Fox's Cameron: Obama "run[s] the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant" if he doesn't offer "lipstick on a pig" apology
SUMMARY: Fox News' Carl Cameron claimed that Sen. Barack Obama "run[s] the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant" if he doesn't offer an apology for his "lipstick on a pig" comment. Cameron made the comment even though he twice stated during the program that the McCain campaign's complaints about Obama's comment may amount to "crocodile tears."
During the September 10 edition of Fox News' Studio B, Fox News chief political correspondent Carl Cameron claimed that Sen. Barack Obama "run[s] the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant" if he doesn't offer an apology for his "lipstick on a pig" comment, which Obama made while discussing Sen. John McCain's proposed policies. Cameron stated: "[O]ne of the things that happens when a candidate or a politician says something that inadvertently offends people, you eventually hear them say, 'Look, for anybody who misunderstood the context or didn't see where I was coming from, I'd like to apologize.' We haven't heard that from Obama yet, and he does run the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant on this sort of stuff and not recognizing that people have thin skins on some things."
Cameron made the comment even though he twice stated during the program that the McCain campaign's complaints about Obama's comment may amount to "crocodile tears." Cameron said that the McCain campaign is arguing that the "lipstick" line "had to have been deliberate attack" on Gov. Sarah Palin. Cameron added: "Now, there are plenty of Republicans who have used that line before. John McCain is one of them. He used them referring to [Sen.] Hillary Clinton's health-care proposal, said it was a 'lipstick on a pig.' No one accused her of calling -- accused him of calling Hillary Clinton a pig with that line. It's been used a lot, but throwing sand in the gears -- even if it's crying crocodile tears and feigning offense -- that's what they're doing." Cameron also stated: "So, whether or not the McCain campaign recognizes that they are perhaps disingenuously exploiting this and crying those crocodile tears, they are saying it."
From the September 10 edition of Fox News' Studio B with Shepherd Smith:
CAMERON: Well, the phrase that got really popular in the beginning of this campaign, two years ago, was throwing mud and sand into the gears of the opposition.
But, look, Sarah Palin very famously said in her convention speech that the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick --
SMITH: Yep.
CAMERON: -- and she pointed to herself. That was a huge line. It got -- it brought the house down, and it was noted repeatedly because, at the time, she was working off of a teleprompter that didn't work and she ad-libbed it. It got tremendous attention. And the McCain campaign is arguing that for Obama to have used that line, and judging from the reaction of some of the giggles and the uproar that came in the office -- in the audience, it had to have been a deliberate attack.
Now, there are plenty of Republicans who have used that line before. John McCain is one of them. He used them referring to Hillary Clinton's health-care proposal, said it was a "lipstick on a pig." No one accused her of calling -- accused him of calling Hillary Clinton a pig with that line. It's been used a lot, but throwing sand in the gears -- even if it's crying crocodile tears and feigning offense -- that's what they're doing, and Barack Obama has issues with women voters. There has been a big, big jump of women voters to the McCain campaign -- the McCain-Palin campaign since the governor of Alaska joined the ticket, and they are concerned about it, so much so, that he actually opened up his event today talking about this attack.
So, whether or not the McCain campaign recognizes that they are perhaps disingenuously exploiting this and crying those crocodile tears, they are saying it. Republican women across the country are rallying around Sarah Palin. The two people who have not yet personally expressed offense: Sarah Palin and John McCain. The campaign has, but they haven't.
SMITH: Of course not. How could they? I mean, this is classic. This isn't anything new. It's just, you know, 55 days before the election, you wonder: How do we get back to something that matters?
CAMERON: Well -- but, look, Shep, one of the things that happens when a candidate or a politician says something that inadvertently offends people, you eventually hear them say, "Look, for anybody who misunderstood the context or didn't see where I was coming from, I'd like to apologize." We haven't heard that from Obama yet, and he does run the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant on this sort of stuff and not recognizing that people have thin skins on some things.
Why should Obama apologize because a bunch on numbskulls at Faux News and the McCain Campain are too stupid to get the facts straight????
Obama has does nothing for which to apologize...except perhaps to upset the delicate sensibilities of McCain's darling little princess. I thought she was supposed to be a pit bull...with lipstick. She sounds like a frightened little lap dog.
BTW, I wonder what color color the princess will be wearing when she deigns to give her first interview...and who will be on the other end of the leash.
Why should Obama apologize because a bunch on numbskulls at Faux News and the McCain Campain are too stupid to get the facts straight????- wzwriter
That's what I keep asking, WZ. I posted earlier today that Michael Medved was helpfully suggesting that Obama should have been more "gracious" and apologized to Palin.One of the wingnut trolls was insisting that Snoopy apologize for a remark that the troll misinterpreted as racist (it was actually commenting on racists).
Why do normal people need to apologize to stupid people because they're stupid?Is this a new rule? The only thing I would offer that included the words "I'm sorry" would be condolences, not an apology, as in "I'm sorry you're so stupid, and can't follow an adult conversation".
Why do normal people need to apologize to stupid people because they're stupid?
That sums everything up perfectly. Thanks- I'm going to borrow that line.
Why should Obama apologize because a bunch on numbskulls at Faux News and the McCain Campain are too stupid to get the facts straight???? - WZWRITER
They're not too stupid--they are lying, and they know it. They lose on the issues, so they run on everything EXCEPT issues.
The McCain campaign is LAUGHING AT US! They'll do anything to get voters concentrating on ANYTHING but McCain = Bush, even ginning up a fake controversy over an expression McCain has used himself.
Obama should NOT apologize. He should take every opportunity to REPEAT WHAT HE SAID. Think Dave Chappelle doing Howard Dean.
Hate to say it, but liberals started all this PC baloney..
Um what? "Lipstick on a pig" is a very common cliche used by all kinds of people, including McCain, and also used by Obama at previous times in the campaign well before half the country decided that what America really needs is our very own Princess Di.
"Monkey suit on a monkey" is some bizarre hypothetical phrase that exists only in your tiny little head.
Time for you to crawl back under your rock with your "concern".
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/10/biden-hillary-clinton-might-have-been-a-better-pick-for-vp/
Zamfir is a liar.
Biden didn't say what Zamfir claims he said, and Biden is not the topic of discussion here.
McCain did say that exact phrase to describe Hillary Clinton's health care plan. Was he calling Clinton a pig? No. This is absurd. I've heard that phrase many times over the years used in all kinds of contexts. Just because Sarah Palin told a joke with the word "lipstick" in it doesn't mean any and all references to lipstick are directed towards her.
I really can't take much more of this stupidity.
That PC "balony"? Please read about it before commenting...
Political correctness (adjectivally, politically correct; both forms commonly abbreviated to PC) is a term used to describe language, ideas, policies, or behavior seen as seeking to minimize offense to gender, racial, cultural, disabled, aged or other identity groups. Conversely, the term "politically incorrect" is used to refer to language or ideas that may cause offense or that are unconstrained by orthodoxy.
Ruth Perry traces the term back to Mao's Little Red Book. According to Perry, the term was later adopted by the radical left in the 1960s, initially seriously and later ironically, as a self-criticism of dogmatic attitudes. In the 1990s, because of the term's association with radical politics and communist censorship, it was used by the political right in the United States to discredit the Old and New Left.[1]
The term itself and its usage are controversial. The term "political correctness" is used almost exclusively in a pejorative sense,[2][1] while "politically incorrect" is commonly used as an implicitly positive self-description, as in the series of "Politically Incorrect Guides", produced by conservative publisher Regnery[3] and the talk show Politically Incorrect.
Some commentators[who?] have argued that the term "political correctness" is a straw man invented by conservatives in the 1990s in order to challenge progressive social change, especially with respect to issues of race, religion and gender.[2][4]
in short, the idea was you don't have to call a black person the N word to disagree with him, just disagree with him and say why. Rightwingers took offense to that concept...
Because "suit on a monkey" is a common colloquialism just like "lipstick on a pig". Nice strawman.
After the sex-ed Ad, Obama's response should be: "At the RNC, Senator McCain said that he respected me, he has said he will run an honorable campaign. It is now unfortunately clear that he was lying. Until I receive an apology directly from him for this despicable ad, in which he has intimated that I am a pedophile, I will not - as a US Senator, as an American Citizen, as a father of two girls - I will not appear on stage with him nor debate him. This ad is unworthy of him as a man, a father, as representative of the people of the State of Arizona and as a candidate for the most revered office in our system of Government.
If he refuses to apologize, I will spend my remaining days of this campaign reminding the American people that he is not a man of honor and that he is willing to lie to them repetitively solely for his own political gain. This is not "Country First" and this is not the campaign America is entitled to. I am outraged at this attack on my honor and I will not sustain any attempt to drag our storied political process into the realm where it is nothing by slime, innuendo and lies. My supporters and the American people deserve better. I await Senator McCain's call.
Cameron,
You've run the risk--indeed, you've run the marathon--of being a simpering, cowardly, vicious, noxious a-hole.
I wonder what he'd look like with lipstick?
That darned outside voice! Bad! Bad!
I know, I shouldn't be shocked, but still I am. How can Carl Cameron be called a journalist? He's a PR flack for the right wing. Even he doesn't believe what he's saying. It doesn't stop though, does it?
He's a walking White House talking point.
Ah, "arrogant"...the new code word for "uppity". Very sophisticated.
Fuck that.
The truth is the truth. No apologies necessary.
If anybody should be telling us they're sorry, it's every last Republican who has ever cast a ballot for these anti-patriotic bastards.