# Latest fraudulent, bullshit, manufactured outrage against Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 10, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883 "2008-09-10T01:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/1 "2008-09-10T01:36:32Z")
The McCain campaign is accusing Barack Obama of caling Sarah Palin a [. > [@](#): > > Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama told an audience Tuesday that GOP presidential nominee John McCain says he’ll change Washington, but he’s just like President Bush. > > “You can put lipstick on a pig,” he said to an outbreak of laughter, shouts and raucous applause from his audience, clearly drawing a connection to Palin’s joke. “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.” > > McCain’s campaign immediately organized a telephone conference call in response and called on Obama to apologize for calling Palin a pig. Obama’s campaign said he wasn’t referring to Palin; he had been talking about McCain immediately before the lipstick comment. Obviously, Obama was not talking about Palin, and the McCain campaign fucking Goddamn well knows that, but Maverick just keeps sinking further and further into the slime every day. At this point. my respect for John McCain, which used to be quite strong, is completely gone. He was a POW. Fine. That doesn’t give him a pass for the rest of his life to say and do whatever he wants with impunity. The biggest irony in this is that John Mccain has used the [url=[http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/mccain\_rolls\_out\_health\_plan\_a.html](http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/mccain_rolls_out_health_plan_a.html)]exact same expression](]pig[/url) when talking about Hillary’s health care plan. I honestly think that McCain is taking a lower road than even Bush ever did. I have to say, I don’t believe W. would have gone this blatantly sleazy. I swear to God, McCain is starting make Dubya look classy by comparison. Incidentally, Obama actually went on to say some fairly nice things about Palin in the same speech. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/2 "2008-09-10T01:49:25Z")
Wow. I was wondering if there really was the fuss [that I saw in this link roundup.](http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/024095.php) I guess there is. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/3 "2008-09-10T01:56:51Z")
Shit, that was the scandal from about four hours ago! Now its about how Obama wants to distribute condoms to kindergarten kids. Try and keep up! ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/4 "2008-09-10T01:57:04Z")
I think Obama was making reference to Palin and riffing off her “lipstick” comment in a sideways fashion. It’s clever, and he didn’t directly call her a pig. You have to infer it or read into it. But, the insinuation is there, I think. It seems ok in context. It’s also ok to bitch about it. That’s politics in the big city. I mean Obama has that song “don’t know much about history” playing in the background in his commercial when he’s criticizing McCain, which is fair because McCain is attacking Obama’s experience. Point, counterpoint, action, reaction. It’s a campaign. No big thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/5 "2008-09-10T02:01:16Z")
I’m an Obama supporter and can see where the comment can be construed as an attack on Palin, especially since it seems to directly reference her hockey mom joke. Whether or not that’s what he meant, it’s easy to see why someone would think it is and I personally believe that’s exactly what he meant. It’s not “obvious” at all. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/6 "2008-09-10T02:14:47Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > I think Obama was making reference to Palin and riffing off her “lipstick” comment in a sideways fashion. No, you don’t. > [@](#): > > It’s clever, and he didn’t directly call her a pig. You have to infer it or read into it. But, the insinuation is there, I think. Was McCain calling Hillary a pig when he said it? Obama has used this expression before, you know. And he used it before Palin’s speech. And he used it in the same context. > [@](#): > > It seems ok in context. It’s also ok to bitch about it. > > That’s politics in the big city. I mean Obama has that song “don’t know much about history” playing in the background in his commercial when he’s criticizing McCain, which is fair because McCain is attacking Obama’s experience. > > Point, counterpoint, action, reaction. > > It’s a campaign. No big thing. Tell me what he could possibly gain politically by calling Palin a pig. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/7 "2008-09-10T02:23:42Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I’m an Obama supporter and can see where the comment can be construed as an attack on Palin, especially since it seems to directly reference her hockey mom joke. Whether or not that’s what he meant, it’s easy to see why someone would think it is and I personally believe that’s exactly what he meant. It’s not “obvious” at all. In everything leading up to that comment, he was talking about McCain and McCain’s newfound “change” matra. In context, there was no reference to Palin, and Obama would have absolutely nothing to gain politically from calling her names anyway. What would be the point? When her name comes up later in question during that appearance, he was very nice to her. Only a fucking moron would think he was calling Palin a pig. He was talking about McCain. If anything, he was calling McCain the “pig,” and Palin the “lipstick.” The fact that Obama has used this expression before, in the same context, in a pre-Palin world makes the notion that it was supposed to be some kind of disguised swipe at Palin (again, for what purpose? Why would he fire a shotgun at his own face?) even more ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/8 "2008-09-10T02:38:40Z")
If it makes anyone feel better, I have no plans to change my intended vote for the Democratic Presidential ticket over this issue. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/9 "2008-09-10T02:48:02Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > If it makes anyone feel better, I have no plans to change my intended vote for the Democratic Presidential ticket over this issue. Me either, but since we’re both in Texas, it doesn’t really matter that much, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/10 "2008-09-10T02:50:18Z")
Just like the typical bully. Attack all they want, but if someone even sounds like striking back (which this wasn’t) go crying to Mama. waah, waah, the big bad Obama was meeeen to me. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/11 "2008-09-10T03:19:59Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No, you don’t. These are not the droids I am looking for? > [@](#): > > Was McCain calling Hillary a pig when he said it? I would guess not, after reviewing your cite. Maybe though. I think it’s hard to escape the idea that your making some kind of insinuation when you use that phrase in association with a woman or her arguments. Obama’s insinuation is not strong enough that we can really openly accuse him. I think it probably was deliberate. McCain might make that kind of mistake by accident, but Obama is a **very good** speaker and I have to believe the insinuation is deliberate, especially considering it’s proximity to Palin’s lipstick comment. Mccain had no prior comment from Hillary that he could have been drawing comparisons with. But again, I see no foul in what Obama said, nor in MCCain’s response. It’s a campaign. It’s politics. > [@](#): > > Obama has used this expression before, you know. And he used it before Palin’s speech. And he used it in the same context. > Tell me what he could possibly gain politically by calling Palin a pig. He gets a cheer from his supporters and points from them (and me) for being clever. I’ve said it before, but this is one thing I really like about Obama. He’s a chameleon. I mean that in a truly positive way. I’ll give you an example. I like him a lot, several months ago while he was campaigning for the nomination. I didn’t like him at all during his acceptance speech. I liked him very much on pt. 1 of the O’reilly interview. When I thought about this, I realized he was targetting his audience. During the nomination process he was courting moderates and crossover republicans. During his acceptance he was preaching to the base. On O’reilly he was again courting Republicans. Now normally, this is called “flip flopping.” But, it wasn’t in this case, because his message **did not change** , just the way he framed and presented it. These are truly awesome communication skills. Now, had George Bush said that Hillary was putting lipstick on a pick, I would give him a pass, because you know, it’s George. He does that kinda thing. He doesn’t know. He’s not a great speaker. Obama though is too good not to be aware of his insinuation. And, it’s phrased perfectly. It appeals to his base which may be pissed at Palin because of the attacks she made against them and Obama during her speech. They expect him to fight back. At the same time, it’s deniable enough that it won’t alienate moderates and Republicans who would be offended if it were overt. It’s genius. It’s good, not bad. Go with it. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/12 "2008-09-10T03:50:07Z")
Obama has never been that Junior High School in his rhetoric, and I think the fact that the expression was already a part of his campaign language before Palin makes an intentional insinuation even more unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/13 "2008-09-10T03:54:40Z")
Dio: You may be right. We’ll just have to disagree, though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/14 "2008-09-10T04:01:14Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > (snipped a lot of stuff) > Now, had George Bush said that Hillary was putting lipstick on a pick, I would give him a pass, because you know, it’s George. He does that kinda thing. He doesn’t know. He’s not a great speaker. > > Obama though is too good not to be aware of his insinuation. And, it’s phrased perfectly. It appeals to his base which may be pissed at Palin because of the attacks she made against them and Obama during her speech. They expect him to fight back. > > At the same time, it’s deniable enough that it won’t alienate moderates and Republicans who would be offended if it were overt. > > It’s genius. It’s good, not bad. Go with it. I kind of agree here, too (wtf, agreeng with **Scylla** on politics, I need to go raid the whiskey cabinet). It’s certainly not as disingenuous as “We didn’t necessarily mean YOU when we were talking about community organizers, we were just SAYING” but I suspect the inclusion was, if not pointedly deliberate, then not entirely unconscious. If I was him I’d have considered replacing the lipstick with a tuxedo or maybe earrings or something. Let’s see how he could have made it better or worse! “You can put a pig in the Alaska governor’s mansion, but it’s still a pig.” “You can put a pig in Oscar de la Renta, but it will NEVER appreciate it.” ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/15 "2008-09-10T04:05:12Z")
Then what did he mean when he used the exact same expression in the exact same context before Palin was even chosen as McCain’s running mate? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/16 "2008-09-10T04:11:12Z")
It wouldn’t even make sense to say it about Palin. What would the “lipstick” be in that analogy? I can’t believe anybody is falling for this. He was talking about McCAIN. He was talking about McCain trying to sell old ideas as new ones. The idea that he just decided to randomly call Sarah Palin a pig is simply not a credible or rational interpretation of his words. When has Obama EVER done anything like that? I can already tell that he needs to hit back hard on this right now or it will instantly become a hardened meme that “Obama called Palin a pig,” and he’ll never be able to shake it. He can’t let them get away with this shit. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/17 "2008-09-10T04:20:40Z")
I was going to open a pit thread to say the same thing Diogenes said. This is a bullshit charge. This is a phrase Obama has used before - it’c clearly part of his vernacular. So he used it tonight, and I’ll bet you he was telling himself, “Oh, shit…” as he was saying it. I hope this one doesn’t hurt Obama. He doesn’t deserve it. Also, McCain is tactically stupid for mentioning it. This is one of those bullshit scandals that a campaign can take advantage of by not taking advantage of it. You let the blogosphere bleat about it for a while to make sure everyone’s heard it, then you act all magnanimous and tell everyone it’s no big deal. Then the damage gets done anyway, and you score an extra point for congeniality. Palin should know this - she was a beauty queen. She’s got executive congeniality experience. What she was _supposed_ to do is wait until tomorrow, then tell the press, “Oh, come on, everyone. We knew Obama didn’t mean it. My opponent is too much a gentleman for that.” Thereby elevating herself above Obama by being the dispensor of favor. If you come out and demand an apology, you look shrill. And maybe a little scared. And for Republicans, kinda… wimpy. A real man could take it. So it’s stupid for McCain’s camp to say anything at all. But we can add a dash of blame to the unhinged left, because they helped kick it off by assuming the line was about Palin and laughing at it. In any event, no harm no foul on this one. I’d hate to see Obama OR McCain lose over something stupid like this. They need to win or lose because the American people honestly evaluated them and chose the one they thought would be best for the job. Not because of some fluke of timing or an unfortunate accident. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/18 "2008-09-10T04:21:08Z")
[ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper](http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/a-piggish-debat.html): > [@](#): > > Speaking on behalf of the McCain campaign, former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift tonight flatly stated that Obama had called Palin a pig. > > “[T]he formation of the Palin Truth Squad couldn’t have happened too soon, as we saw when Sen. Obama in Lebanon, Va., this evening uttered what I can only deem to be disgraceful comments comparing our vice presidential nominee Gov. Palin to a pig,” Swift said. > > “Sen. Obama owes Gov. Palin an apology,” she said. > > Asked why she was so confident Obama was “comparing” Palin to a pig, she said Palin was the only one of the four candidates on both parties’ tickets who wears lipstick. > > “She is the only one of the four candidates for president, or the only vice presidential candidate who wears lipstick,” Swift said. “I mean, it seemed to me a very gendered comment.” > > But, Swift added, if “as part of his apology Sen. Obama wants to say, no, he was calling Sen. McCain – who is a true hero in our country – a pig, then I suppose we could wait en masse for an apology to that, as well.” > > It was pointed out to Swift that, after the line about the pig, Obama had said, “You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called ‘change,’ it’s still gonna stink after eight years.” > > Swift then suggested that Obama was calling McCain a fish. So there you have it: if Obama was calling Palin a pig, then he was also calling McCain a fish. Which totally makes sense. Or COMPLETELY NOT. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/19 "2008-09-10T04:25:06Z")
> [@Hamadryad](#): > > if Obama was calling Palin a pig, then he was also calling McCain a fish. Well sure, and I think it’s sweet that McCain rode to the rescue of the little woman, while ignoring the attack on himself; very gentlemanly. ---
**Author:** ![padabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@padabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/padabe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883/20 "2008-09-10T04:28:26Z")
I think Obama’s too sharp to have used that phrase unintentionally. The fact that he’s used it before and that it only refers to half of Palin’s joke give him plenty of plausible deniability. But two out of three people would think of Palin, and I don’t believe Obama would miss it when preparing the speech. Given the tenuous connection between Obama’s remark and Palin, it also makes McCain look a little oversensitive to make a big deal out of it. If I were giving the Obama campaign advice, I’d recommend using this opportunity to point out how McCain has a history of using women in his pursuit of money, status, and power (or something to that effect). eta- perhaps it’d provoke a McCain meltdown. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-fraudulent-bullshit-manufactured-outrage-against-obama/462883.md?page=2)