Thomas Roberts Mocked Palin's Revere 'Flub,' But Says LBJ Was 'Never Elected' President
According to MSNBC's Thomas Roberts, who last week seemed to enjoy correcting Sarah Palin for her historical "flub," President Lyndon Johnson "was never actually elected Commander in Chief." The cable anchor relayed that piece of false information on Monday in a segment downplaying the chances of another Texan, potential 2012 candidate Rick Perry.
In fact, Lyndon Johnson won the 1964 election in a landslide, capturing all but six states. Discussing Texas, Roberts announced, "President Lyndon Johnson was from Texas and he was never actually elected Commander in Chief."
[See video below. MP3 audio here.]
On June 7, 2011, commenting on Sarah Palin's assertions about Paul Revere and the Revolutionary War, Roberts chided, "Over the past few weeks, we have watched a number of public figures stumble while trying to recall facts of American history and these little rewrites tend to attract a lot of attention." He later called it a "flub."
Roberts was only too happy to correct Palin: "...In case you were curious, here are the facts. Paul Revere wasn’t warning the British, he was warning the Americans. 'Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' is a famous line from the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.
On Monday, recounting the 1960s, Roberts explained, "As we all know, [Johnson] was JFK's vice president, sworn-in as president aboard Air Force One after Kennedy was shot in Dallas."
The anchor added, "Johnson decided not to run for re-election in '68 as the Vietnam War brought his popularity to an all time low." (If LBJ wasn't "elected," how could he even consider running for "reelection?")
At 12:15pm, Roberts issued a correction on his Twitter page, blaming a "mistake in my script."
[Thanks to MRC intern Alex Fitzsimmons for the video.]
A transcript of the News Live segment, which aired at 11:53am EDT on June 13, follows:
THOMAS ROBERTS: Texas Governor Rick Perry spoke at an anti-abortion rally in L.A. this weekend. And he didn't pull any punches on President Obama.
RICK PERRY: Within the first week in office President Obama, he chose to overturn the Mexico City Policy, which basically means that your federal tax dollars can now be used to fund abortion all over the world. With the stroke of a pen, abortion essentially became a U.S. foreign export.
ROBERTS: Well, that tough talk is increasing speculation that he's going to make a bid for the White House. But, Texans have a mixed track record in president politics. George W. Bush went two-for-two. While he barely eked out a victory over Al Gore in 2000, relying on the Supreme Court to decide the Florida recount, his victory in 2004 was decisive and he returned with the majority of the popular vote. President Lyndon Johnson was from Texas and he was never actually elected Commander in Chief. As we all know, he was JFK's Vice President, sworn-in as President aboard Air Force One after Kennedy was shot in Dallas. Johnson decided not to run for re-election in '68 as the Vietnam War brought his popularity to an all time low. And then there is Ross Perot, the Dallas businessman who ran for the White House as a third party candidate in 1992 and 1996. Perot was leading the polls in the summer of '92. But, he finished a distance third in election results that year and again in 1996. All right, so what's going to happen with Rick Perry? We're going to find out if he's even going to get in the race. That's going to do it for me today.
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Comments
Ah...that was the one Barry Goldwater lost. How could you forget
Submitted by Red Jeep on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 1:19pm.
?
That was the election with the Little Girl and the Daisy and the Nuke. Remember?
http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/media/daisyspot/
Forgive Tommy Bobby. He wan't even born until 1972.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 1:23pm.
How could he be expected to know this?
Ah...all history started with his birth. O, I see. (nod my head)
Submitted by Red Jeep on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 1:27pm.
OK.
LBJ was elected only once
Submitted by NL207 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 3:11pm.
He succeeded to the Presidency on Nov 22, 1963. And stood for election for the first and only time the following November.
I think LBJ parallels today in many ways. He was really only a one term President who won an illicit electoral super majority on JFK's memory and the propaganda of the MSM. He then instituted sweeping societal changes whose costs plague us today and completely mismanaged a war he inherited from his predecessor. This sounds a lot like Obama. Let's hope Obama is unable to win re-election as well.
For Goodness' Sake
Submitted by The_Barrel_Guy on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 10:36pm.
On LBJ's shirt tails the dumbocraps took a beating in '68... The ever popular Richard Milhous Nixon creamed Hubert Humphrey...
Oh, yeah... Obama is nothing more than LBJ with a teleprompter... At lease LBJ could probably order a happy meal without it...
Creamed?
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 10:52pm.
Of the 63 million popular votes cast for the major party candidates, Nixon received only about 500 thousand more than Humphrey [a difference of a little over one half of one percent--although the electoral vote margin was more decisive].
Not exactly a serious drubbing.
Jer
Jer
Submitted by well99 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 11:41pm.
It was McGovern he creamed.
Indeed it was, well99...
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 11:57pm.
creamed and fed to the cats.
Jer
Jer
Submitted by well99 on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 3:05am.
Do you remember The 1972 Democratic Convention song?It was a parody.Funny as hell because they would ask a question and then they would use music for answer.Like Mr.McGovern who will vote for you?Then you heard Gypsies,Tramps and Thieves by Cher.Another was Mr.Kissinger why are you here?Then some song..Gotta find a women..Gotta find a women... Long time ago..wish I could find it.
well99...
Submitted by Jer on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 6:00pm.
I don't. But, as a Democrat, I've tried to erase from my mind as much as possible about 1972 politics.
Jer
Yeah, the '68 Electoral College wasn't even close
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 9:33am.
Nixon - 301; Humphrey - 191. It wasn't the landslide that Nixon had over McGovern four years later, but it was rather decisive. Some might consider it a 'creaming.'
There were also 9.9 million votes cast for former Dem George Wallace (American Independent Party). Wallace probably took more votes away from Nixon than liberal Humphrey.
Maybe "some" whose concept of creaming
Submitted by Jer on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 5:10pm.
is a bit odd.
BTW, are you suggesting that more Republicans than Democrats supported the avowed segregationist, George Wallace?
Jer
Pul-eeze!
Submitted by KyWriter on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 1:44pm.
You can't blame the talking heads at MSNBC for their lack of historical expertise; that's not why they were hired. Indeed, in the spirit of the Americans With Disabilities Act, MSNBC leads the way: blind adherence to liberal memes, pathological hatred of American exceptionalism and a terminal case of Palin Derangement Syndrome will get you a sweet little job any day of the week.
Stick to the teleprompter
Submitted by Boudin on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 2:01pm.
Or your a$$ is outa here! Like that would ever happen, well unless he error agin the mighty Obama
Thomas Roberts leads the pack this time....
Submitted by peteski on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 2:19pm.
Thomas Roberts leads the pack this time with his outrageous views on Sarah Palin and his lack of historical knowledge, especially about American history. He must have been too busy "studying" Home Ec during his "formidable" years in school....Roberts' flub continues a tradition:: a bad tradition of lack of knowledge, lack of facts and any lack of creditability and class....let me retract that, P-MSNBC has never had any creditability or any class in their history....period!
You don't even have to know history to refute.
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 2:18pm.
Just do some basic math. Kennedy was killed in 1963. LBJ "decided not to run for re-election (point already made) in 1968. That's 5 years. The full term of the presidency is 4 years. So if LBJ was "never actually elected", how did he serve out Kennedy's term and have it last for longer than a full term in office?
Now you're just being mean!
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 2:41pm.
You expect Roberts to know history, math, the main body AND the amendments to the Constitution? How could he have ever gotten through college with requirements like that?
Please be nice.
Yeah, you're right Phil
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 3:23pm.
Silly me! I missed the part that said "MSLSD"... I'll try to do better in the future and not beat down such mentally deficient media personalities. It's actually too easy to make it worthwhile...
Ah, yes
Submitted by optimist on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 2:47pm.
This goes hand-in-hand with that Maddow gem that the Constitution doesn't have a Preamble.
What a retard.
Submitted by Xpat48 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 2:59pm.
What a moron
Forget History
Submitted by Richard.Halavais on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 3:10pm.
If the libs can make us forget history we can have another Hitler and another Stalin, another cold war and the despots from history that have taught us to be wary. That, BTW describes Obungler and his minions. These traitors are counting on us forgetting so they can bring or keep their heroes in power. When the public knows history and what misery the liberal dictators have brought the world their cause is lost.
And that's the news
Submitted by HockeyKid on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 3:29pm.
from Tommy Roberts, Former Child Star. Next week he's going to tell us about how Thomas Edison was Benjamin Franklin's assistant in those electricity experiments.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Ford was never elected president
Submitted by ajkrik on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 3:59pm.
But, you know, since we don't elect "commander's in chief" he is kinda right, but then nobody has ever been elected commander in chief.
Sounds like he confused JFK....
Submitted by Prester John on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 4:07pm.
....with Lincoln and LBJ with Andrew Johnson, assuming of course he has even heard of Andrew Johnson.
What a bunch of maroons.
Ron Burgandy moment
Submitted by nkviking75 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 4:08pm.
At 12:15pm, Roberts issued a correction on his Twitter page, blaming a "mistake in my script."
Mr. Roberts, what are you, another Ron Burgandy? A network anchorman on "The Place For Politics" ought to have the facts on electoral history in his brain and should be able to spot a glaring error like that. It's not as if you were being asked to remember the election of Rutherford B. Hayes or something. Duh!
“Always love your country — but never trust your government!" -- Bob Novak (1931-2009)
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Tommy-Bobby reads reports from Grover's Mill, NJ:
Submitted by SickofLibs on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 4:16pm.
"Good heavens, something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now it's another one, and another. They look like tentacles to me. There, I can see the thing's body. It's large, large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face, it . . . Ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate. The monster or whatever it is can hardly move. It seems weighed down by . . . possibly gravity or something. The thing's raising up. The crowd falls back now. They've seen plenty. This is the most extraordinary experience. I can't find words . . . I'll pull this microphone with me as I talk. I'll have to stop the description until I can take a new position. Hold on, will you please, I'll be right back in a minute."
SoL---
Submitted by matthewdean on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 4:27pm.
I thought Weiner was in Rehab.
How'd they find him?
MD
LOL, MD!
Submitted by SickofLibs on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 4:29pm.
.
Why ever listen to these incompetents about anything?
Submitted by russedav on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 4:59pm.
Why ever listen to these incompetents about anything?
Conservatives don't. Liberals
Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 11:36pm.
Conservatives don't. Liberals do.
I've never heard of this guy. He makes a perfect...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 5:28pm.
news anchor for MSNBC. It doesn't matter that he thinks LBJ was never elected because no one watches his nutty network. Does a tree that falls in the forest make a noise if no one is there? Does a guy who works for MSNBC say anything stupid if no one is watching?
Roberts does what he's paid
Submitted by rbosque on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 5:49pm.
Roberts does what he's paid to do, enunciate stupid and insane stories on behalf of his twisted and morally-bankrupt editors and producers and to promote the left-wing agenda. He's not paid to think.
He's only one of Soro's many sock-puppets.
What a Maroon
Submitted by well99 on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 7:30pm.
Even I remember that.My memory's shot.Do they teach history anymore?
Robert's brain was marooned on a desert island somewhere.
Submitted by jawebster1 on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 2:44am.
That is why MESSNBC hired him.
To paraphrase another Texan . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 7:48pm.
. . . 'Whether the evidence is factual or not is not important. We know the truth.' -- Dan Rather
Apparently Thomas Roberts
Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 11:40pm.
Apparently Thomas Roberts skipped Modern American History classes at Barney Frank High School.... :)
Channeling His Inner Rick Sanchez?
Submitted by fstaff on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 6:49am.
He now rivals fellow MSNBC'er Alex Witt in buffoonery.
Bill Clinton did this as well...but no one seemed to notice.
Submitted by scout on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 9:19am.
During his Presidency, Bill Clinton often quoted "The Constitution", yet the Constitution did not contain many of Clinton's quotes.
However, the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address and other documents contains many of them.
For Example;
"The last time I checked, the Constitution said, 'of the people, by the people and for the people.' That's what the Declaration of Independence says."
President Bill Clinton, campaigning October 17, 1996. From a campaign speech given in California. Quoted in Investor's Business Daily October 25, 1996
Funny how the media didn't consider such a misquote by a campaigning Presidential hopeful all that noteworthy but they do find them newsworthy coming from a private citizen who is not running for office.