It's A Whole New Ballgame, Michelle
This is the second time Michelle Obama has said something really dumb (the first being her quote that she'd "have to think about it" when asked if she could see herself working to support Clinton if she won the nomination). [Ed. note: Corrected quote.]
This one's a lot more serious.
This will really turn a lot of people off. For somebody who held a highly-paid PR job, she doesn't seem to have a clue about how things sound. Someone has to tell her this is a whole new ballgame, especially when the famously sharp Sasha Issenberg is covering her on the campaign trail. Look what he caught her saying today:
MILWAUKEE -- So what did Michelle Obama think of the United States before her husband decided he wanted to run the place?
"For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country," she told a Milwaukee crowd today, "because it feels like hope is making a comeback."
Those words will come back to haunt her.
It's almost impossible to control the surrogates on the campaign trail, because they always seem to think the candidate isn't aggressive enough and decide to throw a few bombs. It's even more difficult when the person shooting off his or her mouth is the candidate's spouse. (As Hillary Clinton can tell you.)
Voters aren't into nuance. They just know when it sounds like someone's attacking their country, and the Republicans will take every opportunity to remind them.
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Exactly how is Michelle Obama attacking this country? I guess Madrak subscribes to the empty patriotism of Bush and Cheney. She must approve of people who spout empty words about love of country and villify any American who dares to say anything even slightly critical about the good ole USA. Plenty of people have similar feelings about America. Why should Michelle or anyone else walk around puffed up with pride about the last 20 years of American history?
This country is not perfect, there is vast room for improvement.
Be fair, now. This is a major gaffe. I don't doubt Michelle's loyalty in the least, but this will come back to haunt her ad nauseum.
I agree it was a mistake, no question about that. It will be interesting to see how the Obama camp addresses it.
The fact that someone may not like it, doesn't mean it's not really the way she feels. Like the above mentioned, look back on the last 20 years and see what period of that time was, in any way, shape or form, a "Golden Age of America".
I just don't see the big deal here. It is not like she directly critizied a particular person or group. I tend to agree with her myself.
McCain will clean up with this kind of anti-American nonsense coming from the Democratic leadership. The election is over.
That's stupid. People who get all a-twitter about a statement like that aren't going to vote for either Barack or Hillary anyway. News Flash: The Southern Baptist vote is already lost.
This is just another non-issue that is being spun by the Clinton camp to try to smear the Obamas. I just don't see people buying into it. It's like the plagiarism charge. It is total BS.
Maybe he should clean up. Frankly, I'm not comfortable with this type of leadership.
And I'm about as far away from a nationalist as you can get! LOL*
Still, I like my president to be a bit different than me.
I know a lot of lefties who likely agree with Mrs. Obama, but this is a vile statement to come from someone who seeks the White House for her husband. It is revolting to think that she has the nerve to say that she has not been proud of America for nearly 30 years. Differing with specific policies of certain administrations is one thing. But to not have pride in America itself, what it is, utterly disqualifies these people from holding any office.
Look at the numbers on what America has done to itself in the last 30 years and then tell me exactly what it is you think we've got to be proud of?
Why not? Her husband just spent months bashing the Democrats to tear down the Clinton name.
Why wouldn't she be honest that she agrees with him.
I think some of you don't really get this couple yet.
It's not a gaffe.
It's their attitude.
And I sure don't want it.
Members of the Clinton campaign and some of her supporters are amazingly petty. They pick apart inconsequential comments by Obama and others in his campaign, and that reflects very poorly on Hillary, making her look childish. I feel like I am watching a race for 6th grade class president.
We're just paying attention. THat what informed voters do.
You are not interested in being "informed.
Most of them should be in the principal's office.
Frankly, I agree with her, at least going back to George HW Bush and since, and I'm 61.
I was not proud of the Clinton Administration, and considered it to be the corporatist wing of the Democratic Party (which is one of the reasons I can't quite buy into Hillary's sudden "concern" for the common man). Bill Clinton laid the groundwork for the invasion of Iraq and people from his administration actively lobbied Democrats to vote for it (to protect his wife's vote, which was clearly made with her political aspirations in mind, ignoring the death and destruction such an invasion would cause on all sides?).
Go, Michelle, I love that you are not plastic and dishonest.
Shame on Michelle for being a lot like . . . Hillary. Hillary, who asked if they would rather she stay home and bake cookies, who spoke her mind.
Yes-- Michelle may need to tone it down in the general (first things first).
For now, I think Hillary supporters should take a second look at what it would mean to have Michelle Obama in the White House as First Lady. She is a remarkable person and it seems to me that women of any race would be celebrating the thought of someone like her in the White House.
True, it's not the same as First Woman President. But Michelle as First Lady would be very much in the Eleanor/Hillary tradition of outspoken, strong, intelligent First Ladies. This is our one shot to find out. This opportunity won't come our way again.
I agree. She should be more careful, though.
She admitted in an interview the other day that she has to learn to be careful because things can be taken out of context. She went on further in her statement today to say that she was proud that both a woman and a black man were the choices running for the nomination. If you listen to the entire statement, it is not like she was trying to say she had previously been ashamed of the country. Just that now she was REALLY proud.
She has never been in the spotlight like this. I think people should give her a break. If you look at her as a person, it is hard not to like her.
yeah, well, Michelle shouldn't get too comfortable with this love fest thing going on with the media. Soon enough they will see past her skin color to her gender and then it's all gloves off, because it's still OK to be overtly sexist. Does she think she will be treated with any more loving care from the right wing slime machine than Hillary or Lady Bird or any of the other strong first ladies that have proceeded her? I doubt it.
I dunno. They leave first ladies alone as long as they aren't also pretty strong like Hillary was.
I would say the same thing. Guess it depends on your experience.
her "adult life" began under reagan; what's to be proud of since then? oh, right- the "clinton years" and their "don't ask don't tell," nafta, iraq bombing & public assistance gutting policies.
Lying to the public and under oath, renting out the Lincoln bedroom, doing NOTHING after the '93 wtc bombing... Lots there to be proud of.
Look, I'm a US Marine Vietnam veteran, so don't try waving the flag in my face. I was embarrassed by the Clintons. I am disgusted by the Bushes, whic is worse, but that doesn't mean I want Billary back - there's a much better choice.
We keep hearing we're the best country in the world, but by many measures we aren't.
Pretending and pounding your chest doesn't erase facts that our values and morals have slipped.
DoninJoisey,
Thank you for your service to your country and thank you for your honest opinion. You are absolutely right.
The flag-waving republicans are making sure their children don't spend any time in Iraq. I have two step-sons there, so if I want to say I am not proud of my country I will. I am proud of my step-sons and all the brave men and women risking their lives, but I think our leadership in this nation has sold us out.
It's a whole new ballgame Chelsea. Do you have a mind of your own at the age of twenty seven? It's a whole new ballgame, Bill Clinton and there are no Monicas around for your pleasure. It's a whole new ballgame HIllary, and you are so back in the twentieth century as to be really old already. So old, that you resort to attacks and smears and any oid thing, like destroying your own party so that Bill can have a third term
Yeah, pick on Michelle. What else is left. Maybe her little children? I would not put it past Hillary and Bill to smear these little children either. They will do anything to win and they are destroying the party, and they do not carep.
So when is the attack coming out on the children of Obama. Soom, probably by Taylor Marsh.
If you stand up and advocate -- as Michelle Obama is doing -- you must expect people to look at what you say critically. Nobody insulted Michelle, nobody "smeared" her, either.
This blogger says that to say you've been ashamed of America for most of your life (which is what Michelle Obama's statement boils down to) is not the sort of thing that will endear her or her husband to voters.
We want people in the White House who love America, not people who love America because -- for the moment -- America is giving them the big celebrity treatment.
No, you're twisting it.
I have three children. I love them all, and always will. My son went off to college, screwed around, got Ds and Fs first semester. I read him the riot act.
Next semester - As and Bs and I told him I was proud of him - can you grasp the difference?
She didn't say she hated America, or was ashamed, she just was saying, as I believe, we can do so much better.
Hopefully you see the difference between being "proud" of America and being "ashamed" of it. One doesn't start where the other left off.
I feel that way as an adult I have not felt much hope. I did feel hope and a future I would be proud of when JFK was alive but I was just a kid. I think Michelle said the right thing and who will say it was wrong has their head up the clintons combined ass. I have heard much of the same as she said from many friends of all faiths and party afiliations. Get past it.
Really! I mean I sure as hell don't want anyone out there telling the TRUTH about how they really feel! I would prefer calculated, triangulated, non speech. Saying nothing, signifying nothing. Gimme platitudes and words that don't mean anything so they can't be twisted around by Republicans!
I would prefer the people who lead me not to answer any question directly unless and until it has been poll-tested, generalized, and hashed by canned speech writers please!
I agree. She shouldn't polish up.
However, I think she and Obama both need a very big dose of humility.
This is the entire quote:
“What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback and let me tell you something, For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I have seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues. It has made me proud.”
Ms. Obama has made it very clear what she thinks about her country. But, she will apologize very quickly and then explain what "she really meant"
Actually, she never apologized about her remark about not supporting Hillary.
I did notice she disappeared for awhile from public view. :)
Back to coffee shops, Michelle.
Well since she never said that there was nothing to apologize for. Sigh.
"For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback."
I have hope in my country too. After facing a horrible history of Republican rule that seemed it would never end, I have hope. Excepting a brief Carter reprieve sabotaged by oil prices and Iran hostages, and a Clinton administration derailed by the Gingrich revolution and Delay takeover, its been an endless Republican hell.
And it seemed The Inevitable Eternal Republican Rule was going to last forever, because the people even re-elected George "Failure in Chief" Bush Jr in 2004. But people seem to be rejecting the republican controlled media and looking forward.
Hope is making a comeback.
Oh please, I know many republicans who are as disgusted with our country as I am (liberal democrat). Barack has brought back hope across the board, and I agree that it is very nice to feel proud of our country for coming forward and supporting someone like Obama.
You go Michele - keep telling it like it is! Only Clinton or Republican shills want the stupid "patriotic" lies that have been shoved down our throat for 7 years. Maybe America is finally waking up!
Barack '08
Uh? What is the problem with what she said, given her age?
I am 50 and I haven't been proud of my country since the early 90s.
Why are you giving her a hard time for saying that? The best reason I can think of is that as a prospective President's spouse, she is giving a poor impression of the country. I might buy that argument.
But, some of us are going to agree with her.
Jane
"I am 50 and I haven't been proud of my country since the early 90s."
Okay, but just don't run for president.
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