How Stupid Does Barack Obama Think You Are?
“Well, my understanding is that Governor Palin’s town of Wasilla has, I think, 50 employees. We’ve got 2,500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe $12 million a year. You know, we have a budget of about three times that just for the month. So I think that our ability to manage large systems and to execute I think has been made clear over the last couple of years,” Obama said.
Funny, that. Over the “last couple of years” is actually about how long Sarah Palin has been Governor of Alaska, not Mayor of Wasilla.
When I first saw that story linked on Drudge today, my immediate thought was: I bet Alaska has a larger budget and greater number of employees, by leaps and bounds. Luckily, the McCain camp was on the ball and had the same thought, and their retort is included in the version of the story above:
“It is a testament to Barack Obama’s inexperience and failing qualifications that he would stoop to passing off his candidacy as comparable to Governor Sarah Palin’s executive experience managing a budget of over $10 billion and more than 24,000 employees,” said spokesman Tucker Bounds.
What she’s too kind to say is that it is also a testament to Barack Obama’s honesty.
He knew exactly what he was doing when he gave that misleading little quote.
I don’t like Barack Obama, but I actually thought that, just maybe, he was a little better than that.
P.S. Speaking of executive experience, here’s our new favorite whipping boy Andy Sullivan:
People keep forgetting. McCain has little to no executive experience. He’s been a Congressman and Senator his whole career. He got the nomination by default.
First of all, that’s just a lie. The Republican nomination was a hard-fought battle, and as unbelievably stupid as Andrew Sullivan has been over the past few days, he surely knows this.
Second, it is really a good idea to scream hysterically about McCain lacking executive experience when you’re trying to belittle the one person in this race who does have executive experience — and that person is on McCain’s ticket?
Senator Obama, I suspect, has spent his entire life in academics and “community organizer” offices being told that everything he did is swell.
Look at the MSM right now.
So I am not surprised at his lack of honesty and arrogance.
Great post!
Eric Blair (642d37) — 9/2/2008 @ 8:49 pmUm…Does commanding a Naval Air Squadron count as executive experience?
Just checking…
Kevin (c49883) — 9/2/2008 @ 8:49 pm“People keep forgetting. McCain has little to no executive experience. He’s been a Congressman and Senator his whole career. He got the nomination by default.”
Andy Sullivan
Hmmm… I thought Sen. McCain was the commander of a Squadron in the Navy, no? Is that not “executive” experience?
PDizzle (cb6b9b) — 9/2/2008 @ 8:50 pmMy bad on the timing of my post. Thanks for stealing my thunder, Kevin.
PDizzle (cb6b9b) — 9/2/2008 @ 8:52 pmLet’s just say GMTA!
Kevin (c49883) — 9/2/2008 @ 8:53 pmObama thinks we are pretty stupid. That’s clear by how many of the smear attacks are made by Obama’s operatives all while Obama is claiming that they are not acceptable. While hoping you don’t notice that he accepts those doing them.
SPQR (26be8b) — 9/2/2008 @ 8:53 pmUm…Does commanding a Naval Air Squadron count as executive experience? Just checking…
— It’s a lot closer than community organizing.
Icy Truth (d9ccad) — 9/2/2008 @ 8:58 pmThe interesting thing is when you look at the work-load at the top in the military.
Another Drew (dbf36d) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:04 pmEach unit has a commanding officer, and an executive officer.
The XO is the one who is the Chief of Staff, and has to coordinate all of the departments of that unit. It is the office where commanders are made or broken. It is a given, that to become a CO, you have to have been successful as an XO.
You don’t become CO of the largest flying squadron in the Navy by being unable to manage.
That kind of promotion might be the rule-of-thumb at your average university, or at some corporations, but it doesn’t cut-the-mustard in the military services.
He didn’t even get the name right. He called it Wasilly. Honest mistake? or denigrating little jibe?
Icy Truth (d9ccad) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:08 pmThe community organizing comment made me realize that I should run for Pres-O-Dent. I coached kids soccer for 12 years and those little buggers and their sometimes gormless parents needed a lot of organizing. My soccer teams were always solvent too, and we won a couple of local championships.
I yam a successful ‘community organizer’ and I yam an executive and I yam more fitter for senior office than that doofus Obamarama.
BlacquesJacquesShellacques (7058ae) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:12 pmPatterico – You are addressing Obama supporters and undecideds with the title to the this post, correct?
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:13 pmBaracky is a little man.
JD (5f0e11) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:17 pmWell, he’s facing O’Reilly Thursday. That should be a hoot.
Patricia (ee5c9d) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:21 pmIf managing a presidential campaign is the Democrats’ new dumbed-down version of executive experience, then Dennis Kucinich has it over BarryO in, uh, spades.
furious (56af6d) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:22 pmNeither. He went off the teleprompter.
Great — he qualifies his own ideas with the condescending but oh-so-thoughftul phrase I think, 4 times in one quick statement. Not a great orator, folks. A self-absorbed cue-card reader (I think).
Vermont Neighbor (a066ed) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:25 pmPatterico – You are addressing Obama supporters and undecideds with the title to the this post, correct?
Anybody who might fall for his stupid crap.
IOW, not you.
Patterico (cc3b34) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:37 pmThis is not where Barry O wants to go. My only assumption has to be that he is rattled by her. We’ll see tomorrow night
Mike K (2cf494) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:38 pmAs governor, Palin manages a budget of $11.2 billion and 15,000 people: over 12 times as much money and 6 times as many people as Obama manages in his campaign. By his own reasoning governor Palin is significantly more qualified to be vice president than he is to be president.
ROA (f7cdf8) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:44 pmThink of it this way: when the presidential candidate for one party attacks the vice presidential candidate for the other party. . . .
Desperation? Panic? Oh yeah. And, of course, Obama is attacking so that Biden won’t look like the bad guy going into the VP debate.
Icy Truth (d9ccad) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:46 pmYou know, maybe we ought to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he misunderstood the announcement, and thinks that McCain picked the current mayor of Wasilla, Diane Keller, as his veep. 😉
Eukardios (2696ea) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:46 pmBarry and Ayers managed $1,000,000 into oblivion with their roles at CAC.
Vermont Neighbor (a066ed) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:47 pmInterestingly, after the RNC adjourned CNN’s Wolf Blitzer announced that the McCain campaign had pulled out of a Larry King segment over a Tucker Bounds interview by CNN’s Campbell Brown which the McCain camp called “over the line” partisan attack. They aired the interview where Brown badgered the hell out of Tucker to come up with one, just one instance where Palin exercised her authority as CIC of Alaska’s ANG. It was obvious he didn’t have any specifics and she just kept after him.
Blitzer absolved her saying it was a fair but tough interview “like they do with both sides”. Then they sat around congratulating themselves on their professionalism and suggested McCain’s spokespeople do their homework next time. Interesting stuff and good for McCain for telling them to stick it.
capitano (211a15) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:49 pmFor me, an independent,arguing over the respective “experience” of Obama or Palin is like arguing over which set of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” are better.
In my long experience as a voter, they have to be the two most inexperienced people ever nominated by a major party for the highest offices in the land.
One party gives me a complete lightweight and the other gives me a 72 year old man with a history of cancer who could have a stroke tomorrow but whose understudy is a complete lightweight. With these as my choices, I really am at a loss.
Peccator Dubius (0a6237) — 9/2/2008 @ 9:55 pmThe leadership contrast is striking. Fred Thompson outlined how McCain would come from his beatings and give his mates a thumbs-up. He refused better treatment unless all his mates got the same. I defy ANYONE to top that profile of leadership. He later said he’d rather lose an election than suffer a military defeat. Anyone wanna call him a liar?
Contrast with Mr. Pay Grade.
Ed (f35a20) — 9/2/2008 @ 10:00 pmVN @ #21…
Another Drew (dbf36d) — 9/2/2008 @ 10:09 pmThe money that the CAC had was approx $150M…
The got $50M from Annenberg, and were to raise twice that from the local area (which I assume they did or they would have had to give back the money from Annenberg).
So,
Where did the $150M disappear to?
First, does Obama really believe that he, as the candidate, is actually managing the campaign?
Second, why does Obama keep trying to compare himself to Sarah Palin? Is Obama running for Vice President?
Steverino (1dda08) — 9/2/2008 @ 10:11 pmAw, you people here just don’t get it. You see BO’s efforts to win the presidency count as experience for the presidency. Logical, No?
A political campaign is just a glorified advertising campaign. Obama is the worthless product offered to the consumer and, as alluded to by Steverino in #26, Axelrod is the campaign manager.
Stu707 (7fb2e7) — 9/2/2008 @ 10:23 pmHow many of Obama’s 2,500 “employees” are volunteers?
Perfect Sense (9d1b08) — 9/2/2008 @ 10:47 pmMaybe the Messiah can contrast the skill required to manage enthusiastic campaign employees versus the skill required to manage 15,000 entrenched state bureaucrats – many who did not vote for you.
Never mind, that’s above his pay grade.
#25 AD
Thanks, I certainly made O! look good for a minute there.
Yes, the $50M from Annenberg, plus their challenge for CAC to raise and exceed the funds. It’s good you corrected the est. amount. Obama’s horrible with money.
I suspect skimming and stashing. But let’s cut some slack and just presume he’s inept and inexperienced. Palin has it over BHO, and I don’t give a hoot if their teen daughter marries and has her baby. I DO care about Obama’s radical associations and I do want to know more about his ties to Ayers and Tony Rezko.
And the NYT.. 3 front-page stories on a pregnant family member ?? How about we discuss Obama’s increasing penchant to stifle discussion when the topic zeroes in on his radical past and Socialist agenda. WGN Radio invited the Obama campaign to join last week’s segment, but their invite was ignored by the Obama people.
BHo sure is a graduate of the Jesse Jackson School of Threats and Extortion.
Vermont Neighbor (a066ed) — 9/2/2008 @ 10:50 pmGosh I thought he was busy being a Senator and gaining foreign policy experience the last two years!!
sharprightturn (43571e) — 9/2/2008 @ 11:05 pmWell, the way I see it is if one is elected, we have the time that he is alive/in-office to make our country better and rebuild that “shining city on a hill”….If the other is elected, our country will be inflicted with the cancers of Socialism and Liberalism metastasizing and growing for four, maybe eight years….
sharprightturn (43571e) — 9/2/2008 @ 11:16 pm1. Obama’s “Wasilly” jibe reminded me of when he’d do his middle-finger headscratch in the primary debates. Silly, and childish, indeed.
2. Anyone notice that Obama equates how much money he spends with how qualified he is. THAT bodes well.
3. I repeat my challenge: add two debates, one where Biden debates McCain, and a second between Obama and Palin. Let’s test experience against experience and change against change.
fat tony (f7890a) — 9/2/2008 @ 11:39 pmI’d rather watch John McCain blow away Obama on experience, and Palin crush Biden on competence and genuineness. See my latest post.
Patterico (cc3b34) — 9/2/2008 @ 11:51 pmAh the cynicism on this blog is pathetic. It’s like a Right Wing circle-jerk, and whoever blows his most cynical load, wins.
Alaska’s population is smaller than many major cities. Chicago has a population almost 5 times the size of Alaska.
Senator Obama currently REPRESENTS more people than Governor Palin EVER has. If you think that’s easy, I’d like to see your credentials and would like for any of you schlubs run for town dogcatcher, let alone, senator.
Palin inherited most of her budget from the previous administration 18 months ago. Tell me, was Alaska facing a fiscal crisis that she helped salvage? Did she coordinate a massive rescue effort using the National Guard? No. As far as we know, all she’s done is fight for money for her “Bridge to Nowhere” along with her compatriot Ted “Tubes” Stevens.
Does Barack Obama lack experience? Yes, he’s a relative new-comer. Is he unqualified? (Yes there is a difference, look it up.) Absolutely not.
I will spare you the “sell” as I know your reptilian minds won’t listen. You will only accept the same repeated Fox News talking points that reinforce your current biases.
That you cannot appreciate this candidate is the fault of your own narrow-mindedness, you simply choose NOT to see it. To do otherwise would cause painful cognitive dissonance, causing your world to crumble before you when you realize: “Wow, what an absolute unmitigated douchebag I’ve been my whole life!”
Balance of Power (dac513) — 9/3/2008 @ 1:19 amBalance of bullshit – As far as we know, all she’s done is fight for money for her “Bridge to Nowhere” along with her compatriot Ted “Tubes” Stevens.
We actually know far more than that. We know Palin took on an entrenched and corrupt political machine and won,
We also know that Obama stepped in at the last minute to help defeat his ‘friend’, reformer Forrest Claypool, as a favor to the Chicago political machine that he needs to go anywhere. Oh yes, he promises ‘reform’, someday, after he checks in with Daly and the gang.
(Have you ever wondered how much money changed hands when the DNC was moved to Chicago?)
You support Obama/Biden.
Apogee (366e8b) — 9/3/2008 @ 1:46 amYou support corruption.
Obama/Biden, corruption personified.
Cynical loads are the worst. They’re like, “Yeah, yeah, hold your horses. I’ll be out in a second.”
Jim Treacher (592cb4) — 9/3/2008 @ 1:58 am#23 – PuD
One party gives me a complete lightweight and the other gives me a 72 year old man with a history of cancer who could have a stroke tomorrow but whose understudy is a complete lightweight. With these as my choices, I really am at a loss.
— With that type of dubius assessment of the field — no matter who wins the election, you’ve already lost.
Icy Truth (d9ccad) — 9/3/2008 @ 2:26 amImbalance of Mind –
That you cannot appreciate this candidate is the fault of your own narrow-mindedness, you simply choose NOT to see it. To do otherwise would cause painful cognitive dissonance, causing your world to crumble before you when you realize: “Wow, what an absolute unmitigated douchebag I’ve been my whole life!”
— Physician, heal thyself!
Icy Truth (d9ccad) — 9/3/2008 @ 2:30 amI’ve heard Obama try to sell this one before as well. His experience is that he’s running this campaign! That’s like saying that I have a lot of experience with DMV because “I’m in this line, aren’t I??”
It’s bad enough that he’s just said it, but it’s way way worse that he’s gone back to retarded idea. (?) It just goes to show how much the big media (they’re not mainstream, so I won’t call them that anymore) is in the tank for this bozo. Imagine if Bush had said something so stupid??
Ok, Obama, I’ll take you at your word, your campaign is as improtant, complex and vast as an entire state, or even a country. Your campaign has a future beyond this election. What’s the Obama campaign’s biggest industry? What’s the tax rate? Is the Obama campaign going to drill off of it’s own coast? What if there’s an earth quake in the Obama campaign?
BY THE WAY, the one thing that Obama was actaully involved in, that being Chicago, is considering bringing in the national guard because of youth violence. Any word on what exactly Obama plans to do about it?
xerocky (cf0c5e) — 9/3/2008 @ 4:09 am#34 was funny. Not in a HA HA kind of way.
JD (5f0e11) — 9/3/2008 @ 4:40 amObama was not talking to you, so inaccuracies do not matter. He has learned over the last two decades that it is good to spout the Wright stuff.
jim2 (6482d8) — 9/3/2008 @ 5:42 amAwwww yeah Obama’s REPRESENTIN’ yo!!! Can I get a disparagin’ reference to Fox News in DA HOOOOUUUUUSE!!!!
Jack "Cynical Load" Klompus (b0e238) — 9/3/2008 @ 6:26 amTempest meets Teapot.
David Ehrenstein (961ad1) — 9/3/2008 @ 6:28 amObama’s inability to manage funds is clear from his first days with unrepentent domestic terrorist Ayres. In the US Senate he gave an earmark of more than three million to Biden’s kid’s clients. In the campaign with Hillary he blew through more than three hundred million and was barely one point ahead of her at the end in popular vote. What the Obamanation is saying is that Axelrod should be the Presidential nominee, because Axelrod wrote most of the Obamanation’s speeches and managed the 2,500 employees who spendthrifted their way through a small fortune over this defective product. Obama is the puppet and Axelrod and Daley pull the strings.
eaglewingz08 (98291e) — 9/3/2008 @ 6:34 amActually, he WASN’T…
Hillary won the popular vote vs. Obama.
Which is why I laughed so hard when Algore whined about having lost the 2000 election. He was complaining about the exact thing the Dems had just done to Hillary.
Scott Jacobs (a1c284) — 9/3/2008 @ 6:41 amIt would be helpful to include the question Anderson Cooper asked him when evaluating Obama’s response (bold added):
It’s clear that Obama is responding to Anderson Cooper’s suggestion that Palin’s experience as mayor of Wasilla contributes significantly to the case that she has more executive experience than he does.
Funny, that. Over the “last couple of years” is actually about how long Sarah Palin has been Governor of Alaska, not Mayor of Wasilla.
I’m not sure, but I think you’re suggesting that Obama’s phrasing is intended to get people to think that Palin was a small town mayor over the past couple of years. That’s not very plausible given that Cooper referred to her in the question as “Governor Palin” and referred to her experience “as governor of a big state of Alaska”. The “last couple of years” is simply meant to indicate the time over which he’s been running for president.
If you don’t find the argument that running a presidential campaign is evidence of executive ability to be a compelling argument, that’s fine, bash away, but I don’t think there’s a case to be made that Obama is being dishonest here.
Furthermore, the Fox News piece that was linked says “Barack Obama contends that he is more experienced in executive matters than Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin because he has managed his presidential campaign for the past 18 months.” He doesn’t say that in the interview, though. He simply responds by putting her experience as mayor (which was presented to him in the question as significant evidence of executive experience) into perspective, and then makes a case for his own executive ability. It also says Obama claims he is “better prepared to handle a disaster like Hurricane Gustav because of his pursuit of the White House” while leaving out the portion of his answer having to do with emergency management legislation.
Foo Bar (03f778) — 9/3/2008 @ 6:51 amIt’s clear that Obama is responding to Anderson Cooper’s suggestion that Palin’s experience as mayor of Wasilla contributes significantly to the case that she has more executive experience than he does.
Oh, please. Read your own damn quote.
My response is to completely ignore the part about her being Governor of a big state, because that doesn’t allow me to make the dishonest comparison to my own campaign.
Dishonest, low-life pondscum.
Patterico (cc3b34) — 9/3/2008 @ 6:56 amWho? Foo, or Sen Obama?
Scott Jacobs (a1c284) — 9/3/2008 @ 7:02 amPerhaps if Obama had said something like “these critics are flat wrong- I have more executive experience than she does” in his response it would be a little shady to skip over her experience as governor. He doesn’t make the claim in his response that he has more executive experience than she does, though. Cooper asks for a response, and Obama responds by putting her mayoral experience (which Cooper mentioned) into perspective while trying to illustrate his own executive experience as well as legislative experience relative to disaster management.
Foo Bar (03f778) — 9/3/2008 @ 7:14 amFoo is more shady than BO, never thought I’d say that.
Foo, if the ONE (TM) was actually trying to respond to the question, he would have focused on ALL of Palin’s executive experience (since it was ALL brought up in the question) instead of the small town mayoral part.
Lord Nazh (899dce) — 9/3/2008 @ 7:53 amGreat Post. To see a somewhat complete analysis of the experience of Obama and Palin see:
J. Raymond Wright (d83ab3) — 9/3/2008 @ 9:31 amhttp://jraymondwright.blogspot.com/2008/09/compare-two-palin-obama.html
Responding to Patterico directly is above Foo Fighting Reality’s pay grade.
Icy Truth (614178) — 9/3/2008 @ 9:42 amDamn, I was just beginning to enjoy the right wing spin when Foo (with just a little wisdom) came in an threw in a monkey wrench. Well that’s it, nothing more to read here until Fox and the Oxycontin Addict come up with more talking points.
Caribou Barbie (3583bd) — 9/3/2008 @ 7:12 pmOh shit, Barbie, you really zinged the wingers here, didn’t you! Damn, how do you stuff so much clever in one head like you do??? That Fox reference just came out of nowhere! Did you write that yourself? Are you going to run back to wankette or kos and tell all your grade school friends how you spoke to truth to power? You’re soooo hot when you’re being just so damn intellectual and progressive!! Time to run off and get roofied by the quarterback sweetheart.
Jack Klompus (b0e238) — 9/3/2008 @ 7:17 pmHillary Clinton has spent time as the wife of a governor and the wife of a president & has done nothing else that would lead you to think she has the ability to serve her country.
Now, that’s accurate, according to Foo.
But it misses a teeny little part of the narrative.
Bambi conveniently forgetting that Palin is in charge of a state is, well, dishonest.
But as long as he serves the narrative, it’s OK, because he is number ONE, and Biden is number TWO.
steve miller (3c2c90) — 9/6/2008 @ 3:37 pmObama’s chief weapons are: a fanatical devotion to abortion and brazen dishonesty.
SPQR (26be8b) — 9/6/2008 @ 3:42 pm