“It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant.”– Barack Obama,discussing the tire gauge idiocy from the GOP.
Video:
by John Cole| 94 Comments
This post is in: Election 2008, Republican Stupidity
“It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant.”– Barack Obama,discussing the tire gauge idiocy from the GOP.
Video:
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[…] (via John Cole) […]
chopper
yeah, i like that. although it would be more true if he were to have used ‘childish’ instead.
D-Chance.
byline: — Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller
So much for the “Jack Tapper and Mainstream Media McCain Mancrush” meme…
SpotWeld
That’s pretty much it in a nutshell, isn’t it?
JR
Not only is it like that, it IS that.
jake
Ignorance is all they got.
John Cole
D-Chance-
I will link Tapper and cite him all day long when he sticks to, you know, reporting. It is when he delves into his bullshit like “ZOMG I SENSE A CHARGE OF RACISM” or “I SMELL SMOKE ON THE BLACK MAN” nonsense that I rip into him.
Why do you have a problem with that? And note, all of his hackery happens in a particular direction.
El Cid
“Like”?
Gold Star for Robot Boy
Killer.
Seriously, that’s an excellent, concise way to call the GOP on its stupid shit.
Dreggas
Barack was being nice to the short bus kids…you know encouraging them to try harder.
Frank Wilhoit
1) They DO take pride in being ignorant,
2) because their voters do, and
3) their voters are half the country, plus or minus noise.
I’m not sure how to turn any of that to account, though.
SpotWeld
I’m voting for Obama…
Don’t wanna be an American idiot.
Litlebritdifrnt
I just watched the video, its not just the words (which are funny in an of themselves) but its the delivery, I tell ya, the man has got great comic timing, if this old POTUS thing doesn’t work out he could have a second career.
If I did not do that linky dink thing right please don’t shout at me, I’m new here :)
jnfr
A friend of mind suggested this ad:
“This is a tire gauge. It’s a simple device, and it will help you get better mileage out of your car. John McCain and his supporters $520 shoes think you’re too dumb to know how to use one of these.
I’m Barack Obama and I approved this ad.”
CapMidnight
I am unaware of all Ignorant traditions.
jnfr
Dammit, where’d my strikeout go?
cleek
the response will be:
Obama calls American public “ignorant”
bet on it.
Conservatively Liberal
Improved, but Obama’s version isn’t too bad but I do agree with chopper that ‘childish’ would work well too.
GSD
Ignorance has become a badge of honor in the dying days of the US.
Bush boasts that the C student is the one telling the PHD’s what to do.
McAngry boasts about being 5th from the bottom of his class.
Rightwing radio windbags claim to have more scientific knowledge than scientists.
The Bush admin. has political hacks vetoing envirnomental studies.
It’s all a game and it’s all a sign of a nation rotting from within.
Congrats to the Triumph of the Swill.
-GSD
Snark Based Reality
The best we can do for QOTD is an understatement? Hit harder please.
John H. Farr
More remarks like THAT, please, Señor Obama, and of course I also agree it isn’t remotely hard-hitting enough.
Mr. Dave
Yes. This is exactly the direction all of his responses should take. Snarky, dismissive w/ a smile and a roll of the eyes. It makes McCain look like the “get off my lawn” old man that he is.
SpotWeld
… I’ve to pipe up again here.
It’s not just that they take pride in being ignorant. They take pride in being ***holes.
There is some wierd sort of ego boost occuring when McCain gets to pile venom and scorn onto someone. It’s like they’re trying to script some kind of professional-wrestling style drama build up with the McCain campaign trying to cast his opponent as a face-turned-heal.
It’s just nuts.
Crust
According to Erick Erickson, writing on the RedState front page, the Republican Main Street Partnership is a “far left organization”. I’m curious what Erickson thinks would be an example of a moderate left organization.
Adam
THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS
…sorry, couldn’t resist.
Karmakin
I dunno. I think it’s plenty hard hitting. In fact, I think it’s even harder hitting than saying that they’re ignorant dumb fucks. It’s saying they’re HAPPY they’re ignorant dumb fucks.
Will
I can’t believe how uppity that guy is. Now he thinks he’s better than ignorant people?
nightjar
————–
Albert Einstein
Scott H
Calling an ignorant putz an ignorant putz isn’t an ad hominem attack – it’s an observation of fact.
May true civility return to push out the political correctness that these yobs appropriate for a shield.
I despair when someone like Jonah Goldberg gets his Mom to have a book published and everyone thinks there is some obligation to discuss it on its merits, as if that sad child was capable of merit.
Make it stop.
The Moar You Know
The John Birch Society. The NKVD. The Stasi.
Gus
Exactly what I thought. Plays right into the “uppity” line they’ve been using (although they use the word “arrogant”).
Shinobi
Yeah, here it comes. “Obama is a mean mean boy who called us mean things. We didn’t do anything, and he is mean!!”
Bubblegum Tate
Bet on it. You can already see it in the comments at the ABC blog. “ZOMG, he called us ignorant! Elite-o-fascist!”
KRK
I like how Obama refers to “my Republican opponents” (plural) and “they” in his remarks. It’s partly that there really is a whole gang of idiots going on about the tire gauge, it’s partly that it’s softer and less attack-y than saying “he”, and it’s partly that it reflects the reality that “candidate John McCain” is not a single person but rather a group of people who’re propping up a very confused old guy as a front.
Dennis - SGMM
You only need to look at the yahoos down in the Red States harrumphing about how the Blue Staters have it all wrong as far as morality, Evolution, gay rights, etc., while taking tax money hand over hoof from those same Blue States to realize that ignorance pays – particularly for Republicans. The R’s have convinced many of these people to vote against their own economic interests for years and even managed to make them champion the people who were selling them out as fast as they could.
When ignorance is bliss, Republicans take elections.
Tom
About an hour ago I ran out to my car and Sean Hannity is on the radio trying to sell Pontiac Vibes. He raves about the tire pressure warning light on the dash because having the right tire pressure will increase fuel efficiency.
The stupid, it burns.
Tsulagi
Great line. Diplomatic too in using the word “ignorant” instead of noting their taking pride in being stupid or retarded when playing to their base.
Good vid. He needs to make the Party of Bush appear as the joke they are. Something Kerry couldn’t do.
mark
This is cute: McCain says we should turn off the lights.
malraux
Of course, had McCain said this of Obama, at some point, likely during the debates, someone would have to ask Obama “Senator Obama, do you take pride in being ignorant?”
Peter
Wait, I thought Obama was an elitist who didn’t do “Town Hall” events. I’m almost positive that’s what the media told me. Clearly I must now doubt the very veracity of this video…
bugaboo
Obama called them “LIARS” instead of being “disingenuous”.
I think he’s learning how to talk to the Republicans.
montysano
Look at our culture. Look at Reality Television. Look at gangsta culture. It’s all a Celebration of the Asshole. Nice guys are chumps; thinkers are losers. Donald Trump and that jerk from Flipping Out are the new role models.
True enough.
Zifnab
Hey, politics is politics, but never pass on the opportunity to turn a buck, right?
El Cid
Yeah, but that was a decision by Pontiac, and came before the Democrats turned air pressure into a way of surrendering before the Caliphate.
If the car were coming out now, instead of a built-in tire pressure gauge, it would come with a GPS device which only alerted you when you were near potential oil drilling spots, accompanied by a sound effect of a hippie screaming.
LarryB
Obama is smooth. That felt like a good stand up routine.
jake
When the music’s over…
Ted
Something Kerry never figured out.
Chris M
Fuck, yeah.
The Moar You Know
GOP response:
I’ve got a Hummer, a real one. I drive around with the tires flat and the parking brake locked. I think it’s cool. I get about 2 miles per gallon, but I don’t check because only liberals sweat details like that. I’m too busy making money.
It gets better. I have a five hundred gallon (metric is for faggots) tank in the back and one of those pumps that people use for firehoses. It shoots out raw gasoline into a bunch of sprinkler heads that I have mounted on a truss that spells out “USA 9-11 NEVAR FORGET”. I run it contantly; fucker sounds like a Harrier taking off – you can hear it for miles. My liberal neighbors are always whining about how much it sucks and it’s making the kids deaf, but I don’t care. Fuck them and their kids.
This Obama thing is so typical. Fucking asshole. I don’t have time to check my tires. Tires come with a car, and when something breaks, I just buy a new one. Flat tire? New car. Out of gas? New car. Axle bent from running over some hippie riding a bike cause he can’t afford gas? Fuckin’ new car.
I’ll use what I want and the rest of you can get bent.
flavortext
Not that this line makes up for it, but after the FISA vote I was certainly less than excited about voting for Obama. That bit of awesomeness right there is exactly the kind of pushback I wish he would’ve done re the FISA vote, and though it’s too late for that I’m very glad he’s doing it now on oil. Good for him.
Now excuse me, I have to change my pants.
Chris Johnson
I’m happy to see this video clip- thanks John. You know the best part about it is, Obama is laughing at these guys. You can hear him chuckle, he won’t stand for it BUT he finds it farcical. It’s great to see.
It was also great that he had a person asking “what can I do?” because that’s just it- you have to strap on a pair and ask that, ask what can I do.
As just an individual, obviously there isn’t that much you can do, but even little stuff like keeping your car in proper shape is a big deal. I just dropped $200 on some things for car and truck aerodynamics- ‘airtabs’- my experimentation has shown that this works, so I’m stepping up to the really effective aero-upgrade. I’m going to top 35 mpg under some conditions, in my old car. This pleases me :)
We all want to find something to do. I am taking a pretty unusual step- if you click my name from now on you’ll get the web-comic I’m doing, Tally Road. Now, this is just a damn cartoon that I’m not even that great at drawing and what good could it possibly be? Well, here’s the deal- this is WHAT I’m trying to do with the crazy thing, apart from have a lot of fun with it and pander to my most twisted impulses :D
The thing is, I’m a writer, and though I’m struggling to be a GOOD artist as well, I do know how to tell a compelling story, and I have one all worked out. The first order of business is for it to be exciting and not lame and preachy- it’s not going to be like some leftwinger Tom Clancy bullshit, it won’t conveniently fill in who you’re supposed to hate, plus it has too many ninjas and too much violence to come off like a big Liberal thing.
BUT. I don’t generally talk about this, but I hang out at Balloon Juice so much that I want to let you guys in on this part- I have an agenda, and the agenda is this: the comic is supposed to make big complicated worlds and the clash of many cultures seem COOL. The idea is to keep going to different places, showing all kinds of stuff, showing all kinds of different sides to the issues, and hammer home the idea that it’s COMPLICATED and that is OKAY and even kinda exciting.
Because if we think about stuff, if we understand that diplomacy and being a global citizen is about looking after our interests when we CAN’T pretend that they’ll work for everybody- that makes us all more capable of being intelligently involved in our politics and world politics, and negotiating for what we need in a way that’s more likely to get it over the long haul.
AND at only fifteen or so strips in, I’ve already thrown in a detail that’s supposed to be all Orwellian and shocking, but which I actually know is already part of how our FISA courts actually work, something people are not generally aware of. So I’m sneaking in political awareness under cover of entertainment. I can haz sekrit msg plz? ;)
Tally Road, folks. Please feel free to be appalled and tease me in every conceivable way for this, to which I will reply- so go and write your own damn comic to get out YOUR secret agenda, and I’ll happily go see (especially if it’s one of the BJ poster crowd). Do a good job. I’m still reading Better Days even though the artist Jay Naylor is clearly a frothing rightie- I’ll happily hear him out. We’re both Americans and I think he has a right to have his say- but I do too, and I’m using it.
Cheers and thanks for the video, John :)
TheFountainHead
Serious Business, Yo!
Just Some Fuckhead
Be nice to see Obama run with the “lying” theme.
“They lied about weapons on mass destruction in Iraq..”
“They lied about paying for the war with Iraqi oil money..”
“They lied about (insert your favorite lie here)..”
No one likes to be lied to. If a plurality of Americans wants to pull the lever for Bush III, they oughta at least have to do it knowing they’re chumps.
calipygian
cain
This is what happens when you piss off celebrities. :-)
A great come back..
cain
Jay C
GOP economics in a nutshell.
Ditto for GOP politics, too, come to think of it….
Andrew
Between you and me, I drive a Hummer with a Prius shell on top of it. … Gets even worse mileage than a Hummer, and the back seat is big enough you can perform an abortion in it.
NOT SFW and funny as shit
Joshua Norton
Their only agenda is to piss off “liberals”, and to steal everything that isn’t nailed down.
Underneath it all is their primary ideology: “You’re either a fat, white Christian “heterosexual” (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) male, or you are not acceptable”. Exclusion is its own reward.
Big E
McCain folks need a spokesmen like good ‘ol Toby Keith…
the flower of American intellect
I am getting worried that STOOPID is so ingrained in the USA that McCain will win…..
Bostondreams
Oh wow. That is all kinds of awesome. Hell, that rocks. I like the bit about ‘world’s oldest celebrity.’
BethanyAnne
LOL for real, Cain. That’s fantabulous. “See you at the debates, bitches” Tehehe
tomjones
Why so serious Obama?
Davis X. Machina
I am getting worried that STOOPID is so ingrained in the USA that McCain will win….
We’re the Saudi Arabia of stupid — 65% of the world’s known stupid reserves!
dorkboy
Still think this election is over John?
This is not John Kerry!
Davis X. Machina
Their only agenda is to piss off “liberals”, and to steal everything that isn’t nailed down.
To rule, not to govern. To harness the coercive power of the state to enrich themselves, their friends and their offspring, in perpetuity, and to use the punitive power of the state to punish those who are not themselves, their friends and their offspring solely because they are not themselves, their friends and their offspring, and not for any disagreement on policy.
It’s the political vision — actually , it’s sub-political, because it doesn’t even recognize the existence of a polity — of thirteenth century Europe.
slippy
Tom, do you think if we made a recording of that ad onto an Ipod, tied the Ipod and a 1,500 watt sound system to Sean Hanntiy with a zip line, and then shoved Sean Hannity and his ad sideways up John McCain’s asshole, would it put an end to this idiotic excuse for a lame-ass debate?
This is, of course, a rhetorical question. Even with the sound of a well-known conservative mouthpiece’s voice booming from all directions in 8.1 surround sound, John McCain would walk around passing out tire gauges and snickering like a fucking four-year-old who just made his first poop joke.
I hate Republicans.
Dreggas
I so cannot wait to get home from work so I can watch this.
AkaDad
Awesome ad. To celebrate, I’m gonna go outside and burn some tires.
junkiebrewster
The Republicans should probably keep those tire guages. Obama just let the air out of their tires.
AkaDad
I meant to say awesome clip. It has nothing to do with being +23.
Jeff
Saw this via Digg. Sums it up nicely.
The Grand Panjandrum
Cole and the Balloon Juice crowd are rocking tonight I see.
That is all kinds of awesome.
But please don’t forget that this is the party that panders to a base populateded in large part with people who deny evolution, and believe the Earth was created a thousand years after the Sumerians invented ink.
Win.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
They played a truncated clip of the Barack video on Hardball and the discussion is about how both sides are proposing bogus energy proposals. Barnicle, Vandehei and Jill Zucker. Absolutely amazing.
harlana pepper
OMFG!!11 He called republicans ‘ignorant’!!
[INSERT UPCOMING MCCAIN SCRIPT HERE]
dbrown
Obama hit a single with bases loaded – two runs scored but he missed the grand slam!
What he should have said was that repubics want people to drive around wasting their hard earned money and send it to the A-rabs that need our money and that many million of barrels of oil would be saved if tires were properly inflated. Then finish off by pointing out that this would also mean less oil money for terroist.
That would be a out-of-the-park grand slam. Have to put it in terms the typical stupid american understands.
harlana pepper
The Moar You Know: LMAO
Busta
Why, was that a Democrat candidate actually ridiculing Republicans for the stupid things they say and do?
Isn’t he worried he won’t look presidential? Shouln’t he be more careful not to alienate conservative and moderate voters? Isn’t he afraid he might actually win this election?
My stars and garters.
The Grand Panjandrum
Mike “I make shit up to get readers, and suck Imus’ dick live on the radio” Barnicle! Anyone for a little Wiffleball? What IS that tingling sensation running up my leg?
The Grand Panjandrum
Josh has this video clip of Obama slapping the energy ball back into to McCain’s face, and his boytoy Mittens getting stumped by fucking Wolf Blitzer. Pure gold.
LiberalTarian
You know what’s funny about the re’thug-cuz-i-cans handing out the tire guages is that I really need one. To pump up my tires.
If only they were giving them out in my neighborhood. I’d race over and get one, and on my way out the door I could holler, “Vote Obama!!!”
Sigh.
I may not wholly love Obama, but I love how he smacks around GOP. :)
cleek
this is shaping up to be a great week…. for McCain!
Sasha
Exactly my thought.
Genine
I checked out your site, Chris. I think the concept you told us about sounds great. I assume you’re active with some global citizenship and holistic activism groups? If not, you might want to look into them. Especially those that have a creative bent to them. They advocate using film, cartoons and writing and such to get a message across.
Or, just do your own thing. It’s all good. :)
I’ll keep checking your site for regular updates. Thanks for sharing!
Sasha
Assuming the McCain campaign tries that shit, it won’t fly. Obama will simply point out that the the opposition is again “lying” (since he doesn’t feel compelled to sugarcoat the word) and tie it into deception and lying of the Bush Administration.
Throw the argument back and hang the Bush albatross around McCain’s neck in one fell swoop.
jbarntt
Hi John,
Here’s the problem with Obama’s keep the tires inflated and get a tune up prescription:
What percentage of cars are running around with under inflated rubber ? If it’s small, then little help, if it’s large, a good help. Does Obama know ? Doubtful, and even if it is significant, how do you magically get these tires inflated to the proper psi ?
The tune up part is a bit silly, as modern cars go a lot of miles w/o needing one. The last car I owned was a ’93 Sentra, got rid of it about two years ago, never had a tune up and it ran fine with the expected gas mileage. When I got rid of it, it had 140,000 miles. Obama seems to think a lot of people are driving around in cars made 30 years ago.
Just so you know, I ride public transportation, no SUV, no big old jet. Democrats like to say it’s not the offense, it’s the hypocrisy, like with the Republican senator from ID, (Craig ?). How does Obama travel ? In keeping with a small carbon footprint and miserly fuel usage ? How about Al Gore or John Kerry ?
Personally, I don’t subscribe to the global warming nonsense, but my actions are consistent with what those fine Democrats tell me is the solution, even though they seem to exempt themselves from such measures.
But let me say that I do welcome my new Democratic overlords, and recognize that these superior beings cannot be held to the same standards to which they hold us, their inferiors.
Koz
The GOP is so dumb, it’s like they don’t even know how many states there are or something.
nightjar
You are either a fool or a 3rd rate spoofer. I guess it doesn’t much matter which. Of course democrats under Obama’s lead will simply gather up all the Republicans, have them wrap their smackers around all those limp tire gauges and exhale to pump up those tires. Put some of that wingnut gasbaggery to good use. Maybe Senator Craig can give pointers.
That’s being a clever wingnut, and would you rather get shipped to the front in Iraq, or spend your servitude mowing lawns in the projects. Either way, Comrade Obama and the Peoples Republic of Amerika will be eternally grateful.
Joe Lisboa
I just wanted to (a) thank John for covering this idiocy, and (b) thank Gold Star for Robot Boy for plugging the best band outta Dayton EVAR. That is all. Off to check my tire (and blood) pressure. If “we” “elect” McCain this fall, then we get the unravelling empire we deserve. ‘night, all.
Chris Johnson
Thanks, Genine. I hope I can keep you entertained :)
Scamp Dog
You go to this really, really high-tech place called a gas station, and they have this amazing device that will add air to your tires! And then you check it with a pressure gage! If you can’t afford one, see your local Republican party for a freebie, they’ll take care of you…
Conservatively Liberal
Yup, short and sweet. Liars. Not “distorting”, nor “misrepresenting” and no “mistaken”.
Liars. Short, sweet, descriptive and to the point. So today Obama has basically said that they are ‘proud ignorant liars’. I would call that a home run with the bases loaded.
Sounds right to me! I hope Obama keeps shooting back, especially like this. It is unusual to see a Democrat stand up to the Republic party, kinda like seeing 200.000 people in Germany cheering a Democrat and waving our flag.
I can stand a lot more of this. Bring it on Barack!
Mwangangi
I don’t know what PJs you’ve been around, but there aren’t any lawns.
He can mop up the piss puddles on the stairwell landings.
justinb
Well, anybody with an internet connection (you obviously have one, and presumably Obama knows how to use teh google) can easily find out. From here one can easily see that:
As to your question “and even if it is significant, how do you magically get these tires inflated to the proper psi” there’s a magic thing called a tire pressure gauge, which you can use at most any place where you buy gas. That, and looking at the numbers on the side of your tires, would probably get you most of the way there.
jbarntt
justinb Says:
As to your question “and even if it is significant, how do you magically get these tires inflated to the proper psi” there’s a magic thing called a tire pressure gauge, which you can use at most any place where you buy gas. That, and looking at the numbers on the side of your tires, would probably get you most of the way there.
I reply:
So Obama will magically get motorists who under inflate their tires to correct their behaviour by telling them about tire pressure gauges ? These people are already acting against their best interest, and is it really news that tire pressure gauges exist and are cheap ?
What if they don’t ? Then will he realize the need to drill for more oil ? Always good to have a backup plan in case the first plan fails.