Obama’s Obscene Gesture Is a Top Story at Fox News
By SusanUnPC on April 18, 2008 at 12:54 PM in ABC News, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Qualifications
(Click on the image to see the full screenshot. Or go to Fox’s home page and to the story, excerpted below.)
DID OBAMA GIVE A ‘FLIP’ RESPONSE TO CLINTON ATTACKS?
Just when you thought the Democratic race couldn’t get uglier, Barack Obama is being accused of giving Hillary Clinton the finger at a town hall meeting in North Carolina. …
Fox News’s Embed blog has more: “Clinton To Obama: Stop Whining About Debate.”
Here’s more from the Fox News story (click here to read the full story as well as to view Fox News’s image and its own video of the gesture):
[…]
Bloggers were quick to note that as the Illinois senator scolded his Democratic rival for her performance at the debate, he raised his right hand and scratched his cheek with one finger. That finger.
“This is one of those political moments that really needs few words,” wrote the Los Angeles Times in a blog. “He’ll no doubt deny it later, but that mischievous smile seems to confirm plenty. And the crowd sure sees something.”
Obama started his address in Raleigh, N.C., by complaining that the debate on ABC “set a new record because it took us 45 minutes before we even started talking about a single issue that matters to the American people.”
Then he lumped Clinton in with the ABC moderators, who he said were playing “gotcha games.”
“And I’d say Senator Clinton looked in her element,” he said. He paused. Then he raised his right hand and scratched his cheek with his middle finger. He smiled slightly, and the crowd cheered.
The cheers, of course, could have been for his verbal jab at Clinton.
Obama’s campaign denied the gesture was anything more than a harmless face scratch.
But some bloggers said otherwise.
“Talk about no class: Barack Obama gives Hillary the middle finger,” read one headline on Redstate.com.
“Obama gives Hillary the finger,” reads a post on YouTube.
“Obama fingers a ‘gotcha’ debate,” the Chicago Tribune’s Swamp blog slyly intimated.
Clinton herself has made no mention of the incident, other than to say Obama should stop whining.
In an interview with Fox 29 in Philadelphia, Clinton said of her Democratic opponent, “I know he spent all day yesterday complaining about the hard questions he was asked. Being asked tough questions in a debate is nothing like the pressures you face inside the White House.”
“I’ve been through, what, 23 of these debates?” she said. “As I recall, I was asked some pretty tough questions in nearly every one of them.”
[…]
See all of Hillary Clinton’s remarks this morning in our earlier post here at No Quarter.
Check out our links to other mainstream news outlets — including the Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, and Chicago Tribune — covering Obama’s “gesture.”
:::::::::
Special thanks to MBolack for the link.
Check out MBolack’s latest story here at No Quarter: Barack’s True Beliefs: Those to Which He “Clings” and “Clings” and “Clings.”
And there’s MBolack’s must-read piece, as thorough a collection of essential information on Barack Obama as you’ll find anywhere: “Barack ‘I-Didn’t-Know’ Obama.”
OMG! HE DID! HE GAVE HER THE FINGER! HOW STUPID AND CHILDISH! JUST CONFIRMS MY FIRST ASSESSMENT OF OBAMA! NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME AND THIS PROVES IT!!!
How could anyone who watched the Debate not agree that Clinton should be our president? She was articulate, eloquent and a served up a wealth of information on all questions asked! She is the professional in this race! She will be a fantastic president! Let’s get behind and support a qualified candidate for a change!
As for Gibson, the man reminded us what a professional journalist is supposed to looks like.!
Snark? No? OK, then.
It’s worthwhile repeating here that this claim is demonstrably untrue…
http://www.mydd.com/comments/2008/4/18/102120/357/8#8
as are most things said about Democrats on Fox News
You know, the first MSM report was the LA Times … that vast right wing nut organization ….
I’ll see your MYDeafDog and raise you US News and World Report …. Link followed by really important little paragraph however you parse it you waskly wabbit!
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2008/04/18/obamas-wayward-finger.html
Obama’s Wayward Finger
“If Obama did this on purpose, it’s a sign of incredible immaturity. If he did it by accident, it’s a sign of inexperience. If a president were to make an accidental gesture like that while talking about a foreign leader, for example, it could cause a global uproar.”
And I’ll re-raise the (pretty pro-Clinton) Media Matters, k?
http://mediamatters.org/items/200804180010?f=h_latest
untrue? Oh really? Then explain his throwing other rap signs like the “dirt off my shoulder” sign. Come on, I wasn’t born yesterday, I know what the bird looks like, even a covert flip. The audience knew exactly what he was doing. He’s a big Jay Z fan and had the unmitigated gal to play 99 problems after NH! He is a sexist pig playing to his homies.How divisive and racist can you get? This behavior is conduct unbecoming of a candidate. He should drop OUT.
Oh, it’s even worse. In the clip posted here yesterday, 26 seconds in he brushes his cheek with the little finger of his right hand. I checked with a lot of people, and they all agreed this is clearly ’street lingo’ for ‘your husband has a tiny, crooked unit.’
Three minutes in, he brushes his cheek with the index finger of his left hand. Again, my street experts agree that’s code for ‘Still leading, baby. Still have more delegates than you.’
Honestly…
He actually made the exact same gestures twice in front of two different crowds yesterday. Youtube it. One crowd is mostly women, the other mostly men. He flips her the bird in the exact same part of the speech. Coincidence? I think not.
You know, many people told me that last night — that there were two separate incidents.
But after searching and searching, we could not find two instances. We did find several different views of him speaking in Raleigh, N.C. yesterday — shot from different angles, so that it can look like he was speaking in front of different groups of people, but it was the same speech.
If you have a LINK to BOTH videos, please share. Thanks.
the camera angles make it appear as it is two different times, but it is one in the same from all the videos, unless Obama has a travelling cast of people he brings to his stumps, which wouldn’t suprise many people, after all those phoney fainting episodes a month ago!
Now I see it - the letters in the backround produce the evidence so I have to say sorry cause yesterday I was wrong
Wow. You folks can be convinced by things like “evidence”? Well, I’ll be darned.
Let’s try this again:
http://www.mydd.com/comments/2008/4/18/102120/357/8#8
Retraction, s’il vous plait?
Post the real link, twit.
Not some comment to another Obamarama site, which I refuse to give the clicks to.
I’d just ask: have you see the rec list at MyDD recently? “Obamarama,” indeed.
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sorry, just scratchin’….
You’re the o’tron putting up a link supposedly showing evidence of two fingers, and I ask for the actual evidence (or link to it) and you sit there scratchin’ your arse.
http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.111.s wf?&loc=/&vid=355941
Non-bird-flipping moment comes at 20:50. Enjoy, my artistic friend!
what a painful waste of time for you.
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……..(’(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)
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damn itches.
Ehemmmm…….This hand is drawn poorly. It is out of proportion….. Just a professional opinion.
sniff
I personally never go to Obama’sDD. But maybe somebody else will click. But thanks for playing!
Obama will never be president. I hope you understand this. I would hate to see you have withdrawal.
OK, here’s the video of the speech from Obama’s right side. Non-bird-flipping comes at 20:50 or thereabouts. Enjoy!
http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.111.s wf?&loc=/&vid=355941
copy/paste much?
Watch the video much?
http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.111.swf?&loc=/&vid=355941
will it be nananana next?
when exactly did maturity stop with you?
your link wasn’t posted right.
i’d watch, if you did your part.
duh.
Sigh.
http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.111.swf?&loc=/&vid=355941
This’ll work, I’m sure.
Middle finger is separate from others.
One finger up.
Bird.
Yeesh. Look at the MyDD screencaps, it won’t kill you. They aren’t produced by the site, anyway.
http://www.mydd.com/comments/2008/4/18/102120/357/8#8
I have two eyes.
He raised the middle finger over the others.
It’s a no brainer.
votre lips sur ma grand white tush
I had both videos running simultaneously last night, and it was the same audience, but different audience members were seen in the background because of the different angles of the video recordings. Both videos showed him the same… word for word the same, with the same gestures being made and the same audience responses.
Nonetheless, I do believe that he slyly gave President Hillary Clinton his middle finger. It is sad when a politician running for President cannot control himself. We all know what happened to Howard Dean with his childish scream!
That’s a mighty unhatched chicken you’re counting there, pardner.
I think it’s unfortunate that we realize that is is even POSSIBLE for a candidate for the President of the United States to do this. We have learned in so many ways that nothing is beneath this man, haven’t we?
“I think it’s unfortunate that we realize that is is even POSSIBLE for a candidate for the President of the United States to do this.”
Freudian slip…
yeah, sure. explain why obama ran out and changed ties then. that would be what he had to do if your “story” is correct.
I thought the two angles were different occurrences, because of the banner, and the crowd. yet if you focus on the guy in the blue shirt ….. it helps to see that both angles are indeed the same event (unfortunately)
“You know, many people told me that last night — that there were two separate incidents.”
Thanks–at least someone’s being honest.
Maybe BOBO can learn something yet …
Yes, please point out another event link if it happened. So far, zippo when searching for it. Drop the link here and I’ll pick it up.
LOL…..Susan, you egging on the Obama trolls by chance?
No, but now that you mention it …
This is so embarrassing. Obama should drop out.
No no no! Obama will never drop out of the race for president of God Damned America. He prefers to wait for November’s embarrassing McGovern trashing to learn his lesson. Some people just NEED to learn the hard way.
even if he denies it, enough people will be as offended as if he said “Fuck off Hillary.” and refuse to vote for Obama.
Some people will love the gesture and have a good laugh at Clinton’s expense. Republicans.
Other will love it and pretend he didn’t make the gesture and have a good laugh at Clinton’s expense. Obamacrats.
Fuck off is what he said to the bitter small time voters. So, I guess words, just words weren’t enough …
“even if he denies it, enough people will be as offended as if he said “Fuck off Hillary.” and refuse to vote for Obama.”
He doesn’t have to deny it–it’s already been completely debunked.
http://www.mydd.com/comments/2008/4/18/102120/357/8#8
Oh yeah myDD is a double-plus-good “debunker”.
Sigh…when MyDD isn’t enough of a pro-Clinton source, and Fox News is, then I just don’t know what to tell you. Four of the five “recommended diaries” on MyDD are pro-Hillary, incidentally.
Here’s the original video if you’d like a peek:
http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.111.swf?&loc=/&vid=355941
I’m sorry that you can’t hear me laugh. Please come back when you have a CREDIBLE cite. And by that I mean citation … loser.
The news that MyDD is too pro-Obama for some folks is actually sorta surprising. I didn’t think I could be surprised anymore, really.
Well, please come back when the LA Times is running that. ya hear?
my dd? you are actually relying on that blog? it is obama land there. they kick anyone out that is not pro obama.
actually the comments i saw indicated the obamabots were well aware of it and clapping.
qui se resemble s’assemble.
What a whiner!!!
Toughen up, be a man and fight for the nomination. Or roll up your pillow and blanket and drop out of the race.
In the speech he did the “dirt off your shoulder” move that Jay-Z made famous. Check out the lyrics to the song.
I guess Howard Dean, Pelosi, Brazile and the rest of the Obamacrats still think we’ll all ride a pony together off into the sunset, after Senator Unity flips off our candidate.
Where is Howard Dean, here?
This is disgraceful, for so many reasons, least of all Barry is blowing the election, and Howard has left him unguarded.
Rove would never leave Bush exposed this way.
Dean has GOT to go.
Vlade Divac.
I knew someone who hated him, couldn’t even bear to see him play, he thought he was so bad, responsible for every Laker loss…
Howard is off stage hoping no one notices ….
You gave me the giggles.
There is another way of looking at this.
In my single youth I used to sometimes use that bird gesture for another reason in my initial communications with certain girls.
It is possible that Obama may have spotted another potential fainter in the audience and wanted to send her a special message?
I can just hear that song blaring from the Oval Office.
lol….He’s sooo gotta be regretting making a jackass outta himself…but what could we have expected from this detestable fraud? His entire shtick yesterday in NC is mortifying and revealing…Obama–get out and grow up, flowerbaby. Come run for president when you get more bruises and man-up.
So Fox News is now a Clinton supporter and a friend to Democrats?
Maybe you should take a more modernist appraoch to the troll, you’re quickly becoming irrelevant.
Truly, Americans are known for progress, those who don’t change become obsolete.
No, Fox is exposing the truth about Obama, and gaining votes for McCain.
And it would have been up to the democrats to dump the little cretin, if they were serious about hte election, but they didn’t, and here we are.
The democratic elite hierarcy is full of stupid people.
Every day that goes by is one more day Clinton should be grateful she’s not associated with that mess.
I doubt that! But since the GOP and Fox News assumes that Obama will become the Democratic nominee, they are taking this opportunity to fire a shot at the presumptive Democratic nominee (at least, from their seats) for president.
NO !!!!! No one with a brain thinks that. They just happen to see what an easy mark Obama is and will be in a General Election. And they just want some fun at his expense now. This story just gives them more ammunition for the fall.
And I have been thinking about this some. A good speaker and a good presenter always keep the audience in mind. And when you are in front of a group that large a seasoned presenter would be very careful with every single gesture or movement of their body so as not to give off any negative suggestion.
If he had an itch, why would he scratch it with THAT finger? That gesture is so known that anyone who even half started to scratch an itch like that would have pulled back. DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS THAT STUPID OR UNAWARE? That requires a total suspension of rational thought.
I’m waiting to see some serious site post this headline:
Hillary gains 8 points over the last 5 days in the Gallup polls!
It looks like the BO flubs, lies, and obfuscations [and now “the finger”] are beginning to take their toll on “The One.”
Gallup has no credibilty, none of the polls do, with one excpetion, and even that’s suspect.
All commercial information outlets are some general, or some would be generals, troop.
No thanks.
Some are a lot better than others.
Why is Obama’s Merril Mcpeak called “tony?”
Your right Gallop is only has credibility when it is showing a trend for Obama. The rebublicans can’t want to get a hold of Obama
which finger are you using for one? just askin’
does Obama have a pattern of scratching with
his middle finger? any other tapes of him
doing this? i despise his politics and his
tactics, but i find this so hard to believe that i
want more information.
but if he has done it before, and the finger comes
in context, then i think that rap song’s lyrics
have more importance, and it links to Ayers and
Wright in theme.
Amalia, I totally agree with you about this! I really have developed a distinct distaste for Obama, but this business of “flipping the bird” in the middle of a speech seems like a real reach.
There are so many things that Obama has done to irritate people who have not drunk the Kool-Aid that this whole thing really seems to me to be “over the top” grasping for things that the man has done wrong. In short, I’d rather stick to issues and Obama’s tainted background with respect to Rezko, Wright, and Ayers.
he was giving her the finger. obama is that arrogant and stupid.
Yes… he did it in the previous debates, and look around, you’ll see him doing it in other interviews. Geez people… get a grip
I can’t say I really follow his finger waggin’
I do know he’s a lefty (like JFK, dontcha know) and he used his right hand yesterday … that much we don’t need to leave to speculatin’
In the same rally obama scratched his face with his pinky finger. This was a deliberate flip off, the audience new it and so do we.
That’s a whole lot a scratching for someone standing in front of an audience that he hopes will take him seriously. It’s very street , very ghetto and mainly junkies do it.
This is a very stupid man with an identity problem. I think he thinks this makes him look ‘down’, cool. All it makes him look like is totally unqualified t do the job.
Why would any American send him out to the world to be our representative?
oh, and it would be part of a pattern
with Obama, which is to do things
that are “street” when he goes to
states with larger African American
populations….
Mississippi….the okie doke comment
NC…. even just the shoulder slapping
brushing things off himself was
very odd and late night tv clownish
if I were African American I would find his
changing accent, words and gestures to
“fit” a community insulting.
“if I were African American I would find his
changing accent, words and gestures to
“fit” a community insulting.”
But you’re not, and as even Sugar would point out - sometimes a lot of us spend our lives putting forward a different affectation depending on the situation. Versus the more relaxed tone and affectations we have when talking w/ people like us.
I speak slightly differently and use different mannerisms when I’m w/ friends than I do at work… same as I do when talking to strangers or making a presentation vs. talkin’ w/ the fam.
Call it what you will, but it’s a sad reality.
african american? maybe the hokey dokey comment. but giving hillary the bird? naw! that’s obama.
“if I were African American I would find his
changing accent, words and gestures to
“fit” a community insulting.”
Believe me, I do. I have been trying to tell these dimwits that what he did opened him up to all sorts of speculation, including whether or not he’s using drugs. I don’t think he is, but geez, could he be more out of touch with AA people. He thought he was being cool with that shit yestereday. He was sending out ‘code language’ to the brothers like he is so authentically black he could dare send Hillary a ‘fuck you’ in public.
He’s a biracial asshole. He is so confused.
seems to me that his thinking he’s acting “black” in front of aa’s by using the “bird” is insulting to aa’s, in addition to the target of his “bird.” seems like he’s saying aa’s don’t have the same values and manners as everyone else, so the “bird” is ok….
of course, he really doesn’t have a clue what it means to be aa. he’s just acting.
So now you’re using Fox News as an objective source about Democrats? LOL
You guys probably fed them this “story”.
Every news outlet round has the obama talking points on how the debate moderators where unfair to his royal highness. Axelrove is the king of media manipulation
1- no one thinks fox is any more or less objective than MSNBC.
2-many bloggers sent that video to many media outlets.
that is very often how a news company knows something is NEWS, ie people are talking about it.
3-Obama is a schmuck. I can cite evidence.
Actually any media outlet with an ounce of integrity reports actual news, not what right-wing CIA sponsored bloggers send them.
His actions are speakin’ for themselves.
You telling me that there’s no defense circle jerk goin’ on over at the Kos or the HoPo? Really?
Considering Fox is the only one out of the three cable networks to be fair in their type of coverage, why the hell not? Name one other media outlet that has trashed both candidates, and not tried to influence this race on the Democratic side?
The One will return dignity to the White House. As the Democratic nominee, he can flip off McCain. Once he becomes President, who can say who he will be flipping off? It is the change that we all are hoping for. The middle finger will become the American salute! Even now, we should begin calling it “giving an Obama.”
I love it !!!!!!
Giving the Obama. LOL The American salute. Will he salute Ahmadinejad that way? Or hey, why not the Queen of England. Take the royal stuffing right out of her.
Don’t insult the Queen.
The Queen is Ok…
Heil!!!
oh and BTW, ladies is pimps too, so Hillary, go ahead and brush YOUR shoulders off!
(this is SNARK, based on a song lyric)