On the Tonight Show, Obama made a joke at the expense of Americans with physical and mental disabilities (his bread and butter, come election year if you ask me--oops, I just did it too!).
Here's the exchange.
LENO: Now, are they going to put a basketball -- I imagine the bowling alley has been just burned and closed down.
THE PRESIDENT: No, no. I have been practicing all -- (laughter.)
LENO: Really? Really?
THE PRESIDENT: I bowled a 129. (Laughter and applause.)
LENO: No, that's very good. Yes. That's very good, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something. (Laughter.)
LENO: No, that's very good.
THE PRESIDENT: No, listen, I'm making progress on the bowling, yes.
While many are complaining that it was insensitive, almost everyone seems to be letting Obama off the hook in a way that they would not have dared had the words come from Bush or even Vice-President Biden.
According to the Associated Press:
"Maria Shriver says President Barack Obama's joke comparing his poor bowling score to that of a Special Olympics athlete was hurtful, although she is sure he didn't mean it that way."
Has anyone noticed yet? Look at him, Thomas.
See his hands? No holes.
See his feet? No holes.
See his side? No hole.
I'll tell you what the real insult is.
It's suggesting that Obama's game was at Special Olympics standards, when this article clearly demonstrates that even Special Olympians bowl better.
And I suppose that it was inevitable, so here it comes.
A man with down syndrome has challenged the president to a bowling match!
Go Daniel!
And that's when I realized that I didn't just have a President, I had a President that bowled worse than a dude with Downe's Syndrome!
ReplyDeleteHe has hurt many families in America. He needs to say he is sorry in the public, not to an organization.
ReplyDeleteDuring the campaign for the White House in 2008, the media criticized Palin for being ‘common,’ 'not-polished,' 'not-compassionate' and ‘not presidential.’ However, compare Sarah Palins attitude in this video created three weeks ago for the Special Olympics in Boise, Idaho.
Has his true colors emerged?
You decide the more ‘presidential’ among them:
http://tinyurl.com/ccz6nj
If any president were to say the truth, it would "offend" many.
ReplyDeleteIf you read the article, Pro, you might have been as disturbed as I was to read that Daniel voted for Obama.
Daniel has down syndrome. He is mentally retarded. And yet, his vote counts as much as one cast by an MA or PhD.
What's wrong with this country?
We let people who don't know the constitution or don't care about the constitution vote.
We even let retarded people vote...
Before you criticize me for the above comment, please explain why it is reasonable to let retarded people vote in the first place.
How about 'All men are created equal'?
ReplyDeleteEqual representation? The constitution?