Obama bowling
 

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I had a number of small thoughts on it that just made me bother me about everything. First on a side outside of his comment I am amazed he was on tv now when there is so much that has to be done for the economy, but I guess every politician needs his PR time. I also love how if it was Bush it would have been all over the news and in the papers bashing him, while with Obama nope no such thing.

My wife works as a Psychologist dealing with well to be blunt people classified as Retarded. The organization she works for AHRC, specialized in assisting them in all aspects of life. The first thing she said upon hearing the comment was she hopes none of her clients heard about it since they take such pride in it, and would be very hurt and upset by such words. When someone makes such an off the cuff comment in such a manner, it shows how he is when he is relaxed and with friends. I feel it is a comment he would make when he is not filtering his comments for the audience around him.

And it is easy to just after apologize and say was a mistake, but I take it as a Freudian slip, so who wants to bet Obama attends the special olympics from now on?

It was insensitive, no two ways about it. Not the end of the world, but insensitive.

That there's any attention going toward it now, when there are such bigger fish to fry, is exactly why presidents DON'T go on the fucking Tonight Show. I don't know what the hell he was thinking, frankly.

I frackin knew it would happen! As soon as I heard him say Special Olympics I knew there'd be a news story about it. I heard it in his voice as he was saying it, he knew he chose the wrong words.

---------- Post added at 03:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:49 PM ----------

I think he provided a lot of information about exactly what was going on with AIG. You can watch CNN and read articles and you might not know that the bonuses were in peoples contracts. Hell, people didn't even why AIG was in trouble to begin with and he explained it very well to these people that just don't have time in their 60 hour work week to know every last detail of the economic problem.

I think going on LENO was a good idea, He wants to show that he is one of the people and that he is working for the people.

I don't believe it should be an issue...If Special Olympics participants were able to perform to the same standards as Olympic Athletes...there would be no need for the Special Olympics.

It was a valid reference.

I don't think it was an issue if I made the comment. Double standard?

We make fun of everything. Operative word being "WE". The president is a whole-nether story. I don't believe he meant anything by it though ... but isn't he smart enough to know that his words -EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS WORDS- are fully analyzed??? All in all, I think he should have just stayed home that day.

He showed he wants people to think of him as a "regular" guy. Leno had him on solely for ratings. It was win-win... oh and GE a major supporter of Obama happens to own NBC, so win-win-win.

I have mixed emotions of any president pandering on a tv show (not solely political or news oriented) or the show taking him as a guest. It is a way to get out information but it also taints the program as being lopsided in their views. Unless politics or platform in no way is discussed. For the person whose party is rally crying for the "Fairness Doctrine" this shoots that out, because where is the opposing viewpoint's equal time? Oh wait, it's Obama, he doesn't need to give anyone else equal time.

For the show it not only shows the leanings of it but to me it is a desperate move for ratings and some sort of legitimacy among whoever.

I just don't think that is a forum for a sitting president or congressman for that matter. I lost respect for both Leno and Obama.

As for the whole "Special Olympics" ordeal, my feeling is we are becoming a country of wimps that allow every little thing to offend us. Obama did not say it in a mean way and solely meant it as a self deprecating joke. We as a country need to get over the oversensitivity we have, this pc speak and be human. That was about the only time I have ever seen Obama just be a regular person and not be a robot.

I have a feeling most Special Olympians took less offense to his "gaffe" than those who are trashing what he said and find great offense in it. Hell, the majority of those athletes and participants may have gotten the humor in it.

While I can agree about being super sensitive in many things these days, making a comment about the special Olympics which is for intellectually or developmentally disabled is wrong. These are people who do not necessarily have the same functionality as others and therefore need that extra protection. Maybe I am more caring about it now since my wife works with them.

And yes a president every word is analyzed but certain words and comments just should not be said, ever.

I've worked with them also. The ones I have known and worked with did not look at their disabilities as something to be depressed over but as a problem to overcome. We can actually learn a lot from them, I did.

Oh please. The only reason it's "wrong" is because all the over-sensitive pussies out there will have found vindication for their over-developed sense of offended righteousness.

I'm annoyed that people give too much of a shit about this. When he's talking about something important, take him seriously. When he's joking, let him. Sheesh.

Kelly, here's the thing though, presidents and "us" aren't the same. They run the country. They can't be human. They must be perfect at all times.

Oh no, the president said something politically incorrect, the world is ending.

I can understand wanting to appear in a venue without the usual news media filtration. I can't understand how he could turn off his personal filter to make that comment. In this era of ultra scrutinizing every aspect of a public figure's life, a single unguarded comment can undo a lifetime of good works. It's a shame, but his "people" will have to think twice about sending the president into unscripted situations for a while.

Man, I am glad you guys got rid of the nutballs ruining your country (Bush et al) but had the Shrub said this he would have come in for double the flak Obama is getting for such a stupid joke.

Agreed

The entire planet needs to lighten the fuck up and quit getting outraged over shit that means absolutely nothing while simultaneously not being bothered to give a shit about shit that really really matters.

I agree that most people are oversensitive pussies. I honestly could not really give two shits about Obama and what he says most of the time, but I thought it was slightly funny that he said this. Makes him seem more human, and to me that is a good thing.

Somebody needs to kill the entire news industry.

I saw the humour in his comments and laughed when he made them........it was fuckin funny to me anyways, then again I'm not oversensitive and pretty much anything is game when there's a joke to be had.

Although when I heard him say it, I knew people would jump on it.

This man who made a joke about disabled individuals is our country's representative to the rest of the world?
That is scary.

Deal or No Deal

That should be the standard you judge this by

Wasn't there a movie made about this not to long ago

The Ringer (2005) - The ringer
with the stars from Jackass

If a movie can be made about it then why can't the Prez talk about it

ever think maybe it was a clever PR attempt to get more attention to the plight of the lowly news journalist and the fact that they made such a big deal out of his bowling score before so now maybe they will again

Why is this even important enough to push aside the rest of the interview

It isn't like he said 'Jay I bowled a 129 at the White House, I bowl like a fuckin retard'.

Also, remember your countries last representative? Guy who couldn't string a fuckin sentence together? Guy who ordered the invasion of 2 countries, with no fuckin clue what to do once your country invaded? That your country voted twice for him as your representative to the rest of the world is fuckin scary, I'll take Obama and his joke any day over that guy.
I'm not a big Johnny Knoxville fan, but that movie was pretty damn funny.

Bush is NOT the president any longer. He is out of office. He has left Washington. We are now in the Obama era, and that is what we have to deal with. I would rather focus on the current president and what he says and does. I'm also curious about how it will feel to be living with a 9.3 trillion deficit.

Lots of people make mistakes, just most people don't make them on national television. I guess he will probably think before he speaks next time. But on the other hand, I think the joke was not a good one and shouldn't be downplayed by the whitehouse. They seem to have an excuse for everything.

It isn't???

I once saw a college ice-hockey team take on a team of sled-hockey players, and everyone was on the sleds. The "handicapped" team won easily, and in fact, were told to make sure that the point spread never exceeded a certain amount. While they were waiting for the opportunity to score, they skated circles around the other team.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4576/...yroseville.jpg

It's not about "performing at the same standards"... it is "performing to very high standards with different rules". Trust me, you couldn't keep up.

I wasn't really offended by it - perhaps largely because I haven't been close to anyone handicapped - but you don't have to be an 'oversensitive pussy' to take offense, especially when it's the president saying it on national television. It's denigrating a group of highly-motivated people for something inborn or accidental. I've probably made similar jokes in the past, but is it really that hard for you to imagine a reasonable person taking offense?

Limbaugh-style right wing pundits will surely exaggerate the damage, but it deserved an apology (maybe a better one, I'm not sure) and then it deserves to be dropped.

Wow, the president said something politically incorrect. Wow, HE is HUMAN and not a robot. Wow, he makes small mistakes like normal people. Get over it.

But He's Obama and HE's our saviour, the messiah the chosen one that will lead us.

Yeah. He's human and you had too many expectations on him. Never put anyone on a pedestal, they WILL always fall off and you will resent them for your putting them there.

Redlemon:

You are thinking of the Paralympics...for people with physical disabilities. In that regard you are right. Many Paralympics athletes are not allowed to compete in the regular Olympics because they are considered to have an advantage.

The Special Olympics (what the president referenced) is specifically and only for people with mental disabilities (retards).

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And I believe I certainly could keep up. Unless they have recently started a "find the baseball" competition or a "turn and smile" competition.

Basically everyone I know has made a special olympics joke with regard to their sports prowess. It's harmless and meaningless and reflects not at all on his capacity as a president or his capacity to run the country.

In fact, as lemon has pointed out, it's ironic, as a look at the South Park episode on the matter would gladly tell you. If most of us went up against any special olympic athlete in his sport of choice, we'd get our asses kicked.

It was a joke that would've been perfectly meaningless and normal in a smaller crowd. He just happened to make it on national television. This is not a big deal; we have much bigger things to worry about.

Nope not at all, his way was much more PC than mine was, could you imagine if he had said it my way, people like pan who think everyone puts him on a pedestal would have been up for a lynching.

Seems the only person on this forum who thinks Obama is on a pedestal is YOU, you're the one constantly mentioning the 'pedestal' and how he's the 'saviour' of your people, actually seems all you ever say about him, but it is amusing reading for me, that's for sure.
Oh I know who your president is, and I know it isn't the other guy any longer, just trying to show you it could be worse if said other guy were still in charge.

It's no real surprise that some of the people that are so vehemently angry at the "pussies" that may be offended by it are the same people that have made disparaging comments about the mentally handicapped in the past (and the present).

an unfortunate mistake...but it's easy to get nervous and say the wrong thing. He may be the president, but he's also human. Ah well. You can't expect the guy to be perfect...this is of zero importance in the grand scheme of things.

I remember after Obama won the presidential election, but before the First Family moved into the White House, whole news articles were writen about what kind of dogs they were going to buy. Their dauther was allergic to some breeds, and Barack Obama wanted to rescue a puppy from an animal shelter.

“There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic, but on the other hand our preference is to get a shelter dog, but obviously, a lot of the shelter dogs are mutts like me,” said Obama.

And from the words, "mutts like me", they're analyzing his posible views on race relations!

All that attention from what was meant as a joke!?

are most of you people here really trying to say that had GW made this remark on national television, that he would NOT have been thoroughly skewered by nearly every major news media outlet and every democrat in office holding press conferences next to mentally challenged individuals demanding an immediate apology?

pathetic partisanship.

Pssssst DK, read the news, Obama apologized before the show was on the air, actually when he was on Air Force One after the show, so your 'pathetic partisanship', is actually just pathetic that you can't read the news to see an apology has been given, and accepted by the Special Olympics.
Obama Apologizes to Special Olympics Head Shriver (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Im sorry, but this sort of "would have" posts don't mean much. I mean, every major news organization has dedicated significant air time to this gaffe.

Besides, it took a few years of GWB gaffes before people would really attack him on them. Most people here don't even know about the "Do you have blacks in Brazil, too? gaffe Bush did in his first year in the office, for example.

Finally, I would love to know a single person who was genuinely offended by this. Not offended in the sense of "this is a chance to attack someone I hate anyways," but really offended.

There is so much crap going on now, and people still keep talking about a relatively harmless gaffe...

Yes.
Could we here at TFP set an example,
and let this shallow silliness end, with this post?

Everyone has made an off color joke before. But we do it with our girls or our family, our inner circle.....not as the President on Jay freakin Leno......

He must never sleep. I didn't get my bracket done til about an hour before the games started on Friday. He's got time for March Madness, Jay Leno apperances AND bowling....well done Sir....

Ummmm....I remember Pre-president Clinton,
making the coolest love to a saxophone on the tonight show.

I believe the humanizing factor,
simultaneously causes and factors out the stress.

I wanna see him move his hips.