Victory, Schmictory
[Guest post by DRJ]
Barack Obama on America’s goal in Afghanistan:
“I’m always worried about using the word ‘victory,’ because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur,” Obama told ABC News.
Plus Gateway Pundit on Obama’s mastery of history:
“It wasn’t Hirohito.“
But Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette gets the final word:
“Admiral William F. Halsey and Vice Admiral John S. McCain on board USS Missouri (BB-63) shortly after the conclusion of the surrender ceremonies, 2 September 1945.
Admiral McCain’s grandson would have got that one right, which might be part of the reason the President would prefer not to invoke it.”
— DRJ
I would have missed that one. That doesn’t mean Barack Obama isn’t a stupidhead though. Not by any means.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:33 pm*now* can we start questioning his intelligence, competence and suitability for the office he holds?
he’s dumber than a bag of hammers, criminally ignorant of American history and, from all appearances, dead set on destroying the underpinnings of both our economy and our society.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:36 pmbecause, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur,” Obama told ABC News.
Aside from the error involving Hirohito, what is Obama’s problem with the Japanese surrender? I don’t understand why that’s problematic, what am I missing?
MacArthur allowed the Emperor to remain emperor, he was exonerated and not held responsible for war crimes and lived to a ripe old age as divine ruler. Would Obama have rather Japan not surrendered???
Dana (57e332) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:38 pm#1: you’re correct in that one misstatement does not a stupidhead make.
however, Ear Leader, unless he’s reading a script someone else wrote, makes Joe Biden look like a polished orator of world renown. he’s excruciating to listen to, refreshingly content free, and likely a blonde in his past life. Talking Barbie is more coherent. it’s possible that you could translate the “uhms” and “ahs” that liter his off the cuff responses into dots and dashes for Morse Code, and translate them out in to free verse that would likely make more sense than the words he mumbles.
in short, he’s a stupidhead’s stupidhead.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:42 pmObama would be happier had America apologized to Japan for ending the war decisively via the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Yet more evidence that Obama is a product of liberal academia: letting sentiments get in the way of facts, and just not knowing what the hell he is talking about.
Mike LaRoche (d83224) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:43 pmI do think that gaffe after gaffe by the President is a big deal. Is he stupid? Nope. Has he been poorly educated outside of his own interests? Almost certainly.
So what? I’ll leave aside how any misstatement by GWB was trumpeted everywhere as a sign of his moronic nature…but Biden and the President are never judged by that kind of yardstick.
More important is the President’s lack of awareness that he should be careful of what he says in front of a microphone. He is President!
Yes, he is being excused by many. But their numbers are dropping every day. He needs to be more cautious and temperate in what he says.
Doing that would be smart.
Eric Blair (0b61b2) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:45 pm#3: i don’t know about you, but i really expect the President of the US to have at least a vague grip on American history, especially if he’s planning on discussing it in public. the last time i went over this history in school, i was young and had a future, and i know better.
dumbo is supposed to be scary smart and so much better than the rest of us, but, by all appearances, he apparently is incapable of thinking his way off a 3×5 card.
no one wants to admit that the emperor is naked.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:46 pmoh. I meant he is a stupidhead. It’s unbelievable how stupid. And depressing.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 7/24/2009 @ 4:47 pm“There is no substitute for victory.”
Kevin Murphy (805c5b) — 7/24/2009 @ 5:21 pmYou Can’t Fix Stupid…
…but you can vote it out. Too bad that wonderful moment will have to wait another three years. Until then, we’ll have to endure such jaw-dropping stupidity like this from the current occupant of the White House…
South Texian (59ce3a) — 7/24/2009 @ 5:46 pmObama may be uncomfortable with the humiliation suffered by the Emperor of Japan. I mean, as one Divine Ruler to another, I’m sure he empathizes.
Gesundheit (9ca635) — 7/24/2009 @ 5:56 pm“I would have missed that one. That doesn’t mean Barack Obama isn’t a stupidhead though. Not by any means.”
Yeah at least the dude knows we havent been friends with japan for a century.
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imdw (85e14d) — 7/24/2009 @ 6:09 pmSomewhere in Hyde Park, a village is missing its idiot.
pst314 (dbf8fd) — 7/24/2009 @ 6:10 pmDid Obama actually go to school in the US, other than (supposedly) college? I’m sure this question was covered in 11th grade US History class. That was many, many years ago for me, but I still remembered it. And no one in the media calls him on his ignorance.
PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 7/24/2009 @ 6:33 pm“Did Obama actually go to school in the US, other than (supposedly) college?”
He grew up in hawaii.
imdw (0d02ca) — 7/24/2009 @ 6:38 pmThe Japanese surrender was also a major success story. A mortal enemy was transformed into a prosperous, peaceful ally. Why would Obama have any problems with that?
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407) — 7/24/2009 @ 6:48 pmFor the same reasons why he has a big problem with any American foreign policy and/or battlefield successes, Bradley. He doesn’t believe in the “myth” of American Exceptionalism.
Dmac (e6d1c2) — 7/24/2009 @ 8:03 pmimdw: except for when he lived in Indonesia. Or so we are told.
PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 7/24/2009 @ 8:23 pmDon’t forget that Obama campaigned on how he would do a better job of handling Afghanistan once he got us out of Iraq …
The Empty Suit(tm).
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/24/2009 @ 8:57 pmObama shows that he is a human being, people! Humans make all kinds of mistakes. The only person on the planet, as far as I remember, who never did or said anything embarassing was Audrey Hepburn! Yes, I’ll take an occasional gaffe by an articulate President over 8 years of totally disastrous appearances by the previous guy, evertime he spoke.
Ivan (c8b031) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:10 pmWould that be anything like “everytime he spoke,” or even “every time he spoke“? I don’t mean to be picky, but you started the dissection of personal prose style.
Seems to me that you aren’t keeping count of the number of bizarre statements by Biden/Obama. You seem all focused on GWB.
And from the polls, it looks like the public is starting to wake up to this inexperienced empty suit full of a windstorm of entitlement and comments made without thought.
No wonder the drive-bys are depositing troll scat here!
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:16 pmNo, Ivan, while George W. Bush was not the most articulate guy in the world, he actually knew what he was doing unlike Obama. Bush would express meaningful ideas with clumsy words. Obama articulately speaks but with stupid concepts. He is the Empty Suit(tm).
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:17 pmKind of like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D7sxmmLaik
The fellow is only articulate with a TelePrompter is around.
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:21 pmYouTube is racist? Who knew?
Stashiu3 (ed6467) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:23 pm“…with a Teleprompter around,” of course.
And here are a couple of other good examples of life without TOTUS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D7sxmmLaik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThEAO0lt4Dw&feature=fvw
and one of my favorites..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GaU-ExYm30&feature=related
And I haven’t even started on that loon Biden.
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:27 pmI get it! He won, and doesn’t want anyone else to have a victory.
htom (412a17) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:28 pmI can’t wait for the remix of Gates’ tantrum to appear on YouTube, Stashiu!
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:29 pmYou haven’t seen it yet? The video is a bit washed out due to poor lighting, but here you go.
😉
Stashiu3 (ed6467) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:36 pmThat was funny, Stashiu. And appropriate, since an audience is what tantrums are about.
Thanks for the chuckle—my youngest will soon be six!
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 9:49 pm“I’m always worried about using the word ‘victory,’ because, you know, it invokes this notion of Mikhail Gorbachev coming down and signing a surrender to Ronald Reagan,” Obama told TBD News.
There. All fixed for ya. Why bother with the notion of defining notion. Now say your prayers and sleep tight, Right.
DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 7/24/2009 @ 10:14 pmPWI, again.
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 10:15 pm#30 – Rubbish.
Mike LaRoche (d83224) — 7/24/2009 @ 10:16 pmPitch-perfect, Professor LaRoche!
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Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 10:19 pmRemind me which country ended up losing that silly little Cold War thing? Who’s wall came down? I forget…
Scott Jacobs (d027b8) — 7/24/2009 @ 10:20 pmC’mon, Scott. IMP was there!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LZghr6iVEI
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 10:27 pmThe other video, despite the funny title, was altered and not much fun. Here is an intact episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkZzLUvuLLU
Eric Blair (204104) — 7/24/2009 @ 10:33 pmDont’ they teach history at Harvard before they teach them how to rewrite it?
drone (c06534) — 7/24/2009 @ 11:10 pm“imdw: except for when he lived in Indonesia. Or so we are told.”
G Gordon Liddy will get to the bottom of this.
imdw (5f60be) — 7/25/2009 @ 5:44 amLeave my homie alone.When I see Emperor on a tuna can I get mixed up with Chicken of the sea.I guess tuna is all the same.Arne Duncan Secretary of Ed.
mike191 (cf696c) — 7/25/2009 @ 11:40 amPresident Obama’s comment reminds me of this famous line:
D-Day: War’s over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.
Richard (b198a4) — 7/25/2009 @ 12:51 pmBluto: Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
To restate a Reagan quotation, President Obama’s problem is not with the things that he doesn’t know but with those things that he thinks he does know that are not so! As a fluent speaker of Austrian . . . and one who has visited every one of the fifty-seven states . . . I stand in awe of his ability to wear the Emperor’s clothes and have the media believe.
Longwalker (4e0dda) — 7/25/2009 @ 1:32 pm