Sarah's Thoughts
Biden Needs Remedial History Course
What would the media coverage be if Sarah Palin had said the following watch x men in divx watch harry potter and the sorcerer s stone in divx
“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened’.”
For those who are asking themselves, “What’s wrong with that statement?” — First of all, shame on your history teacher (and your own lack of interest in minimal American lore)! Second, FDR wasn’t president when the stock market crashed. Finally, he WAS the first president to appear on TV … ten years after the crash.
So, back to my original query. What if Palin had said it? My guess is that the story would be a headline on every news program. Palin would be ridiculed as lacking basic knowledge concerning both American history and 20th century technological advancements.
But instead, the error-filled statement was made by Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden. So, what’s on CNN.com right now?
“New dad Clay Aiken Tells Magazine He’s Gay”
“Millions of Kids Have Untreated Tooth Decay”
Not a mention about Biden’s gaffe, even when I click on the “Politics” page. But, I sure am a better-informed citizen now that I know the newborn son of the same-sex loving Aiken (shocked, just shocked!) should get regular check-ups with the neighborhood dentist.
Similar omissions were found when I searched other news sites. Now, you may think this was just a silly, flip comment made by Biden and therefore it was not even worth mentioning. I believe the remarks make Biden sound a bit light in the intellectual gravitas and show him to be a fan of simply making stuff up. And … really … can you tell me that much more media attention would not have been made to this statement if made by Palin?
Share on Facebook
September 24th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
No, Sarah, I can’t tell you “that much more media attention would not have been made to this statement if made by Palin.” You know why? Because Palin has a lot more to prove about her background and experience than Biden does.
Yes, Biden can afford to be looser in his speech because of his long track record of experience. He can probably afford to be more flip in his comments than Obama can, actually.
And I’m guessing that he was meaning to make a comment about how FDR related to the American people during times of economic crisis, and that economic crisis was in part precipitated by the crash of ‘29…hence his inconsequential sloppy statement, which I think you have given way too much attention to already.
September 24th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Fine … vet the candidates on their experience and their stand on the issues. I agree with you that we still need to know more about Palin than we do Biden. My point is that every little misstatement made by Palin or McCain (as well as the current president) are treated like sure signs of a low IQ or at least a loose grasp of the facts. When Obama or Biden do the same thing (we have 57 states, FDR was President in 1929, we use breathalyzers for those with asthma), it’s just an understandable slip of the tongue after endless and exhausting days of campaigning.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:03 am
“Because Palin has a lot more to prove about her background and experience than Biden does.”
“…it’s just an understandable slip of the tongue after endless and exhausting days of campaigning.”
These two quotes sum up the level ignorance and standards to which the American public has fallen. Of the four candidates on the two tickets, Palin is the only one with the PROPER experience. She’s the only one with Executive Branch experience from a state with a Foreign Policy. As for the other three…well, let’s just say any Obama supporter (143 days) shouldn’t consciously bring up the word ‘experience’ when trying to promote their candidate. Finally, I’m tired of not holding the candidates to a higher standard. Don’t you think there with be “endless and exhausting days” in the White House? What kind of “slip” can we afford there?