“You can put lipstick on a pig,” Obama said. “It’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It’s still going to stink after eight years.”
For the McCain campaign, the comments were a not-so-subtle reference to Palin’s comments at the GOP convention. She asked delegates if they knew the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom. “Lipstick,” she said.
The McCain camp called Obama’s comments “offensive and disgraceful” and said Obama owed Palin an apology. In its latest advertisement, the McCain campaign today called Obama’s comments sexist and used the punch line: “Ready to lead? No. Ready to smear? Yes.”
But Obama said the ad was a tactic to avoid serious debate.
“They’d much rather have the story — this is the McCain campaign — about phony and foolish diversions than about the future. This happens every election cycle. Every four years this is what we do. We have an energy crisis. We have an education system that is not working for too many of our children and is making us less competitive. We have an economy that is creating hardship for families all across America. We’ve got two wars going on, veterans coming home not being cared for, and this is what they want to talk about.
If you think Obama was making a sexist remark towards Palin you are a brain-washed idiot.
Even Huckabee saw though this stupid McCain tactic:
HUCKABEE: It’s an old expression, and I’m going to have to cut Obama some slack on that one. I do not think he was referring to Sarah Palin. He didn’t reference her — if you take the two sound bites together, it may sound like it, but I’ve been a guy at the podium many times, and you say something that’s maybe a part of an old joke and then somebody ties it in. So, I’m going to have to cut him slack.
lolife 
case in point on the disinformation campaign and politics of fear being waged by the right. Just got this link two minutes ago from one of my Republican friends.
FW: Check out YouTube – BARACK OBAMA 57 STATES OF ISLAM MUSLIM OIC FREUDIAN SLIP?
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Let’s face the facts, the McCain campaign is raising these sorts of non-issues because they know they will have problems addressing the real issues in an open debate in this election. Let’s look at a few of the issues we’re facing after eight years of a republican white house.
1. The economy is in the crapper. Some of the largest financial institutions in the country have tanked in the past six months (Bear Stearns, Lehman, Merill Lynch Fannie May and Freddie Mac to name a few). We are experiencing the largest per-capita percentage of home foreclosures since the great depression and home values fell by 15% nationally in the last quarter. Sweet fiscal policy GW. I would think this issue would be at the top for most “fiscally responsible/conservative” types.
2. We entered into an unprovoked war in Iraq under the “Bush Doctrine” based on the administration’s assertion that Iraq had Nuclear and Biological weapons. When this turned out to be bullshit, the administration changed its message to “we’re fighting them there so we don’t have to fight them here” completely ignoring the fact that our real enemies were (and still are) in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Why is this fact ignored?
3. Support for the US among our European allies has been severely compromised by the foreign policy (or lack thereof) of the current administration. The administration’s foreign policy has been defined by its refusal to talk to anyone who poses a threat or with whom there is a fundamental disagreement. What a wonderful diplomatic solution to all of the world’s problems…good god man! It’s no wonder Colin Powell quit. Diplomacy should always be the first resort in averting a conflict and contrary to the belief of so many redneck retards out there we need the support and good will of our allies (yes even France) so that we can face our enemies from a position of strength.
4. Global warming is an environmental fact that will have an enormous impact on US and global economies. As recently as a year ago, the Bush administration denied the existence of a link between global warming and human CO2 production in spite of overwhelming scientific evidence of a causative link. Ms. Palin still agrees with this ridiculous position and unfortunately roughly 70% of polled Republicans still agree with her. In 2007, even the Bush Administration was forced to acknowledge the link. Denial of scientific facts is not a virtue and Drill Baby Drill is not the answer to this problem, it is the cause.
In the face of these issues, John McCain and his supporters have engaged in a pattern of disinformation and outright falsehood. (i.e. Obama is a Muslim, he supports the rights of terrorists, (it’s called the Constitution and we’re all protected by it) he will raise your taxes (sure if you make over 250K) and take your guns etc….). In an effort to court the far right, McCain has chosen a running mate who doesn’t believe in scientifically proven facts (Global Warming and Evolution). You single issue voters out there (the guns, god and gays crowd) are probably a lost cause, however, for all of you thinking republicans out there, it’s time to look at these issues critically and stop buying the party-line bullshit. COME ON!, do 70% of you really believe that Global Warming is a lefty myth? Do a little research on the issues, find the truth and vote on the issues that really matter!
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Sad to say, but I think they know what the electorate wants and they give it to them.
It is “professional wrestling” in the political realm. We, as a population, must not want; the truth, the issues, the facts, or the most qualified.
It is “get my person elected no matter what and with any means”. Palin has been critized for not doing interviews or answering any questions. The Rep. campaign manager said “why would we change what is working?”….and she is right….if McCain/Palin continue to gain votes on this path, why would they change and actually answer questions or talk about the issues……
The Dems were in “fat city” prior to the Paliln announcement. Now they are scrambling to regain momentum. All of it makes me sick when we have the issues this country that need true statesmen and leadership.
no one is going to fuck up America but us. We have done a damn fine job of it these past 8 years.
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Damn, that got long.
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I agree that “both sides” do it if you mean the Left and the Right. I don’t agree that “both sides” do it if you mean the Obama campaign and the McCain campaign.
I think the Republicans are really good at winning elections and absolutely horrible at governance. The GOP does not care how they win and they will play as dirty as they need to. I have heard McCain mention this lipstick thing more than once and in all seriousness. I would like Obama to directly ask McCain: “John, do you think I was referring to Sarah Palin as a pig? Do you think that I am so personally so insensitive and politically so inexperienced that I would blatantly and intentionally call the 2nd woman vice presidential nominee in history a pig? Do you actually think I would do that?”
John McCain has personally and repeatedly implied that Obama called Palin a pig and that either says something about Obama or it says something about McCain. What I think it says is that McCain will say absolutely anything if he thinks it will help him win this election. We have not seen that from Obama (yet). By that I specifically mean we have not seen the Obama campaign try to make an issue out of a non-issue in regards to things McCain has said.
For example: the house thing. I think it says something about the life that John McCain leads that he does not know how many houses he owns. It’s not an overriding issue and it obviously doesn’t disqualify him in the slightest. It’s true that it’s not John’s fortune so much as his wife’s. Still, to me, if you want to make this election about personality and character, Obama lives on a small fraction of the wealth that John McCain lives on. Not to mention the irony of the Right trying to label Obama as an elitist (a claim you’ve parroted in these comments, Micadelic).
So, yes, “both sides” will drag this election down once again but Obama is actually trying to keep his campaign focused on the issues and McCain has admitted that his campaign will not focus on the issues. They are trying to make this about personalities, again ironic considering the tactics they’ve used, so all this ticky-tacky bullshit, trying to imply that Obama is sexiest, is right out of their play book.
We have entered that last 60 days before the election where the Right will blatantly lie and try to fool the American public with all sorts of wildly inaccurate statements about Obama and the Democrats. Even more so this year after an 8-year boondoggle.
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Absolutely Imagine, absolutely. This silly playground, “he said what?” kind of crap is just the tabloidation of politics and it’s not good.
BOTH sides are guilty of it and there are plenty of examples.
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Wouldn’t it be great if we could hear something about;
Iraq,Iran,Afghanistan, Russia (we are now deploying troops to Georgia)
Economy
NRG Policy
Foreign Policy
Health Care
rather than this bullshit???
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Michael, it was a totally tone deaf, and dumb statement by Obama. I know it’s a common term, but to use it in light of Sarah Palin’s famous lipstick line is a dumb, dumb thing to do. It’s no giant leap to draw a direct line and conclusion from Obama’s remarks to Palin. If you don’t see this, your not being intellectually honest.
I get your point and I tend to agree, I wish the McCain camp would have just left it alone.
But Obama stepped in it and no matter what, it’s the appearance that counts, not the intent. The McCain ad is the least of his problems with this.
This is no different from Obama making a big deal about McCain’s off the cuff remark about making $5 mill a year to be rich. McCain clearly said this as a joke but Obama pulled it out of context and tried to make political hay out of it saying that McCain thinks you need to make $5 mil a year before you are rich. As I said before, how you see this just depends on whose ox is being gored.
See, it works both ways and neither of these guys is clean. It’s going to get worse.
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It wasn’t a dumb statement by Obama. It’s a common expression used by people and his point was perfectly valid. What was dumb that Republicans eagerly jumped to the (incorrect) conclusion that it was a statement about Palin. It wasn’t. It’s a true statement — a pig with lipstick is still a pig.
So far I think Obama’s campaign has taken a higher road than McCain’s. I don’t blame McCain for everything the right says and I don’t blame Obama for everything the left says. But McCain’s campaign came out with an official commercial about this comment and that is not exactly what I would call the straight talk express. Huckabee sounds like the old McCain and McCain sound like he is engaged in Rove politics.
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And as far as the rest of his comments, did you know they were plagiarized from this cartoon.
I think Biden is rubbing off on him.
And speaking of Biden, looks like he thinks that it’s Obama that made the poor VP choice. This comment was ill advised…
Brilliant. You’ll be hearing more about this one tomorrow I’m sure.
So who’s campaign is lame? I think any objective observer would have to say the wheels are coming of Obama’s campaign. Looks like McCain/Palin is doing just fine, thank you.
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Regardless of what his intentions were, or what he meant, if he didn’t know how those remarks would be interpreted, he’s not as smart as I thought he was.
You could certainly tell the audience interpreted it as a jab at Palin.
No matter what, a dumb statement by Obama. This is politics, this is the silly season. Both sides are guilty. It’s like throwing a punch in boxing and then leaving your jaw exposed. You make that mistake and you’re going to “take it on the chin.”
So quit whining, your guy left himself open for it.
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