# What is the truth behind this meme? \[Our Navy Seals begged for help and Obama went to bed\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2018, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670 "2018-09-03T03:49:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/21 "2018-09-03T18:10:35Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Thanks for the correction. I mentally collect them all as “soldiers” but apparently I’m incorrect to do so. They can, however, be lumped together as “warfighters”. That’s the Pentagon’s official term. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/22 "2018-09-03T18:11:46Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > My understanding is that Snopes has been outed to have the same reliability as wikipedia… ymmv So are you saying that despite multiple links provided in every Snopes and Wikipedia article, they can’t be relied on? Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/23 "2018-09-03T20:00:14Z")
Just one article among many: > **[The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f)** > > Pulling back the curtain, we find that the fact checkers may not be as open and transparent as we thought ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/24 "2018-09-03T20:05:07Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Just one article among many: > > [The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f) That has nothing to do with actually refuting the cites. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/25 "2018-09-03T21:24:53Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’m pretty sure it is. I can only find right-wing websites and I don’t want to click on them because I doubt their objectivity. This is the wrong attitude IMHO. Sure they are based, but so is every other news site. So you read them with that in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/26 "2018-09-03T22:58:47Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > My understanding is that Snopes has been outed to have the same reliability as wikipedia… ymmv The sign alleges that while Navy Seals begged for help, Obama went to bed. We know that the “Navy Seals” in question were former members who were now CIA security contractors and that “Obama went to bed” is unsupported both literally (it was too early in the evening) and figuratively (the military was given “clear orders” to assist but failed to respond in time). There is no angle where “Yeah, but Snopes…” applies here. The only possible way the sign could be even partially accurate is if it came out that the sign referred to some completely different incident. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/27 "2018-09-03T23:13:09Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That has nothing to do with actually refuting the cites. Or for that matter that Snopes itself is _incorrect_. They assert bias, but don’t show it having an effect. Also, it’s the daily mail. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/28 "2018-09-04T02:18:17Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Just one article among many: > > [The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f) Well, if the Daily Mail says it… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/29 "2018-09-04T02:26:47Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Just one article among many: > > [The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f) That article is noticeably free of evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/30 "2018-09-04T03:08:27Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > This is the wrong attitude IMHO. Sure they are based, but so is every other news site. So you read them with that in mind. Assuming you meant biased and not based (they’re all based somewhere, that’s true), I find this comment to be at best misleading and most probably completely false. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/31 "2018-09-04T03:31:08Z")
Snopes is “used by journalists”? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/32 "2018-09-04T10:30:16Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Just one article among many: > > [The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f) > [@Colibri](#): > > That has nothing to do with actually refuting the cites. > [@bardos](#): > > Just one article among many: > > [The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f) > [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Well, if the Daily Mail says it… > [@bardos](#): > > Just one article among many: > > [The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f) > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That article is noticeably free of evidence. > [@bardos](#): > > Just one article among many: > > [The Daily Mail Snopes Story And Fact Checking The Fact Checkers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#2b23478e227f) :dubious: Why did you choose THAT one? Try us on another, please. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/33 "2018-09-04T10:40:36Z")
What I have noticed on this forum is that folks come with cemented opinions and just argue to argue. anyway try this one on: [https://www.march-against-monsanto.com/report-snopes-com-caught-heavily-editing-lying-about-monsanto-chemicals-in-our-food-supply/](https://www.march-against-monsanto.com/report-snopes-com-caught-heavily-editing-lying-about-monsanto-chemicals-in-our-food-supply/) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/34 "2018-09-04T13:25:46Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > What I have noticed on this forum is that folks come with cemented opinions and just argue to argue. anyway try this one on: > > [March-against-monsanto.com](https://www.march-against-monsanto.com/report-snopes-com-caught-heavily-editing-lying-about-monsanto-chemicals-in-our-food-supply/) If this is the kind of thing that you come up with in your arguments then it is you who are pouring the cement on people’s opinions. This article is complaining about how a Snopes article was edited (which it notes in the footer of the article) and the complaint is based on three very heavily biased sources that essentially reference each other: the march against Monsanto, The Food “they’re putting Nitrogen in airplane air!!!” Babe and Food Democracy Now. I traced their links a bit and found they were mostly just citing themselves and each other. The use of unreviewed and questionable lab methods doesn’t change anything or prove Snopes unreliable. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/35 "2018-09-04T13:45:52Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > What I have noticed on this forum is that folks come with cemented opinions and just argue to argue. anyway try this one on: > > [March-against-monsanto.com](https://www.march-against-monsanto.com/report-snopes-com-caught-heavily-editing-lying-about-monsanto-chemicals-in-our-food-supply/) **Moderator Note** Once again, this is irrelevant to the specific question in the OP. If you can refute the Snopes article itself, then do so. Otherwise drop the hijack. You can start another thread about Snopes in Great Debates if you wish. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/36 "2018-09-04T15:51:19Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > My understanding is that Snopes has been outed to have the same reliability as wikipedia… ymmv No. Just no. I get emails with wild claims (who writes these, anyway) and I recall the first one stating Snopes was wrong. It caught my attention because it refered to a ‘picked on’ dental practice near my home town. But the town wasn’t spelled right, so I checked the library’s old phone books (remember those?) and did not find the dental practice. I still get emails saying ‘Snopes confirmed this!’ but, when I check Snopes, it turns out that they did not; in fact, they said BS. Laziness abounds. Snopes cites their research. These rabble-rousing emails do not. ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/37 "2018-09-04T15:55:26Z")
Quick answer: The OP event never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/38 "2018-09-05T21:52:08Z")
As a side note, sleeping while significant events are occurring isn’t always a bad thing. I was just reading “The Last Stand” about the Custer debacle. The “savior of the 7th cavalry”, Frederick Benteen, was exhausted and slept through the early part of a key battle after Custer’s group was wiped out. He woke up just in time to rally his troops to hold off the Lakotas and Cheyenne. And it was Admiral Spruance who I recall in the immediate aftermath of the Midway victory in WWII who went to bed, figuring his second-in-commands were qualified to take care of any matters that arose. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8LakesSrfr7of9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gr8LakesSrfr7of9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8LakesSrfr7of9)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/39 "2018-09-07T00:26:10Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Sorry for a tiny nitpick: > > Sailors, not soldiers. Yes, sailors. I was a soldier in the Army and an airman in the Air Force. Good catch. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670/40 "2018-09-08T18:24:38Z")
I have a question which I think is very similar to OP’s. Rather than start a new thread, may I piggy-back here? (In order to click somewhere on the 'Net I had to tell “Quora” my e-mail address. It hasn’t quite gotten annoying enough for me to mark all their messages as Spam. And it gives me an idea what sort of Questions Americans are “Just Asking.” Here’s the latest: ) **Has Obama permanently damaged our American justice institution by his reckless and unlawful actions during his administration?** Quora isn’t real diligent about providing dates or contexts, but this appears to be a brand-new question. It sure reminded me of this thread though! **Sleeping while Seals begged for help** , and **permanently damaging our justice institution**. We’re sure lucky to be rid of that guy, what? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-truth-behind-this-meme-our-navy-seals-begged-for-help-and-obama-went-to-bed/820670.md?page=3)