Wash. Post cropped Obama quote in purporting to contrast Obama's and McCain's identities as Americans
SUMMARY: A Washington Post article falsely suggested that in a speech in Berlin, Sen. Barack Obama referred to himself only as a "citizen of the world." In fact, in that speech, Obama referred to himself as "a citizen -- a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world," a self-description very similar to President Reagan's assertion in a 1982 speech before the United Nations that "I speak today as both a citizen of the United States and of the world."
In an August 12 Washington Post article, reporter Alec MacGillis claimed that Sen. Barack Obama is the "embodiment of a new America" and that "Obama lacks a ready answer" to the question of where he is from, in contrast with Sen. John McCain, who, MacGillis wrote, "hails from an America that exalted service to country." In support of his claim of a contrast between the two candidates' identities as Americans, MacGillis falsely suggested that in a July 24 speech in Berlin, Obama referred to himself only as a "citizen of the world." In fact, in that speech, Obama referred to himself as "a citizen -- a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world," a self-description very similar to President Reagan's assertion in a 1982 speech before the United Nations General Assembly that "I speak today as both a citizen of the United States and of the world."
MacGillis also uncritically wrote that McCain "preaches a mantra of personal honor and of the nation over the individual -- 'Country First,' as his campaign slogan declares," ignoring reporting by the Post's own Howard Kurtz, who asserted that McCain's "Country First" slogan was being used to call Obama's patriotism into question and who pointed out falsehoods in McCain's ads attacking Obama. Writing about McCain's "Troop Funding" ad in a July 18 post on the Post's The Trail blog, Kurtz asserted: "The tagline -- 'country first' -- is a not-so-subtle attempt to suggest that the former Navy aviator, pictured against American flag images, is more patriotic than Obama, who did not serve in the military and spent part of his childhood in Indonesia." Further, the "Troop Funding" ad contains misleading claims about Obama's role in hearings on Afghanistan and Obama's votes on funding the troops. Additionally, in a subsequent ad titled simply "Troops," McCain repeated the misleading claims about Afghanistan hearings and troop funding and falsely suggested that Obama did not visit wounded troops during his recent trip abroad.
From MacGillis' August 12 Washington Post article:
McCain hails from an America that exalted service to country, and he is the scion of a military family who endured five years in enemy captivity and who preaches a mantra of personal honor and of the nation over the individual -- "Country First," as his campaign slogan declares. His wife is conspicuously reserved at his side; he does not communicate by e-mail and only recently learned to use the Internet; even his roguish sense of humor carries echoes of the more chauvinistic 1950s of his youth.
Obama's embodiment of a newer America begins but hardly ends with the fact that he would be the first black president. In a country where people liked to know where you were from, Obama lacks a ready answer -- he is part Hawaii, part Kansas, part Chicago. In a recent speech in Berlin, he declared himself a "citizen of the world."
"In a country where people liked to know where you were from, Obama lacks a ready answer -- he is part Hawaii, part Kansas, part Chicago."
That's not a "ready" enough answer? Can someone define what a "ready answer" is, then?
I know - I need to pick on something with a bit more substance, like his Marxist philosophies and affinities, his relations to people who don't like this country, the whole Messiah image from the MSM that he doesn't try to dispel, his bashing of Sean Hannity, or his flip-flops. But instead I get to respond to an article which tries to make an issue out of something that isn't.
You know, I'm actually searching for a reason to like Obama again (Yes, there was a day when I liked Barack Obama), but I'm having a hard time finding it...
Anyway, back to another comment from what he said:
McCain hails from an America that exalted service to country,
And we don't today? Do the majority of Americans look down upon our troops because they decided to join the military?
and he is the scion of a military family who endured five years in enemy captivity and who preaches a mantra of personal honor and of the nation over the individual -- "Country First," as his campaign slogan declares.
nothing to dispel there, unless you're one of the people who thinks his years in captivity were all either overexaggerated or a lie
His wife is conspicuously reserved at his side; he does not communicate by e-mail and only recently learned to use the Internet; even his roguish sense of humor carries echoes of the more chauvinistic 1950s of his youth.
So in other words, McCain is too outdated for the White House...
At least he didn't mention McCain had a rotary dial in his office. I think Limbaugh used the rotary dial joke for I think it was Robert Byrd several years back.
Media Matters didn't say that the whole article's slant was represented by the comments they highlighted.
It doesn't matter if the whole article was overall a fair one if there was a piece of conservative misinformation in that article. The overall article can be good even if it has a bad part. It still has that bad part.
I did read the piece (as you told me to; I am a good boy). The quote highlighted by MMFA is misinformation and is a non-sequitor in this article. He talks about a generation gap and then seems to take a swipe at Obama, saying he can't make up his mind on where he lives or where he's from.
It would be akin to saying that, "In a country where people liked to know where you were from, [Ronald Reagan] lacks a ready answer -- he is part [California], part Kansas [he was in the movie, Santa Fe Trail], part [Illinois]." He declared himself a "citizen of the world"?
.... reporter Alec MacGillis claimed that Sen. Barack Obama is the "embodiment of a new America" and that "Obama lacks a ready answer" to the question of where he is from, in contrast with Sen. John McCain, who, MacGillis wrote, "hails from an America that exalted service to country."
The funny part about this ... Sen. Obama was actually born in the United States ... McSame wasn't.
Obama's embodiment of a newer America begins but hardly ends with the fact that he would be the first black president.
What's a Newer America?
In a country where people liked to know where you were from, Obama lacks a ready answer -- he is part Hawaii, part Kansas, part Chicago. In a recent speech in Berlin, he declared himself a "citizen of the world."
Since Illinois was the 21st to enter the Union on December 3, 1818 and Kansas was the 34th state to enter the Union on January 29, 1861 and Hawaii entered the Union on August 21, 1959, how difficult is it for folks to know where Obama came from?
If you're having trouble finding these places, I suggest MapQuest. And for those from the chauvinistic 1950s, a visit to your local AAA, they have the paper maps.