# Obama = GW Bush **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 4, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270 "2008-01-04T15:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/1 "2008-01-04T15:10:08Z")
Well, it looks like Obama may well become the next president, so its time for me to get negative. From a Canadian perpective I’ve heard two pronouncements from Obama over the last 6 months that bring to mind a comparison that is very disturbing. Like Bush’s propensity for invasion, I’ve heard Obama say that under certain circumstances he would invade Pakistan. I’m sure that is well known. But much less known is that like Bush, he hasn’t a clue about the country that is America’s largest oil supplier and trading partner, Canada. Even worse than Bush, he lives right on the border of Canada. **CANADA DOES NOT HAVE A PRESIDENT !** From this [cite](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/07/obama-slip-on-canada/) > [@](#): > > The senator from Illinois said, “I would immediately call the president of Mexico, the president of Canada, to try to amend NAFTA, because I think that we can get labor agreements in that agreement right now.” Remind you of [Bush](http://www.democracynow.org/2000/3/7/g_w_bush_endorsed_by_imaginary) in 2000 ? > [@](#): > > George W. Bush has gotten into trouble again over the name of a world leader. After a rally in Canton, Michigan two weeks ago, a man posing as a Canadian television reporter told Mr. Bush that Canadian Prime Minister Jean Poutine had endorsed him for his Presidential run. Bush beamed and responded excitedly to the endorsement. America, Wake up! The other leader after Iowa isn’t much better either. From the same cite. > [@](#): > > The man posing as the journalist was Canadian comedian Rick Mercer. Mercer hosts a program on the CBC network called “This Hour has 22 Minutes.” The show often lampoons American ignorance of Canadian culture and politics. Last season, he had the Governor of Arkansas convinced that Canada was building an igloo to protect its parliament building. The irony is just too much to bear. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/2 "2008-01-04T15:12:53Z")
It’s “President of Canadia”, surely? (I wonder if Obama would call Musharraf “General General” like GWB did before the 2000 election?) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/3 "2008-01-04T15:14:20Z")
Wow. Where have I been? Apparently there’s been two Prime Ministers since Chretien (the last one I remember). ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/4 "2008-01-04T15:15:17Z")
Well, that didn’t take long. What’s it been, twelve hours since the first not-even-a-primary? ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/5 "2008-01-04T15:17:46Z")
I am relieved that the OP won’t be voting this year. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/6 "2008-01-04T15:20:47Z")
I chalk Obama’s up to a simple misspeak until shown otherwise, Dubya’s to complete and utter stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/7 "2008-01-04T15:21:37Z")
Criminey! While I agree it would be nice for candidates to remember _at all times_ which countries have presidents, prime ministers, emirs, kings, princes, colonels and ayatollahs, I think it would be wishful thinking that wonderful candidates like this magically appear in both parties. Corner most of these candidates, and they’ll probably know that Canada has a prime minister. Saying “president” by mistake in a speech doesn’t count for much. And in any case, we have a State Department that is full of people paid to remember the difference. Our political system is sufficiently arcane that I do not regard ignorance of certain facts about it as a sign of unintelligence in either Americans or foreigners, so I wonder whether you would extend the same courtesy to us. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/8 "2008-01-04T15:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Chretien [/QUOTE] Was he before or after Trudeau? ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/9 "2008-01-04T15:27:05Z")
Lighten up, eh. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/10 "2008-01-04T15:30:15Z")
Who do you want us to elect, Ken Jennings? It was a minor gaffe. Sheesh. I don’t think there’s any comparison between Obama’s intellectual curiousity and that of Bush’s. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/11 "2008-01-04T15:35:44Z")
I am going to have to agree with Mr Moto here as well. Despite my personal political views, I believe that GW Bush is a foreign affairs wizard and produced perhaps the most consistent and nuanced set of policies since Nixon. The fact that he either fell for a stupid prank or accepted it gratefully rather than embarrass the reporter is indicative of absolutely nothing. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/12 "2008-01-04T15:36:50Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Even worse than Bush, he lives right on the border of Canada. [/QUOTE] He does? Holy shit, who stole Wisconsin?! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/13 "2008-01-04T15:37:39Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Was he before or after Trudeau? [/QUOTE] The _Doonesbury_ guy or the infomercial huckster? ---
**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:** [January 4, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/14 "2008-01-04T15:41:16Z")
While I can understand why Canadians would be annoyed by the kind of gaffe described in the OP and see it as typical American ignorance of their country, I think this one is pretty minor, more a misspeak than real ignorance, and that Obama manifestly ain’t no Dubya. If accidentally calling the Canadian PM a “president” is the worst thing that can be said about the guy, he’s going to have a pretty easy campaign. Here’s a more relevant commonality between Obama and Bush – they both did blow when they were younger. Obama at least admits it. I’m waiting for the “secret Muslim” stuff to rear its ugly head again. Never mind that there isn’t a glimmer of truth to it. His last name rhymes with “Osama” and his middle name is Hussein. I have actually heard people IRL say in all seriousness that they think that’s a reason for concern. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/15 "2008-01-04T15:48:17Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] The irony is just too much to bear. [/QUOTE] Since you don’t obviously know where Illinois is, I agree. The irony, she burns. I also think it’s odd that you’re more agitated by the President/PM thing than the Pakistan stuff, but them’s the breaks. You’re an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/16 "2008-01-04T15:48:37Z")
Well he better call our leader “An Taoiseach” and pronounce it correctly as well or there’ll be wigs on the green by god 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/17 "2008-01-04T16:03:04Z")
Assuming for the moment it wasn’t a slip of the tongue and was in fact a display of Obama’s ignorance… What’s of more concern in a US president, that he thinks there’s a president of Canada instead of a PM, or that he doesn’t know the PM’s name? The former suggests he’s not up on his reading, the latter suggests he hasn’t dealt with the PM of our next-door neighbor on any meaningful level. Not something I want in a leader. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/18 "2008-01-04T16:04:21Z")
Canada has politics? Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/19 "2008-01-04T16:30:23Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Canada has politics? Who knew? [/QUOTE] Yeah, but they only do it while speaking French. That way the Americans can’t figure out what’s going on. As for the OP… it’s a minor slip. He was lumping the leaders together, and accidentally used he same descriptor. BFD. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270/20 "2008-01-04T16:31:49Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Who do you want us to elect, Ken Jennings? [/QUOTE] If I answer “yes,” do we constitute a grassroots movement? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-gw-bush/432270.md?page=2)