This Word Sounds Like That Word! Obama, Osama, And Other Media Tongue-Twisters

There was a flurry in our office yesterday when Chris Matthews accidentally mixed up "Obama" and "Osama" on Hardball. Matthews was having a discussion with Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd about Charlie Black's now-infamous comment that John McCain would benefit electorally from a terrorist attack. Then, he made The Slip.

Here is a fact of life: If you are having a conversation with someone about Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden, and one is typically referred to as "Obama" and the other is typically referred to as "Osama," there is a very good chance that someone will slip up somewhere. It does not make that person a racist. It does not mean that person is secretly trying to spread rumors that Barack Obama is a Muslim. All it means is that someone said one name that sounds a lot like another name, in a conversation in which both names were implicated.

Or even if they weren't! Another example from our office: Shortly after the Obama-Osama dramarama, Pat Buchanan appeared on Hardball, since apparently he is living in the 30 Rock studios now. I commented to the room that he'd gotten into a feisty debate with Nixonland author Rick Perlman on Morning Joe that morning. A co-worker added her own two cents, except they were about some guy named Pat Robertson. Oops! Those hard-right conservative fellows all sound alike!

(Also, the Nixonland author's name is Rick Perlstein, not Rick Perlman. It's also not Ron Perelman or Richard Perle.)

I trust you are getting my point. What all this says to me is that we need to chill out. Poor Chris Matthews looked stricken after he said that, possibly because it's not the first time the old Obama-Osama switcheroo has shown up on Hardball . But honestly, it's really no big deal. If he says that he gets a thrill up his leg every time he watches a bin Laden tape, fine. Go for the jugular. But there are gotchas that matter and there are gotchas that don't, and this falls firmly into the latter category.

For those of you who insist it matters, well then, fine — go ahead and call me a racist. Because when I saw Ron Allen at the Hillary Clinton farewell speech, I said to someone "Oh, there's Ron Mott." Here's what they have in common: They are both NBC correspondents, they are both black. Here's what they don't have in common: what they look like. They look about as alike as Kelly O'Donnell and Norah O'Donnell — but still, I confess I've mixed up their names before, too.

Did you let me off the hook there? Thanks, but here's another chance to call me a racist: Yesterday watching ABC News, I totally heard Jake Tapper talking about how Barack Obama was trying to connect with Whitey. He did! I heard him! He said, "Barack Obama says his Christian faith will help him connect with Whitey vangelicals who traditionally vote Republican." I am not making this up - it's what I heard, and I found it so amusing I rewound and wrote it down. He said "white evangelicals" at another point in the segment, and I heard "Whitey" again. So Jake, please learn to talk.

I am proud, at least, that I've never confused Joe Scarborough with Chuck Scarborough, though I have heard others do so. Also, I'm pretty sure that the anchor of "NBC Nightly News" did not make a name for himself singing happy-go-lucky songs about surfing, nor did he spend a year in bed. But I can't count the number of times I've heard Brian Williams referred to as Brian Wilson. Someone did it recently, actually, I can't quite recall — it was either the president of CNN or that columnist from Time.

Okay by now I'm really sure you get my point — words sound alike, and some of them are innocuous and some of them are highly charged. Sometimes, they will be confused on-air — but let's not confuse that confusion with what actually matters, like Barack Obama's middle name.

P.S. As I typed the first paragraph of this post, I decided to add in the names of the panelists on Hardball with Matthews, and typed in "Andrea Mitchell" and "Charlie Todd." True story.

P.P.S. For the record, I have never confused Osama bin Laden with David Folkenflik.

Comments

[barackobama4prez]

Chris did it again last night and didn't even get called on it! How about calling them Obama and Bin Laden???? It's not that hard.

[Sumocat]

My mom used to always call us by the wrong names, which don't even sound alike, and sometimes by the dog's name. Pretty sure she didn't think we were dogs.

[wayoutleft]

any line producer worth his/her salt would have memo'd all talent in caps the minute he saw barack obama's name in the news: FROM THIS POINT ON- OSAMA BIN LADEN WILL BE REFERRED TO AS
"BIN LADEN" - NEVER EVER AS "OSAMA'. EVER. also for the reason the name is so common in the middle east

[Freakpower]

Matthews did it again today, Two days in a row.

He can't open his mouth without confusing Obama with Bin Laden!

I like Matthews, he's just to old, like McCain.

[BARRISTER]

Saying "Osama" when you should be saying "Obama" is no slip or accident. The mechanics of uttering the "B" sound is not in any way related to that for uttering the "S" sound. How many times have you said, "Bamwich" instead of "Sandwich"; "Bad" instead of "Sad"; "Baturday" instead of "Saturday" etc.,etc.?­??? .Or even "Baid" instead of "Said". ??

Try it yourbelveb and come to your own conclubionb.

[meanguy]

it's a conspiracy!!!! break out the tinfoil and start making hats!

[eden4barack08]

Were there really people upset by this?
Come on, coming from Matthews it was obviously an innocent slip of the tongue! The poor tweety was mortified as soon as he realized he'd said it.

Must be a slow news week!

[harriscrl3]

I've spoken about Obama ad nauseam to my family and I've yet to have a slip up. Maybe its just me but no way would I mistake one for the other. Its interesting that Chris Mattews said today that Obama seems to think BEFORE he speaks and thats the answer think before you speak. People think that its because Obama is stuttering or he cant speak but imo he is searching for the right words. I notice that the more he is talking about something that likely angers him like Nader's comment the more time he takes to find the words. I notice this too when he threw Wright under the bus.

Carol

[indypete]

I can understand where you're coming from, I've often been confused myself. Not between names, I've just often been confused.

But seriously, folks...

If Chris Matthews does it, I know it's an innocent slip of the tongue. If it happens on fox news, however...­.

[cheshirecat831]

Would you believe he did the same thing TODAY? He said Obama when he was clearly referring to Bin Laden. He is really getting loopy and should lay off the caffeine or whatever it is that makes him sound like he is going into orbit. Maybe if he spoke a little slower he could avoid these gaffs.

[indypete]

Lay off the caffiene? As a registered coffee addict I demand you wash your mouth out with soap!

[ripdash]

Well. I was in the middle of a longish post about how, while not a big fan of Matthews, I thought he made an honest mistake & seemed honestly shaken by his verbal mis-step & genuinely contrite.

Just before I posted my comments, I dropped by Josh Marshall's TPM http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/201624.phpp) where it seems Matthews made the same "Obama/Osama goof" for the second day in a row, this time not catching or correcting his mistake. *Sigh* Why do I even bother?

America, your Fourth Estate, with a (sadly) few exceptions, is broken.

Good night & good luck.

[TroubleNYC]

I agree.

[coolrepublica]

Thank god it's just Matthews. because anyone else would have been labeled racist by the Obama campaign in a New York minute.

[Dustee]

I don't care that much for Chris Matthews. And, I don't understand why he even bothers having guest on his show. He asks them a question and before they can answer, he asks another or answers the question himself. That's probably why he confused Obama with Osama. He's got too much noise going on in his head.

[rwe]

what yu really mean it is no big deal when a Dick Durbin or Ted Kennedy call Osama Obama but let a person of conservative ilk stumble...­. To paraphrase George Carlin (who by the way was extremely critical of Al and the environmental terrorism of global warming)..­. Barack.Osa­ma, Hussein,Obama, bin laden,,,The 6 words you can't say on TV

[verlaine]

These incidents have been happening much too frequently to be labeled as accidental. They are being done deliberately to smear Obama. These cable pundits know exactly what they are doing and it's disgusting.

[dtd]

Oh now the blogger who went after Chris Matthews repeatedly accusing him of sexism towards Senator Clinton now wants to defend him against charges of racist behavior. Please! it's not that Chris Matthews flubs the names, of course that's not racist, but his producers can't even seem to get the file photos straight. They posted a picture of Osama Bin Laden while discussing Senator Obama. That was a mistake? No, it's a pattern of behavior! It's rare that Chris Matthews doesn't ask the question or voice the concern, "is Obama one of us?" One of whom? White people? Men over 40? Mega Millionaries? Not a secret Muslim terrorist? What?!!!

[Rachel Sklar - Huffpost Blogger]

I never said Chris Matthews was sexist. I merely commented on specific, discrete incidents of inappropriate comments about Hillary Clinton. I have not gotten the impression that Chris Matthews or "Hardball" exhibits a pattern of negative coverage of Obama.

[foufou]

Rachel

As media editor, you commented from time to time on "specific, discrete incidents of inappropriate comments about Hillary Clinton". Will you ever turn your gaze and analysis on "specific, discrete inappropriate comments" about either Obama or his wife by the media. These incidents have been plentiful during the primary season and now or will you continue to dismiss these incidents since they don't make an impression. The silence has been deafening.

[Ray46]

I find using McCain's full name "John Sidney McCain III" tends to agitate republicans almost as calling Obama Osama agitates democrats and others who know this is simply slander.

I recommend always referring to McCain by his hull name "John Sidney McCain III".