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Obama Gets Free Pass on Special Olympics

By Philip Klein on 3.20.09 @ 9:56AM

Add another item to the department of "imagine if George Bush or Dick Cheney had done it." Obama's joke last night that his bowling skills were "like Special Olympics or something" has generated some publicity, but not much outrage.

One of the most egregious examples of burying the lead was in the New York Times story headlined, "Seeking Everyman, Obama Does Leno," which waited until the second to last paragraph to inform us:

He had one impolitic moment when trying to make a self-deprecating joke about his bowling score of 129, saying, "That was like the Special Olympics or something." But mostly he stayed benign and folksy even while discussing the need to undo bonuses, fix banks and regulate credit card rates.

On CNN.com, the headline was "Obama mixes politics, comedy on 'Tonight Show,'" and it included this account:

Obama also remarked on his poor bowling skills, which were evident during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. He told Leno that he bowled 129 in the White House bowling alley and said his bowling skills are "like Special Olympics or something."

Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said the president's remarks were not meant to poke fun of the Special Olympics.

"The president made an offhand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics," Burton said. "He thinks that the Special Olympics are a wonderful program that gives an opportunity to shine to people with disabilities from around the world."

These are just two examples, but the general idea is that the media takes it as a given that President Obama is a nice, earnest liberal who would never want to intentionally offend anybody, let alone those with disabilities. Yet when it comes to Republicans or conservatives, such incidents are used to demonstrate how insensitive they are. Another factor is that all of the professional outrage organizations that the media anoints as arbitors of whether or not something is offensive happen to be run by liberals. And in this case, it doesn't hurt that the chairman of the Special Olympics is Ted Kennedy's nephew.

View all comments (25) | Leave a comment

Eric Edwards| 3.20.09 @ 10:27AM

What strikes me is the indifference to this gaffe by President Obama, especially after all the wailing about Robert Downey's movie lines using the word 'retard'. Downey says something as a movie character and everyone wants boycotts and apologies, but the President of the United States says something very similar and he just 'misspoke.' It must be great being a liberal, because you can never do any wrong!

Crusader| 3.20.09 @ 10:41AM

Man, when this dude is off the teleprompter he is off da chain! Making fun of the Special Olympics. Man. How low can you go?

Tracy Mangold| 3.20.09 @ 10:46AM

This would have never been acceptable had any one else said it, but come on! This is Obamessiah! He can do no wrong! I am fearful for our nation right now. Obama has created the "Great and Powerful Oz" effect thus blinding the greater portion of society to his true character. Until America wakes up and sees this man for what and who he truly he is, we are in grave danger of losing our freedoms and liberties. He is like a thief in the night, stealing in to subvert our great nation.

Angel| 3.20.09 @ 11:14AM

Drudge didn't give Obama a pass--and Obama just apologized. Thank God for the 'new' media. :)

MT| 3.20.09 @ 11:15AM

Must have been that pesky teleprompter again.

jharp| 3.20.09 @ 11:37AM

Philip Klein,

You are a complete moron.

Obama was referring to his own handicap in bowling. Good grief, the stupid here is boundless.

Tracy Mangold| 3.20.09 @ 12:20PM

jharp - you missed the entire point. If this had been ANYONE else making that quip - or any other reference that the Politically Correct Police deem offensive, they would have been crucified. Of course he wasn't criticizing the Special Olympics and I don't have a problem with the comment, myself as I understand what he was trying to say - BUT the problem here is that if ANYONE else had made this same statement, they would have been "burned at the stake" by the media.

Reaganite Republican| 3.20.09 @ 12:27PM

And WHO is surprised by this gauche and downright cruel comment? No different than his classless cheap-shot on 90-yr-old Nancy Reagan in his first presser.

Trouble is that the REAL Barack tends to leak-out when he's not hard-wired to a TelePrompTer-

Narcissists are often callous- and even ruthless. They tend to lack empathy and/or a conscience. This is evident in Obama's lack of interest in his own half-brother who lives in poverty in Kenya, or his aunt found living in public housing in Boston.

Obama's almost certainly a pathological narcissist... the most dangerous charismatic leaders are, comes from an insecure childhood (like Barack's).

Indicators include control freakery, grandiose self-importance, feeling "above the law", interpersonally exploitive, inability to handle criticism, lack of empathy, arrogant behavior, surrounds himself with sycophants... sound familiar?

Obama is a mess- and his insecurities, bad childhood, and irresponsible, far-left-wierdo mother are now all OUR problem, too-
- http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/

jharp| 3.20.09 @ 12:39PM

"BUT the problem here is that if ANYONE else had made this same statement, they would have been "burned at the stake" by the media. "

Do you mean like George Bush, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, and Donald Rumsfeld were "burned at the stake' over their lies that led us to war.

Give me a break. We've got real issues to deal with. The nonsense about how someone else would have been treated for saying the same thing is just that, nonsense.

JC.Eaton| 3.20.09 @ 12:41PM

Harpy, you insensitive clod; the term is "challenged" not handicapped. Hie thee back to your therapy.

Louis Jenkins| 3.20.09 @ 1:42PM

"classless cheap-shot on 90-yr-old Nancy Reagan in his first presser. " Don't forget Hillary Clinton who admitted to chanelling Delanor (holding imaginary conversations) for advice! But of course Obama didn't refer to that during his first press conference and the ever vigiliant news media didn't point it out. So Hillary got a free pass on her explorations of the here after didn't she? As for liars? I smoked it but I didn't inhale, I didn't have sex with that woman, well, maybe it is our fault 911 happened, me and my friend got up and moved to the back of the bus in support of Rosa Parks? Who stretched the truth with those remarks?

Starry Night| 3.20.09 @ 2:37PM

look at the liberal defending slurs against the disabled. What else should we expect? His hero, Obumbler supports infanticide.

jharp| 3.20.09 @ 2:45PM

Starry Night| 3.20.09 @ 2:37PM

"look at the liberal defending slurs against the disabled. "

And look at the wingnut moron who can't grasp the fact that Obama was making fun of his own bowling game.

Bugg| 3.20.09 @ 2:57PM

LOGIC

"Obama: Fire Imus
Obama First White House Contender to Call for Imus' Firing Over Racial Slur
By JAKE TAPPER
April 11, 2007

In an interview with ABC News Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., called for the firing of talk radio host Don Imus. Obama said he would never again appear on Imus' show, which is broadcast on CBS Radio and MSNBC television.

"I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus," Obama told ABC News, "but I would also say that there's nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group. And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude."
Obama said he appeared once on Imus' show two years ago, and "I have no intention of returning." "

Imus, a half-pickled deejay, made a dumb comment in a lame attempt at humor which was "insensitive" to black women's basketball players. Suspect that the Rutgers women never would have heard it but for the manufactured outrage of Sharpton and his buddy Senator Obama.

President Obama, a less-than-brilliant president working without his beloved teleprompter, made a dumb comment in a lame attempt at humor which was "insensitive" to retarded bowlers.Suspect every retarded person in America is going to hear this.

Holding President Obama to Senator Obama's standard, obviously, he should resign immediately.

ruth| 3.20.09 @ 2:59PM

Did Obumbler flip the handicapped off as he was slurring them? Like he did Hillary and McCain? Good luck trying to put lipstick on this pig, Harpy.

JHarp| 3.20.09 @ 2:59PM

Fire his ass!!

anne| 3.20.09 @ 3:48PM

why doesn't obama stop trying to be funny and get to work?

WendyG| 3.20.09 @ 5:58PM

This is just like his diss of Nancy Reagan. He's rude, crude and low-class when off the Teleprompter.

And he didn't get a pass from Maria Shriver Schwarzenegger.

WendyG| 3.20.09 @ 6:00PM

Hey, where's Bob to defend O's impeccable Ivy League pedigree now???

ConservativeWanderer| 3.20.09 @ 6:46PM

jharp:

Give me a break. We've got real issues to deal with. The nonsense about how someone else would have been treated for saying the same thing is just that, nonsense.

Then why are you spending time on it? Why not spend your time on those "real issues" rather than post multiple comments on this one?

Maybe because, deep down, you know this will reflect negatively on Obama, and that drives you to a frenzy of defensiveness?

ruth| 3.20.09 @ 6:49PM

Bob's been keeping quiet since we shellacked him on another thread last Tuesday--I think Bobby got his feelings hurt.

ruth| 3.20.09 @ 6:50PM

Palin nailed Obumbler, too. He deserved it, loser.

TMM| 3.20.09 @ 7:02PM

He needs to go. I am worried about the fact that there are so many who voted for this peice of work and continue to protect his back side.

George Steppin| 3.21.09 @ 7:33PM

Remeber Obama and the Don Imus Comment:

Obama said: "He fed into some of the worst stereotypes that my two young daughters are having to deal with today in America. The notions that as young African-American women — who I hope will be athletes — that that somehow makes them less beautiful or less important. It was a degrading comment. It’s one that I’m not interested in supporting."

Therefore, laughter and the lack of reaction from Obama’s remarks suggest Americans have a set a rules for race, class and gender: If you touch them you will pay.

And another set of rules for individuals that have a mental or physical disability: If you touch them, it’s ok if you apologize. Oh, and by the way, it’s okay to laugh at the jokes that come at the expense of the latter.

It is just cruel:

http://tinyurl.com/cgpymq