10 September 2008

Obama And Idioms

You may have heard about this, but if you haven't, here's the story.

Spokesmen for Democrat Barack Obama and running mate Joe Biden denied yesterday that hot-button jibes at the Republican opposition were personal attacks on GOP veep candidate Sarah Palin.

In Virginia, Obama said of the McCain campaign's "change" platform, "You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called 'change,' it's still gonna stink after eight years."

The crowd rose and applauded, but reporters and commentators immediately began speculating that Obama was making a reference to Palin's ad lib during her convention speech last week, "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick." Former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift, newly appointed by the McCain campaign to counter attacks on Palin, denounced the "disgusting comments, comparing our vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, to a pig." She called for an apology.

But Obama senior adviser Robert Gibbs told ABC the senator was not referring to Palin. "That's an old expression," Gibbs said.
Gibbs is probably right. Old expressions like that are used all the time.

Regardless of Obama's intent, however, it has put his campaign a bit behind the eight ball. I mean, after all, since Sarah Palin and the Republican convention, it has been difficult for the Obama campaign to color the debate successfully. Americans seem to have taken to Palin, but they are not going ape over Obama as much any more. For the political junkies, though, this is more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.

Poor Barack. He should remember that you can also cover B.O. in a wrapper of "hope and change," but it's still going to stink.

If Obama or any of his supporters are offended by this, they will need to spare me the phony outrage and macaca politics. After all, I'm just expressing my opinion using common and well-known phrases.

You know, phrases like "what goes around comes around."

USMC 9971 OUT

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