# Sarah Palin- Election Present for Obama Supporters from Canada **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 1, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615 "2008-11-01T19:15:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/61 "2008-11-03T03:05:51Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > When the prankster gave a false name for Canada’s Prime Minister, Palin replied: “Well, you know, he’s doing fine too.” > > As a Canadian, I would hope that any candidate for USA President or Vice-president would know who Canada’s Prime Minster is. You sure about that? Seems to me that the countries the US pays the most attention to, tend to be ones that we’re about to invade. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/62 "2008-11-03T03:19:11Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > He may be a righty by French standards, but his actual policy positions are almost the archetypal centrist Democrat platform planks. I’m pretty sure that’s the idea: if someone who’s centrist by American standards can be elected in France, a hardcore righty should be able to get elected in the US. > [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > Anyway, apparently she isn’t that into him, or she’d have known that he doesn’t speak English very well. I don’t think that’s necessarily true. She came off like someone without a whole lot of brainpower or intellectual curiosity who has been admiring the RNC’s heroes from a distance. ETA: I could very well be wrong on both points. My last job was with the DNC, and we’re not the ones who do all the spying in this country, so I know shit-all about what goes on in RNC circles. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/63 "2008-11-03T04:04:08Z")
> [@Elenfair](#): > > The _Justiciers_ > As for the Queen, I believe they did try to prank her a few years back, but she caught on quickly and dished it right back. The old broad is sharp as a tack 😉 and was a really good sport about it all. [Different prankster](http://www.monarchist.ca/mc/queenpr.htm). What’s with all the giggling? Sounded like she’s never spoken with a head of state before. Quite undignified. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/64 "2008-11-03T04:09:37Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Well, to be fair, the Jean Poutine isn’t the PM anymore… You mean like in [this clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mi2kUebJy8&feature=related) ? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/65 "2008-11-03T04:32:30Z")
> [@detop](#): > > You mean like in [this clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mi2kUebJy8&feature=related) ? Yes, that may just be what I had in mind. Though I don’t think I ever saw that he’d gotten Engler at the same event. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/66 "2008-11-03T04:49:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Was this the same people who tried this same trick with Queen Elizabeth a couple of years back? They were pretending to be Quebec politicians. The joke backfired when the Queen demonstrated that not only was she aware of Canadian political issues but able to speak fluent French. In an interview the next day, one of the pranksters admitted that “somebody ended up looking like a fool yesterday but it wasn’t Her Majesty.” I believe this was [Pierre Brassard](http://www.pierrebrassard.com/), then of the _Bleu Poudre_ comedian group (and **Mighty\_Girl** ’s link seems to concur). But as far as I know, he wasn’t trying to humiliate the Queen, he was just trying to see if he could talk to her by pretending to be Canada’s then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. He succeeded, and was impressed by her. Nothing “backfired”: he knew she spoke French and was aware of political issues, and she impressed him by how “approachable” she was. The _Bleu Poudre_ were also able to talk with Pope John Paul II, also while pretending to be Jean Chrétien. I guess Chrétien’s a good choice, since with his over-the-top populist manner and weird accent, both in French and in English, he’s easy to imitate. _Que voulez-vous!.._ 😛 For these reasons, I disagree with **Tuckerfan** that world leaders don’t just call each other: apparently they do, and it’s possible for committed pranksters to get them on the phone. I haven’t listened to the Palin call, and I probably won’t since it’s not at all my kind of humour, but I don’t blame her for having been caught. Better and more experienced people than her have been pranked before by similar comedians. The _Justiciers masqués_ themselves have quite a history; in the past they’ve actually caught Nicolas Sarkozy and his predecessor Jacques Chirac. I’m not even convinced they’re “Obama supporters”. Well, if they’re like 90% of people in Quebec (and Canada, presumably), they probably are, and wonder why anyone would vote for a creationist like Palin, but most likely they’ve tried to prank Palin just because she’s in the news and pranking important people is what they do. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/67 "2008-11-03T05:37:16Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > When the prankster gave a false name for Canada’s Prime Minister, Palin replied: “Well, you know, he’s doing fine too.” > > As a Canadian, I would hope that any candidate for USA President or Vice-president would know who Canada’s Prime Minster is. But she can see Canada from her porch! ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/68 "2008-11-03T09:52:02Z")
What gets me is that the woman is apparently too stupid or egotistical to realise that a foreign Head of State is simply not going to call _any_ candidate in any country to personally wish them well before an election: it would be rightly seen as meddling in that nation’s internal politics, and would be a colossal diplomatic scandal. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/69 "2008-11-03T12:55:26Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > For these reasons, I disagree with **Tuckerfan** that world leaders don’t just call each other: apparently they do, and it’s possible for committed pranksters to get them on the phone. There was a prank call from a Miami radio station to Fidel Castro pretending to be Hugo Chavez. It took them forever to get through as they passed layers of security and aides but they finally got through. Something about Chavez having forgot a suitcase with compromising documents last time they met. It ended with Castro calling them names and them laughing at him. It’s on the Internet. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/70 "2008-11-03T14:22:53Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > When the prankster gave a false name for Canada’s Prime Minister, Palin replied: “Well, you know, he’s doing fine too.” > > As a Canadian, I would hope that any candidate for USA President or Vice-president would know who Canada’s Prime Minster is. It seems to me you are being unfair, it is easy to forget a name during a telephone call, or even to simply agree rather than correct because it may be impolite to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/71 "2008-11-03T14:27:04Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > [Different prankster](http://www.monarchist.ca/mc/queenpr.htm). > What’s with all the giggling? Sounded like she’s never spoken with a head of state before. Quite undignified. Of all the critiques made, this to me is the most heavy, since she does not seem to ahve the right comportement to be speaking in such situations. Not catching or correcting “mistakes” or faux personalities may be only politeness, or even forgetting since you are on the phone in live time. But her comportement was very weak. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/72 "2008-11-03T17:26:26Z")
At least she didn’t tell him she loves their toast. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/73 "2008-11-03T18:56:08Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Of all the critiques made, this to me is the most heavy, since she does not seem to ahve the right comportement to be speaking in such situations. Not catching or correcting “mistakes” or faux personalities may be only politeness, or even forgetting since you are on the phone in live time. But her comportement was very weak. I loved how she seemed to be positively orgasmic about Sarkozy’s hot wife, and giggled like a school girl every time Sarkozy gave her a compliment. The thing that’s most worrisome, however, is that she had nothing of substance to say to or ask of someone she claims to have great respect and admiration for. I wouldn’t mind seeing the three-some that seemed to be in the making, though.. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/74 "2008-11-03T19:16:39Z")
> [@Karyn](#): > > I was convinced that I had been to George Washington’s funeral. Hey, I remember now–in first grade I excitedly told everyone that my parents had taken me to “George Washington’s house”, a building whose contemporary importance was apparently lost on me. > [@Ramira](#): > > It seems to me you are being unfair, it is easy to forget a name during a telephone call, or even to simply agree rather than correct because it may be impolite to do so. And it wouldn’t seem a little suspicious that the President of France conflated a singer with the Prime Minister of Canada? ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/75 "2008-11-03T19:20:37Z")
One has to wonder what Sarkozy himself thinks about the incident? Any reactions from the Élysée? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/76 "2008-11-03T19:27:21Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Of all the critiques made, this to me is the most heavy, since she does not seem to ahve the right comportement to be speaking in such situations. Not catching or correcting “mistakes” or faux personalities may be only politeness, or even forgetting since you are on the phone in live time. But her comportement was very weak. OTOH, she has a bright future ahead of her working a phone sex line. ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/77 "2008-11-03T19:38:06Z")
Not to hijack, but does anyone know if the prank call to the Queen is available online? My Google-fu isn’t working. Though the Fidel Castro call was fking great. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/78 "2008-11-03T19:44:50Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > I loved how she seemed to be positively orgasmic about Sarkozy’s hot wife, and giggled like a school girl every time Sarkozy gave her a compliment. Although I still think this prank was kind of an unfair con job, I did bring myself to read the transcript, and this is the point that’s raising my eyebrows: > [@Sarah Palin](#): > > You know, I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife, oh my goodness; you’ve added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours. Um, excuse me? Now, I’m as appreciative of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s good looks as a heterosexual female can reasonably be, and I think that her steamy personal history happens to be none of my business: > [@Wikipedia](#): > > It has been claimed that Carla Bruni was involved with Louis Bertignac, Mick Jagger (Jagger’s wife acknowledged his affair with Bruni was a reason for their separation), Eric Clapton, Léos Carax, Charles Berling, Arno Klarsfeld, Vincent Perez and former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius. > She has said she is easily “bored with monogamy”, and that “love lasts a long time, but burning desire - two to three weeks”. > While living with Jean-Paul Enthoven, Bruni fell in love and started an affair with his son, philosophy professor Raphaël Enthoven (track 2, Raphäel, of Carla’s album Quelqu’un m’a dit is named after him), who was at the time married to novelist Justine Lévy, daughter of philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy. Note that Bruni also [posed nude](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-544832/Think-THIS-image-Carla-racy-You-ones-I-didnt-publish-says-photographer.html) for photographers in her modeling career. So what, who cares, whatever, sez I. But **I’m** one of those notorious godless permissive liberals whose lax morality and tolerance for perversion are in the process of destroying our society, right? Where the fucking hell does “traditional-marriage”, “family-values”, Christian-Right-pinup-girl _Sarah Palin_ get off gushing about how wonderful Carla Bruni is? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/79 "2008-11-04T00:26:03Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > Hey, I remember now–in first grade I excitedly told everyone that my parents had taken me to “George Washington’s house”, a building whose contemporary importance was apparently lost on me. Er, I’ve searched this thread–I can’t find where **Karyn** posted about George Washington’s funeral…is it in here? ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615/80 "2008-11-04T07:01:29Z")
> [@atomicbadgerrace](#): > > Not to hijack, but does anyone know if the prank call to the Queen is available online? My Google-fu isn’t working. I couldn’t find it either. I did hear it live back then, though. The conversation was almost completely in French, and most of the jokes were buried in the fake Jean Chrétien’s thick accent, so it’s unlikely anyone familiar with Québec language and culture would be able to pick many out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-election-present-for-obama-supporters-from-canada/470615.md?page=5)