July 8, 2009

"Barack Obama forgot how he met Michelle, his wife, his guiding star! You’ve only been married to the woman since 1992, Barack. Jesus Lord."

"And last year he forgot to get her a wedding anniversary present, so he swung by Radio Shack after work and picked up a lousy DVD box set. Ugh, the DVD box set is for the twentieth anniversary!"

Wonkette, under the heading "At Least Mark Sanford Doesn’t Pretend To Love His Wife" and linking to Swampland, which says:
... Obama took the microphone in Moscow, and... made the following joke. "To the entire Class of 2009, congratulations to you. I don't know if anybody else will meet their future wife or husband in class like I did, but I'm sure that you're all going to have wonderful careers," Obama said. It's one thing for a Russian host to get the facts wrong. It was a bit more jarring when the president got them wrong, with Michelle sitting in the audience no less. The couple did not meet in class.

In Obama's defense, sleep is a scant commodity on these foreign trips, increasing the risk of verbal slip ups. And at several points in the Moscow speech, Obama seemed a bit off his game, repeatedly misspeaking words off the teleprompter. Last night, according to the pool report, Obama got back to his hotel at 12:15 p.m. local time, ending a long day with a long dinner at the home of Russian President Dimitri Medvedev and his wife. Earlier on Monday, Obama had taken an unexplained 40 minute break from his schedule to visit his hotel, delaying the start of the afternoon press conference.
Aw, a President needs sleep too. And a good afternoon nap can help prepare for a possible 3 a.m. phone call. As for misspeaking, perhaps he has a strategery.

68 comments:

Fred4Pres said...

That is worse than forgetting your aniversary or your wife's birthday.

Hoosier Daddy said...

In Obama's defense, sleep is a scant commodity on these foreign trips, increasing the risk of verbal slip ups.

Let me be clear: Obama slip-up= lack of sleep. Palin slip-up = dumb hick bitch.

Anonymous said...

I went to a town hall session the other night hosted by Jim Sensenbrenner, my congressman. He answered questions for 90 minutes. None of us were plants. He didn't know what the questions would be.

He did not need a teleprompter. He did not need an aide. He cited the Constitution when necessary. He cited Supreme Court rulings. He cited law. He knew his stuff and almost never said, "Um" or "Uh."

But it was probably because he had had enough sleep. You know, being only one time zone away from DC and all.

Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...

As a former long distance truck driver it is worth noting that most people will feel significantly fatigued and sleepy about 12 hours after the mid-point of their previous night's sleep. Most truckers have the sense to take a break at that point, and it looks good on the logs.

I hope Obama does take naps, every day, for that matter. His political and economic policies are unmitigated horse$#!+ -- perhaps I malign horses here -- but to fault him for napping when fatigued is petty and stupid.

BJK said...

For a guy who talks about 'empathy' so much, Barack doesn't seem to know much about gift giving. He didn't even put the time in to buying his wife an iPod with his speeches on it!

(In the President's defense, at least Michelle won't have to worry about her DVD set being region-locked.)

bearbee said...

Ha, ha, ha.

So they re-gifted the DVD set to Brown?

Saving taxpayer money!

Ha, ha, ha.

former law student said...

I don't know if anybody else will meet their future wife or husband in class like I did,

What an idiot that Obama is! He met Michelle while he was a student , not when he was in class . What a maroon.

On the tongue-slip scale, where Condoleeza's calling W. her "husband" is a five, this ranks about a 1.2.

Fred4Pres said...

Perhaps he should try some morning wakeup sex, because middle aged men have higher sperm counts at that time (or so I have been told by Professor Althouse).

Of course, he has to make up with Michelle first for FORGETTING HOW HE MET HER!

former law student said...

What Obama should have said:

Obama took the microphone in Moscow, and... made the following joke. "To the entire Class of 2009, congratulations to you. I don't know if anybody else will meet their future wife or husband while summering at their AmLaw 50 firm, like I did, but I'm sure that you're all going to have wonderful careers,"

Obviously this corrected story would have been far more meaningful to the ex-Komosol members.

Automatic_Wing said...

I thought Rev Wright was Barry's guiding star.

kathleen said...

It seems improbable that he got this wrong. Maybe they met in some secret, sinister Saul Alinsky-type "now that you're lawyers, here's how to destroy capitalism from within" class.

Hoosier Daddy said...

What an idiot that Obama is! He met Michelle while he was a student , not when he was in class . What a maroon.

You don't get it. Obama is supposed to be that intelligent guy who is beyond these kind of gaffes. You know, the kind that you guys proved Bush was stupid.

So that means either Bush wasn't as stupid as you thought or Obama is just as stupid as Bush.

Your serve

kjbe said...

A better walk-in-the-door gift would have been flowers. What guy doesn't know that, even if it's for show? I guess he's not perfect. Who'da thunk?

Tank said...

OK, raise your hand if you don't remember EXACTLY how and when you met your spouse.

bearbee said...

Obama Gets a Sense of Putin’s Super-Villain Soul

And in his CBS interview Obama inadvertently referred to Putin as “president” three times.

Ooops....

rhhardin said...

This is why there are automatic online dates to remember calendars for guys.

Original Mike said...

Well, he is busy.

john said...

Well, for our 20th, my wife got a cheeseburger with a bite taken out of it. Later, we had the best sex ever.

That's because I still remember how we met.

rhhardin said...

President Palin would be a worse slip.

Anonymous said...

Obama belches and the world cheers.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I have to give Obama a pass on not remembering exactly when and where he met his wife 20 years ago.

Having been married now for 15 years and dated for about 3 before we got married, I don't remember exactly when or where my hubby and I met and neither does he. It just sort of developed over time. As long as you don't confuse your spouse with a former girlfriend/boyfriend or ex-spouse, does it really matter anyway?

Also a pass on not remembering the anniversary date. I don't know mine and neither does my husband and who cares. We got married on a Saturday of Memorial Day weekend 15 years ago and since they keep moving the date around, we just figure sometime Memorial Day weekend is our anniversary. Close enough.

Did Michelle get Obama a present or is it only the responsibility of the guy? Who cares about a present? The best present is the continued presence and love of your spouse. However, a good steak dinner with some single malt scotch doesn't hurt either for celebratory purposes.

Unknown said...

"In Obama's defense, sleep is a scant commodity on these foreign trips, increasing the risk of verbal slip ups."

Hmmm, I don't recall every reading a "In Bush's defense..." story. Is this a new meme, excusing dumb presidents?

I'm Full of Soup said...

I have said this before. About 50% of married couples met in a bar.

About 0.00000001% met online at the future bride's blog!

Unknown said...

I thought the DVD-anniversary-gift line was a joke, since the link is to the gift to Gordon Brown.

Like DBQ and FLS, I don't think the difference between "I met my wife in class" and "I met my wife while a student" is big enough to bother with.

W would have been excoriated over such a mistake, and sleep deprivation would not have been considered as an excuse.

MayBee said...

The story is simply an illustration of Obama's willingness to make up a story for the sake of the audience.

Meeting someone in class is completely different than meeting someone away from school. They weren't both students at the time, they didn't go to school together, they weren't even in the city of 'his class'.

Remember this. His biography is flexible.

Lisa said...

When Hillary misspoke, she was lying.
When Palin misspoke, she was stupid and a dumb hick.
When Obama misspeaks, he just gets his facts wrong.

They must really hate women.

Jim said...

fls -

The point to be taken away from this is simple: If it had been Bush, it would have been front page news and the subject of endless mockery.

But according to you, we're just supposed to sweep it under the carpet and excuse him for it.

Tell you what. When you guys apologize for doing this sort of thing to Bush on a daily basis for 10 years (because it started long before he entered office), then we'll forget about this and the 57 states and calling Prime Minister Putin the president, and all the other verbal gaffes he's committed and we'll all say "Hey. He's human, and he's got a really tough job to do."

Until then, I hope the medicine that you have helped concoct over the last decade or so tastes nice and sweet while you swallow spoonful after spoonful of it. Do you need some sugar to help wash it down?

ricpic said...

Does Hussein work for the Soviets, er...Russians? His reductions will make it impossible in future for the United States to project power in several theaters simultaneously, exactly what Russian grand strategy has been after lo these many years. Coincidence?

Crimso said...

"In Obama's defense, sleep is a scant commodity on these foreign trips, increasing the risk of verbal slip ups."

I was immediately reminded of Haig (IIRC) and his attempts to mediate between the UK and Argentina in 1982. I think (but I may be incorrect about this) that his efforts were the genesis of the term "shuttle diplomacy." He was flying all over the Western Hemisphere for days on end, and it showed (the war happened anyway, though it's not clear it really could have been stopped). No fan of Obama, but understand the circumstances he's under. And having to spend time sitting in a chair with your knees higher than your brain probably didn't help.

former law student said...

If it had been Bush, it would have been front page news and the subject of endless mockery.

Unlike Obama (thus far), Bush made enough gaffes to fill a book:

http://www.amazon.com/George-W-Bushisms-Accidental-President/dp/0743222229

But apparently W. never made one while speaking about his wife. The biggest Presidential spouse-related gaffe was when Richard Nixon declared, "America can't stand Pat."

Joe said...

Obama didn't forget. What matters is the story and he isn't the first politician to exaggerate and/or change a small detail for the benefit of the audience. In other words, politicians lie to score points. Who knew?

Leland said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MayBee said...

How many American business people make this kind of trip all the time-- sans the advance work done by minions and a private jet with a king-sized bed, shower, etc? There's no reason to be exhausted after flying about in AF1.

If he's tired, he's got less stamina than your average bear.

Leland said...

Nice gaffe. Here's another one.

Dude needs some sleep.

Jim said...

fls -

Obama has been president for 6 months with a fawning media willing to cover for him and yet we've still been hearing about all sorts of verbal gaffes already and Bush was president for 8 years with an overtly hostile media trying to pick apart his every sentence.

Trying to compare the two on sheer volume is sheer lunacy. The point is you thought (and still do think) it's hilarious to point and laugh at Bush's gaffes, but you are busy trying to sweep Obama's under a rug and telling people "Move on, nothing to see here."

Not gonna fly. In fact, as the pressures of the office begin to wear on him, you're going to see it more and more often. Obama's is short-tempered and very thin-skinned, so you're likely to see even more verbal errors as his anger gets the best of him.

You guys set the rules, you don't get to call the game when the other guy starts running up the score on you...unless, of course you want to admit how wrong you were. If not, then I suggest buying some hot dogs and beer and taking your seat in the stands because Obama's already starting to crack under the pressure.

Jim said...

Leland -

OUCH! I hadn't seen that one.

I guess I need to learn more about "smart diplomacy" because to the untrained eye that looks like sheer stupidity to me.

MayBee said...

I'm going to go way out on a limb and say that Obama had no idea there were hard feelings over the Alaska deal.

That's not the kind of thing he knows (history).

Jim said...

MayBee -

"That's not the kind of thing he knows (history)."

I have no doubt he didn't. But wouldn't recognizing that fact require admitting that he's not so scary smart and uber-educated as his sycophants claim he is?

No. I'm sure there's a good explanation for this kind of amateur move by Obama and his people. We just need one of our resident Leftists to explain to us how it's actually proof of his superior intelligence, education and worldly sophistication. Just wait for it.

Jason (the commenter) said...

Maybe Obama didn't forget how he met Michelle. Maye he was talking about another wife. Muslims can marry more than one woman, right?

Jim said...

On the other hand, I'll betcha money that Sarah Palin knows that the Russians aren't so pleased about the sale of "Seward's Folly."

Jon said...

Has Sullivan added this to his "Strange Lies of Barack Obama" list?

MayBee said...

No. I'm sure there's a good explanation for this kind of amateur move by Obama and his people.


Jim-
Barack Obama does not have the boring, pedestrian kind of intelligence demonstrated by knowledge of facts or command of history. Nobody cares about that kind of intelligence, as we saw back when he said FDR wasn't afraid to speak with our enemies.

Instead, Barack Obama has the kind of intelligence demonstrated by his ability to understand that every issue has many different sides, and he can listen to all of them. He is smart enough to know when not to say anything- like when a strongman is denigrating our country, or when a choice must be made.

He is really much too brilliant to be tied down with either facts or decisions.

MayBee said...

Besides, Obama is America's new Year One in history. The old stuff doesn't matter anymore. Nobody really liked that America anyway.

robinintn said...

I don't think it was sleep deprivation. I think he had to run back to the hotel for a smoke.

hombre said...

"As for misspeaking, perhaps he has a strategery."

Yeah. His strategery is to make it up as he goes along relying on the media to cover for him.

He is an empty suit, personally and professionally. Intellectually he is a composite of secular progressive and marxist dogma.

Oh, and his supporters are diehard lefties and dupes, which may be redundant.

hombre said...

There. I feel better now.

KCFleming said...

Now we know what news coverage would have been like had the MSM been in Bush's pocket. Same gaffes, entirely different reactions.

He's an idiot.
He's tired.
What bullshit.

The MSM media are still in love with Obama, and will come to his defense like any suitor would.

I'm glad someone else has the patience to wade through all of it; I haven't seen the TV news or read anything but our small town newspaper in years.

Does Barry remember how they first met?
Who gives a shit.
The man is spending the US into an enormous economic hole. Report that, you goddamned sycophants.

Charity said...

"repeatedly misspeaking words off the teleprompter"

Now he can't even get it right WITH a teleprompter? God help us.

kentuckyliz said...

Ooh, Michelle is going to be pissed! No nookie for O. Which isn't much different than usual. He can't find the pink behind that giant ass.

Jim said...

Maybee -

LOL

I had to re-read your post a couple of times to see the sarcasm: you so brilliantly parodied the Leftist talking points that I had check and re-check what I was reading.

Well done.

MayBee said...

Jim-
Thanks.

As an aside, I wonder if Obama wasn't already in the doghouse for including Michelle on the list of people having trouble controlling herself around WH pie.

Jim said...

Maybee -

"As an aside, I wonder if Obama wasn't already in the doghouse for including Michelle on the list of people having trouble controlling herself around WH pie."

She doesn't really strike me as the sort of person who is capable of laughing at herself over anything but the most trivial stuff. A "fashion diva" such as herself shouldn't have to put up with such taunting from the opposition party....I mean, press....I mean....her husband.

Freeman Hunt said...

LOL @ Jason

Seriously though, I know someone who is utterly convinced that Obama is a Muslim.

"He did X because he's a Muslim."
"He isn't a Muslim."
"He's definitely a Muslim."
"He's probably not even religious."
"He's Muslim."
"Atheist maybe."
"Muslim."

Oh well.

holdfast said...

"But apparently W. never made one while speaking about his wife. The biggest Presidential spouse-related gaffe was when Richard Nixon declared, "America can't stand Pat."

-That is damn funny.

mariner said...

Crimso:
I was immediately reminded of Haig (IIRC) and his attempts to mediate between the UK and Argentina in 1982. I think (but I may be incorrect about this) that his efforts were the genesis of the term "shuttle diplomacy."


We were just noting on another thread that so many people don't remember history, even recent history. Thank you for providing an example.

The term "shuttle diplomacy" was first popularly used to describe Henry Kissinger's travels as Secretary of State in the late 60s and early 70s.

Shanna said...

That Alaska comment is kind of hilarious, even though it's probably not good diplomacy. Unless he was mad about the chair thing.

Also, I give people a pass on forgetting dates. Beyond my immediately family, I don't feel the need to learn everybody's exact birthday. If you remember the month I think that's good enough (but you might want to make a note of it if your wife cares).

Ralph L said...

Henry Kissinger's travels as Secretary of State in the late 60s and early 70s

Except that he wasn't SoS until September 1973. He was National Security Adviser before that.

Beth said...

In Obama's defense, sleep is a scant commodity on these foreign trips, increasing the risk of verbal slip ups.

Even scanter now that he's sleeping on the couch.

Jim said...

freeman -

"Seriously though, I know someone who is utterly convinced that Obama is a Muslim."

I can forgive someone for being confused since evidently Obama himself is pretty confused on the subject.

In his book, he talks about his Muslim roots. But then during the campaign, he suddenly became a supposedly devout Christian (who mysteriously never went to church after the Rev. Wright fiasco); but then he went to Cairo and touted his Muslim roots, [under Islamic law, any child of a Muslim is a Muslim - so although he said he was a Christian, he was telling his audience who were all followers of Islamic Law that he really was a Muslim like them] even quoting passages from the justification for jihad in the Koran.

Obama has intentionally blurred the lines between his religious beliefs over and over again - being more Muslim when that was convenient, and more Christian when that was convenient.

So when Obama makes up his own mind and can present one face to the world, then we can talk about other people making up theirs.

MadisonMan said...

It's stories like this that make me wonder how much embellishing/story-changing someone like, oh, Wm Henry Harrison did -- back before stories could be checked.

Politicians these days have it rough.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Beth said Even scanter now that he's sleeping on the couch.

Now you know there is a joke there.

Bill Clinton walks by Obama who is sleeping on the couch in the Oval Office and says:

Punchline #1 "Ah Mr. President. I see you found my bed."

Punchline #2 "Gee Mr. President, it's only been six months you need to pace yourself."

Punchline #3 "Now did you use the Cubans or the one's that Chavez sent you?"

Punchline #4 "Testify my brother."

JAL said...

So when Obama makes up his own mind and can present one face to the world, then we can talk about other people making up theirs.

That's never going to happen.

He wrote about being a board (looking for the reference) in one of his books -- probably Audacity -- that people could project their dreams on.

And they do. The problem with that noble sounding offer is when you have many different people doing that you end up letting most of them down. That is happening, I believe. (And have the audacity to hope.)

The other facet is that this may be a personality characteristic which, in light of the number of times he has arc-ed into a different position depending on whom he is taking to or who is asking the question, indicates the sand is always shifting beneath the surface. It's not that he does not know who he is, it's that the shifting sand *is* who he is.

Camille Paglia was being kind the other day (I believe before the latest faux pas[es?]) and wrote: "Despite some flubs and lapses, Obama seems to me to have eased into the post of president with dignity and authority. I am hopeful that he will rid himself soon of these simplistic anti-American clichés."

I believe that the press really has been covering his hiney (bowing to the King, tacky presents to heads of state and other notables) more than I recall seeing previously. The trappings of the office communicate dignity and authority usually.

I sincerely believe she is entirely too naive about the latter. The anti-Americanism is the same no matter which way his sand shifts. That's his heritage.

JAL said...

And as for forgetting when and how he met Michelle.

*I* knew generally when and how he met her -- and it was not in school, it was in the workplace.

How can that be that I read an article last year and remember they met a a law firm where she had "interned." The next summer she was put in charge of the interns and that is when she met him. Mmmm?

And Barack does not remember that? If my memory is correct Michelle *graduated* from law school *before* he entered law school. (She was kind of his 'boss.')

So no, they did not meet in school.

Why do people say stupid stuff like that when it is clearly not true?

So. No big whoop, right? But this is sounding like Al Gore's fantasy life on the campaign trail. Remember those days?

former law student said...

Why do people say stupid stuff like that when it is clearly not true?

He should have said, "School is good; I met my wife while I was going to school."

traditionalguy said...

I find great encouragement in Barak H Obama's great powers of fogetting things. Thank god he has forgotten Marxism, Kenyan colonialism, Indonesian Mohammedanism, and the tax cut for JTP. At least the first three are improvements as we hurtle into the Brave New World with no money worth anything, no legal cheap energy usage to create any wealth again, and no health care any better than Cuba's miserable freebies. Looking to the future is lots easier with no memories left of our salad days of 25 prosperous Years from Reagan Recovery until the Obama crash.

paul a'barge said...

When you come across a man who has these problems with remembering significant dates and events with his wife it's a dead giveaway that he's married to a total she-bitch.

Methadras said...

So, President Barely, The Fraud-in-Chief can't even remember how he met his wife? Only a disassociated/sociopathic moron has that sort of memory disconnect. Either that or his Alzheimer's is kicking in early. If you asked me how and where I met my wife, I could do it while I was asleep. What is even worse that he thinks so highly of his wife and their long time together that he slips to radio shack for a goodie. You leftist knuckle-draggers voted for this douche, a cheap stuck-up prick.

vrajavala said...

Exactly Methadras. I've been married three times and I can tell you exactly how i met each of them.
This is not a memory loss. We know nothing of Barack Soetoro/Obama. Such information is supposed to be historical archival informati9on for historians, etc. But he has it all locked up.
If you ask me, this was a Freudian slip. He was married before, to someone he met "in class."