September 07, 2008
Obama without a teleprompter
What would Obama do without his flunkies in the press to help guide him through the pitfalls of script-less interviews?
This morning's appearance on ABC's This Week is a good example.
Obama: What I was suggesting -- you, you're absolutely right that John McCain has not, ah, talked about my Muslim faith, and you're absolutely right that that is not --
George Stephanopoulos: -- Christian faith --
Obama: -- my, my Christian faith, and -- well, what I'm saying is that he has suggested that I'm -- that I'm -- that I'm a Muslim.
Whether a mere slip of the tongue or a Freudian slip, what the hell is Stephanopoulos doing correcting the candidate, rather than letting him finish his answer and following up with a question?
Oh, wait, my question presupposes that the host is an neutral journalist, rather than a public relations flack masquerading as a down-the-middle, fair-and-impartial reporter.
And did you notice that, buried at the end of Obama's gaffe, is the completely false -- as in bald-faced lie -- that John McCain has implied that Obama is a Muslim?
I invite you to do your own research, but with this morning's appearance, Obama has done more to spread the rumor that he's a Muslim than has his opponent.
And, no, I don't think he's a secret Mohammedean -- just an increasingly rattled, nervous, not-yet-ready-for-primetime presidential candidate.
UPDATE
Commenter Dave says I'm misquoting Obama, that he said McCain "hasn't suggested" he's a Muslim. I listened again and it still sounds like "has" to my ears, but I'll concede that it's entirely possible that the candidate low-talked the contraction.
However, the larger point remains that it's Obama who keeps raising the issue of his faith, not the McCain campaign, and to the extent it remains an issue is a product of Obama trotting it out as proof that he's being victimized by nameless, faceless bigots who just so happen to allegedly have some tenuous affiliation with his opponent.
Posted by Mike Lief at September 7, 2008 11:27 AM
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Comments
I saw this interview. I don't think Obama is a Muslim. Not hardly. That being said, Stephanoupolous did the first real interview that I have seen by going at specifics. I thought it was a fair and direct interview. Stephanoupolous looked him directly in the eye and asked him for itemized answers. This caught him off guard and clearly unnerved him.
Mike, you are right, the interview exposed Obama's weakness as an unscripted speaker. He did get progressively stronger in the debates against Clinton but he was never great against her. McCain may do much better against Obama than people think when the two go head to head.
I saw a tape of Palin's speech in Michigan from Friday and she was absolutely even tougher, more real and more impressive (if that's possible!) than she was at the convention. I predict that McCain has an even chance of beating Obama during the debates. Sarah Palin will wipe the floor with Biden. Unless the leftist sappers working to destroy her can find real dirt on her, we are looking at the future of the party in Palin.
Posted by: Bill H at September 7, 2008 02:37 PM
Actually, I think what he says is "he hasn't suggested that I'm a Muslim." I'm no Obama fan, but let's at least get the quote right.
Posted by: Dave at September 7, 2008 02:38 PM
Dave,
I've listened to the clip a dozen times now and I'm having a difficult time hearing "hasn't" instead of "has," but I'll listen again.
Posted by: Mike Lief at September 7, 2008 02:45 PM
I have to tell you also that I heard the following exchange yesterday at my local Vons where there was a Tony Strickland booth manned by three people who averaged about 87 in age...
worker: Are you a registered voter?...
lady: yeah, I am pretty sure I am going to vote for McCain because I don't like Obama. I think he may be a muslim.
worker: He is. If you look at the empiracle evidence, he is a muslim. It has been proven.
I was actually pretty offended. I am voting for McCain. I don't want Obama to be president, BUT there is no evidence that he is a muslim and this is being spewed by people. I plan on calling Strickland's campaign on Monday to let them know.
Posted by: RW at September 7, 2008 09:36 PM
I'm sure, RW, that Tony will immediately send out a memo telling his elderly campaign workers to stop spreading the rumor that Obama is Muslim. After all, you don't have to be Muslim to be willing to sell out the United States. And I know McCain is going to send out a memo telling his campaign workers to stop discussing whether Obama meant to refer to Palin when he discussed lipstick on a pig. Both of those memos, I'm sure, will be on the net momentarily. Don't you think so?
Posted by: The Little Coach at September 10, 2008 10:21 AM