OBAMA: You can put lipstick on a pig . . .

[melensdad]

Did he do it on purpose? Is he that low? He claims it is an 'old saying' and, in fact it is, but did he pull out that 'old saying' and use it to blast Palin and then claim some sort of plausible deniability???

Obama says McCain is offering fake change. You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig

LEBANON, Va. -- "That's not change," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said of what Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is offering.

"You know, you can put lipstick on a pig," Obama said, "but it's still a pig."

The crowd rose and applauded, some of them no doubt thinking he may have been alluding to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's ad lib during her vice presidential nomination acceptance speech last week, "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."​

Here is the whole story: Political Punch

Not only is Drudge reporting it, so is Fox. McCain's campaign complained and Obama's campaign countered by saying that last year McCain was talking about Hillary's 'health care' proposal and used the very same quote. Is that a reasonable comparison?

 

[Steelman]

Palin = lipstick

McCain = pig


INGO 527 crew = likes to cut and paste



The idea is that that you cannot bring in an attractive, conservative VP to cover up McCain's misdeeds.

P.S. My sig was before your article.

 

[melensdad]

Well the Wall Street Journal is apparently calling a spade a spade . . . They are directly saying that Obama linked his comment specifically to the Pit Bull joke that Palin made in her speech.

Obama Turns Up Heat on Palin
By AMY CHOZICK
September 9, 2008 7:02 p.m.
LEBANON, Va. -- Barack Obama tried to reclaim his message of change on Tuesday as he confronts a sudden shift in momentum in the race sparked by Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

"You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig," Sen. Obama said during a town hall style event in Lebanon, Virginia. The comment was a reference to Gov. Palin's joke during the Republican National Convention that lipstick is the only difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom.
Obama Turns Up Heat on Palin - WSJ.com​

 

[Dogman]

It just shows how afraid Obama is of Palin and what she is able to do.

It's funny that the Presidential candidate feels the need to attack the VP candidate.

 

[BloodEclipse]

I saw him say it and there was pause between "You can put lipstick on a pig" and "but it's still a pig." During the pause the crowd seem to get the implication and there was laughter.
It sure seemed to be aimed at her.

 

[Hiram2005]

Well if he's calling her a pig, that just confirms exactly what I have thought he is all along!

 

[Virtus]

I think the "Messiah" is falling apart. I will assume that when asked about the attack by the press, Palin will just brush it off and fire back with some joke. Obama just doesn't understand normal people. I hope the McCain camp doesn't make to much out of this and keeps on message. Specifically, the energy policy and why IN feels the need to jump the gas price by 25 cents in 24 hours. I hate the fall when the oil companies have to "re-formulate" the gas so we can "save" the world with .00000000001% change in C02.

 

[haldir]

His problem comes when he is off the teleprompter. If you watched that clip, you could tell he was struggling to come up with something to say. I really don't know what he meant but I sort of doubt that he is clever enough to have been that subtle. That's why McCain wants to get him in a bunch of town hall type debates where he has to get off his official memorized talking points. But after agreeing to them, BHO backed down (like accepting federal financing).

 

[melensdad]

Chicago's WGN news is having a panel discussion on this issue right now. (6:45am C.S.T.) They played the clip and discussed it.

They said that Obama is 'fixating' on Palin, Obama made a statement, the statement may or may not have been directed at Palin, but because of the fixation on her by Obama, the press and the voters, the quote was tied Palin and many seem to believe that Obama attacked Palin.

So the consensus was that the quote may have been used innocently but it was heard by the crowd as an attack on Palin.

 

[semiauto]

I would like to point out that John McCain used this same addage against the Hillary campaign before party nominations were held. It was not directed at Sarah Palin. Obama was referring to the similarities in policy between Bush and McCain.

 

[Bigum1969]

It almost feels like Obama is now running against Palin. McCain and Biden are probably taking naps.

 

[IUGradStudent]

If it was just the pig line then I would think it's just Obama using an old phrase. But, lipstick on a pig and old fish smelling stinky....hrmm.....who has an old guy and a girl? McCain / Palin? Both together seems too much to be coincidence....

 

[melensdad]

If Obama would stop bringing it up this whole thing would have actually blown over in about 30 seconds. Fact is Obama keeps raising the issue by claiming he didn't mean it. Now his campaign is issuing statements saying McCain's campaign is distorting it and blowing it out of proportion.

Seems to me that he is the one keeping it alive. Why? Does he have a guilty conscience?

Honestly I think this man is very smart. He knows how to give a speech. He knows what things mean. I believe he did this on purpose and is using the "old phrase" argument to claim that he didn't do anything wrong. I think he used the phrase to score big points with the radical wing of his party. He got a standing ovation for doing it. His problem is that most women in the middle may consider it an unfair attack and now he looks like he stepped in ****.

 

[epsylum]

His problem comes when he is off the teleprompter. If you watched that clip, you could tell he was struggling to come up with something to say.

+1

He was stumbling over words. He sounded very GWB-esque IMO. But GWB is a big friggin hillbilly idiot to them and Obama is the second coming. Looks like he has a large blaring weakness (other than his policy that is).

 

[Justus]

It was not directed at Sarah Palin. Obama was referring to the similarities in policy between Bush and McCain.

You know, I thought that at first also.....
but....
1) when you hear the audience reaction,
2) emphasis placed on the word "lipstick"
3) add the SECOND comment about the old fish...
4) consider the timing: the "lipstick joke" is fresh on EVERYONE"s mind,
this was terrible judgement on Obama's part to even use the
comment.

It's clear, to me, where these words were aimed and what they meant.

Many of his comments become "foggy" after he's confronted.

 

[melensdad]

If Obama didn't mean for his Lipstick on a Pig comment to be aimed toward Palin then why is this on the Democrats website?

It clearly states that McCain put lipstick a Pig. OK that can be explained as a slam on McCains policies, but if it really is a slam against policy then why is the preceding sentence all about Palin? Read the first sentence, then the second sentence and it sure makes the implied connection that Palin is the pig that McCain put lipstick on.

Add to that the fact that the most known line from Sarah Palin's speech at the RNC is the "lipstick" line and the connection is easy to infer.

The Democratic Party | PartyBuilder | Elizabeth Berry's Blog: McCain's Selection of Palin is Lipstick on a Pig

Palin does not change one single thing of what the Republicans are offering which is four more years of George Bush. All that McCain did was to put lipstick on the Pig (the Bush Administration whose failed strategies have wrecked our nation). Nothing has changed except for an exciting and sexy dash of lipstick to freshen up their tired old face of more of the same.

The same people who do not like the Bush Administration for what it has done to this nation are not going to be fooled by the lipstick on the pig. And it they think that the American public are so stupid that they will rush over now and kiss their pig of a platform because it is wearing a fresh touch of lipstick, well I think they will be surprised. Economically, the majority of Americans are at the breaking point. Most American families literally cannot stand another four more years of the same.
That is exactly why we had so many Republicans giving testimony at our convention as to why they were crossing over. The message was the same: They simply could no longer afford to vote Republican. Palin does not change that message. She is more of the same.

Judging from McCains choice, he seems to think that our Democratic Campaign is built on the purpose of electing the first black man as President. That is not, nor has it ever been the purpose of the Barack Obama campaign.

The purpose and message of Barack Obama's campaign has always been CHANGE and it remains so--to change this country before conservatives totally destroy it with their tax breaks for the wealthy and for coporate America; to rebuild this nation by creating new jobs and restoring worldwide respect for our nation; to unite our country in a common purpose; to end our reliance on fossil fuel in the next 10 years--not to drill for more.

Palin changes nothing in terms of what the Republicans are offering. They are still offering a ticket of more of the same: more tax breaks for the weathy, more disdain for global warming, more war, more disregard for rebuilding our educational system in America, more continued privatization of our nation.

WE NEED TO REMEMBER AND NOT BE THROWN OFF OUR MESSAGE. THE REASON THE DEMOCRATS HAVE SUCH SWELLING SUPPORT IS BECAUSE OF ECONOMICS AND THE WAR IN IRAQ--Palin represent more of the same. She changes nothing.

In a way a Palin is a good thing because now we can focus on the real issues. The REAL issues for Americans do not include whether we elect the first black president of our nation or whether we elect the first woman vice president .

AMERICANS HAVE A CLEAR CHOICE: CHANGE OR MORE OF THE SAME.

Demorats offer change.

Republicans offer more of the same. Palin is a red herring, lipstick on the Republican pig to distract Americans from the real issue that under the leadership of the Republicans the last 8 years, our country is falling apart.

Both Palin and McCain think that Americans are whiners. What do you think? Are you a whiner? Do you want more of the same? If you don't, then get out and register at least 5 people and tell them why they should vote a straight Democratic ticket this year.

 

[BloodEclipse]

Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan on Tuesday, introducing Joe Biden at a campaign event, ripped into Palin’s record and punctuated it with this snarky jab.

“There’s no way you can dress up that record, even with a lot of lipstick,” he said.

Add that to later in the same day, Obama saying "You can put lipstick on a pig," he said. "It's still a pig."

Seems like a campaign strategy to me, that has backfired.

 

[Bigum1969]

Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan on Tuesday, introducing Joe Biden at a campaign event, ripped into Palin’s record and punctuated it with this snarky jab.

“There’s no way you can dress up that record, even with a lot of lipstick,” he said.

Add that to later in the same day, Obama saying "You can put lipstick on a pig," he said. "It's still a pig."

Seems like a campaign strategy to me, that has backfired.

 

[PMY]

calling a spade a spade . . .

Racist!

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Obama's gaffe probably falls somewhere between bad judgment and bad luck. But if he wants to complain about being taken out of context, he needs to stop talking about McCain wanting a "100 year war" in Iraq, and saying if you make "less than $5 million a year" you're middle class.

 

[melensdad]

Racist!

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Obama's gaffe probably falls somewhere between bad judgment and bad luck.

I'm not so sure.

This man is very smart. He makes great speeches. He has a grasp of the language. He is very cunning.

Given those things it is very possible he said it on purpose and is falling back on the "its an old saying" defense.