Video: Roberts flubs the oath
posted at 1:03 pm on January 20, 2009 by Allahpundit
Rare bumbling from two guys not known for it. The One stepped on the first line but it was the Chief who completely botched the next. Good thing Obama paused and nudged him to try again; god only knows how many lawsuits we would have seen from birth-certificate Truthers claiming he’s not really president because he never said the magic words.
Update: People are still insisting in the comments that Obama screwed up. Here’s the constitutional oath; follow Roberts on the second line: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will to best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Blowback
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Oops! What a way to start an administration!
KillerKane on January 20, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Payback.
Obama refused to endorse Roberts for Cheif Justice.
pseudonominus on January 20, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Seriously, WTF?!!? I thought Harvard Law was suppose to produced the brightest legal minds in the world.
All I can say is uh-oh.
Lance Murdock on January 20, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Not my President, not my America.
Dissent is PATRIOTIC!!!11!!
VolMagic on January 20, 2009 at 1:06 PM
They needed a TelePrompTer.
SlimyBill on January 20, 2009 at 1:06 PM
I blame Obama’s nerves… what happened to no-drama-Bama???
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:07 PM
Um, it’s God AP, not god.
Akzed on January 20, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Yeah, because I’m sure DKos and HuffPo won’t have any theories of their own about this…
AUINSC on January 20, 2009 at 1:08 PM
I blame The One. He clearly threw Roberts off his pace.
flipflop on January 20, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Yesssss… Obama gave me something to badger my co-workers with right from the start! Thank you, Obama! If this was Bush, they’d be all over it making him out to be a moron. What, oh what, will they say tomorrow about this? Haha.
Everyone can screw up, and Robert certainly did too, but I thought only stupid people (like Bush, wink, wink) were capable of this?
Seixon on January 20, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Short term memory is the first thing to go…among other things.
d1carter on January 20, 2009 at 1:08 PM
You blame Obama’s nerves for Roberts screwing up? LOL BDS is in full swing. It’s so wonderful seeing the right completely descend into Kos territory not even a day into the new Administration. I expected it, but am curious how folks will rationalize the hypocrasy. No doubt you will say “well they started it” ignoring the insane CDS that dominated the 90s.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 20, 2009 at 1:09 PM
I’m thinking they were both nervous. Should have gotten together and practiced beforehand.
meltenn on January 20, 2009 at 1:09 PM
ROFL
LimeyGeek on January 20, 2009 at 1:09 PM
god [sic] only knows how many lawsuits we would have seen from birth-certificate Truthers claiming he’s not really president because he never said the magic words.
Not nearly as many as we will now see from the leftist troofers declaring that Roberts intentionally tried to trip Obarfa.
Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Got to wonder if it was a gentle reminder from Roberts.
amazingmets on January 20, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Birth Certificate………….?
Seven Percent Solution on January 20, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Did anyone think to hang a red flag on Michelle Obama’s ass? ??
Blake on January 20, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Not to call into question your intelligence, but BDS, has nothing to do with Obama.
You mean the trials concerning our Molester-in-Chief? Yeah, that was insane. Even worse, the papers drafted against Nixon used against Clinton, you know, papers Hillary worked on.
Esthier on January 20, 2009 at 1:12 PM
Here’s an option … move. We won’t miss you.
Monkei on January 20, 2009 at 1:13 PM
He still repeated the incorrect line:
Roberts: “…that I will execute the office of President to the United State faithfully.”
Obama: “…that I will execute…” [Pauses & nods toward Roberts]
Roberts: “…the of-…faithfully the pres-…the office of President of the…”
Obama: “…the office of President of the United States faithfully.”
What’s the point of correcting if you’re going to get it wrong anyway.
He’s still not the president!
Attica! Attica! Attica!
JadeNYU on January 20, 2009 at 1:13 PM
DeathToMediaHacks on January 20, 2009 at 1:09 PM
We will turn to people such as you to explain how it’s not hypocritical to insult, demean and slander Bush for eight years but now mentioning Obarfa’s name without glowing praise will be denounced as racist.
Whenever you’re ready.
Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 1:13 PM
8 years of “selected not elected”.
8 years of blame Bush for everything.
8 years of Bush is an idiot.
Screwing up the Oath of office on the most historic day in US history.
I call it even.
rollthedice on January 20, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Allah your an A$@
thanks for the insult
kara26 on January 20, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Not to an Athiest it isn’t.
So, I couldn’t bring myself to listen to The One’s speech. Did he actually say anything this time or was it the same platitudinous bullsh*t that I’ve come to know so well?
Zetterson on January 20, 2009 at 1:14 PM
Yes, lets blame the Chief Justice because Obama can’t make a mistake, he’s immortal! He’s the Messiah! Go back to Kos you moron!
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:14 PM
We can all sleep soundly now knowing that Sarah Palin is not one heart beat from being president.
Monkei on January 20, 2009 at 1:15 PM
funny, that’s what my boss said after watching that!
scalleywag on January 20, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Allah thanks for being a A%$ and finding time to insult probably 60% of your readers. Good job
kara26 on January 20, 2009 at 1:16 PM
If this is an omen of what’s in store us, no worries, mates.
The Obama administration will be in shambles by Labor Day
and the only one’s who can prevent a GOP revival will be the Republicans themselves.
(Like that isn’t the case already…)
Bruno Strozek on January 20, 2009 at 1:16 PM
funny, that’s what my boss said after watching that!
scalleywag on January 20, 2009 at 1:16 PM
“god only knows how many lawsuits we would have seen from birth-certificate Truthers claiming he’s not really president because he never said the magic words.”
There were those who claimed Chuck and Di weren’t married because she flubbed up his names.
So is this Cheney’s or Rove’s doing?
rbj on January 20, 2009 at 1:16 PM
OT:
You’re really not an atheist, AP, are you? If you’re willing to concede “god only knows,” then it would appear that you are more of an agnostic.
conservative pilgrim on January 20, 2009 at 1:17 PM
No doubt you will say “well they started it” ignoring the insane CDS that dominated the 90s.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 20, 2009 at 1:09 PM
While you ignore the “Reagan created AIDS to kill gay people” memes from the 80′s.
I suppose we will have to go all the way back to George Washington to settle this, but considering that he was more patriotic than every liberal currently living, I put him in our camp.
We win. You lose.
Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 1:18 PM
OMG – Imagine having to live with that screw up the rest of your life.
Stumbling into office, won’t be long before he is flat on his face.
I wonder how much Bush paid Roberts to give us this classic gem?
izoneguy on January 20, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Great…now 4 years of flubbed oath to add to birth certificate BS for us bitter people to go all troofer over.
Limerick on January 20, 2009 at 1:19 PM
There’s a psychological explanation for this. Obama was approaching the key part, “execute faithfully the office…”. It was the “faithfully” part that tripped him up. Seriously, that was a major roadblock for him!
Anyone one to add to this analysis?
stonemeister on January 20, 2009 at 1:20 PM
For crying out loud, they BOTH messed up. Obama will give us plenty of screw-ups in the next four years, but this was the fault of both participants. Let it go.
And what’s with giving MesSNbc traffic with a link??? Here’s the real time video for thinking minds.
conservative pilgrim on January 20, 2009 at 1:22 PM
I know better than to feed the troll … but I have to ask:
What? What the hell are you going on about?
apollyonbob on January 20, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Cue Nelson Muntz with his “Ha Ha!”, pointing at Obama. I love Roberts and will send him a Christmas card for screwing up Obama’s “great historic moment”.
50 years from now, on the History Channel or whatever the equivalent is, we’ll see Obama’s flubbed oath (a little too eager, huh, Messiah?) accompanied by voice-over narration that says “Obama’s flubbed oath was eerily prophetic, foreshadowing the disastrous decisions he would make in his months as President.” :)
Jim62sch on January 20, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Do you have any idea who our VP is???
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:24 PM
…because a man with zero executive experience just became President is much more comforting.
Chuck Schick on January 20, 2009 at 1:25 PM
I don’t give Obama much slack, EVER, but I do think Roberts got this thing off to a rocky start. He was too rushed.
Sugar Land on January 20, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Joe “JOBS is a three letter word” Biden?
Blake on January 20, 2009 at 1:27 PM
It wasn’t Robert’s fault either; he looked into Obarfa’s eyes and saw an empty void and it scared the shiite out of him.
I can understand why he fumbled.
Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Wow… You are pretty dense aren’t you. I don’t think that anyone here except you hates Bush that much. In fact, many people here admire him. Perhaps you were talking about ODS.
Illinidiva on January 20, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Somehow this has to be Bush’s fault…
the_souse on January 20, 2009 at 1:28 PM
It started with Nixon Derangement Syndrome.
Jim62sch on January 20, 2009 at 1:28 PM
And, I noted this on another thread also, but his speech has an error at the beginning. It states “44 men” have taken the oath, but both wikipedia and whitehouse.gov note that 43 have served, with Cleveland being counted twice due to nonconsecutive terms.
When this speech is “inscribed in marble,” will it be the original (flawed) version, or a historically correct update?
hehe.
cs89 on January 20, 2009 at 1:28 PM
“I…uh….promise to…uh…uh…execute…uh…faithfully execute….uh….the…uh….office of….uh…the…uh….President….uh….of the United….uh…..States….uh….of America….uh… all 57 of them….uh….yeah”
-BHO, the most eloquent American in America
Dissent is Patriotic!!1!2!!1!
VolMagic on January 20, 2009 at 1:28 PM
Meh.
V15J on January 20, 2009 at 1:28 PM
All Hussein had to do is REPEAT AFTER ME …that’s all.
Complex?
redrock on January 20, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Barry didn’t try and nudge anyone and if people what to shut-up the birth certificate “truthers” just a simple piece of paper will do it,..I’ll even pay the 12Bucks!
christene on January 20, 2009 at 1:29 PM
We can all sleep soundly now knowing that Sarah Palin is not one heart beat from being president.
Monkei on January 20, 2009 at 1:15 PM
You’re presuming that intelligent and rational Americans will be able to sleep now; we have bigger things keeping us awake now.
Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 1:29 PM
It’s over and done with. We have two years to regroup for 2012, when the whole process starts all over again. Let’s git-r-done.
nickj116 on January 20, 2009 at 1:29 PM
What was that gigantic tome that Slow Joe swore his oath on? A copy of his remarks at the last Senate judicial confirmation hearing?
Jim62sch on January 20, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Is it just me, or did anyone else smell brimstone when Othuga was talking?
VolMagic on January 20, 2009 at 1:30 PM
No teleprompter
faraway on January 20, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Did you ever see the film, “Clerks?” There is one character who runs the video store, and hates all the customers. He says that the job would be so much better without all of them.
Yeah.
wise_man on January 20, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Now we have an actual idiot as CiC, one who can’t speak or follow direction properly. And did you see those ears? It’s not like he had trouble hearing Roberts. He’s just an idiot, plain and simple.
VolMagic on January 20, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Taking bets now on the date when Monkei, crr6, etc., will disappear due to incessant bumbling of their God-King-President.
Patrick S on January 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Are you serious, AP? Obama without a teleprompter is the original “duh-uh-well” guy.
Blackhawk45 on January 20, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Yes but Obama initiated it, therefore it’s his fault and his gaffe.
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Because you know everyone is a victim,..all but the “White” folks!
christene on January 20, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Exactly… they still didn’t get it right.
/who cares?
Abby Adams on January 20, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Barry botched. Roberts just adapted quickly and embraced change. Didn’t want Barry looking bad on his big day. Nice try, Allahpundit.
Christien on January 20, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Congratulations! You’ve accomplished a feat your great-great grandchildren will be speaking of – you found a single comment on a blog that you could cherry pick to try and prove some general point! Well done sir!
gwelf on January 20, 2009 at 1:38 PM
I hate to say it but it was really Robert’s fault. Robert’s even failed to pause after the statement of name. That was wrong.
Maxx on January 20, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Well it is Robert’s first Oath…
baldilocks on January 20, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Roberts’
baldilocks on January 20, 2009 at 1:40 PM
uh, er, eh, uh, DUH
reshas1 on January 20, 2009 at 1:41 PM
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Neither one of them recited the correct oath.
David in ATL on January 20, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Obama interrupted him, what are you talking about?
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Barry said 44 have taken the oath of office. Name them, Barry. I count 43.
Christien on January 20, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Jesus Christ, people. Let’s not try to make up for eight years of BDS, with a lot of ODS on the first day.
therightwinger on January 20, 2009 at 1:41 PM
ha they are talking about this on FoX now lol
trailortrash on January 20, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Probably a Freuduan slip by Roberts – hard to say the words installing an Empty Suit as President.
katiejane on January 20, 2009 at 1:43 PM
I betcha Obama planned the flub. He knew his speech was going to suck and he needed to give the people SOMETHING to talk about….
Rockygold on January 20, 2009 at 1:43 PM
No, Obama did not interrupt him. There is a traditional cadence to that oath that Roberts did not follow, but he should have. Obama was in the tradition, Roberts was not.
Maxx on January 20, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Barry is including Jefferson Davis.
Jim62sch on January 20, 2009 at 1:45 PM
No one said he’s “the worst president ever”, we’re merely trying to point out that he is human and not the second coming.
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:46 PM
I think it was a Rovian tactic planned by McBushitler so that he could declare the inauguration null and void and declare himself president of the universe today.
/moonbat off
JadeNYU on January 20, 2009 at 1:46 PM
I didn’t know this, but the oath is symbolic, Obama would have taken over the Presidency at noon oath or not…I didn’t know that.
right2bright on January 20, 2009 at 1:47 PM
Did Roberts say “So help you God?” and President Obama answered “So help me God.”? In other words, Roberts asked that part as a question and Obama answered him in the affirmative; instead of Roberts stating it and Obama repeating it. Anyone else take that part that way? Is that the way it’s normally done? I can’t remember.
meltenn on January 20, 2009 at 1:47 PM
Did you see the oath or are you just covering for him?
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:48 PM
A little preview of what’s on the mind of President Osama Obama from old, senile Joe Lowrey.
I weep for my country.
MrScribbler on January 20, 2009 at 1:48 PM
KLAATUUU… VERATAAAAA………. Nih…..!!!!!!
LibTired on January 20, 2009 at 1:49 PM
I hope you’re joking.
Why are we nitpicking over this? They both messed up. Given Obama’s past performances without a teleprompter, I’m not surprised. A bit with Roberts although it is his first swearing in.
It’s Obama’s policies that we need to worry about, not this. Get out of the weeds.
conservative pilgrim on January 20, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Obama did nothing wrong. Roberts screwed all this up. The look on Obama’s face said it all. He was like “What the hell are you talking about, man?”
SoulGlo on January 20, 2009 at 1:50 PM
I’ve watched it twice now. And ME…. COVER for Obama????? You must be kidding.
Maxx on January 20, 2009 at 1:51 PM
I thought your ilk was tolerant of senility. Didn’t you vote for Reagan in 84??
Vernon Hardapple on January 20, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Because it’s the oath of office of the President of the United States.
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:52 PM
While Obama jumped in too soon on the first line, I think it was Roberts who screwed up – first by rushing a bit and then by jumbling the “faithfully” part. If you look (and listen) to the presidential oaths taken through the decades, the more recent ones have a pause after saying their name. Somehow, I think Roberts forgot the first pause.
Logic on January 20, 2009 at 1:52 PM
I saw it that way too. Rather than saying it as a statement, he posed it as a question. Obama responded as an answer. Was odd that Roberts said it that way.
conservative pilgrim on January 20, 2009 at 1:52 PM
You mean the C that was actually found guilty of perjury and disbarred? That C?
kirkill on January 20, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Obama is nothing but a bumbling idiot without a TelePrompter.
Helloyawl on January 20, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Then you know the proper cadence and therefore know that Obama initiated the gaffe.
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Boy.
Everyone is afraid. Me too.
baldilocks on January 20, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Maybe Roberts was preoccupied with God in his ear, reminding him not to tell a lie or bear false witness.
S on January 20, 2009 at 1:55 PM
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