a video of Obama's lipstick statement for you to decide for yourself (okay, so it's actually the McCain ad responding to Swinegate):
In my opinion, the ad is a bit misleading, and much like the kind of fact stretching and blending that we so often see in the Obama campaign. I'd like to see Team McCain ride on a higher road.
As for Obama's actual intent, RedState points out that Obama's done this kind of thing before: Obam gives Hillary the finger (or does he?)
After all is said and done, this turns out that as with so many things in life, truth is sometimes - but by all means not always, in the eyes of the beholder; this holds especially true with matters relating to Obama who seems to believe one thing one moment and another thing the next, depending upon what he believes at the time that you or I want to hear him say. (BTW: I'm not suggesting that truth is relative, that kind of thinking rests in the minds of liberals. We conservatives and moderates do indeed understand the difference between fact and fiction, truth and non-truth)
Related coverage: Mark Krikorian writes at NRO: "
... It's not that Palin/McCain campaign should be virtuous by refraining from complaint about the lipstick comment. On the contrary, the problem is that whining about sexism and flaunting her victimhood is bad for ticket because it degrades the Republican brand. Republicans are supposed to be the grown-ups in politics, and official outrage is just another form of me-too Republicanism. Palin's already shown that she's more of a man than Obama is, and whining would detract from that."
Update: IBD's take on the Lipstick remark and Obama's remarks leading into the lipstick comment appeared to be lifted from a Sept. 5 political cartoon by the Washington Post's Tom Toles, and notes - confidently delivered, Obama's lines were all memorized:
On Tuesday in Virginia, Obama himself sank to levels not even plumbed by Joe Biden. He basically called the GOP's vice presidential contender a stinking fish and a pig, all to the knowing cheers of his audience.A Fox News report supports IBD's: Obama Repeatedly Quotes Cartoonist While on Campaign Trail"You can put lipstick on a pig," he told his crowd. "It's still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still gonna stink. We've had enough of the same old thing."
But rest assured, Obama said when questioned later, the statement was "innocent."
We're not so sure. In light of Palin's reference to pit bulls and lipstick in her convention speech last week, and her nickname of Barracuda, Obama's remark looked like a bid to psychologically bully her with an arpeggio of trash talk.
It also wasn't spontaneous. Obama's remarks leading into the lipstick comment appeared to be lifted from a Sept. 5 political cartoon by the Washington Post's Tom Toles. Confidently delivered, Obama's lines were all memorized.
Posted by Richard at September 10, 2008 8:26 AM
What is relevant about this so called "non-incident" is that it is not beneath crass Obama to have used the phrase, not only as it is customarily used and understood, but also as a double-entendre insult inferred at Mrs. Palin.
Obama has done so before, when at one particular instance, on national television, and gloating over his victories over Hillary, he paused after metioning her, and then casually scratched his right temple with his middle finger - a gesture that did not get lost on his supporters, some of whom you could see were clearly taken aback in surprise, sitting right behind Obama, but who immediately enthusiastically cheered him for it realizing what he'd just done - given Hillary "the bird"! It wasn't lost on those of us who watched the clip either.
Can you imagine the outcry if someone had a snarky retort to Obama's "lipstick on a pig" comments - clearly inferred about Mrs. Palin - about putting "lipstick on a chimp"? Would Michelle Obama take umbrage?
For one thing, whoever would make such a comment about Michelle Obama, even as an improper bad taste joke, would certainly be sent to "rehab" for the next twenty years! Move over Michael Richards.
Ahh! The double standard! Isn't it delicious?
Althor :)
Posted by: Althor at September 10, 2008 10:14 AM
It's that old addage, "You can buy 'em books and send 'em to school, but..."
Posted by: Chris Dickson at September 10, 2008 10:18 AM
At the risk of sounding really crass, I have to admit that I do like the "lipstick on a chimp" thingy. And no, I don't think the Obama camp would be in favor of it, and yes they'd probably go bananas.
Posted by: Abdul at September 10, 2008 11:06 AM
Since the "Obamamoonies" seem to be seething and extremely paranoiac about McCain's selection of Mrs Palin as his running mate - even to the point that the web is all abuzz with this latest melodrama about all this "lipstick on the pig / lipstick on the chimp" deal - wouldn't it be appropriate to put it all in the context of wise Aesop's Fables and surmise that the
"Obamamoonies" are afraid the "pig" will "outfox" the "chimp" and - just as with the true and steady "tortoise" who won the race over the arrogant flashy "hare" who thought he had it "in the bag" - win the election?
I wonder if PBS would make a children's cartoon about it? Like the one they did about the bunny with two "maple-syrupy" lesbian moms in a farm in Vermont. We could call it:
"The Pig That Beat The Chimp & The Elephant That Stomped The Whining Donkey - A Tale For Kindergarteners."
Well, at least it would be more wholesome than Obama's proposed sex education...
LOL!
Althor :)
Posted by: Althor at September 10, 2008 11:09 AM
"Obama camp go 'bananas'" Tsk, tsk, Abdul. You are beginning to be as bad as I.
LOL!
Althor :P
Posted by: Althor at September 10, 2008 11:42 AM
yet again McCain demonstrates that his strategy for winning is based on personal attacks and distracting people from the main issues... i just hope people aren't as gullible as McCain seems to think they are
Posted by: kingdom media at September 11, 2008 7:27 PM
It's obvious our friend Kingdom has selective vision and hearing, preferring to ignore the substance, policies, and agenda of McCain in favor of ignoring the lack of substance, the Alinsky-ite agenda, the socialist policies, and the complete lack of experience of Obama.
As for the matter of personal attacks, it seems that Kingdom is a bit confused over who's attacking who. So let's just say that I strongly disagree with Kingdom, and leave it at that. After all, this is just a place to express one's views, not accuse another of being less than just a concerned voter.
Posted by: Richard at September 11, 2008 7:43 PM
I take it from our good friend Kingdom's comments, that he would consider factually calling
Ché Guevara a murderer "a personal insult" that would only serve to "distract" from the main (Revolutionary?) issues!
It appears that Kingdom seems to forget who's the one that all throughout this election has been patronizing people - "...embittered, holding on to their guns and Bibles in their frustration" - flipping "the bird" at his opponents - as he did to Hillary - insulting them with double entendre innuendos - as with Sarah Palin - and engaging in vicious personal attacks and smears! It is crass Obama, and not McCain, who has repeatedly done so!
Talk about "issues"! Why doesn't Obama start elucidating the American people about the socialist "Changes" of his Marxist agenda, he, and his Democrat, commie, "lackeys" in Congress, propose to impose if he's elected; or telling us how he will deal with the terrorist threat of his beloved Muslim "friends"; or how he plans to pay for even more "Affirmative Action," entitlements, privileges, financial prodigality, and "Reparations" for his "Black Brothers", for no greater merit than the color of their skins; or how he will make us energy independent, while refusing to let us use our own resources here at home; rather than engaging in word-plays and sly insulting innuendos about "Pigs in Lipstick"?
Althor
Posted by: Althor at September 12, 2008 9:48 AM
Articles Related to Political News and commentaries:
- The Lipstick Smear (Updated) - Sep 10, 2008
