Wash. Post uncritically quoted NC voter's assertion that Obama "will refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance" if elected president
SUMMARY: The Washington Post uncritically quoted a voter's assertion -- apparently referring to a chain email containing a photograph of Sen. Barack Obama standing, but without his hand over his heart -- that "[f]rom what I can tell, if he becomes president he will refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance." However, Post "fact checker" Michael Dobbs previously noted that "[c]ontrary to the e-mails attacking Obama for disrespecting the flag, the candidates were not reciting the pledge of allegiance. They were standing for the national anthem." Indeed, other photos show Obama with his hand over his heart during the national anthem.
In an April 28 article on record-breaking Democratic voter registration figures, The Washington Post uncritically quoted one voter's assertion that "[f]rom what I can tell, if he [Sen. Barack Obama] becomes president he will refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance." The voter, North Carolina resident Al Landsberg -- who, according to the Post, receives "frequent political e-mails, most of them critical of Obama" -- was apparently referring to a chain email containing a photograph of Obama that appeared in Time magazine. In that photo, Obama was standing but did not have his hand placed over his heart. Moreover, a caption below the photograph indicated that it was taken during the national anthem -- not the Pledge of Allegiance.
Washington Post "fact checker" Michael Dobbs noted in a November 2, 2007, item about the email: "Contrary to the e-mails attacking Obama for disrespecting the flag, the candidates were not reciting the pledge of allegiance. They were standing for the national anthem." Dobbs also wrote: "Asked whether Obama normally puts his hand over his heart while listening to the national anthem, Obama spokesman Bill Burton replied by e-mail: 'Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. In no way was he making any sort of statement, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous.' " Indeed, other photos show Obama with his hand over his heart during the national anthem.
From the April 28 article "Democrats Registering in Record Numbers," by Post staff writer Eli Saslow:
Al Landsberg, 66, approached the counter of the voter registration office at 4 p.m., an hour before deadline. Hefty, with a hint of sweat on his white mustache, he looked as drained as the employees behind the counter who rested their heads in their hands. Voting exhausted him. Ever since he cast a ballot for Ronald Reagan, Landsberg has always felt as though he was trying to choose the lesser of two evils.
For this election, though, he decided he had no choice but to vote. A lifelong Republican, he planned to switch his party affiliation so he could vote in the Democratic primary. That Hillary Clinton wasn't great, he said, but she was just as good as presumptive GOP nominee John McCain and a heck of a lot better than that other guy, "you know, uh, Embowa. He'd take this country right down the tubes."
Landsberg's wife, Evelyn, collects porcelain dolls, and her co-collectors send the Landsbergs frequent political e-mails, most of them critical of Obama. "From what I can tell, if he becomes president he will refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and we will leave Iraq unprepared," Landsberg said. "I'm not going to sit at home and let that happen."
He needed something to do, anyway. He recently retired after five-plus years in the Marine Corps and 40 years in the printing business, and Evelyn still works at an electrical supplier. Their three children moved out long ago. The Landsbergs save what extra money they have for three or four annual trips to Las Vegas, where they can find a cheap hotel room, play the dollar slots and smoke -- indoors and in peace.
"Landsberg's wife, Evelyn, collects porcelain dolls, and her co-collectors send the Landsbergs frequent political e-mails, most of them critical of Obama."
That, folks, is not only as funny as it gets, but it says absolutely everything you need to know, about almost everything in the world.
Yep, we know all about those quaint couples who sit and knit and fret about their grandsons colored girlfriend
Yep, we know them
we will leave Iraq unprepared..."I'm not going to sit at home and let that happen."
For what, the rapture? The christian crusaders? I hate uninformed, guillable people.
we will leave Iraq unprepared..."I'm not going to sit at home and let that happen."
The Enlistment Center is right downtown, they'll be waiting for you.
At least Obama knows where his heart is:
http://www.newshounds.us/Bush_Hand.jpgAl & Evelyn.
Kinda scary aren't they?
Thank God we have people like Al & Evelyn, who are worried about us leaving Iraq unprepared, yet say nothing of invading Iraq unprepared.
A childlike trust, brittle on the outside, crash resistent on the inside.
So cute you could take big bites out of them.
I'd like to......but I can't.
Take it away Walter. Choke!
I just commented on the thread above this that I'm realizing I'm not in touch with mainstream America. Maybe that big demographic bulge in our population caused by the baby boom is skewing things toward the Als and Evelyns.
I don't think these are people prone to learning or changing their opinions much.If we end up with President McCain, I'll just have to sit back and let the Grim Reaper gradually upgrade the electorate.
As enlightening as the printed word is, sometimes it fails, and leaves you in the dark, wondering...
"...she [Sen. Clinton] was just as good as... McCain... and a heck of a lot better than that other guy, "you know, uh, Embowa."
Embowa?
Ok, that one satisfies my Hourly Minimum Requirement of laughter... more than satisfies it.
Embowa? I can only guess that the man being quoted as saying that, wasn't intentionally screwing up pronouncing Sen. Obama's name, but truly didn't know the actual syllables (3) and their correct sounds:
Oh Balm Ah
...even a 2 year-old can say that, it's so simple... even most parrots would have no trouble with it. Now, if the guy was instead being mischievious, and meant to screw the name up, then OK, funny is as funny talks; but the way it appears in the Post article, the quote seems related to us in a manner that suggests the guy really stumbled on the Senator's name...
Which in addition to being funny (funny at the expense of a dope, who has an opinion of a presidential candidate whose name he doesn't even properly know), is also strange... strange because I was under the impression that on that side of the political spectrum, that Sen. Obama's name was a key issue in the presidential campaign... one of the keyest!
You know: Oh Balm Ah...
...sounds like Oh Psalm Ah (the terrorist!)
Now, if this guy had been paying a proper attention to the campaign (as most of us have been), then he would have had Sen. Obama's name down pat, just from the echo of the rhyme alone:
Oh Balm Ah, sounds like Oh Psalm Ah!
Come on now, Embowa? (Which I assume was pronounced by the dope as Em Bow Wah)
Come on now, that doesn't sound anything even like the Senator's name (and his name is a key campaign issue, isn't it?)... it doesn't even sound like the terrorist's name, Oh Psalm Ah... this dope either hasn't been getting his daily dose of Fox News, or he needs his hearing-aid calibrated, if he doesn't by now know that the Senator's name is pronounced Oh Balm Ah, which rhymes with the name of the terrorist.
I realize that one couple was singled out for this article, but this can't be what we have
become. If this is America, then we truly don't deserve any better than what we have in the White House. For the Republicans, an informed population is a danger to their ambitions. Wearing a pin, where one holds their hand, if they stand for the Star Spangled Banner, what crazed church they go to, etc., what color their parents were, and similar non-issues will be the deciding factors in an important election. And that it is important what some idiotic Rev says from the pulpit is even more disturbing. Am I one of the few who couldn't care less what ANY religious nut thinks? Religion is to politics what cosmetology is to medicine.
This is exactly how the Republican party has been able to dominate national politics for the past 25 years or so.... by appealing to the primal emotions of IMBECILES like this. Evelyn and the flag pin lady need to take a trip together.... maybe an around the world cruise that keeps them out of the country until next December.