No, Obama didn’t really insinuate that Palin is a pig
Sep 22, 2008 My thoughts on...
Sarah Palin delivered this memorable quote during her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention:
“You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.”
Then, just a few days later, Barack Obama said “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”
Of course the McCain camp immediately accused him of insinuating that Palin is a pig. After listening to the line in the context of the rest of the speech however, I’m convinced that he didn’t mean it in that way at all. I truly believe he was simply referring to his assertion that four years of a McCain Presidency would simply be an extension of the Bush Presidency (an assertion that I disagree with completely).
Like him or hate him, Obama is a pretty smart guy, and it’s hard to believe that he would be dumb enough to think he could call his opponent a pig and not get drawn and quartered by a huge block of his potential voters as a result. He was simply using an old adage that has been used countless times at countless campaign stops over the years. In fact, John McCain himself has used it on more than one occasion. But…
Those other politicians didn’t use the line almost immediately after Palin used it. Obama should have realized that in the context of this most unusual of election cycles, after Palin used the “lipstick on a pig” line it would have to be considered off-limits for him or anyone speaking on his behalf for the rest of the campaign. After all, no one really knows the way he truly feels about Palin as a person – perhaps he really does think she is a pig. And as far as that goes, perhaps she thinks he is one as well. But a wise political candidate won’t say such a thing aloud, and I don’t think Obama did. But by using the line at all so soon after Palin’s speech he left himself open to the accusation that that’s what he indeed meant. Which brings us to the real problem with Obama…
Throughout his lifetime Barack Obama has demonstrated a serious lack of judgment in a number of important areas, and the use of the “lipstick on a pig” line at such an inopportune time is simply the latest. In my opinion, his decision to even seek the office of President of the United States with so little and such undistinguished experience was in itself a serious lack of judgment. Had he waited until he had completed at least one full term in the Senate and demonstrated at least a little success at introducing and passing legislation he would have been considered a legitimate candidate even by those who would never vote for him.
It all boils down to this: Do we really want a person with such poor judgment in the White House when our nation and the world are faced with airliners literally coming from out of the blue and knocking down skyscrapers? Or when rogue nations like North Korea possess nuclear weapons and the terrorists who are bent on destroying us will almost surely have them as well at some point in the future? When a life or death decision must be made within minutes – or even seconds – without the use of a teleprompter, do we really want Barack Obama making that decision?
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