Obamateurism of the Day; Update: Bonus Obamateurism
posted at 8:05 am on February 5, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
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I know Allahpundit hit this one last night, but no set of Obamateurisms would be complete without including the Navy “corpseman” remarks from Barack Obama. Besides, I disagree with my esteemed blog partner on this one. Had Obama said this just one time and corrected it afterward in his remarks, then I’d have bet that some helpful staffer had loaded the Teleprompter with an incorrect phonetic spelling. However, after the first time “corpseman” came out of his mouth, any speaker with even a passing knowledge of the military would have realized that the word had been mispronounced. After the second one, it should have been obvious. Instead, Obama went for the hat trick:
One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world — Navy Corpsman Christian [sic] Brossard. And lying on a gurney aboard the USNS Comfort, a woman asked Christopher: “Where do you come from? What country? After my operation,” she said, “I will pray for that country.” And in Creole, Corpsman Brossard responded, “Etazini.” The United States of America.
God’s grace, and the compassion and decency of the American people is expressed through the men and women like Corpsman Brossard.
Next time, maybe a White House staffer should make sure that all of the hard words really are spelled phonetically — or maybe our Commander in Chief should familiarize himself with the nation’s military instead.
Update: Several readers have pointed out an Obamateurism I missed. Obama calls Brossard “Christian” in one place and “Christopher” in another. The text comes from the White House.
Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.
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No, he’s playing Marine Corpse.
Akzed on February 5, 2010 at 8:56 AM
That 7.0 earthquake centered in the Riverside veterans cemetery is my Marine Corpse Mother-in-Law rolling over in her grave because of this epic failure of a precedent.
chemman on February 5, 2010 at 8:57 AM
“you be colo-nel
and ill be a mah-jer”
blatantblue on February 5, 2010 at 8:58 AM
I wonder if he says ‘leftenent’.
percysunshine on February 5, 2010 at 8:59 AM
I’m waiting for the chin going a little higher and he flips over.
katy the mean old lady on February 5, 2010 at 9:01 AM
laid s/b layed
sheesh
thomasaur on February 5, 2010 at 9:01 AM
It is just proper Queens English to pronounce the word ‘corps-man’. You lowly Americans have so bahstardised the proper language…
percysunshine on February 5, 2010 at 9:04 AM
Maybe, perhaps, President M.T. Suit was really:
a. Making yet another Freudian slip and disclosing his view of his chances for re-election
b. Calling for battle-field help for Obamacare, Cap -n- Tax,
AmericanObama economyc. The Master Puppeteer can’t bring himself/herself from praising the military
d. All of the above.
SeniorD on February 5, 2010 at 9:05 AM
He was just a little mixed up…having just finished up his latest class learning to speak Austrian.
JetBoy on February 5, 2010 at 9:05 AM
When did Ron Burgundy get elected president?
pdigaudio on February 5, 2010 at 9:06 AM
Don’t you know it’s racist to connect chicken to people of color? Didn’t you read the soul-food menu post?
:)
Disturb the Universe on February 5, 2010 at 9:09 AM
And Air Fork.
mrt721 on February 5, 2010 at 9:10 AM
I think Harry Reid should get a new job as Obamas dialect tutor.
percysunshine on February 5, 2010 at 9:11 AM
If this jackass gets re-elected, I’m going “noo-cue-ler“.
Jarhead68 on February 5, 2010 at 9:11 AM
LOL!! The prospect of seeing that is almost, almost, enough to make me endure watching him.
ProfessorMiao on February 5, 2010 at 9:12 AM
“I are uh rally gud pablik speker” – Barry O.
rockbend on February 5, 2010 at 9:14 AM
Hooked on Pee-Hoe-Niks
ted c on February 5, 2010 at 9:17 AM
Let’s take a walk down Memory Lane regarding President “57 states” Obama.Michael Beschloss to Don Imus: “Even aside from the fact of electing the first African American President and whatever one’s partisan views this is a guy whose IQ is off the charts — I mean you cannot say that he is anything but a very serious and capable leader.”
“I would say it’s probably – he’s probably the smartest guy ever to become President.” When Imus asked what his IQ was Beschloss didn’t know.
Keith Olbermann to Rachel Maddow: “Well, you and I had this conversation when we went to the White House, that it was, it was really one of those moments where you thought, well, maybe we do have one of say the 1,000 smartest people in the country is the President of the United States. Maybe he`s 999. Maybe number 83 – we don`t know.”
You can’t cure liberal ideology.
redridinghood on February 5, 2010 at 9:22 AM
That’s a city in Arizona isn’t it?
thomasaur on February 5, 2010 at 9:25 AM
Never. Will. Happen. Period.
Rovin on February 5, 2010 at 9:25 AM
I can’t believe the oh so educated Obama was unfamiliar with the phrase “Esprit de Corps”. Although, since he pronounces Pakistan and Taliban “pokeestan” and “taleeban” maybe he’s using an Indonesian pronunciation of “corps” – or whatever the heck it is which causes him to employ this peculiar pronunciation.
Buy Danish on February 5, 2010 at 9:27 AM
Remember how Hillary was once billed the smartest woman in the world? Same with the Left’s reverence for Obama, as if only intelligent people are ‘progressive’ and the rest are Neanderthals.
Well, at least O didn’t say he wanted to ‘ax’ anyone a question…
Liam on February 5, 2010 at 9:34 AM
Ah… yes and yes. The corpse made me do it.
Yoop on February 5, 2010 at 9:35 AM
You usually call for a corpsman when you have just been shot. I am not a military expert, but I think it would hurt the moral of the soon to be patient by yelling out corpse-man. He could just be getting the Navy and Marines familiar with how Obamacare will affect the military though.
txaggie on February 5, 2010 at 9:38 AM
That is the definition of a progressive though. They are super smart and know more about me then I do. I am just amazed at how many people almost bought this line that they (educated elites) know what’s best for the rest of us unwashed masses. I sincerely hope that a wave of libertarianism and state’s rights sweep this nation and soon.
txaggie on February 5, 2010 at 9:42 AM
He first said his name was Christian and then proceeded to call him Christopher a few seconds later.
TOTUS punks POTUS again
lookaboobooday on February 5, 2010 at 9:42 AM
Corpsman Up!!
“Doc, we have a brain dead President here.”
CTSherman on February 5, 2010 at 9:42 AM
Seriously, he looks like a little boy playing dress up. Having served 8 years in the Suck, I saw a lot of corpses and most of them were being tended to by corpsmen, not ZOMBIES!!! ..**cough-ass hat-cough**
But seriously, this remark burns my ass. He is the friggin Commander in Chief for Christ sake. It speaks volumes that he knows NOTHING and couldn’t give a fark about the military.
As Marines we have a strong rivalry with our naval brethren, but no one, NO ONE, was a more appreciated member of our combat infantry platoon than “Doc”.
Alden Pyle on February 5, 2010 at 9:44 AM
It’s not racist if you don’t like his white half just as much, is it?
Crusader Rabbit on February 5, 2010 at 9:48 AM
Leftie:
Who cares? Don’t you dare question his patriotism. Oh, look,…Bush’s fault. (Make up fake incident that Bush pronounced it that way, too)
Sir Napsalot on February 5, 2010 at 9:51 AM
Will you accept a semper fi from an old squid? We loved our seasick brothers-in-arms from pick-up to delivery. Navy, Marines, even Army, Air Force and Coasties… we are all in the same family.
Crusader Rabbit on February 5, 2010 at 9:52 AM
Did this corpseman win the Medal of Honor?
JohnW on February 5, 2010 at 9:53 AM
Obama said it himself: He doesn’t know any French beyond Mercy Buttercups, er, “merci beaucoup”. What he thinks of the military is rotten to the corps.
Wonder if the “Corpse” are thinking about a Coop Day Tot, Honduras style.
Steve Z on February 5, 2010 at 9:58 AM
You spelled it wrong Steve…it is rotten to the corpse. Smartest President evah told us this so it must be true.
txaggie on February 5, 2010 at 10:00 AM
So, is Obama competely ignorant of all things military?
Don’t ask, don’t tell.
fogw on February 5, 2010 at 10:01 AM
Hate to pick nits, but you don’t win the medal of honor, you are awarded it.
mr.blacksheep on February 5, 2010 at 10:03 AM
Christian, Christopher, what’s the difference? Obama can’t talk about Christ at the National Prayer Breakfast, when Louis Farrakhan told us who the Messiah is! /sarc
Steve Z on February 5, 2010 at 10:05 AM
By the way, are there any Creole speakers out there? Did Barry give the proper pronunciation of the Creole words for the United States? Wouldn’t it be close to the French words — Etats Unis?
ncc770 on February 5, 2010 at 10:10 AM
My Gawd, I totally forgot about that.
Sir Napsalot on February 5, 2010 at 10:10 AM
My late husband was on the Enterprise in the 70’s–I’m sure he is rolling over, knowing that his CIC is such a pputz….
lovingmyUSA on February 5, 2010 at 10:10 AM
Yes he is. He’s also ignorant of all things:
Constitutional
Economic
Principled
Christian
and American.
UltimateBob on February 5, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Smartest man in the world. He says so.
GarandFan on February 5, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Why so serious? If he didn’t say it with a (insert formerly acceptable but now forbidden word) dialect, it’s no problem, right?
At least he still has “clean” going for him even if “articulate” slipped out the side exit.
(Note: I actually tried to post this with the formerly acceptable but now forbidden word spelled out. It appears to have been broomed by the filters. Darn you, filters. Darn you to heck.)
Extrafishy on February 5, 2010 at 10:17 AM
F*CKTARD…
lovingmyUSA on February 5, 2010 at 10:19 AM
TOTUS should be in trouble here. What was TOTUS thinking? Telling The One to say Corpsman, when TOTUS should have been telling him to say Coreman. Darn typos.
EconomicNeocon on February 5, 2010 at 10:20 AM
I think that was the humor JohnW was getting at….
jbh45 on February 5, 2010 at 10:23 AM
By the way, are there any Creole speakers out there? Did Barry give the proper pronunciation of the Creole words for the United States? Wouldn’t it be close to the French words — Etats Unis?ncc770 on February 5, 2010 at 10:10 AM
Etazini apparently is the correct pronunciation in Creole, and it is very close to the correct French pronunciation.
Intriguing, really, that he could get that right but not the word adopted from French that is widely used in the US (Canadian, British, Australian etc) military.
ProfessorMiao on February 5, 2010 at 10:25 AM
Oops, meant to quote, not strike.
ProfessorMiao on February 5, 2010 at 10:25 AM
Did anyone else notice a certain slurring of words? I thouhgt he had trouble in other places besides the “corpse” references.
allstonian on February 5, 2010 at 10:28 AM
Next time the president speaks in front of a military crowd, what would be on their minds?
Sir Napsalot on February 5, 2010 at 10:32 AM
pssst…is your mic on?
Good stuff.
Carry on.
justltl on February 5, 2010 at 10:35 AM
Thanks, and interesting observation.
ncc770 on February 5, 2010 at 10:38 AM
fogw 10:01-Nah,he’s just completely ignorant.
DDT on February 5, 2010 at 10:46 AM
I’m happt to be included in this corps of commenters discussing a corpse.
Cybergeezer on February 5, 2010 at 10:51 AM
I speak a bit of Haitian Creole. The word is pronounced “eh tage u nee” I don’t know how you could get that from the spelling “etazini”
oldguy on February 5, 2010 at 10:53 AM
I think he pronounced it this way intentionally. To the progressives, it’s the military that produce corpses of innocent people in their government master’s quest at colonialism. After all, a child knows how to properly pronounce corps.
mizflame98 on February 5, 2010 at 10:54 AM
Shortly after her graduation from Yale Law School, Hillary took the D.C. bar exam — and flunked it. Not unlike that “brilliant” Harvard-trained lawyer Michelle Obama, who flunked her first Illinois bar exam.
Dims use words like “smart” and “brilliant” to mean something very different than what most of us understand those words to mean.
AZCoyote on February 5, 2010 at 10:56 AM
Thanks for that correction. That’s very close to French, too, the only difference being ‘tage’ instead of ‘taz’.
ProfessorMiao on February 5, 2010 at 10:57 AM
Love it! lol
sisterchristian on February 5, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Y’all shouldn’t even be on this site discussing this. Didn’t you hear Mr. President? Turn off the news. Turn off the Internet. Listen only to him. So let it be written. So let it be done. Cue Eddie G. as Dathan: Where’s your Moses naaaooow? (Sorry…got carried away.)
kingsjester on February 5, 2010 at 11:02 AM
I fear that if you go in and ask for all white meat, well then, you are probably a racist.
Yoop on February 5, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Just weird. I’m not the C-in-C. I’ve never been in the military.
But I have, you know, watched TV. Watched some movies.
*I* know how it is spelled, and *I* know that it is pronounced “core-min”.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard *anyone* not pronounce it that way.
What kind of disconnect does that take to not know that? Someone posted it in another thread, but it’s just like Kerry’s “Jen-jis” Kahn soundbyte. Jarring and weird.
Midas on February 5, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Enemy Territory!
abobo on February 5, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Corpse-man? Is that ebonics?
godhelpus on February 5, 2010 at 11:27 AM
That’s how you pronounce it in Swahili.
Fortunata on February 5, 2010 at 11:29 AM
That’s how you pronounce it in Swahili.
Fortunata on February 5, 2010 at 11:29 AM
No, I think it’s Austrian.
ted c on February 5, 2010 at 11:30 AM
Suspend judgment until ObaMao attempts pronouncing colonel.
onlineanalyst on February 5, 2010 at 11:35 AM
Obama sure does have some inartful reading comprehension skills.
Rbastid on February 5, 2010 at 11:38 AM
Fer Cryin out loud My kids all learned how to pronounce corpsman at a very early age. We yell it at my house all the time as in “Corpsman!! Plasma!” aka bring me a beer or soda. LOL
Semper Fi
lakeman on February 5, 2010 at 11:39 AM
You get a huge AMEN from me on that one. He is not one of us and the Constitution provides for that. Too bad no one will press on with it.
BetseyRoss on February 5, 2010 at 11:40 AM
TOTUS facepalm
justltl on February 5, 2010 at 11:42 AM
Does he still have the bracelet from that corpseman?
onlineanalyst on February 5, 2010 at 11:42 AM
Thread Winner!!!!
mizflame98 on February 5, 2010 at 12:01 PM
Phonics needs recalibration.
It’s okay to disagree with me as long as you don’t criticize my pernunciation
/obama
ted c on February 5, 2010 at 12:05 PM
It just goes to show that a snappy salute and the ability to play a pickup game wearing a Marines T-shirt doesn’t help translating military culture for a person who spent the vast majority of his life avoiding and disparaging same.
unclesmrgol on February 5, 2010 at 12:07 PM
I don’t like junk about people’s accents or pronunciation.
It’s just elitism.
AnninCA on February 5, 2010 at 12:17 PM
This POS makes sure he pronounces Pah-kee-stan like the natives but he can’t pronounce the names our own military ranks. He is truly an EE-di-ut.
Mallard T. Drake on February 5, 2010 at 12:48 PM
Ok, I had originally thought it was tacky and kind of inappropriate to be calling Obama “The Precedent”.
Now, it looks more appropriate. If he can talk about corpse-man like that’s reasonable; then The Precedent is getting what is coming to him.
The Precedent? Good enough for Government work.
gekkobear on February 5, 2010 at 12:52 PM
I don’t like junk about people’s accents or pronunciation.
It’s just elitism.
AnninCA on February 5, 2010 at 12:17 PM
You mean like the lefties and the press did with Bush? Puhlease. The fact is your crowd and the press have billed this guy as the smartest person to come along since Einstein. We’ve been constantly told how intellectualy superior he is without anything to back it up. All the evidence points to the contrary.
chewmeister on February 5, 2010 at 1:03 PM
Heck, next he’ll say esprit de corpse.
Couldn’t happen to a more arrogant and elitist buffoon.
Which media are covering this?
Schadenfreude on February 5, 2010 at 1:07 PM
Has Drywall defended him, yet?
Schadenfreude on February 5, 2010 at 1:08 PM
So in otherwords, he has no idea who this person is. Never met him, never talked about him, has never heard of him, up until the point his name came up on a teleprompter.
Well of course he’s to busy, and intelligent to meet with the little people, and scummy lil military personelle.
capejasmine on February 5, 2010 at 1:08 PM
Did he at least get the Creole right?
Ronnie on February 5, 2010 at 1:24 PM
You mean like the elitist POTUS-elect who told the American public they needed to become better rounded and learn foreign languages. The same now-POTUS who can’t seem to speak his supposed native language.
Yoop on February 5, 2010 at 1:26 PM
AnninCA is pronounced “moron,” right?
Ronnie on February 5, 2010 at 1:27 PM
Obama gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “esprit des corps” (spirit of the corpse). Ghostly . . . BOO!
Greyledge Gal on February 5, 2010 at 1:33 PM
And to think that there are people that really think this guy is intelligent. The reason he voted “present” so many times as a senator is that he really did’t understand what was going on. He is a manipulator and a liar. Why more people don’t see through his motives, I don’t know. One thing he can be thanked for, though, is the great awakening of the American people to the mass corruption in politics. We need to be willing to fight for our liberty or we will lose it.
kaye on February 5, 2010 at 2:57 PM
Woo Hoo! Christmas has come early this year.
madmonkphotog on February 5, 2010 at 3:27 PM
This guy is an F’in gee-knee-yus… A bratty One… but a gee-knee-yus all the same.
RalphyBoy on February 5, 2010 at 4:00 PM
It isn’t a matter of mispronunciation, it is a matter of miscomprehension, of cluelessness towards the military, and by extension, America beyond the borders of the Land of the Educated Class and Political Class. It is why we are winning, and why we will take it back.
khacha on February 5, 2010 at 7:20 PM
Cute, but incorrect. “Corps” is pronounced “CORE” in both countries.
n0doz on February 5, 2010 at 7:21 PM
Considering “corps” (core) is a French word, that’s quite an accomplishment to bastardized a French word as it’s said in the “Queens English”
BTW, Exactly how did we lowly Americans get the “Corps of Royal Marines” to use the bastardized pronunciation “Core” as opposed to Corpse “kawrps” meaning “dead body”?
DSchoen on February 5, 2010 at 7:58 PM
LOL!
It’s much worse than just the military. Apparently he is clueless about
Citizen Corps, Mercy Corps, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Medical Reserve Corps, International Medical Corps, National Health Service Corps > HRSA
Even an elitist snob like Obama must have heard of “Eprit de corps”
Oh and lets not forget the Peace Corps.
Me think our President is functionally illiterate, hence the bizarre reliance on the teleprompter!
DSchoen on February 5, 2010 at 8:11 PM
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