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The Special Olympics Of Presidencies
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 12:44AM 
On March 19th, while a guest on Jay Leno's late-night talk show, President Obama joked that his prowess in the White House bowling alley was on a par with "the Special Olympics or something."
Wow. Take Barky's TelePrompTer away and things get marginally interesting ... it's a little bit like White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs's inane and repeated reference to the "tick tock" when he gets a press corps query he doesn't want to answer.
(Oh, how I miss the delicate beauty and genteel deference of the coolly professional Dana Perino. And she represented a real, actual president!)
Two days before the special olympigaffe, President Obama, with a straight face, graciously welcomed his own self to the White House. He was reading the Irish Prime Minister's speech from the electronic binky.
Loose lips -- even historic ones -- still sink ships.
As if credulity were not adequately strained that the President of the United States couldn't tell the difference between his speech and the guest's speech the first time around, when Prime Minister Cowen caught on (must be the luck o' the Irish), Mr. Obama returned to the screen of the crime and repeated the mistake!
That's got to warm the cockles of your heart.
Seriously, though ... when a sitting president's TelePrompTer starts its own blog, don't you think it's time for change the rest of us can believe in?
TG and I have a granddaughter who is a special needs child. We were not offended by President Obama's tasteless remark, because it is pointless to take offense.
The thing to do is take action ... and we will. The next election cycle starts in ... oh, I give it ten minutes ... and we'll be involved at the grassroots level in the GOP effort to reclaim the White House and what's left of America.
Meanwhile, allow me to opine that President Obama's remark comparing the abilities of those who compete in the Special Olympics with his own skill at the White House lanes, was not a slip of the tongue as some have suggested.
I believe he went on The Tonight Show fully intending to say what he said. He said it because he meant it. And why should that surprise anyone? You didn't think Obama was going to take a swipe at black folks, did you? Or tax cheats or terrorist sympathizers or crooked politicians or social elitists or baby killers or illegal aliens or communists or transvestites or tree-huggers or Hollyweird types or people who think they've been reincarnated as long-dead presidents?
Naw, y'all! He chose to compare his bumbling performance at the bowling alley with folks who struggle to get out of bed, get dressed, and feed themselves in the morning ... and then lay it all on the line to compete in challenging games of athleticism, devoid of that deadly sense of entitlement, refusing to coddle themselves or to blame anyone for their lot in life, or to waste time attempting to rewrite history.
Mr. and Mrs. Obama have been blessed by God with two beautiful, apparently normal daughters. Sasha and Malia attend Sidwell Friends, avoiding inconvenient contact with the public school hoi polloi. They are getting an exotic Portuguese water dog and already have a $10,000 swing set. Maybe they're given a bite or two of that $100-per-pound steak at the weekly parties, while they rub shoulders with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Brad Pitt. Life is good at 1600.
I am happy for the Obamas that their children are whole. I am acquainted with the kind of wonderful bubble that the reality of healthy children allows you to live in, because TG and I were blessed with four such children.
Until Melanie was born with a cleft palate in December of 2004, the sum total of my knowledge of special needs children was anecdotal.
Not only is Melanie unable to do many of the things four-year-olds can do physically, but she has yet to talk. She's bright and obedient, funny and joyous, active and inquisitive ... but her developmental delays are heartbreaking.
And nothing is real until it's personal.
His politically expedient (read: obligatory) morning-after "apology" notwithstanding, clearly it does not strike President Obama as unseemly to poke fun at the physical limitations of special needs kids, even under the guise of public self-deprecation which I'm sure was designed to further endear him to his sycophantic personality cult followers.
But then, he was having a good time being cool, talking about how neat it is to fly on Air Force One, and basking in the fanatically fawning reaction of the live audience to his "historic" appearance on Jay Leno.
Everything President Obama does is historic! When a cell divides in his body, it is deemed historic.
But loose lips -- even historic ones -- still sink ships. The "historic" president who was described by Sean Penn (now there's a face only a mother could love) in his Oscar acceptance speech as "elegant" (do we have to redefine that word now too?) could learn a thing or ten from recent history.
Gaffes aside, the peril in which Mr. Obama has placed our beloved country is certainly historic. Never have so many American citizens been in danger of losing so much, so quickly, under the "leadership" of one so inept, so blatantly unqualified to lead. The magnitude and gravity of our current situation -- and I do not refer to the economy -- is truly and undeniably historic.
We are experiencing the Special Olympics of presidencies. Rack up the pins and somebody tell the TelePrompTer.
Reader Comments (11)
Smart as this buffoon is reputed to be, according to all the talking commodes and bootlicking media grovellers at Barry's feet, he's proving to be anything but. Nothing but a babbling gaffe machine, needing a 24/7 verbal MASH unit trailing him. We'll need a giant MASH unit for the whole country, when he's done wrecking it.
@ SF ... yeah but we're gonna rise up,my brother. I think he knows there won't be a second term, so he's going to do all the damage he can in as little time as possible. Wrecking Ball Barry.
One hardly knows what to say. Except you, of course. You knew what to say :) I'm sure you know all about the Great Gift Gaffe between the Obamas and the Prime Minister and wife? The British press is still buzzing about it. Not our press of course. I guess most of these things wouldn't be important in the scheme of things. But the scheme of things is even worse, unfortunately.
@ Tracie ... you are succinct and correct as usual! Oh yes, the collection of classic movies ... what a great gift to our greatest ally! I found it so offensive that, on behalf of all of us, President and Mrs. Obama saw fit to insult the entire United Kingdom. I love England; we need to stick together as we have always done. Barky the Bridge Burner ... pathetic.
I love your writing! Great post. My Uncle is a special needs person and I have seen him struggle throughout his whole life but he has the best heart EVER! I love him so much. He has been such a joy in all our lives. I'm glad that I grew up with him as he has taught me so much about life. Thanks for updating me on Obama as I had not heard this. I am not happy with his actions!
@ Cheryl, neither am I ... I am stunned and sickened by them! I'm not sure what's worse -- President Obama's insensitivity or his elitism. But what a wonderful thing for you to say about your uncle! And thank you for your kind words to me.
LOL! LOL! Electronic binky...I love that. That's so witty. This was a fantastic article...you need to submit it to as many Conservative mags as possible. They are bound to bite.
@ Audge ... you think so? Perhaps I will! Happy Birthday To You, Luvvy!
This is a great article. Without his prompter, whether the teleprompter or the little earbud where someone behind the curtain can feed him answers ... he always gaffes. Your closing two paragraphs really do sum up the situation.
@ Debbie ... thank you, and thanks for reading! I didn't know about the earbud! LOL
I concur with Audrey -- you need to submit this to as many conservative magazines as possible. It's great.