Those are Insty's words he used to describe Obama's commencement speech at nearby Hampton University:
US President Barack Obama lamented Sunday that in the iPad and Xbox era, information had become a diversion that was imposing new strains on democracy, in his latest critique of modern media.
Obama, who often chides journalists and cable news outlets for obsessing with political horse race coverage rather than serious issues, told a class of graduating university students that education was the key to progress.
"You're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank all that high on the truth meter," Obama said at Hampton University, Virginia.
"With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation," Obama said.
He bemoaned the fact that "some of the craziest claims can quickly claim traction," in the clamor of certain blogs and talk radio outlets.
"All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy."
Damn those outlets with information that distracts, that diverts, that make crazy quick traction claims.
They're hurting our democracy.
And apparently, all these Americans are falling for it.
I guess we're so... gullible.
Crossposted at Brutally Honest.
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Barack Obama
Comments (22)
Silly (P)resident, facts ar... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Gmac | May 9, 2010 9:51 PM | Score: 13 (13 votes cast)
Silly (P)resident, facts are SO hard to spin now that people can verify them with multiple sources now.
1. Posted by Gmac | May 9, 2010 9:51 PM |
Score: 13 (13 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 21:51
2. Posted by mpw280 | May 9, 2010 10:08 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
President Crybaby. He has to grow a pair. Bush was subject to some of the most vile stories from the MSM that were blatantly false, yet he didn't cry like president pantywaist. mpw
2. Posted by mpw280 | May 9, 2010 10:08 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 22:08
3. Posted by Justrand | May 9, 2010 10:10 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Don't let facts, logic or even your own observations get in the way of believing ME, Lord Obama. Do NOT be distracted...just do as you're told.
Hope 'n' Change.
3. Posted by Justrand | May 9, 2010 10:10 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 22:10
4. Posted by Jeff Blogworthy | May 9, 2010 10:13 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Obama and his supporters are quite comfortable with the language of despots. The Clintons where the same way. Remember Hillary's "gatekeeper" speech? These people are the enemies of freedom.
4. Posted by Jeff Blogworthy | May 9, 2010 10:13 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 22:13
5. Posted by Patrick | May 9, 2010 10:21 PM | Score: 14 (14 votes cast)
Every day that passes I get more and more worried. Here you have a guy that used the Internet in a far more extensive and sophisticated way to get himself elected and now he is crying that there is too much "disinformation" out there and it is too distracting and dangerous. I am not sure I want to hear about the solutions to this "problem" that he might well be proposing soon. Might there be a crisis looming on the horizon that might help them solve this problem? I seem to recall somebody saying something about not wanting to let a good crisis go to waste.
Clearly, dissent is no longer the highest form of patriotism in this country. I don't think I have ever seen a public figure so obsessed with responding to any and all negative criticism. He simply cannot accept it that people are not buying his BS and the lashing out at this criticism is becoming more noticeable all the time.
5. Posted by Patrick | May 9, 2010 10:21 PM |
Score: 14 (14 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 22:21
6. Posted by DaveD | May 9, 2010 10:24 PM | Score: 13 (13 votes cast)
Obama says, "some of the craziest claims can quickly claim traction,...."
OK, let me just throw one example out there of one of these crazy claims I heard just recently.
"I have also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade - and I mean it."
OOPS! Sorry, Obama himself said that. Er, nevermind.
It does not seem a day can go by without this clown offending me.
6. Posted by DaveD | May 9, 2010 10:24 PM |
Score: 13 (13 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 22:24
7. Posted by hcddbz | May 9, 2010 11:38 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
BHO said the would bring a gun.. We brought facts and truth. He worries because the Light makes the rats scamper to their holes of deceit.
Poor BHO he wish the kids were just playing GTA, FFVIII or other games instead of reading a bills online.
7. Posted by hcddbz | May 9, 2010 11:38 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 23:38
8. Posted by proof | May 9, 2010 11:48 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Curmudgeon? Maybe. Not too long ago some gay protesters showed up at the White House and Barack yelled at them to get off his lawn!
8. Posted by proof | May 9, 2010 11:48 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 23:48
9. Posted by ron | May 9, 2010 11:49 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Oh I don't think he has to grow a pair, he just has to find a way to get the ones he has, to drop back down after the economy kicked them up into his abdomen.
9. Posted by ron | May 9, 2010 11:49 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 9, 2010 23:49
10. Posted by MunDane | May 10, 2010 8:49 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Xbox? WTH? Didn't Candidate Obama have an ad on Xbox Live? Now he is President and it is bad somehow?
10. Posted by MunDane | May 10, 2010 8:49 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 08:49
11. Posted by McGehee | May 10, 2010 10:14 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
This is entirely consistent with the way he glowered at Eric Cantor and slammed him for bringing a copy of the ObamaCare bill to the "health care summit." Obama can't win an argument when his opponents are distracting him unfairly with information and stuff.
11. Posted by McGehee | May 10, 2010 10:14 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 10:14
12. Posted by James H | May 10, 2010 10:50 AM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
In Obama's defense, he has daughters. He needs to learn Wii, not Xbox.
12. Posted by James H | May 10, 2010 10:50 AM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 10:50
13. Posted by McGehee | May 10, 2010 12:04 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Can anyone confirm the rumor that Obama was wearing an onion on his belt during the speech?
13. Posted by McGehee | May 10, 2010 12:04 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 12:04
14. Posted by Hank | May 10, 2010 2:21 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Again, Obama shows that he has no trouble criticizing even when he knows nothing about the subject.
Yup, Ipods are to be avoided.
Didn't he give one to the Queen of England?
14. Posted by Hank | May 10, 2010 2:21 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 14:21
15. Posted by krusher | May 10, 2010 2:40 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
What a child king we have. His daily whining is sickening. Maturity passed him by. Whaaaa Whaaa
15. Posted by krusher | May 10, 2010 2:40 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 14:40
16. Posted by apb | May 10, 2010 4:25 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
"some of the craziest claims can quickly claim traction
Sure - the Jug-Eared Douche is the provider of most of them. From closing Gitmo, to not hiring lobbyists, to "I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."
Ol' Jug-Ears doesn't like the intarwebs because they continuously prove him to be the biggest lying scumbag to ever hold the Office.
16. Posted by apb | May 10, 2010 4:25 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 16:25
17. Posted by Oyster | May 10, 2010 4:50 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
I eagerly await the snide commentary from the left about how "behind the times" Obama is, how he's probably a technophobe and how he's "not fit to run a country" if he can't even use an iPad or iPod. You know the way they lambasted McCain for being sooooo stupid.
17. Posted by Oyster | May 10, 2010 4:50 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 16:50
18. Posted by Will | May 10, 2010 5:54 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
but if you really want to hear some far out weird stuff, listen to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.
18. Posted by Will | May 10, 2010 5:54 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 17:54
19. Posted by GarandFan | May 10, 2010 7:25 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Poor Barry, he sooooooo wants to be loved.
19. Posted by GarandFan | May 10, 2010 7:25 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 19:25
20. Posted by 914 | May 10, 2010 8:59 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Yeah, well you cant have your whine without the cheese Barry.. You lied your way into office... Live with it!
20. Posted by 914 | May 10, 2010 8:59 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 20:59
21. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | May 10, 2010 9:09 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Hmmm, didn't people on the left slam McCain for not using his own computer... even though he had issues typing with his shattered hands.
21. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | May 10, 2010 9:09 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 21:09
22. Posted by James Cloninger | May 10, 2010 10:10 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
"With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, -- none of which I know how to work --
But put a Crackberry in his hand...
22. Posted by James Cloninger | May 10, 2010 10:10 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 10, 2010 22:10