Comments on: Barack Obama Did Not Call Sarah Palin A Pig

By: spencer

spencer — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:43:21 +0000

just look up Willie Horton in Wikipedia

Yeah, because Wikipedia is renowned for the rigorous fact-checking that goes into every sentence posted there.

By: spencer

spencer — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:41:14 +0000

You’re lying, Mr. Tea. Mr. Gore never uttered the name Willie Horton and never tried to scare people with a scary photo of a black, scary black man.

Yeah, I’ve heard that urban legend trotted out before as well. I find it interesting that nobody has been able to give me a link – to a reputable source, mind you – that confirms it. And I seem to recall having heard it debunked a couple of times, but I can’t remember the details.

By: Bruce Henry

Bruce Henry — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:39:33 +0000

Thanks for listening.

By: White Whale

White Whale — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:34:33 +0000

“The last time Democrats stooped to this level nationally was the LBJ “daisy” ad in 1964. Since then, underhanded, “southern strategy”, Willie Horton, Atwater-Rove style campaigns have been pretty much exclusively Republican. Portraying Dukakis as a weenie, Gore as a know-it-all smartypants, and Kerry as a gutless coward is what won those elections, and the same kind of thing is what they hope will win this one. They hope the voters haven’t got any smarter and they may be right.
I remember 1972. My boss at the time was trying to get me to vote for Nixon. He said, “McGovern wants to take a thousand dollars of MY MONEY and give it to a n*****r.” That was BEFORE the internet! Republicans love this kind of shit.”

I couldn’t have said it better. Thanks:)

By: Bruce Henry

Bruce Henry — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:18:54 +0000

And you, Jay Tea, despite your reputation for providing the linkiest links and the quoteliest quotes, haven’t provided either. So I still don’t believe you, even though you don’t (supposedly) give a rat’s ass.

By: Bruce Henry

Bruce Henry — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:14:47 +0000

What. Ever.
My point still stands, that Republicans use underhanded tactics, and Democrats, despite this one example from TWENTY FUCKING YEARS AGO, usually don’t. And not against Republicans.

By: Quaker in a Basement

Quaker in a Basement — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:05:36 +0000

I’m pretty sure that would have been used against him in 2000.

It was used against Gore in 2000, by his primary opponent Bill Bradley.

By: Quaker in a Basement

Quaker in a Basement — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:03:36 +0000

Quaker, Gore brought up the furlough program, where prisoners serving LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE could be released for weekends, as long as they promised to come back.

And was the furlough program named Willie Horton? Did Mr. Gore whip out a picture or Horton at the debate?

You’re engaging in a tired game of three card monte here, Mr. Tea. Mr. Gore brought up the furlough program. He did not “use Willie Horton against Dukakis.”

By: Jay Tea

Jay Tea — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:45:28 +0000

Bruce, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you believe or don’t. The facts are clearly established — just look up Willie Horton in Wikipedia, or Google it yourself. I’ve played the “you have to meet my constantly-rising standards of proof, or I win” game far, far too many times.

And simple logic would dictate that it would NOT have been used in the 2000 race. By that time, “Willie Horton” was a buzzphrase NOT for insanely liberal penal policies, so Bush wouldn’t have used it — it would have reminded too many people that his father was the original beneficiary of that mess. And Gore wouldn’t dare use it, because it would remind people of his bringing it up at the New York Daily News debate at the Felt Forum in 1988, just before the New York primary.

By: Bruce Henry

Bruce Henry — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:51:00 +0000

“Unfortunately, Gore was either too dumb or too inept to realize just how that would play with the American people.”
Or maybe too honorable.
I don’t believe you. I’m pretty sure that would have been used against him in 2000. And I just plain don’t believe you. Not calling you a liar, mind you. I’m just saying that you said something that isn’t true.

By: Jay Tea

Jay Tea — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:47:05 +0000

Quaker, Gore brought up the furlough program, where prisoners serving LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE could be released for weekends, as long as they promised to come back. Dukakis thought that was a fine idea, even AFTER Willie Horton traveled about a thousand miles to commit that brutal rape.

As I said, Gore first broached the issue. He was either too stupid or too inept to make it work.

By: Quaker in a Basement

Quaker in a Basement — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:44:34 +0000

The difference is, those of us saying “now it means something” are laughing while we say it.

Does that include Jane Swift? Was she laughing while she said this? This is coming directly from the McCain campaign. I don’t remember any of the “dog whistle” stuff coming from Obama HQ.

So go ahead. Crack yourselves up. Thanks for letting us in on the secret that you’re just joking around.

By: Quaker in a Basement

Quaker in a Basement — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:36:25 +0000

You folks are the ones who are perpetually indignant and serious about the whole thing.

I declare. Have you never read Ms. Malkin?

By: Quaker in a Basement

Quaker in a Basement — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:33:10 +0000

Gore was the first candidate to use Willie Horton against Dukakis, in a debate in New York.

You’re lying, Mr. Tea. Mr. Gore never uttered the name Willie Horton and never tried to scare people with a scary photo of a black, scary black man.

By: Jay Tea

Jay Tea — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:37:46 +0000

Funny you should mention Willie Horton, Bruce, and then talk about Dukakis and Gore. Gore was the first candidate to use Willie Horton against Dukakis, in a debate in New York. Unfortunately, Gore was either too dumb or too inept to realize just how that would play with the American people.

By: Hedley

Hedley — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:31:07 +0000

Dukakis was a weenie. At least we can all agree on that.

By: Duros Hussein 62

Duros Hussein 62 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:41:12 +0000

Meghan doesn’t think so.

John McCain’s daughter Meghan is not taking offense to Barack Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” line like the rest of her father’s campaign, pointing out Wednesday morning that GOP presidential nominee has been known to use the phrase.

“I’ve heard my dad say that, the term ‘lipstick on a pig,’” McCain said during an appearance on Fox promoting her new children’s book about her father.

Asked directly if she thought Obama was calling Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) a pig, McCain said, “I don’t know. I hope not. I mean, I hope not, but I have no idea.”

Linkee

By: Bruce Henry

Bruce Henry — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:40:17 +0000

The last time Democrats stooped to this level nationally was the LBJ “daisy” ad in 1964. Since then, underhanded, “southern strategy”, Willie Horton, Atwater-Rove style campaigns have been pretty much exclusively Republican. Portraying Dukakis as a weenie, Gore as a know-it-all smartypants, and Kerry as a gutless coward is what won those elections, and the same kind of thing is what they hope will win this one. They hope the voters haven’t got any smarter and they may be right.
I remember 1972. My boss at the time was trying to get me to vote for Nixon. He said, “McGovern wants to take a thousand dollars of MY MONEY and give it to a n*****r.” That was BEFORE the internet! Republicans love this kind of shit.

By: Haplo9

Haplo9 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:54:44 +0000

>McCain could say Obama wants your children to be molested and murdered and like clock work Democrats would say “The american people are smarter than this…” except they aren’t and the media enables all of this tomfoolery.

Except McCain hasn’t, and I kind doubt that he will. Meanwhile, Obama has already, multiple times, attempted to preemtively claim that McCain will use race to scare people away from him. McCain has not. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think McCain is some kind of exemplar here (his being willing to spin Obama as attacking Palin here makes that clear), I just think that this:

>They would go to extremes but not anything. Republicans are choosing to be more extreme.

is wishful thinking. I see nothing that indicates that one party or the other is clearly more or less extreme. I think both parties are willing to do or say whatever they can feasibly get away with to get power. Which describes just about everyone in history who wants power. The more things change…

By: White Whale

White Whale — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:33:53 +0000

line here is that shouldn’t Obama (or his writers) have been smart enough to know that the connection to Gov. Palin would be made with the lipstick comment even if we believe that in no way was it intended to refer to her?
Ummm… isn’t this the same “PC” language spinning the Republicans are usually railing against?
I believe the point is the MSM takes WHATEVER it is fed to create story lines no matter how wrong or cynical. I think conservatives can easily agree with Oliver that Obama did not in ANY way infer or say Sarah Palin was a pig. This outrage is merely projection and wishful thinking.
As to Democrats doing anything to win, I would take away the qualifier “anything”. They would go to extremes but not anything. Republicans are choosing to be more extreme. McCain could say Obama wants your children to be molested and murdered and like clock work Democrats would say “The american people are smarter than this…” except they aren’t and the media enables all of this tomfoolery.