Obama Apologizes for Calling His Bad Bowling 'Like the Special Olympics'

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

Source: ABC News

His controversial joke hadn't even aired yet when President Obama got on the phone from Air Force One Thursday night to apologize for comparing his notoriously bad bowling skills to the Special Olympics.

"He expressed his disappointment and he apologized, I think in a way that was very moving," Tim Shriver, the chairman of the Special Olympics board, told "Good Morning America" today.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7129997&page=1

[ogneopasno]

1. As someone who was annoyed he had said that, I'm happy he apologized.

[earthside]

5. Too many cry babies ...

... in America these days.

The unyielding dogmatism of hyper-political correctness will destroy liberalism again (like it did after 1972).

[ogneopasno]

6. I hope you're not implying I'm a crybaby.

[Bluebear]

8. Yes, everyone who is insulted is now "too politically correct"

Unbelievable, isn't it?

[ogneopasno]

10. If people would just sit and listen when someone says "that bothers me," instead of leaping up to

defend, excuse, or brush aside what was said, or, even worse, denigrate, dismiss or belittle that person's feelings, what a better place this world would be! It amazes me that that's too much work for some people.

[Bluebear]

11. +1

You get it. (Obviously.)

[ogneopasno]

12. Aw, thanks.

Backatcha.

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. I've always believed that anyonewho accuses somebody of "political correctness" unironically

is a fucking idiot. Anyone who accuses somebody of "hyper political correctness" is a hyper idiot.

My belief has not changed.

[Bluebear]

16. :nodding:

[nichomachus]

41. Unchanging beliefs

that's so Republican

[alcibiades_mystery]

42. Oh, I'll be happy to adapt if the evidence warrants

The point is that the evidence seems to return the same result time and again. The "fucking idiot" result, to be more specific.

[fascisthunter]

59. danke

[Mike Daniels]

15. You'd have the same feeling if Bush had said the same thing that Obama said?

or does Obama get a pass for being an idiot in this case strictly because he's a Dem?

[tekisui]

20. I wouldn't have even noticed if chimpy had said it.

I focused more on his lies and war crimes. I am happy to have a President whose greatest offense is an ill received attempt at a joke, and a prompt and sincere apology.

[Javaman]

34. no, the difference is that Obama apologized before it hit the air.

He knew he did wrong and made amends.

moron*, on the other hand, would have hemmed an hawed for a day or so, given a press conference to milk it and give himself a useless photo shop op with a few selected repuke kids who are challenged then would have followed with a non-apology.

THAT is the difference.

[DrDan]

55. the point I was trying to make is that junior would have been criticized

for the comment.

Many on this board are willing to quickly forgive Obama. Many are claiming he did nothing wrong, hence no apology is necessary.

I agree about the apology - but has nothing to do with the point I was making.

[Javaman]

64. yes, it does, if you take a look around DU, I saw many many posts of people

being critical of his remark. The difference yet again, because it appears as if you still don't get it, is that he criticism is blunted because Obama quickly apologized like any ration human being would. moron* never apologized for ANYTHING.

Do you get it now? or do you wish to tread the line of appearing like a closeted freep?

[DrDan]

67. I certainly understood your point - it was not that difficult to understand

any "ration human being" could do so.

Why this need to resort to insults? Or just living up to your hobby in a childish sort of way?

[Javaman]

80. You don't get it.

have a nice day.

[DrDan]

81. you are correct - I am in complete awe over your insight,

your magnificent grasp of the situation, your ability to put it so succinctly, yet simply.

All that said, the big picture escapes me.

[Javaman]

83. I'm glad you agree. :)

You are now blocked for you oblique dense like manner.

[DrDan]

84. that post doesn't even make sense

"...for you oblique dense like manner."

You really need some help with your writing. I guess this is what the public-school critics are complaining about.

[DrDan]

85. why do you keep posting this childish drivel?

do you have anything constructive to add? Anything to offer that adds to conversation? Or is your goal to take the threads down to their lowest possible denominator.

[Cha]

62. And, bush cut the funding to

people who need it.

[TerribleLarryDingle]

58. Bush wouldn't have apologized now would he?

Big difference between the 2 in my opinion.

[livefreest]

71. What pres.Obama said was hurtful. He recognized it and apologized.

Obama's attitude can not be compared with George Bush's because BUSH WOULD NEVER APOLOGIZE. So, No Obama gets no pass -he didn't even expect one- however a hypothetical response to what Bush would say is no argument to base one's feelings of Obama's words. It's the kind of rationale found on Fox news and other right-wing media (what if a republican said this?), and it's wrong because one can give any outcome to a hypothetical situation.

[Kablooie]

24. For some people this issue is a daily struggle. That's NOT being a cry baby.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[islandmkl]

2. thanks for the post....now...can we get back to important matters...

du is always a treat when we see posts that mimic the rightwing attack....

on edit: and what lame-ass attacks they are these days....love it...

[Bluebear]

3. Perhaps it WAS an important matter to some people?

If the President was big enough to apologize, why can't you leave it at that and not dismiss people's thoughts further? Just an idea.

[DrDan]

4. trivial to you - perhaps not to everyone

a joke at the expense of the disabled is always out-of-place.

I am glad an apology has been issued.

[RaleighNCDUer]

44. Exactly how was it at the expense of the disabled?

Spell it out, please.

[DrDan]

47. how else could you interpret a joke that references the Special Olympics

He was trying to be funny - innocent enough. But at the expense of the disabled.

If you cannot see that, then I certainly cannot provide any explanation.

[RaleighNCDUer]

86. So the first rule of the special olympics is to never speak of the special olympics.

OK.

[DrDan]

88. so . . . did you pass that along to the WH?

[Ms. Toad]

57. Think about what the "joke" relies on to be "funny"

Can you come up with anything that does not rely on a negative perception of the abilities of the people (or the people) who participate in the Special Olympics.

You cannot put someone down (including yourself - i.e. self-deprecating humor) by calling them (or comparing them to) a "Vlhodiqt" UNLESS "Vlhodiqut" is widely perceived as negative. Same reason putting Ann Coulter down by calling her Man Coulter is a joke made at the expense of trans people.

[ogneopasno]

9. A lot of people I respect thought it was important, and I was able to continue caring about other

things while listening to their concerns and respecting their views. It took absolutely no extra energy. More people should try it.

[silverojo]

68. So Special Olympics athletes aren't "important"?

Welcome to DU, Rush Limbaugh!

[TygrBright]

7. I'm glad he apologized. It was a stupid thing to say. n/t

[Duval]

17. It came sooner than I expected.n/t

[Mari333]

18. obama can do no wrong

hes a god.

[Kablooie]

22. Umm ... he DID do wrong. But he can realize it and try to atone.

[livefreest]

74. oh you're so incisive!

[bdamomma]

19. ok out of whole interview he did fanastic except for that comment

which when I heard it was muffled, let's move on we have other big things to think about. None of his critics ever said anything when Bush was joking about WMD's in his office, quotes like "no WMD's here" and giggling about it.

[FlaGatorJD]

21. I thought it was a pretty bad mistake, and I'm glad he apologized

Remember in the debate would Shrub couldn't come up with ANY mistakes of his own?
Well, I'm happy to have a President who admits he can make a mistake, albeit to many
this was simply a PC error, it didn't pass the smell test.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

27. Yes, it was right to apologize

[barbtries]

23. he's a grown up

isn't it wonderful having a grown up for president?

[Kalyan]

25. move on ...

I think the press sensationalized this one ...

was Obama wrong? Yes. However it was a minor issue not even worth calling it a gaffe (am sure, repub will call it olympic-gate & gaffe-prone President). However i expected Obama to issue an apology after he realized what he did. And being the responsible person that he is, he made the apology.

To everyone - move on. Let's focus on the somewhat more important issues like economic crisis & foreign affairs ....

[The_Righteous]

48. What if a rethuglican had said this hmmmmm?

Wasn't that the strategy for Clinton's philanering, to just Move On?

I think it was a bad strategy back then to just 'pretend' it wasn't a big deal by repeating "just Move On"

this was a statement that was a true window into the soul of this man and he needs to really atone for it

just an apology is a good start so good for you Obama, now you must really make an effort to meet with som special needs kids

can you imagine if the show were on the other foot and Palin or some other Republcan had made this gaffe? if we are expected to hold the moral high ground then we've got to be fair when we deal with all politicians, not just our guys

[Cha]

63. Fuck palin and fuck the

the stupid republicans.

[livefreest]

72. Obama's words were hurtful, he recognized it and apologized. However let's not forget

that Pres Obama's policies will be extremely helpful to disabled Americans in terms of cheaper education, cheaper health care, greater access to employment and opportunity for self-development.
Sarah Palin on the other hand is about to refuse education money the would help disabled children.

Suggesting that if McCain and Palin were to do the same gaffe, then they would be treated with more severity is wrong because out of a hypothetical situation comes any result one can hypothesize. This is the same kind of rationale we hear on Fox News and other right-wing media.

[callous taoboy]

26. Maybe in the company of an asshole like Leno

Obama felt he could let it hang out a little. No excuse, really, though. Pretty dumb remark, but he's acknowledged that so let's move on.

[jimnasium]

28. He shouldn't have compared himself to Special Olympians...

Special Olympians can bowl rings around him!

Thank God that he's a better President than a bowler!

[Stellabella]

29. Good. Now let's see what he does for the differently abled.

Unlike that rat Bush, who vetoed a bill containing half of the money the SO needed to hold their event. AND cut funding for the disabled. This really is a case where actions speak louder than words.

[pacalo]

30. OMG.

You mean this is what has gotten the Repukes outraged? The same Repukes who follow the lead of Limpballs, who imitated Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's tremors? Did they demand that Limpballs lose his job because of that callous moment? Did Limpballs even apologize for it?

Every DUer who responded to this thread makes me proud. We're not condoning Obama's remark; we're thankful that he realized he was wrong for his remark & apologized for it. When we're wrong, we admit it -- we're cut from a cloth with much more quality.

[livefreest]

73. Repukes? lol. first time i ever read this.

I'm proud of you. you just made my day. Really! I commend you for your imagination and inventiveness.

[Bette Noir]

31. I heard about the remark, and suspected that he had apologized immediately.

When I saw it in context, later, it looked more like the comparison being made wasn't to his poor bowling, but to Leno's praise of his poor bowling. Everybody gets a hug and a medal.

This whole incident does nothing to reduce my esteem for Mr. President.

[RaleighNCDUer]

45. That's exactly how I saw it.

And his apology was not for specifically what he said, but to head off people who would misinterpret what he said.

[LisaL]

50. Leno was commenting on Obama's score and have said nothing

about Special Olympics.

[Javaman]

32. This is the mark of a gentleman and statesman, he apologizes quickly.

no prompting, other than probably his chief of staff.

he quickly recognized the offense and made amends.

good job.

It's the simple things like this action by Obama that makes me like him.

[The_Righteous]

49. nope sorry disagree

that is not the mark of a gentleman

a gentleman wouldn't have said it to begin with

what if Bush had said it you would be calling for his lynching right now

a gentleman and statesman makes mistakes sure but wouldn't stop at a simple apology, he needs to extend an olive branch to the special needs community

face it he really really F'd up

[U4ikLefty]

54. Another one bites the dust.

[Javaman]

65. sigh, so telephoning the special Olympic foundation before the airing of the show is not fast enough

for you?

Well ain't that tough shit.

You don't get it do you, have you read he whole apology or just what you want to believe. he did extend an invite.

so how long have you been a closeted freep?

[annarbor]

77. I am stunned by your "Transparency"....

Glad you stopped by....

[DrDan]

87. he apologizes - and you admire him for that.

Yet your stated hobby is "pissing people off"

You are a study in contradiction. I have a feeling your life is exactly that. There are some real insecurities you are trying to deal with by appearing to be so brazen and "in-your-face". But . . . the reality is different.

[tonysam]

33. Stupid on His Part to Have Ever Said It.

He insulted the disabled AND the Kennedy family--his biggest supporters--in one swoop.

[Nihil]

37. Even more stupid for the storm-in-a-teacup brigade to make a fuss about it.

"Insulted the disabled"


I'm so glad that nothing in the last eight years was anywhere near
as traumatic to your (collective) sensibilities as an offhand comment
on a radio show ... and yes, now you ask, you are all behaving like
a bunch of cry-babies.

[Pale Blue Dot]

35. Obama has once again outclassed many of his supporters here,

who have spent the past 18 hours defending, excusing, and justifying his statement.

[onehandle]

36. I knew he would have to apologize. Bush wouldn't have. nt

[The_Righteous]

51. Not a fair assesment

Bush didn't say it, sorry but that boogyman is so yesterday

Obama really let us down

off his beloved teleprompter, he speaks from his heart and shows just how callous a politician can be

hope and change

well we got regime change and now we can hope we didn't make a huge error in judgment by voting for him

C'mon prez, don't be such a jerk we've had enough of that from our leaders you are supposed to be a breath of fresh air!!!!

[wickerwoman]

53. There are plenty of similar situations with Bush

where he did not apologize or gave only BS apologizes like "I'm sorry your misinterpreted the obviously offensive thing I just said"

To wit:

Bush calls Pakistani people "Pakis"

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0108-03.htm

Bush confuses Switzerland with Sweden, then insists that the latter doesn't have an army (both do)

http://detoured.blogspot.com/2004/10/bush-sweden-has-no...

"You know, when I was one time campaigning in Chicago, a reporter said, 'Would you ever have a deficit?' I said, 'I can't imagine it, but there would be one if we had a war, or a national emergency, or a recession.' Never did I dream we'd get the trifecta." —Houston, Texas, June 14, 2002

"But all in all, it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me." —summing up his first year in office, three months after the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Dec. 20, 2001

"I try to go for longer runs, but it's tough around here at the White House on the outdoor track. It's sad that I can't run longer. It's one of the saddest things about the presidency." —interview with "Runners World," Aug. 2002

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." --CBS News 09/06/06

"You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —President George W. Bush, to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005

"Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere!" —President George W. Bush, joking about his administration's failure to find WMDs in Iraq as he narrated a comic slideshow during the Radio & TV Correspondents' Association dinner, Washington, D.C., March 24, 2004 (more than a thousand young Americans dead in the search at that time)

"Perhaps freedom is not universal. Maybe it's only Western people that can self-govern. Maybe it's only, you know, white-guy Methodists who are capable of self-government." -- George W. Bush, London, June 16, 2008

"I'm the commander- see, I don't need to explain- I do not need to explain why I say things." -- quoted in Woodward's "Bush at War"



You consider all of this "so yesterday" but Obama is the callous one for making a lame joke about the Special Olympics?

FYI, politicians can be a hell of a lot more callous than that. Get some frickin' perspective. When Obama jokes about not being able to find the WMDs he *lied* about to get us into a war that killed thousands of Americans you can peddle that shit here.

[No Elephants]

38. I saw Shriver on GMA this morning and posted about it on the other thread on

this topic.

He did a brilliant job of backing Obama, saying how Obama would get more involved with the Special Olympics. He did not dismiss the significance of the comment. However, he was positive and forward-looking, saying it was a good thing to highlight that we need to be careful about the way we talk about things.

Great job, from the perspective of the organization, people who are challenged in general and for Obama! Well done.

[Lost in CT]

39. Is Shriver the same idiot that protested Tropic Thunder?

Honestly we need people with a touch more perception and sense in this country.

[Danchi]

40. Obama Political correctness

I can look at the posting on this article and pretty much tell the age groups. Before the advent of Political Correctness and After. People can't take a joke anymore. The comment wasn't malicious or malevolent. It was a man poking fun at himself, not a specific group of people. We have become people who are overly sensitive to words and we have created so much energy around specific words they have lost their true meaning. When I heard the comment I took it as he, Obama, saying individuals who participate in the Special Olympics bowled better than he does. That's the context I heard it in. Face it, individuals who are participants in the Special Olympics are there because they are mentally or physically challenged and the Olympics provides an opportunity for them to participate in a mainstream event but one that has been calibrated for their specific form. Obama's bowling skills are not calibrated for the mainstream so it's placed in the category of Special Olympics. I think it's funny considering a man who is as intelligent and athletic as he is can't bowl worth sh--. But than again, neither can I. I haven't heard one "oh my God, I can't believe he said that" from all the people I spoken to or got emails from today in regards to the show. I've communicated with at least a dozen people today and the only thing that was said is did you see Obama on Leno? In fact, when I read on AOL the highlight"Obama graffe" I couldn't figure out what they were referring to. If this is all the MSM, the republican party and American people have to complain about than they haven't been paying attention to everything else that's going on in this country. I'm an ethnic minority and I'm of the George Carlin school of Political Correctness. It's way over the top. As a minority I can write a book on the insensitive and callous remarks I've heard in my lifetime. Obama's remark-ain't all that. Even though he's the President, he's human, obviously has a great sense of humor which I appreciate after bush and he still has freedom of speech. It's not a hate crime to poke fun at oneself.

Studies have shown the average person today has far fewer communication skills today than our parents and grandparents did generations ago. Might political correctness and the distortion of words in the English language have something to do with it. People can't talk to each other without fear of being politically incorrect, ethnically incorrect, sexually incorrect etc. I guess it's safer to just not speak at all. I heard a politician last night call the people who received bonuses at AIG terrorist and they were holding the American people hostage. Good grief. Completely over the top in my book and unfortunately some MSM journalist will take that statement and repeat it until it takes on a life of its own. I think the bonuses are outrageous too but I'm not calling anyone a terrorist because there are too many crazy people in this country who reared their heads during the 2008 campaign which prompted the Obama campaign to get Secret Service protection real early. It's the same thing as bush and the republicans constantly saying there were WMD's in Iraq, Saddam Hussein & 911 and if you're not with us you're a terrorist. Perspective people.

[Bluebear]

52. That whole thing sounds light a right-wing plaint, sorry.

[livefreest]

76. a few right-wingers in this thread, don't you think? is this how it is in other sensitive subjects?

[LuckyLib]

61. "People can't take a joke anymore." The classic statement that indicates the speaker

doesn't get it. It isn't about "taking a joke" -- it wasn't a joke to take, rather a lame comment that didn't get off the ground. Few folks laughed. Lots cringed. When you're the POTUS, you have to watch what you say, all the time. No exceptions. No lame, off the cuff attempts at humor that connect you with a particular group. I suspect Obama knew it the exact moment he finished the sentence.

[livefreest]

75. oh boy! so many words to show you don't get it.

[LynnTheDem]

43. IMAGINE had Pres. Obama started fake-shaking and bobbing to imitate

Michael J. Fox and calling such diseases "imagined".

Now THAT would REALLY have had the republics in total outrage!!!

RIGHT???

[Politicub]

46. :sigh: That was a dumb thing for him to say

And of course the media will make this completely overblown. But it's unfortunate that Obama didn't watch his words close enough. So instead of talking about something serious, the news cycle will be dominated by this stupid comment.

[John Kerry VonErich]

60. Hell, it's already being done.

nt

[biopowertoday]

56. glad to see Obama

apologized.

[Danchi]

66. Obama remark-I get it more than you know

Hey Lucky Lib, I get it. I've worked with parents & children who are impaired as a Foster Care Licensing Specialist and Adoption & Special Needs worker. Many who have participated in Special Olympics and over the years the one thing that got us through many horrendous, trying, stressful situations is humor. My first therapy session in the home of a family who had a special needs child who had just painted the bathroom walls with feces was my introduction into intense laughter when I walked out of the bathroom and the the Foster Mom said, "did you notice the spiral patterns he created? We now know he can focus and that's something we can work with in play therapy." I just stood there with my mouth open. She than said, I can laugh or I can scream and screaming doesn't work and makes him more resistant to cleaning it up so I laugh. Not all Special Needs children have this behavior but I laughed a lot with my Foster Parents because they make some of the funniest jokes I ever heard. Not at the expense of the kids but to keep it real. They do what I call holding the space of helping and healing so the next time a child is in need they will respond. It keeps them motivated to help the next child that comes along. You have no idea how a joke can defuse a extremely tense and explosive situation. I have been there. I've never had a therapist admonish a Foster Parent for making jokes in regards to their Special Children nor has a Judge reprimanded a Foster Parent. Yes, jokes were made in court during hearing when a plan was being generated to place a Special Needs child back in the parents home. Kids being kids repeat what they hear to therapist and in court and I've seen more chuckles than stern looks. These people are not being malicious or insensitive. Foster Care, especially with Special Needs children is an entirely different world from ordinary reality and those individuals who have lived and worked in it for years know the value of humor, laughter and a well placed joke. You gotta laugh through many situations that don't occur in "normal families" and at the same time teach the child appropriate and acceptable behavior so they can function in "the real world". This is the world of the Special Olympics whose participants are Special Needs. Lucky Lib, if you haven't been part of that world-you don't get it. It has nothing to do with lack of compassion or sensitivity. You have to be conscious & present to provide the best assistance you can so being able to laugh, make a joke or find humor in a situation is what keeps everyone sane. Let Obama be Obama. Why do people keep trying to recreate him. He's not perfect and I don't want him to be perfect. I want him to have feelings, be funny & spontaneous. We elected a human being not a robot. I went back and reviewed the remark and lots of people laughed to the point that it was difficult to clearly hear what he said. People laughed and than their political correctness kicked in but their gut reaction was laughter. I'm out of Foster Care but I remember many of the jokes & comments from my Foster Parents and I still chuckle and they are some of the best People alive on the planet. What they did for little pay or respect goes way beyond the beyond as they say in Buddhism. They get it too.

[livefreest]

79. actually as much as you have worked with person with special needs. you actually don't get.

1)Pres Obama is not an angel or perfect or Jesus(or is he?)so he will make mistakes. Foster parents and all the people working in child care or child protection services are not all angels or perfect. So informing us that the judges, the foster parents, the therapists have made jokes is not to say that it's appropriate. It seems to me that all the jokes you described were to help the people around those special needs persons to relax, so not really beneficial to the persons themselves.

2)on the other hand a joke is circumstantial, and that was not appropriate for a Pres. to say

[NorthernSpy]

82. Get over it, Sweetie.

Yawn. I think the horse is good-n-dead by now.

[Jeep789]

69. The audience laughed and yes, I laughed

and I have a mentally challenged/disabled close family member with Down Syndrome. the way the comment was made it was obvious that the comment was not in the least a put down of the disabled or of the Special Olympics but of his bowling ability. It was no different than admitting one was a bit "slow" (and yes, that was a term once used for those with Down Syndrome) to get something. Idiot, moron, (and that includes "moran" here on DU) tard, dumb, retard, spastic, and stupid can all be said to be derogatory terms for the disabled since all have, at one time or another, been used to describe them. Most people still use some of the mentioned quite regularly.

In fact, about the only "safe" term left would be variations of the word "asinine", which wouldn't really fit for bowling poorly i.e., "I played like an ass", but that I can almost guarantee I will be called by some hypocrite, for daring to write this post.

This is my first and last post on the subject.

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[livefreest]

78. That's not the point. We all have said something stupid about an other group.

but once all the possible negative impacts come to one's attention, an apology is due. and Pres Obama did just that

[classysassy]

89. Let it go

there are other problems out there,how about the homeless handicapped,the uninsured,those two stupid wars,the lousy schools,the crooks in congress,hate radio,come on folks its time to do some heavy lifting,let the light stuff go.