Media Research Center President Brent Bozell had already been scheduled to appear on today's "Fox & Friends" to discuss last night's MRC Gala and Media DisHonors Awards, but President Barack Obama's laid a golden egg with his joke about the Special Olympics last night on NBC's "The Tonight Show." So the latest Obama gaffe and the media's interest in it was the first topic co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade asked the NewsBusters publisher about (audio available here) this morning:
KILMEADE: Brent, that comment. How big a deal?
BOZELL: Well, in the eyes of the regular press, no big deal at all. They're just simply going to overlook it. If past is prologue, they refuse to do any serious kind of journalism work on Obama, candidate or president. But, this is the kind of thing that is beginning to percolate out there. What is becoming evident is when you turn the teleprompter off, this man is capable of making all manner of mistakes, and the more he stays in the public eye, doing this type of thing without a teleprompter, the more mistakes he's going to make.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓DOOCY: But Brent, it is such, when I heard it, I said, "What was he thinking?" For him to say that his bowling skills are quote, "like Special Olympics or something." That's awful! I get he was trying to be funny, but on its face, do you want the President of the United States to be thinking like that?
BOZELL: Well, look, in the eyes of his defenders in the press, if the Republicans say something like that, it is evidence of their meanspiritedness, if a Democrat says something like that, well, by golly, he's got a sense of humor, doesn't he. It's just amazing that there is such a double standard.
Asked by Brian Kilmeade if he expected that the gaffe would "get much traction," Bozell noted that he expected talk radio and Internet sources would be abuzz but that the "old media" would need "a defibrillator to get them interested in anything."
On a humorous note pertaining to Bozell's argument about how Obama's utter reliance on a teleprompter is "beginning to percolate," be sure to check out "Barack Obama's Teleprompter's Blog" and the Twitter page for the same, @BOTeleprompter.
A similar Twitter page, @TeleprompterOne, also makes fun of the president's reliance on the autocue machine.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
I don't want this to be a major circus
March 20, 2009 - 10:23 ET by katainkentIf this is what gets chewed on (defensively or derogatorily) all day in the media - I will tear my hair out.
PS. small issue with your transcribing at "if the Republicans say something like that,"
~kat
Apologize
March 20, 2009 - 10:42 ET by iveseenitallI predict he will come out and apologize for his "insensitive" remark. The MSM will cover that, and then tell us that if we don't just forget about it, it is our fault.
BTW, I think that there are many reasons for the recent "good time Charlie" behavior of Barry O. His immaturity, for sure. However, there are lasting effects of "former" drug use.
P.S. They say Nero played the fiddle as Rome burned. As they sift through the ashes of this once great nation, they'll be writng that "Barry played Jay Leno".
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
He did, befor it even aired
March 20, 2009 - 12:24 ET by CobraManObama already apologized for his remark, before that remark even aired.
"After comparing his bowling to the Special Olympics on "The Tonight Show" Thursday, President Obama called Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver to apologize before the program even aired."
Source
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court
Why do they allow this gaffe machine to speak?
March 20, 2009 - 10:31 ET by KC MulvilleBecause he's better than Joe Biden. Think of what Biden would have said.
Cognitive dissonance and Obama's supporters
March 20, 2009 - 10:32 ET by metaphorsbwithuRemember when President Reagan was raked over the coals for using index cards with bullet points to give speeches? Rarely did he display the kind of character flaws President Obama displays so often because it just wasn't in him and didn't need to be controlled.
Facts are so inconvenient.
The funny thing is that even Obama's supporters must know how he's been screwing up and, as we all know, cognitive dissonance can have a detrimental effect on your ability to think clearly and function normally.
Their irrational behavior is actually quite interesting to watch, and watching their noses grow as they make excuses and rationalize everything they see and hear (a la Pinocchio) quite funny.
metaphorsbwithu
Brent Bozell: "...the "old
March 20, 2009 - 10:47 ET by Chris NormanBrent Bozell: "...the 'old media' would need 'a defibrillator to get them interested in anything'."
Proving Mr. Bozell wrong, the old media will immediately criticize Mr. Bozell for his "insensitivity" towards coronary vicims... :)
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
So what does it say....
March 20, 2009 - 10:46 ET by Prester John....about someone who makes that kind of crack?
This is something you'd expect by smart ass college kid or perhaps some foul mouth "comedian" on Comedy Central.
But the POTUS?
Makes you wonder what he really thinks of those redneck "clingers", welfare recipients, the military, and all those other groups of people who can't afford to send their kids to private schools or who don't eat arugula or $100/pound steak.
If the Obama Media covers this story at all
March 20, 2009 - 11:15 ET by OxyCon...they will do their best to paper over the gaffe and make excuses for Obama. Look for the Shrivers to make gracious quotes about Obama, calling him a "champion of special needs children" or something like that. The Shrivers will give Obama the cover he needs. Count on it.
Obama's Feelings towards Others
March 20, 2009 - 11:48 ET by finmillRSF in Downstate Illinois
Let the Double Standard Begin
Does " Macaca" ring a bell ?
Let's follow WaPo on this one
Wanna bet?
Unnecessary and hurtful...
March 20, 2009 - 11:55 ET by Georgia GirlI have a son with autism, and it is just that kind of offhanded, unnecessary comment that hurts. It's the parents of kids with special needs who will likely feel the sting; we realize that nobody would say something like that if they had any personal experience (or a natural compassion) about a very hard and emotional journey -- raising a child you love so much who has special needs.
I'm no fan of Obama's, but I was honestly surprised he would say something like that. Apparently he was in "I'm so cool" mode. It's not funny. It's just another indicator of his self-absorbed personality. To borrow a phrase from Jennifer Aniston, I guess there's a "sensitivity chip missing."
Sad, and very uncool.
As a Father
March 20, 2009 - 13:58 ET by jacktheripperof a special needs child I find this remark reprehensible and it speaks volumes of this man's character....simply put he has none
Challenge for Obammy
March 20, 2009 - 14:43 ET by slickwillie2001Isn't there a special needs kid, or a Special Olympics bowler kid out there that could put together a youtube video with a challenge to Obammy to a bowling game to be televised?
Dems Hate the Disabled
March 20, 2009 - 15:06 ET by deerjerkydaveWhy is it that Democrats hate the disabled? Remember when Gore ridiculed Bush, saying that he had an extra chromosome? And the Democrats went bananas when they discovered that Sarah Palin had a baby with a disability. And now this by Obama. I guess the master race has no need for disabled people, according to these Democrats. To them, the proper place for the disabled is a garbage can in an abortion clinic.
where is Bozell on any 'main stream media'? I never seem to see
March 20, 2009 - 17:12 ET by De_Oppresso_LiberWhere is Bozell on any 'main stream media'/TV hours? seems like Bozell is only on TV, FOX"News", during the odd hours when no one is watching... why is that??
De_Oppresso. It's because they are a bunch of bigots
March 20, 2009 - 18:57 ET by Gary HallWhy is Bozell not on MSM media? Why is Rush not on MSM media? etc.
The MSM, universally, are a bunch of bigots.
The dictionary defines bigot as: "One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ."
The MSM is intolerant of those who differ from their views, and therefore is not interested in allowing them to participate in a legimate debate enjoying varying views on their public airwaves or in their print medium. The MSM does not want their audience to hear the views; rather, they prefer that their audience only hear the MSM's biased explation (read: misrepresentation, or smear) of other's POV.
gary
//-->
No Class
March 21, 2009 - 05:18 ET by ChattychitoObama just reveals how low his standards are. he claims not to be a racist yet those in the Special Olympics are born that way just like blacks are born black. He doesn't want people cracking black jokes so he shouldn't be cracking Special Olympic jokes.
Obama has no class, morals or Ethics. he is a joke the country will be better off without him. pray we make it until 2012 under this jerk
"A man who doesn't borrow from the brains of others proves he has no brains of his own." CH Spurgeon
V-8 Moment
March 21, 2009 - 14:20 ET by Georgia GirlChatty,
Wow. I never even thought of that. What a fabulous argument you make! I was so irritated with his insensitive comment that I contined to express it from a certain perspective (my son has autism). I never even thought about the deeper meaning of what he really, truly was saying by his offhanded comment. But you are right. If anybody should be understanding of the prejudice, you would think he SHOULD. He was born black -- just like those with special difficulties are born that way. Brilliant. I was too blinded by emotion to even see that.
It makes it even sadder that he opened up his mouth and said that!