If Bush had made the same comment, there would be ZERO threads defending him.

[Pale Blue Dot]

And about 500 attacking him, rightly so.

It's the hypocrisy, stupid.

[azmouse]

1. Oy vey....

[Aristus]

68. Return Of The Caption: "Was that you, Joe?" "No sir, that was you..."

:rofl:

[defendandprotect]

2. What is this about . . . ???

[AllentownJake]

3. Sorry I'd actually be saying there are more important things to talk about

and I'm a family member of that community....I said the same thing about the stupid Tropic Thunder controversy.

[jwirr]

29. That is what I think and my daughter is developmentally disabled. nt

[AllentownJake]

47. Those of us closest to the community

are generally the most rational about these things.

[NYC Liberal]

4. Bush and Obama are two different people. DUH! It ain't hypocrisy.

Obama will do more for the Special Olympics than Bush ever did. That's why if Bush said it, he'd be attacked.

[PretzelWarrior]

5. ANGGGHHHH!!!!! wrong answer.

get over yourself.

[jenmito]

6. That's because Bush supports the death penalty for the mentally disabled!

Obama made a stupid joke.

[countingbluecars]

8. Good point. n/t

[jenmito]

13. Thanks. n/t

[my2sense]

9. Excellent point!

It was just a dumb thing to say as President.....but he's human and he was actually making fun of himself. I'd like to know how many folk that will be feigning outrage have voted to deny funding and programs for the disabled.

[jenmito]

14. Thank you!

Yes, that's how it should be taken.

[Pale Blue Dot]

10. So the joke is appropriate, and worth defending,

as long as the joker doesn't support the death penalty for the group he's offending? I'll be sure to apply that standard in the future.

[jenmito]

12. No. That's why it can't be compared to BUSH having said it. It was just a dumb comment.

He's obviously not "anti-mentally disabled" like Bush.

[Pale Blue Dot]

15. So why are you defending the comment?

Condemn the comment and move on; don't defend it for one person when you would have attacked another for the same thing. I don't doubt that Obama will do much, much more to help the Special Olympics than Bush ever would have. His comment tonight still shows a basic lack of understanding and sensitivity that is wrong and should be exposed no matter who says it.

[jenmito]

17. My post stated why it's not the same coming from Obama as it would've been coming from Bush.

And it's not and I said why.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Bonobo]

48. +1

[Solomon]

50. Psst. I don't think the poster knows what this means.

LOL

[BlooInBloo]

11. (shrug) The nature of the person speaks to their specific intent....

So there's no hypocrisy on my part, since the difference in my assessment is accounted for my the different kinds of people they both are.

You're free to continue with your poutrage, naturally.

[Jennicut]

16. Because Bush was an all around clueless idiot.

Its been a bad week for Obama but at least he takes responsibility for things.

[Pale Blue Dot]

18. One of the things I like about Obama is that he DOES take responsiblity for things.

I think that in the morning he will be as embarrassed about what he said as he will be about his supporters who actually defended what he said.

[ogneopasno]

20. I hope you're right. He screwed up, he should admit it. We might even have a useful discussion

about how ingrained the tendency to "other" someone is in the human condition, and what we can do about that. That is, if enough people stop rolling their eyes and acting like being offensive is the best way to make people see their side of things.

[Jennicut]

24. Well a normal person usually is in these kind of situations.

Bush was not normal, obviously. This reminds me of Biden's comment about Obama at the beginning of the primary's. What he meant to say came out completely wrong.

[ShortnFiery]

19. Like comparing apples and oranges. Bush has a dark heart and no soul so it's NOT sound to compare.

:(

[Bonobo]

21. It's the lack of attention on what is important, stupid.nt

[Pale Blue Dot]

26. If you never posted about the stupid, "unimportant" things Bush said,

then you're not a hypocrite, and I applaud you.

[countingbluecars]

22. We should defend him.

The media certainly won't. When Bush made his weapons of mass destruction joke at the Radio and Television News Correspondents Dinner, the journalists in attendance yucked it up. I don't remember any immediate gaffe headlines then.

[Pale Blue Dot]

23. And that was wrong. So?

Do two wrongs suddenly make a right when a Democrat is in office?

[AlCzervik]

28. you're right and i'm glad you posted this thread.

[LostinVA]

64. Me too -- I haven't even posted until now

I've been surprised and appalled at the amount of posts actually defending this, and saying it was funny. But, I saw no point in saying so -- we know how THAT would ahve ended.

It was insentive at best.

And, I was sick of the "poutrage" slur against the GLBT posters, and I am also sick of it on this issue. It is NOT "poutrage." What a patronizing, belittling, dehumanizing term.

[Xman Xavier]

25. I disagree

We would be diligently attacking him. I think we all hate Bush and it goes without saying.

[ShortnFiery]

34. You just made the opposite point to the opening post.

Read it again?

[JimGinPA]

37. R.I.P.

[JohnnyLib2]

27. Well said, brave soul.

:banghead:

[Thrill]

30. Starting another thread on this is stupid

[sandnsea]

31. Bush was laughing at lost WMD

Why don't you get your priorities in order.

[wmbrew0206]

32. I think this should be the difference between us and them.

What Obama said tonight was stupid and insensitive to families with special needs members. (I can already hear the MSM asking Palin for a comment). We should call on him to apologize and move on once he does.

Trying to say that it is different when Obama does it vs when Bush or another Rethug does it, make us look like hypocrites.

The difference between us and them is holding our people responsible and demanding accountability, rather than rationalizing it to make an excuse for our side, like the rethugs do.

[ShortnFiery]

33. His spokesman already has but the whorish M$M will beat this to a pulp. n/t

[last_texas_dem]

35. True

I really don't care about Obama's comment, and would have considered the inevitable outrage over * making such a joke to be much ado about nothing as well- but I can't deny the truth of what you're saying, either.

[Withywindle]

36. I think Bush wore out our outrage button.

The bar for active outrage over comments was set higher for Bush, because not only was virtually everything that came out of his mouth offensive and/or stupid, he was actively doing more evil things than any human can keep up with at the same time.

When Obama slips up and says something careless and accidentally hurtful, it really stands out because it's rare!


Also, I have no doubt he will apologize and it will be sincere. Bush isn't capable of feeling real remorse over the deaths of thousands of innocent people, much less a snarky remark.

[digidigido]

38. This is DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND, Obama is a Democrat, Bush is an asshole

OF COURSE THERE WOULD BE ZERO THREADS DEFENDING HIM, GET A FUCKING LIFE

[Apollo11]

56. Our guy = always right. Their guy = always wrong.

OK - thanks for the clarification!

[LostinVA]

66. Personal attacks are against DU rules

The OP is a good guy and a good poster. I respect him even when I disagree with him. Your comment was unwarranted and also against DU rules.

[Hanse]

39. George Bush's existence was an insult to the mentally disabled.

It's the fetal alcohol syndrome, stupid.

[Lilith Velkor]

40. And about 5000 comments saying he belongs in the Special Olympics

[NorthernSpy]

42. Folks, we have a winner!

That is EXACTLY what would've happened.


And the outrage junkies know it.

[woo me with science]

49. Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding! nt

[Dawgs]

59. And it wouldn't have been inappropriate.

Some people have special needs for a reason.

Geez.

[Lilith Velkor]

75. I am autistic

I have seen full grown adults have full blown, toddler style tantrums over basic biological facts.

I have heard them go on and on about having a personal relationship with an imaginary friend, but if I talk about any of mine that I have made up to relieve my crushing loneliness, these people say I need to go to a "hospital" to be tortured and humiliated until I don't talk about them any more, yet I have to pretend theirs are actually real.

I have been forced to hurt people who physically attacked me because I rock back and forth.

I could not possibly give a shit less what normal people consider appropriate. I guess they have "special needs for a reason." :eyes:

[Hippo_Tron]

41. Bush belongs to a political party that is notorious for its intolerance

Obama does not. Yes it was a stupid joke but not indicative of the fact that Obama has any prejudice against persons with disabilities. When a Republican makes a similar joke it is entirely reasonable to assume that they made the joke because they hold prejudice against the group that they made the insensitive joke about. The Republican Party is the party of intolerance, end of story. When they stop being the party of intolerance I will stop calling them bigots every time they make an insensitive joke. But as long as they continue to be the party of intolerance I see no double standard whatsoever.

[CreekDog]

43. Because Obama's policies towards those with special needs is far better

that's the difference.

[Craftsman]

44. Agreed

I was offended, What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

[JI7]

45. because Obama's actions towards disabled and others are positive

while Bush had a history of destroying people.

nobody really believes Obama has problems with the disabled. the same can't be said about Bush.

[pecwae]

46. But, hypocrisy is okay

as long as it's related to defending a progressive and attacking anyone else over the same or similar issue:crazy:

[lynne]

51. Hope you have on your abestos suit as the flames may get HOT!

But you are 100% correct. The hypocrisy is astounding and not very pretty. We've begun to look like THEM!

[dkf]

52. That is because those people who aren't especially offended

would just shut up.

Who wants to defend Bush after all.

[TZ]

53. I would say..so what.

I guess I'm not a good liberal cause I'm not offended by the joke. Wouldn't have been if Bush had made the comment either. I would rather worry about fixing the economy than worry about more stupid PC outrage.

[AngryAmish]

54. I, for one, blame Bush

[Apollo11]

55. I predict that President Obama will make a public apology today (Friday)

Then there will be another 100 threads on here from the same people saying that it was the right thing to do.

You just have to accept that many DUers are in perpetual "honeymoon mode" with President Obama.

[ProSense]

57. OMG!

It's the RW hissy fits that are hypocritical. People criticize them for blowing shit out of proportion.

End this shit. The context of the statement is being blown out of proportion.

Maybe Congress can pass a law banning jokes and include a 48-hour public apology in response to the hissy fits.

[Dawgs]

58. Bullshit. Bush would have never apologized, or even admitted it was a mistake.

Just quit being stupid, okay?

[Drunken Irishman]

60. Bush couldn't say the words Special Olympics, so it's a moot point.

[muffin1]

61. The difference is

shrub actually enjoys making fun of people with "disabilities". Obama has a heart - he actually CARES about those less fortunate than himself.

[Zodiak]

62. I didn't find the comment very offensive

No matter who said it because of the context. My PC radar just isn't set that sensitive, or I'd be outraged all day.

[treestar]

63. I honestly don't think I would be outraged

With * it was more, how stupid can he be, and that comment would be adding to his mountain of stupidity rather than just a bad one here and there.

I wouldn't be offended. In fact, * wouldn't say this. It's too clever and self deprecating. * would be saying he was the greatest bowler ever. Or that if you give a child a bowling ball, that child is going to go bowling. Or that bowlers need to get to practice their love.

[Zavulon]

65. Actually, I'd be more concerned about the lie.

Obama threw a 37 on the campaign trail. I'll let his Special Olympics comment slide because I think people are way too hypersensitive about stuff like this, but there's no way I believe a guy who threw a 37 so recently now averages 129. With the problems he faces, I can't see him with that much time to practice often enough to raise his average score by 92 points. I know someone will flame me for this because there are those who believe Obama is beyond criticism, but I'll say it loud and proud: Obama's claim of a 129 average is a lie. I'd be surprised if he averaged 100. Actually, I'd be surprised if he averaged 91 or higher, because 91 requires at least one mark per game.

[Zavulon]

76. I retract the above.

I was somehow under the impression that Obama was claiming a 129 AVERAGE, not a single game of 129. Apologies.

[Zavulon]

77. Duplicate post, delete (NT)

[slackmaster]

67. For the benefit of those who are not reading the same Web pages or watching the same TV channel...

What comment are you referring to?

[stillcool]

69. Bush would never say that...

he could never compete in the Special Olympics.

[wndycty]

70. Actions, records and reputations matter. . .

. . .

[LanternWaste]

71. The irrelevant may be...

The irrelevant may be defended or attacked, yet still maintain its irrelevancy.




It's the irrelevancy, stupid...

[Phx_Dem]

72. Speak for yourself.

I would defend this innocuous statement that did not strike me to be a criticism of Special Olympics at all.

In fact, I defended Bush's lame dance in front of the White House while he was waiting for John McCain to arrive. I defended it because the criticm was stupid. Yeah, he looked a little foolish, but it was also a little funny. I think he was just having a little fun while waiting for McNasty. Big deal. It didn't warrant criticism. He's done too many other things that DO warrant criticsm to focus on something to stupid.

That doesn't mean I like Bush (I can't stand him), it means the criticsm was stupid.

[proud2BlibKansan]

73. Duh. This is DEMOCRATIC Underground, not BUSH Underground.

[Pale Blue Dot]

74. Obama just showed why he's much better than Bush - AND better than many of his defenders.

He did not try to defend, justify, or excuse his actions. He said that what he said was wrong, that he was embarrassed, and he apologized.

Many people in this thread should take a lesson from the person they defended so passionately.