Poll: What was the Obamateurism of the Week?
posted at 9:00 am on August 2, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
It’s time for another weekly salute to Barack Obama, and we’ve done this often enough to get the protocol correct by now. We have two three four five Obamateurisms from which to choose this week, all produced in good fun, like cupcakes used to be before they became essentials, and just about the only thing one can buy with Obama’s tax cuts. Take your time in choosing your favorite, because as Barack said in 2004, it’s bad to rush things and not get a chance to read through them — unless he’s the one making the proposals. In that case, you’re better off surrendering like Hirohito on the deck of the USS Missouri.
Previous “winners”:
- Obama opines on Gates arrest without “having all the facts”
- Obama salutes the Ghana flag
- Obama jokes about Alaska sale with Russians
- Obama uses union and DNC plants at health-care town hall
- Obama plants a question on Iran with HuffPo
- Change in Iran coming because “Obviously, after the speech I made in Cairo…”
- Flashing his soles to the camera while talking to Netanyahu
- “If you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we’d be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.”
- “We can no longer afford to spend as if deficits do not matter and waste is not our problem.”
- Siccing Tim Geithner and Charlie Rangel on tax cheats
- Phony Churchill quote on torture throws Grandpa under the bus
- Torture probe flip-flop
- Obama covers up IHS while quoting Jesus
- Austrian is a language?
- Obama bows to the Saudi king
- 1908 Model T got better gas mileage than today’s SUVs
Addendum: Normally I’d put a link to Chris Muir’s Day by Day site here, but today I want to do more than that. Chris has a fundraising drive to keep his excellent cartoon alive. Be sure to drop a few dollars in his collection to keep one of the Rightosphere’s most talented warriors in the fight!
Blowback
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Good morning, Ed.
I voted for the Cupcake stimulus, because it’s been a difficult week and that was the funniest to me. More LOLs, please.
Loxodonta on August 2, 2009 at 9:06 AM
Should be a close contest this week.
I had to go with cupcakes – that one should have some legs.
forest on August 2, 2009 at 9:09 AM
I voted for the rushing legislation, because he validates our opinions about the MSM and Democrat (same thing) double standard between Barry and Boooosh.
kingsjester on August 2, 2009 at 9:10 AM
I apologize for going OT, but the remains of Michael Scott Speicher, the missing US pilot shot down in the first gulf war have been found. There was some question if he’d been taken alive and held by Saddam, but apparently the remains were found buried near the crash site.
Wethal on August 2, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Let them eat cupcakes.
jgapinoy on August 2, 2009 at 9:13 AM
The choice is obvious:
Hirohito – Student of history not so studious after all.
Salute – Amateur
Losing count – The most intelligent president evah. Uh, no.
Cupcakes – Ridiculous analogy
Legislation – All politicians are against something when they’re out of power and for it when they’re in. Big whoop.
Kafir on August 2, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Loxodonta on August 2, 2009 at 9:06 AM
Ditto’s… With the exception of the laughing part. I would have to revert back to my day’s of the late 60′s and early 70′s, a time in my life when the term “experimenting” was the norm, in order to think any of this is funny. :)
This government is like a really bad day spent trip-in…
Keemo on August 2, 2009 at 9:15 AM
I voted for cupcakes because I am hungry.
BPD on August 2, 2009 at 9:17 AM
obama is crumbling more and more each week and making the tough choices ever tougher!.
i hope someone is compiling the best ones on video for an infomercial to be runrunrun and rerun in october 2010…
reliapundit on August 2, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Morning all,
I had to go for the protocol disaster. To me that perfectly displays Ogabe’s lack of respect or understanding of anything military.
conservnut on August 2, 2009 at 9:18 AM
Something tells me there IS no “protocol” office in the White House, otherwise Obama wouldn’t consistently be so clueless.
The real answer is likely Obama brought a “protocol” officer from Chicago, where the only “protocol” is bowing to the man in office and accepting cash under the table.
If there EVER was an amateur hour, Washington version, this administration is it. Power is the name of the game, everything else takes a back seat.
bradley11 on August 2, 2009 at 9:18 AM
You people have no sense of history.
If the Germans had never bombed Pearl Harbor, Hirohito would never have had to travel to Missouri to surrender. I wonder what he thought of that really big arch in St. Louis?
Get your facts straight before you start telling lies about the bestist President evah!
*tingle*
(Obligatory sarcasm notification)
turfmann on August 2, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Other than me, is there anyone here who remembers the old Lifebuoy commercials and the Society to Prevent BO?
We need to form some new chapters and get to work again!
Loxodonta on August 2, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Loxodonta on August 2, 2009 at 9:21 AM
LOL…
Keemo on August 2, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Yay! Made you LOL. We have to remember that BO is a joke!
Loxodonta on August 2, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Agreed. To me, an ‘Obamateurism’ would indicate more of a mistake. The legislation and cupcake things are on purpose, and just happen to suck out loud.
BigWyo on August 2, 2009 at 9:25 AM
What about our esteemed president drinking a Bud lite? That was a gaffe if I ever saw one…
jbh45 on August 2, 2009 at 9:26 AM
I would normally agree with you but considering the sheer size and scope of the legislation he is rushing through and that it all seems based on a doomsday scenario I can’t classify it as status quo.
Cindy Munford on August 2, 2009 at 9:26 AM
His Most High Obamaship said that Hirohito surrendered on the USS Missouri? When? Links?
If so, then this guy is truly an idiot.
brushman on August 2, 2009 at 9:27 AM
I chose rushing through legislation because it sums up the hypocrisy of all the others. Rule of thumb—always go with the opposite of whatever he suggests.
texabama on August 2, 2009 at 9:27 AM
hirohito
rob verdi on August 2, 2009 at 9:29 AM
All the links are in the article
William Amos on August 2, 2009 at 9:31 AM
It’s getting easier and easier for me to pick the popular winners 100% of the time lately.
Shy Guy on August 2, 2009 at 9:31 AM
The protocol bit is my vote. It screams out the disrespect he has for the military. Others who share his overt lack of interest in military traditions and their purpose will fail to see the significance. But among military, and police for that matter, he will be quietly understood to be a first class dweeb. Everyone from the five stars to the boot camp maggots will see this and know he is not someone to follow.
MikeA on August 2, 2009 at 9:33 AM
I voted for the cupcakes because in addition to its absurdity is the inplicit, condescending notion that buying cupcakes is what people do when they have unexpected money. Not saving it for their kids’ educations, or paying down their mortgage, or (gasp) investing it. But frittering it away on something that is bad for them. Arrogant prig.
I would have liked to see the photo from the ‘beer summit’ that showed Crowley helping Gates down the stairs with Obama barrelling on ahead, oblivious as usual.
ProfessorMiao on August 2, 2009 at 9:34 AM
I think the picture of “a cop, a Skip, and a chump” should be in the running.
csdeven on August 2, 2009 at 9:35 AM
I agree that it’s egregious. But I don’t think it’s the mistake of an amateur. It is born of his contempt for all things military. He doesn’t give a darn what the protocol is.
ProfessorMiao on August 2, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Ditto!
Semper fi Marines
BKeyser on August 2, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Yeah, that’s the picture I was thinking of.
ProfessorMiao on August 2, 2009 at 9:38 AM
..oh God, why do you do this to us so early on a Sunday morning? In this week’s selections, we suffer from an embarrassment of riches..
..and why do I believe that we will become more and more embarrassed as this clueless clod’s presidency continues?
I am going with the “intimidation” option because it is truly scary and needs to be exposed to the “antiseptic of the light of day” as the boss would say.
VoyskaPVO on August 2, 2009 at 9:40 AM
This picture?
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/07/obamas_revealing_body_language.html
BuckeyeSam on August 2, 2009 at 9:43 AM
I was glad to see they finally found him. There have been reported sightings and rumors about him having been captured for years. I’m so relieved his family can finally get some peace; it must have been agony for them, always wondering if he was alive somewhere.
AZCoyote on August 2, 2009 at 9:44 AM
No, for me these contests go about the same way that my November votes go. **Sigh**
ss396 on August 2, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Hirohito didn’t go to St. Louis to surrender! It was Kansas City. Get your facts straight before you try to lecture the rest of us Barry lovers (tingle tingle) on the importance of history.
JeffinOrlando on August 2, 2009 at 9:54 AM
..a very, very sick practical joke.
VoyskaPVO on August 2, 2009 at 9:55 AM
‘rushing legislation’ isn’t amateurish, nor is the hypocrisy in the statements – that’s just crass politics.
Midas on August 2, 2009 at 9:59 AM
In an evil Joker sort of way.
Shy Guy on August 2, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Ed: I hope you intend to make all the obamateruisms into a website or book with authority backing them up. It would be a best seller.
Blake on August 2, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Pick of the day for me is his lack of protocol for our excellent military! He is an embarrassment to our America and we all know what happens when we have a “stupidly” boss at our jobs!
When do we get to put these on milk cartons?
Coastal Paradise on August 2, 2009 at 10:11 AM
The One must be taking history lessons from Slow Joe.
Philly on August 2, 2009 at 10:11 AM
..those are so-o-o-o-o-o cool, Mr Guy! Please let me kow when and where they go on sale. I’ll buy a ream and stick them up all over..
..right after I get those little strips that say “Moron on Board” that I can paste over the (few) remaining Obama/Biden bumper stickers.
VoyskaPVO on August 2, 2009 at 10:13 AM
LOL
Blake on August 2, 2009 at 10:16 AM
OT: DeMint and Rangel at it on Fox News Sunday.
Rangel is a lying sack of sh*t.
BuckeyeSam on August 2, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Actually, I think it was the incident where he rushed ahead of Crowley and Gates to get to the microphone and cameras…boorish behavior from an ill-raised child suffering from a falsely-elevated sense of self esteem. Narcissistic in the extreme.
Jarhead68 on August 2, 2009 at 10:18 AM
i picked the “rushing legislation” because of the importance of it.
the rest of the items indicate his lack “Americanism” & respect for the military & our people that we were already aware of (sorry to end sentence with preposition).
kelley in virginia on August 2, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Well, that one goes down in my little book of “Best epithets to describe an incompetent, vapid, empy-suited, affirmative-action Prez”
Thank you and thank you for your service, bro. (USAF ’68)
VoyskaPVO on August 2, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Obama can’t figure out salute protocol for color guards.
What if we sent him through basic training, that might straighten out all kinds of improper training he has received up till now. The Army will tear you down and rebuild you. We have the technology we can rebuild him let’s use some of the stimulus money, and while we are at it get him a bionic memory chip (Let’s Check With Skull Candy) so he can stop using the Teleprompter crutch.
Dr Evil on August 2, 2009 at 10:35 AM
http://www.skullcandy.com/
Dr Evil on August 2, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Did you do a stint with the Russian air force?
Bishop on August 2, 2009 at 11:02 AM
I had to put in for the protocol. The rushing legislation thing is just typical politics, or should I say a typical lying politician.
boomer on August 2, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Killing the Beast
Pointing out this community organizer’s stupidity is fun.
However, attacking his questionable programs before they become a fait accompli (and no longer news) will work much better. I loved the hypocrisy of his comments above concerning rushing huge bills into law.
Nobody agrees with me but I also believe that His personal popularity must be reduced. He is not Will Smith, Denzel Washington or FDR but he has been sold that way.
The bumbling GOP seems to be having some success with the first but they need more unsavory moments like his attack on the Cambridge police. The real Barry must have been seething during the beer summit. The real man had his mask slip with the ‘stupid’ remark. But then to sit with a specimen of the hated white power structure must have been sickening. I bet he didn’t drink much or talk much. Even without an apology, I wonder how proud Michelle was of her husband. But they can always go back to attacking this country and its traditions after a rest.
IlikedAUH2O on August 2, 2009 at 11:08 AM
I donated to the cartoon guy. How much more do I have to spend to get the fems to drop those straps?
IlikedAUH2O on August 2, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Ed, I wish you could link on the questions, because (I hate to admit) (but have been out of internet for a month), and I don’t know what some of them mean, ie., Obama covers up IHS while quoting Jesus. If you had a link on each it would be great. Thanks
The others are all so stupid, it’s hard to pick one. The pix of him bowing, the picture of him leaving gates to be helped by that racist police man, etc. But the pix of him bowing shows where his heart lies.
Bambi on August 2, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Not in the poll questions. This gets my vote. Forever.
Obummer shows his lack of character. Again.
bloviator on August 2, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I hate this weekly poll. There is just too much good stuff to choose from. So I’m going to pick one of my own. Just how un-presidential he looks and acts. Happens week in and week out, and quite frankly I’m tired of it. The world doesn’t love us more now that he’s the president. They do however, laugh at us more.
Tommy_G on August 2, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Re: Voyska PVO
Did you do a stint with the Russian air force?
Bishop on August 2, 2009 at 11:02 AM
No, SAC at Offutt AFB; the Voyska PVO were our Cold War adversries. I adopted that sobriquet out of some perverse sense of irony. That and I read too much Tom Clancy.
VoyskaPVO on August 2, 2009 at 11:40 AM
I voted for the cupcake stimulus, because I needed a funny in an otherwise dreary political week.
Sir Corky on August 2, 2009 at 11:42 AM
I wonder how many paid sick days a President has…. can Obama use the all now?
Hog Wild on August 2, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Is there still any doubt that snorting cocaine in college has long lasting effects?
MikeA on August 2, 2009 at 12:14 PM
I went with the rushing through legislation quote. Obama said all kinds of things during the campaign that are going to come back to haunt him. This happens to other politicians some times, but Obama seems to believe he is above all of that which really highlights what an amateur he is.
myrenovations on August 2, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Oh man, I missed that one where Obama couldn’t count to 3 (or 4). It reminds me of this.
mizflame98 on August 2, 2009 at 12:17 PM
The salute protocol issue was the only real amateur moment for me. The rest were stupidity and/or inability to remember past lies.
SKYFOX on August 2, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Re: Voyska PVO
It’s impossible to read too much Tom Clancy.
Jeff from WI on August 2, 2009 at 12:28 PM
The legislation amateurism stands alone in gravity. The others merely demonstrate anew what we all (ahem) already knew about this mediocre intellect and leftist putz.
They are fun, but socialism is a little more destructive. My personal favorite is the salute — the White House doesn’t have anyone who knows how the President and Commander in Chief is to address the troops. LMAO.
Jaibones on August 2, 2009 at 12:30 PM
I put Hirohito, becasue I know people like Obama…they think they know everything and me and my friends just kind of laugh at them.
tomas on August 2, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Mr. Obama can’t keep his own history straight why bust on him over Hirohito?
Cindy Munford on August 2, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Yep. Thats the one. Ochimpy is an elitist Marxist.
csdeven on August 2, 2009 at 12:39 PM
We gotta get a picture of the Obama/Joker and show it with his hand holding a cupcake.
That Joker image is gonna be devastating if it spreads all over the country and catches on.
Sapwolf on August 2, 2009 at 12:42 PM
I laughed at that too, but I thought the cupcake thing would resonate more.
I was a tour group once in the 90′s and many of the people on the tour were retired people. We went through many historical places out east. There was this one lady who when talking or discussing things with others just always seemed to have her facts wrong, the places, the dates, the people. It was a running joke throughout the whole tour.
She was a nice lady, but had her history all wrong. The one thing I do remember was she thought that the French were with General Washington at Valley Forge for that terrible winter of 1777/8, but really only LaFayette was there. But her biggest zinger was mixing up Lexington, VA (where we visited) with Lexington, MA where the Minutemen faced the British.
Priceless.
Sapwolf on August 2, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Yes, but we’ve been told for the past 21 months that Obama is a higher form of human life, above politics the way it always is and would alter the dynamic forever. That’s what the media Hope and Chnagers were pushing, so anything that shows he’s nothing more than a repackage Chicago machine pol has more of an impact than if a lower former of political life says one thing out of office and does another once elected.
jon1979 on August 2, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Chris sure knows how to draw a voluptuous redhead in a slinky dress. I might have to start reading his blog and maybe even donate.
At any rate, Hirohito got my vote. Shows how unqualified this guy is to be CIC. Unless that stands for Community Organizer in Chief, but then that would be COIC, wouldn’t it?
UltimateBob on August 2, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Exactly. He’s a pseudointellectual, and smart, well-educated liberals can’t call him on it because he’s half black. By calling himself “black”, he disables everyone to the left of center in any argument. The so-called so bigotry of low expectations.
Happily, being a conservative means you get to laugh at assholes like Obama with impunity. Here goes: bwaaaaahahahahaha.
Jaibones on August 2, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Beautiful!
ericdijon on August 2, 2009 at 1:53 PM
LOL! Good One!
backwoods conservative on August 2, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Good job of weaving them altogether.
Hirohito didn’t sign the surrender docs cuz he only had 2 days to read them and no lawyers to tell him what it meant.
Hirohito sent 2 reps cuz he felt pressured and threaten by the USA (Nukes tend ta do that ya know).
So Hirohito reps, and, not knowing proper protocol, brought 2 dozen cup cakes each for the folks on the USS Missouri.
Apparently their math was not so good as they brought a total of 24 cup cakes for the 3000 plus troops on board the USS Missouri.
Once those 24 cup cakes were divided up for the 3000 plus troops on board the USS Missouri, most couldn’t even see their share of the 24 cup cakes.
But in the end everyone muddled through it all by stating they “inherited all this”.
DSchoen on August 2, 2009 at 2:20 PM
I voted for the cupcakes because in addition to its absurdity is the inplicit, condescending notion that buying cupcakes is what people do when they have unexpected money.
ProfessorMiao on August 2
I think ya might have misunderstood what the prez was pointing out.
With Obama’s tax cut ($0.192 per hour $0.12.5 after taxes) a cup cake a day is what you CAN BUY with the “unexpected” $1.54 per 8 hour day. ($1.00 after the taxes on that $1.54)
DSchoen on August 2, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Things he got wrong or didn’t know.
Japan didn’t surrender to MacArthur, they surrender to the Allied powers.
Emperor Hirohito didn’t “come down” to anywhere. Obama didn’t know it was onboard the USS Missouri.
But that’s not his fault cuz the USS Missouri is now a floating museum in Hawaii, and as you know not EVERYONE can go to Hawaii!
“invokes this notion” Picky, but shouldn’t a HARVARD grad editor of his school HARVARD newspaper use the word “evoke” as opposed to “invoke”.
Other than that he nailed it!
DSchoen on August 2, 2009 at 3:07 PM
I had to go with Hirohito. Obama displayed real ignorance around the circumstances that lead to HST deciding to dropped the atomic bombs.
Since FDR insisted on unconditional surrender, we had the right to humiliate the emperor and we wisely decided against it.
Laurence on August 2, 2009 at 5:16 PM
I voted for Hirohito because it demonstrates the quality of a Chicago education. These people wouldn’t know where Lake Michigan was unless somebody pushed them into it. But, early on, these thugs learned how hustle money and you see the results today.
MaiDee on August 2, 2009 at 7:44 PM
Amateurs learn from mistakes. Incompetent buffoons do the same thing over and over and over again.
jdkchem on August 2, 2009 at 11:59 PM
Its the cupcakes.
daesleeper on August 3, 2009 at 11:33 AM