An appropriate riposte would have been "lipstick on a pit bull" not "lipstick on a pig".

It will be yet another "potatoe" moment, or worse.

What if, after reeling off a litany of b husseins' relationships with America haters, felons, racists, unrepentant terrorists, etc., John McCain then said, "You can make a terrorist sympathizer into a candidate for POTUS, but they're still a terrorist sympathizer", what do you think would happen ?

I know, I know. But I can dream, can't I?

Obama senior adviser Robert Gibbs insists the senator was not referring to Palin. "That's an old expression," Gibbs says.

An old expression, sure.. so is "calling a spade a spade"

Wonder how THAT would go over

some libs are already trying to spin this as, well McCain said the same about hillary back in october when talking about his health care plan. i think this lends credence that the obama camp very well knew McCain had said this, and bet they could get away with it. dont be surprised to see a campaign statement saying this soon. even though mcCain was clearly referencing hillary's plan and not the woman herself.

"But when asked about Mrs. Clinton his speech, he said her proposal was "eerily" similar to the plan she came up with in 1993, when she headed a health care reorganization effort during her husband's administration. "I think they put some lipstick on a pig," he said, "but it's still a pig.""

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/us/politics/12health.html

The logical side of my mind says this was just a simple slip of the lip, why should a man lose a political race over a word.

OTOH - macaca

I hate to defend Obama here, but I'm going to agree with Gibbs. That expression was around long before Palin entered politics. Calling this an attack on Palin is just like oversensitive blacks complaining about expressions like "calling a spade a spade" or "tar baby" because they can somehow be stretched to be racist.

I could be wrong. This could be an attack on Palin. But given her rising popularity and the way all the attacks against her have backfired, I seriously doubt Obama would do something that stupid.

I was sort of willing to give the Big Zero a pass on this one until I thought it through a bit more. It is, in fact, not that uncommon a saying. The trouble is that this particular saying has nothing to do with what he was talking about. In essence what he's saying is that McCain is the same old, same old while saying he's not. But this saying that he used is more appropriate for when you've taken some superficial action to make something bad look good in an attempt to fool people. The fish thing makes a bit more sense and seems intended to 'cover up' the childish insult he just hurled.

I just can't make a saying I am well familiar with, the lipstick on a pig one, fit his discussion of how McCain says he's about change but is really about the same old thing. It's either just a horrible choice of phrasing or an intentional insult - and given his history of going off the reservation (calling McCain and Clinton racists for example) at these more open speaking engagements, it seems like this is just another time he didn't think he'd get caught insulting someone while getting 'the big laugh'. Especially given that the news headlines are noting that he's been specifically going after Palin lately. Much too coincidental. You won't hear him repeat this 'joke'.

Or as Kathryn Lopez suggests over at NRO, how about if we use "pot calling the kettle black"? That's just another old expression.

Obama was either being purposely derogatory or incredibly tone-deaf. His campaign earlier in the day derided Palin's accomplishments saying that they wouldn't look any better with lipstick on them. I'm voting for the purposely derogatory.

James has actually produced a good example of how that phrase is used, dressing up an old, discredited government plan with some new bells and whistles and saying 'no no, this is a NEW plan'. I still think it's iffy, I think he managed to use a phrase that almost sorta fits to score some 'slur the woman on the other ticket' points without getting caught. Still, he won't use it again unless he wants to get around, oh, 5% of the woman vote.

Folks, folks, Obama could have used this expression two weeks ago. -or- If McCain's running mate was NOT a woman who had just last week made a joke about Hockey Moms and LIPSTICK (pointing at HER lips when she said it), then Obama could STILL hav used this.

But just 5 days ago Sarah Palin DID make a joke about lipstick on HER lips...and EVERYONE remembers that joke.

So to use the expression "you can put lipstick on the pig, but it's still a pig" FIVE DAYS later is was past stoooopid!

Barak Obama's best defense is: "I'm a moron!"

He should use that defense immediately!

I don't think he was intentionally referring to Palin, but the audience clearly took it that way, and he was stupid to use the line even if it has been around and used before. Is this really someone that wants to be the country's top diplomat?

I don't agree with 90% of what Obama says, but I'd like to think he wasn't slamming Palin with his comment. However, it's apparent from the video that his supporters in the crowd certainly thought so. After saying "If you put lipstick on a pig" he paused, and after a brief moment everyone behind him started laughing and clapping. Then, when he finished with "it's still a pig" they erupted in applause and gave him a standing ovation. Clearly, his own supporters thought he was slamming her, and they loved it.

To be fair, I think the junior Senator is too dumb to try to make it a gaffe. He's just losing it.

Chip and Oregon...IF Obama was NOT intentionally slamming Palin with the "PIG" comment, or McCain's AGE with the "OLD FISH" comment then he is a bad combination of tone-deaf and stoooopid!

I almost prefer him being devious to DUMB!

Obama has been called an elitist. He has been called an intellectual. He has been called an egomaniac. He has been called a lot of things.

There is a stupid side of all of us and I think Obama let his out of the cage with that remark.

Is this a good place to announce that Lee Ward finally booted me from his "Blue" blog? I have been very polite when I disagreed with Lee over facts. I never once called him a name. I rarely disagreed with his opinion, just his facts. Guess he uses dailykos as his fact checker.

*grin*

some libs are already trying to spin this as, well McCain said the same about hillary back in october when talking about his health care plan. i think this lends credence that the obama camp very well knew McCain had said this, and bet they could get away with it.

Except that Obama also used the expression last year.

And you see that McCain used it. And Cheney. And Petraeus. And a million other people!

Hmmm... Halloween is coming up. Lots of opportunities for you people to identify costumes that you can claim were conspiratorially designed to offend your sensibilities. I'm sure "pregnant man" will inspire another insightful post from Cassy.

You can see the ad now - "Barack Obama. He really he is that stupid."

Brian, try to stay with me on this...ok?

the problem for the Messiah-in-chief-wannabe is the proximity in time of HIS comment to Sarah's "Lipstick" joke last week.

The Hockey Moms versus Pit-Bulls joke is STILL making the rounds.

So the timing of Obama using this expression is, AT BEST, AWFUL!!!

Obama is used to just opening his mouth and saying whatever he wants and assuming his apologists will clean up after him.

Apparently you are one of them.

I seriously doubt Obama would do something that stupid.

Let us see: China is WAAAAAAY ahead of America in their infrastructure
Uh, uh, "Typical white person..." uh, uh, "We can't just eat what we want, drive what we want (or breath as much as we want..if we're babies)", uh, uh, "America air raids villages and murders innocents...", er, um, uh, uh, "I never (inhaled?) heard rev wright say anything controversial..", uh, uh...

I've got a line for him, and it fits perfectly: "Hey America! I'm a ****ing idiot! Are ya with mu ?"

And what is with that vocal affectation? "Polisa...polisa...polisa" Piss off b.o., you are a freaking fony, condescending, pig, wrapped in the blanket of whatever you think your crowd wants to hear. And those morons can jump in a lake too! I've lost it, how can anyone who loves this country even think about voting for this piece or crap ?

I just can't make a saying I am well familiar with, the lipstick on a pig one, fit his discussion of how McCain says he's about change but is really about the same old thing.

Oh no? Obama said McCain's message is "economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy, and Karl Rove-style politics" and that he's calling that message "change".

The saying fits perfectly.

He said he's "calling the same thing, something different", which is exactly the meaning of the saying.

Perhaps you're actually not that familiar with it.

Yep, some of you are close to, are have gotten shark fin scars on your butts over this one.

With such a time-worn phrase it's too easy to brush off, and yes I agree listening to the crowds reaction they may have seen the connection, but still.

Quit jumping sharks, stick to obvious factual errors the opposition make. Quit becoming what Spiro Agnew called the press at one point, "nattering nabobs."

Brian - "Hmmm... Halloween is coming up. Lots of opportunities for you people to identify costumes that you can claim were conspiratorially designed to offend your sensibilities"

Or choose one for certain commenters.

Imagine, McCain says:
"My friends, let's call a spade a spade. If you need something I'll be there to step and fetch it for you!"

hmmm...what would the Obama-apologists say to that?

Brian, try to stay with me on this...ok?

Sorry, no can do. I had to get off your bus before it entered crazytown.

If you just excuse his remark as a gaffe, then you must re-examine his constant claims of superior judgement.

This would then be another case of VERY bad judgement on the Obamamessiah's part.

9/3/08...Sarah Palin pauses for the punchline of a joke, points to HER lips and says: "LIPSTICK"

9/9/08...Barak Obama says: "You can put lipstick on the pig, but it's still a pig"

Barak Obama can enter both the "Bad Timing" AND "Dumbest Politician" contests...and is a shoe-in to win one of them!!

hmmm...what would the Obama-apologists say to that?

Nothing. It's an old and well-used phrase.

Oops! I said "old"! I must have been insulting McCain! Well, I guess I'm the pot calling the kettle black. Oh no, I said "black"! Obama, forgive me!

Tell you what... why don't you folks write up a list of words and phrases that are offensive to "Pit Bull" Palin, and we'll see what we can do.

Brian...when Obama told a reporter: "I'll be right with you, Sweetie"...and then BLEW HER OFF for an interview she was promised, the MSM just walked away!

Can you HONESTLY say they would have walked away if McCain did the same thing?

Exactly!

Let's face it...if Obama were white, everyone would recognize by now that he is the dumbest poilitician ever to run for any office, and that includes Quayle.

Really, Brian?
Why is it Mr. Obama takes umbrage when people make note of his middle name that begins with H?

Won't work brian.

This from the party of code words, the party to take offense first....not gonna buy it.

Not after the church insult (the speaking in tounges meme you libs so ignorantly and stupidly introduced yesterday), the US cover, the Trig rumor,the "not responsible or caring Mom" insult" (complete with Sally Quinn solo),and the other lies so discreetly and not so discreetly spread everywhere.

Obama won't get a pass on anything...and I hope he keeps pissing off women. He's such a fool.

Oh c'mon, Brian. At least admit the timing was really bad. No doubt a fair number of his supporters even made the connection. Especially after all the references they've made to Palin's joke that weren't exactly flattering. I'm willing to bet plenty of them probably said, "Ooops. But I'm sure he didn't mean it that way."

Let's just say it was an "unfortunate" choice of words.

Why is it Mr. Obama takes umbrage when people make note of his middle name that begins with H?

Not that it has anything to do with this thread, but it's because they are trying to draw attention to his name in a dishonest attempt to make people think he's a Muslim.

Did you really not know that? And did you have a point?

Ok, Brian. Wanna convince me? Find another event where Obama used this same phrase prior to Palin's speech last Wednesday.

It is not part of his usual explanation of the "same ol', same ol'" from McCain

Oh c'mon, Brian. At least admit the timing was really bad.
...
Let's just say it was an "unfortunate" choice of words.

I'm completely with you on that. But it's a far cry from that to "Obama calls Sarah Palin a pig."

Brian:

What counts isn't your apologist role or whatever you can muster to defeat those who are taking great delight in Obama's gaffe.

What counts is how the middle of the road voters, the ones who don't read or even care about blogs, choose to take the remark.

And the ones who vote in PA, OH, VA, CO and a couple of other places that are in play.

Obama is a human being. Human beings make mistakes. He made a mistake. There are three ways of dealing with a mistake; ignoring it, apologizing for it (with an admission) or trying to deny it.

Each way of dealing with a mistake can be an indication of character, good, bad, or indifferent.

Nuf said.

The problem with Obama's statement is simple: context.

Context in time, as others have mentioned . . . in this political campaign, Palin "owns" the word "lipstick" like McCain owns "Maverick." Obama wants to own "Change" but McCain/Palin are trying to take it from him.

So, using the word "lipstick" is going to be seen as a reference to Palin, just as using the word "maverick" is a reference to McCain, and "Change" or "Hope" is a reference to Obama.

At best it was a joke that needed explanation, at least to a significant portion of the population (but not, notably, for his audience at the time). And jokes that need explanation aren't usually very funny in the first place.

The problem for Obama isn't the reality of the point he was trying to make, that McCain's change was from his point of view phony, the problem is that it was an astoundingly ham-handed way to do it, allowing Republicans (and Clinton Democrats) to see misogyny where it may not actually have existed.

Any time in politics that you have to say "No, what I meant was . . . " you have made a mistake.

Obama made a mistake. Depending on how people respond to it, it will be a biggie, or not.

Brian:

"Not that it has anything to do with this thread, but it's because they are trying to draw attention to his name in a dishonest attempt to make people think he's a Muslim."

Accurate statement.

And unfortunately it works.

And certainly a lack of civility is a hallmark of those fanatics of the left and right, but in this election cycle, it would seem the Liberal nutcases are predominate in the nasty accusation business.

Ok, Brian. Wanna convince me? Find another event where Obama used this same phrase prior to Palin's speech last Wednesday.

OK. And now let's see you own up to your challenge and declare yourself convinced.

"Any time in politics that you have to say "No, what I meant was . . . " you have made a mistake."

Great, absolutely great point filbert.

Obama is a human being. Human beings make mistakes. He made a mistake.

I don't deny that. But this post is not about "Obama made an embarrassing mistake with a badly timed poor choice of words". It's about "Obama calls Sarah Palin a pig".

Brian #39

Don't see your point there....is this a head fake?

"he has done his best to try to figure out how to put lipstick on a pig."

"But you know, you can... you-you can put, uh, lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig."

Not exactly the same, but close enough. That said, the juxtaposition of Palin's remarks with the most recent use of pig lipstick by Obama will have an effect, more or less to be determined, on an electorate that is already moving away from him; women.

Brian:

You are right.

"I don't deny that. But this post is not about "Obama made an embarrassing mistake with a badly timed poor choice of words". It's about "Obama calls Sarah Palin a pig"."

Nasty is a part of politics, unfortunately. Go over to Lee's blog and see the language he uses to describe Palin. He is on the verge of frothing at the mouth. "Obama calls Sarah Palin a pig" is nice compared to Lee.

Nobody called Obama a liar. Nobody called him a thief. Nobody called him a whatever, they simply characterized what he said as they saw it. And actually it was fair comment, sorta, and not as nearly over the top as some of the drivel I read on dailykos.

Hugh:

Click on the link. I posted the extract from it.

Obama needs to apologize for this outrageous comment. The audience reaction that Obama was targeting is associated with the comments by Gov. Palin. He needs to apologize for his comment immediately.

Drago,

wrong, very very wrong. I'm sorry but even I'm offended at your comment.

If there ever was a comedy gaff god that smote B. Hussain Obama with a stupid remark stick he's surely enjoying the show.

He will continue to make remarks that attempt to belittle his competition but end up blowing up in his face and his apologists will continue waving their hands trying to deflect criticism and all the while the MSM and dead tree reporting services will ignore it all.

I am sorry Brain, that example is not dealing with either McCain or McCain policies, but it is a use of the term. I was imprecise, and you were right in my imprecision.

I should have chosen my words more carefully...

Everything is scripted for O!Bama. He set the line up and delivered it exactly at a point where some doubt on his intentions, because of the context, could be argued by the Obama camp. But he knew the cheap shot he was making and he made it deliberately at that point in the speech.

Now would O!Bama have us believe that when the pig line was written for him, NOBODY who reviewed the speech connected it to a Palin reference?

This guy really is smug and assumes he'll just get pass after pass from journalists who refuse to do their job---they're all in Alaska sniffing Palin's hip waders, in search of the holy grail of smear.

Lame excuse from the Obamessiah's people. The old expression is about putting a pig in a dress, not putting lipstick on a pig.

Cassy, normally I love your columns but this time I think you're wide of the mark on this one. I honestly believe Obama wasn't calling Governor Palin herself a pig, but was using the trite turn of phrase to describe the McCain/Palin policy positions. Of course here's the thing - the real problem Obama has is that it's not always what one actually says that counts, its the perception one generates.

In this case the first perception most people are going to have is exactly like cassy's. Folks are going to say "OMG, did he just call Sarah Palin a pig?!" and among women voters who supported Hillary and are already looking for signs of misogyny from the Obama camp this is not a deft move from THE ONE. So yes, it's a tempest in teapot but it's just the kind of tempest that could capsize a campaign that's already taking on water.

The old expression is about putting a pig in a dress, not putting lipstick on a pig.

OK, so you never heard of it. But it's still a common expression. They both are.

This is somewhere between a "macaca" moment and the Dean Scream. It's definitely a sign of campaign meltdown, he's going to scramble to hold true believers, and watch them start slipping.

I put the odds at about 50/50 that one or more of our Wizbang Dems will dump Obama before the election.

OK, so you never heard of it. But it's still a common expression.

Among other things it's the context and timing Brian.

There's also the grammatical use of the definite article "the" instead of the indefinite article "a".

Mr. Ivy League, Mr. Law Review Editor is certainly well trained in diction and usage. He knew who "the pig" was when he said it. And so did everyone else.

My post #55 is wrong...I just listened to the tape again and Obama did not use the word "the". My bad.

>"I put the odds at about 50/50 that one or more of our Wizbang Dems will dump Obama before the election."

I wouldn't. They're too far in the tank. Lee is particularly hopeless. He loved Hillary and trashed Obama relentlessly, but Obama's his last hope and he's clinging with all he has. It's gotten so bad over there he broke Wizbang's cardinal rule about swear words in the post title. I've always thought he was better suited to be a Kos diarist anyway.

Because its a double entendre, Obama really did intend to insult Palin with a sexist remark. It would take someone with less than half a brain not to understand that.

If McCain used a racial euphemism in a double entendre that also had a non-racial meaning he would be held accountable that he should've known.

If Obama really didn't know that this was an insult then he really isn't intelligent enough to be President.

He needs to apologize to Palin and all woman for his 'repeated' sexist remarks.

This sums it up even better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZd_Y_D-RaA

Obama isn't so stupid as to not understand why the crowd rose and appaulded when he uttered the "lipstick on a pig" line. It really wasn't that great, especially if you assume it not to be an insult. If he had been smart, he would have put an end to it right there. At least with one of those "no no no no" lines that he does so well, but instead he just went on.

It was rude, lewd and totally unprofessional.

... and it is indefenseable.

That IS NOT a slanderous statement. I have lived in Texas all my life, and it is common to say that "You can put lipstick on a hog, and it is still a hog".

People need to be more intellectually honest, and stop trying to skewer Obama on such ridiculous crap.

OBAMA MUST THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE STUPID !!!

It's one thing when Obama tries to cover up mistakes he's
made in private, or when he feebly tries to cover up or misdirect
us, by saying that he never heard Wright's anti-American sermons
over a 20 year period ... but, when Obama tells us that the
Palin lipstick/pig remark wasn't an insult directed towards
Governor Palin, then Obama is adding insult to injury towards
the American people. This creep is not Presidential material.
P.S. The main stream liberal press which is attempting damage control for Obama also must think the American people are stupid.

At best, Obama demonstrated that he does a poor job of communication with his own country, imagine him negotiating with terror states. At worst, Obama is an arrogant, vindictive man-child who knew EXACTLY what he was suggesting, his audience certainly did.

I for one am going with the latter.

Obama is worse than disingenuous, he's a a bold face liar! Does he think Americans are that stupid? I guess he's gotten away with lying to us so many times, with the bias left wing media looking the other way, that he thinks he can get away with anything ... like, "I never heard Pastor Wright make an anti-American racist remark in TWENTY YEARS". The democratic argument that the lipstick/pig remark was used before doesn't hold any water, because it was used in a different context. This time it's obviously a nasty slur directed towards Palin, in lieu of her lipstick pit bull remark. Elect McCain/Palin in November 2008.

I was inclined to let this one pass but seeing the video, the Obama joke obviously was a take off on Sarah Palin's ad lib joke. (And probably the only line of her speech everyone knows.) But I think the story is a tempest in a teacup (an old saying, I know). What I find interesting is Obama's inability to deal with unfair media coverage. He's had a two-year free ride with the Obamamedia. Republicans, on the other hand, can be hit with thousands of blantantly untrue negative stories and still win the election.