Lipstick on a pig? PLEASE!
Let's get real. There is a problem here, but it is NOT that Obama was attacking Palin.
The problem is that Obama is a HORRIBLE off-the-cuff speaker. That is truly what has caused this controversy. You see, it was the audience - the reaction of Obama's supporters that fueled the fire.
Let's analyze what happened: Obama was giving his speech and he said, while holding his hand over his forehead as if trying to remember his lines, "You can put lipstick on a pig ... PAUSE (Audience applause and laughter) ... But it's still a pig."
The PROBLEM is that Obama's supporters reacted to "LIPSTICK" BEFORE he completed the line. That is what has caused the controversy.
The controversy is because, since Palin's "The difference between a Hockey Mom and a Pitbull ... Lipstick" comment was made, the entire country now hears the word "lipstick" and immediately envisions Sarah Palin. So, because Obama's supporters laughed and applauded at "Lipstick on a pig," the immediate inference among some viewers was that Obama and his supporters were making fun of Palin.
Now, the media is pointing out that last year McCain used the same phrase when criticizing Hillary's Universal Healthcare. But, here is how McCain said it:
"Do you remember back in 1993 when Americans rejected Hillary's healthcare plan? Well, I hate to use this phrase, but, her proposal is just putting lipstick on a pig - it's still a pig."
McCain said Hillary's healthcare PROPOSAL is putting lipstick on a pig; in other words, Hillary's Universal Healthcare plan today is exactly the same as the failed Hillary Care plan of 15 years ago. And, McCain stated the phrase as it is usually stated - as a ONE LINER.
Obama PAUSED in the middle of the phrase, thereby putting the focus on LIPSTICK and PIG, instead of on the overall meaning of the phrase.
Obama is absolutely APALLING at speaking without a prepared speech in front of him. This was highlighted during one of his post-convention rallies, where he tried to repeat Hillary's joke about "How appropriate it is that George W. Bush and McCain will be together in the Twin Cities." When Hillary said it, it was FUNNY; when Obama tried to repeat it, he screwed up the line and it fell FLAT. He even tried to recover by saying "Because you know, they're twins ha!ha!ha!" The crowd then responded with forced giggles.
The problem here IS Obama - that Obama CANNOT THINK ON THE SPOT!
Now, the controversy for Obama gets worse: The South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman, Carol Fowler, said to Politico "Sarah Palin's primary qualification for office is that she hasn't had an abortion." Carol Fowler is the wife of Don Fowler, the former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who was caught on video laughing about Hurricane Gustav hitting New Orleans during the RNC Convention.
I think the Obama Campaign has a lot more to worry about than Obama's lack of wit. It has to worry about the REST of the Democratic Party.©2008 Natalie Schultz, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Last modified: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The views expressed in this article are those of Natalie Schultz only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Natalie Schultz is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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Reader Comments:
Posted By: Dave
Date: 2008-09-11 19:11:48
I generally agree that Obama's statement was clumsy at best. It did nothing good for his reputation at a time when it seems like he really needs to make some bold statements to refocus on what a disaster McCain and Bush have been and what a catastrope they could become in another 4-8 years.
I'm consistently surprised at the lack of reaction to some of the horrible things coming out of the Republican Party. I should have seen the "greated as liberators" clip hundreds of times by now along with all the other McCain video folly clips that belong in Obama ads and other honest reporting.
And the pitbull comment apparently won over a lot of people. She's compared herself to an animal that has a reputation for attacking other dogs without provocation. Biting first and never discussing it. You can't buy this stuff.
There is a point to the concept of putting lipstick on a pig, but Obama missed it.
It's easy to be an armchair quarterback, but it's hard to resist when the people on TV keep dropping the ball