Althouse: "That baby just told me he loved Barack Obama!"

September 23, 2008

"That baby just told me he loved Barack Obama!"

At the Michelle Obama rally-ette.

72 comments:

Ron said...: "That Obama supporter has to stop putting the 'special herbs' in their bratwurst in Madison!"; 9/23/08, 1:45 PM
Rich B said...: What rubes! Don't they know Photoshop?

Maybe they just like the intimacy of a small crowd.; 9/23/08, 1:58 PM
vbspurs said...: Gosh, and to think my first words were "Yes" and "Moomoo" (for mother).

Kids are so sophisticated these days.; 9/23/08, 2:02 PM
chickelit said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/23/08, 2:03 PM
Unknown said...: Word is he then said "no to clean coal technology!"; 9/23/08, 2:03 PM
Anonymous said...: Was it Trig Palin?; 9/23/08, 2:04 PM
vbspurs said...: First, let me say that I liked Nina's photoblog of the Michelle event. I thank her for giving us that perspective.

(Hey, Nina, I went to an Obama event last Friday at the Univ of Miami. I also photoblogged about it, in case of interest. I am not a supporter)

But this photograph...does something to me. And that something is to stand my hair on end and recoil in distaste.

Not too sure why, and it's probably unfair to poor Michelle. But I think a lot of people feel that way.

Cheers,
Victoria; 9/23/08, 2:05 PM
Unknown said...: Well, I don't think that's fair. It's easy to get a bad-looking picture in rapid fire. There are plenty of McCain too.; 9/23/08, 2:06 PM
chickelit said...: (Oops-wrong link whew!)

Kids used to say anything for a milkshake to get on Circus 3 .

Oh Cowboy Eddie I miss you!; 9/23/08, 2:09 PM
UWS guy said...: Vspurs I knew you were linking to a photo showing Michelle Obama looking like an angry black women before I clicked the link.

can I share my favorite of McCain?; 9/23/08, 2:09 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/23/08, 2:10 PM
UWS guy said...: I'm so tempted to make that my profile picture...screw the company!; 9/23/08, 2:11 PM
Anonymous said...: It has taken me like 30 attempts to comment in this thread. Every time I looked t it, I couldn't restrain a shiver.; 9/23/08, 2:13 PM
Simon said...: Something doesn't add up here. The photo that MM took provides an overview with two, maybe three hundred people. "[T]he event actually started right after the shot was taken. So [MM's photo represents the crowd at its peak] ... i.e., much smaller than [Althouse] would have thought." Nina, by contrast, says that there were just shy of two thousand people there, and provides the sort of photographs I expected to see in the MSM that by no means show the actual size of the crowd. I'm not suggesting that Nina's purposely cropped them a la the MSM, but there's a disconnect between what Nina shows (and says) and what MM showed and said.; 9/23/08, 2:14 PM
MadisonMan said...: I don't think she looks angry at all in that picture. Intense, making a point, yes. Angry, not so much.; 9/23/08, 2:16 PM
vbspurs said...: can I share my favorite of McCain?

LOL! That's awesome.

"Damn kids! Get off of my lawn!".; 9/23/08, 2:18 PM
garage mahal said...: Some piping hot Michelle Obama. Come get it while it's hot!; 9/23/08, 2:18 PM
vbspurs said...: I'm not suggesting that Nina's purposely cropped them a la the MSM, but there's a disconnect between what Nina shows (and says) and what MM showed and said.

Perhaps MM's photo showed a moment in time, that didn't reflect the final total?

Also, I think when you're at eye-level, crowds seem larger.; 9/23/08, 2:19 PM
Ron said...: McCain in that picture looks like a pissed-off Mickey Rooney! "Damnit Judy, we can't put on a show in a stinky barn!"; 9/23/08, 2:22 PM
Anonymous said...: UWS guy said...
Vspurs I knew you were linking to a photo showing Michelle Obama looking like an angry black women before I clicked the link.

can I share my favorite of McCain?

2:09 PM

"arrrr...where be the rum, mateys?"; 9/23/08, 2:22 PM
MadisonMan said...: I was up on a roof watching. After about 10:20, the crowd seemed pretty static in size. But as I said yesterday, I wasn't watching 'til the (cough) bitter end when MO came out -- after 10:30, 'cause I had to go back to work.

It's possible that suddenly 1000 people showed up. I doubt it.; 9/23/08, 2:25 PM
Beth said...: VB, I don't get it. I see nothing wrong with that picture. Michelle Obama looks perfectly normal and attractive. I don't see "angry black woman" either as someone suggests. Perhaps you have your own personal thing to deal with?; 9/23/08, 2:26 PM
Simon said...: MM, that was my thought, too.

vbspurs said...
"But this photograph...does something to me. And that something is to stand my hair on end and recoil in distaste."

It does rather make her look like she's engaging in one of Titus' preferred pastimes, doesn't it.; 9/23/08, 2:27 PM
UWS guy said...: Talk like a pirate day was last friday!; 9/23/08, 2:27 PM
Anonymous said...: UWS guy said...
Talk like a pirate day was last friday!

2:27 PM

Tell that to McCain in that picture!; 9/23/08, 2:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Simon and vbspurs-

Damn it...

You guys are making me recoil.; 9/23/08, 2:31 PM
UWS guy said...: Dedicated to our conservative friends:

You with the sad eyes
Dont be discouraged
Oh I realize
Its hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And thats why I love you
So dont be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow; 9/23/08, 2:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Ah, UWS, 10+. One of my favorite songs of all times! Thanks!; 9/23/08, 2:37 PM
Rich B said...: I never realized that it's the shapes of her teeth that make her look aggressive. Her cuspids/bicuspids are a bit out of alignment.

I like the McCain picture, too. Maybe he should put that on his presidential seal.; 9/23/08, 2:40 PM
Revenant said...: can I share my favorite of McCain?

All that photo is missing is an eyepatch and a parrot on the shoulder. Arr!; 9/23/08, 2:54 PM
vbspurs said...: VB, I don't get it. I see nothing wrong with that picture. Michelle Obama looks perfectly normal and attractive. I don't see "angry black woman" either as someone suggests. Perhaps you have your own personal thing to deal with?

Whoa, wait. As I was out hunting around for unflattering photos of the candidates to write as a blogpost, this thread has descended into partisan and personal insults (nu?).

I recoiled in distaste because she looked fierce and therefore ugly, and though you noted that someone else said she looks like an "Angry Black Woman", and not I, I don't wish anyone to attribute that to me, Beth.

I do resent that you can't point out anything negative about the Obamas, without someone implying "racist!!", and I think that will come back to haunt Liberals in November, so by all means, please continue in that vein.

As for me, this is my blogpost in hommage to Nina's already-mentioned photo:

A Face Only A Mother Could Love

It took me forever to find an unflattering photograph of Palin. And I think that's part of the problem a lot of people have with her, on a non-political, superficial level.

She's beautiful, and they hate that.

Cheers,
Victoria; 9/23/08, 2:58 PM
Kirby Olson said...: She says in the article that there were 2000 people there. It looks like about 150 in the aerial photo you put in yesterday.

Is she lying, or did the crowd number change, or could it be that she just overestimates the audience size?

I can't understand why there was such a tiny audience in a liberal bastion like Madison. It made me feel sorry for Michelle Obama, even though I want her to lose.; 9/23/08, 3:04 PM
Anonymous said...: Victoria, mi amor, I took you on your Obama height challenge, and you didn't acknowledge it. I am feeling a bit neglected over here. I guess I have been around AL and michael for too long...; 9/23/08, 3:05 PM
John said...: "Vspurs I knew you were linking to a photo showing Michelle Obama looking like an angry black women before I clicked the link."

She doesn't look like an angry black woman. She is an angry black woman. Until the chosen one's handlers got a hold of her she had a chip on her shoulder a mile wide.

You want to know why Obama went to the hate whitey church for 20 years, look no further than Michelle. In 90% of families it is the wife who determines what church the family attends and who presides over the marriage ceremony. I am quite sure Michelle fit right in with Reverend Wright.; 9/23/08, 3:09 PM
nina said...: I like photoshop for muting colors but have never used it to add things that were not there.

I like Michelle's expressive faces. Like me, she has a furrowed brow that makes her look intense -- maybe that's why I warm to it. I never considered this to be an ugly depiction. I actually thought she looked quite striking in a positive way.

I'm sort of not into posting ugly photos of either candidate. Ann has accused me in the past of keeping too much to the "pretty" side of life. She's right. Sorry, I just don't feel very violent about life right now. Must be my Polish upbringing. We grab good things because we think they wont be there tomorrow.; 9/23/08, 3:14 PM
Chet said...: http://althouse.blogspot.com/2007/10/using-kids-to-bypass-campaign-finance.html; 9/23/08, 3:16 PM
nina said...: Sorry, forgot to address the "is she lying" question. As I wrote in my own comments -- I took the numbers from the local TV and the press. They all said between 1500 and 2000. That seemed right. I have other photos of the audience, but since that issue seems more of a concern here and not really part of my own narrative, I didn't have any reason to post them.; 9/23/08, 3:19 PM
Hazy Dave said...: I'm not bothered by Michelle Obama's expression in that picture. Nina caught a nice action shot, I'd say. Way less scary than a typical Hillary expression. My first reaction was to wish my teeth were that white.; 9/23/08, 3:23 PM
vbspurs said...: Nina, I didn't read the charge that you were lying, but just to say that no one in their right minds would think you were actually LYING about this.

For example, as I said, I went to the Obama rally on Friday. I wrote in my blogpost that the crowd was 8000 people strong. I based that on the Miami Herald's stat.

But you know what? It felt easily close to 15,000-20,000 -- much more than in the Bill Clinton talk, and his was packed.

Sometimes we rely on our faulty perceptions, or on faulty newspaper reports. It's not ever about lying.

Cheers,
Victoria; 9/23/08, 3:26 PM
Jim said...: Even from Nina's photos you can see that the crowd is small...In the wider shots, there is plenty of green space behind the "crowd"...Only in the close shots does it look in any way "crowded."

I won't say that she's lying, but it's also fair to say that she, herself, admits that her crowd estimate is based on MSM reports: the same MSM which has been busted several times this election cycle artificially inflating Obama crowd numbers and cutting in half (or more) McCain/Palin crowd sizes.

The overhead shot from MadisonMan seems to be the most representative and readers can decide for themselves how likely it was for 1000 or more additional people to materialize out of nowhere [notice that his picture does not show a ton of people on their way to the event which it should if people were still arriving in sufficient numbers to reach the MSM crowd estimates in time] to rush into the crowd just in time for the MSM to do a headcount and then disappear immediately thereafter without a trace.

I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of very disappointed Obama supporters on Election Night: the media is consistently puffing up and buying into the Obama campaign's self-serving propaganda with absolutely zero critical analysis.

Of course, the claim will be that the election results differ from media perceptions will be chalked up to racism rather than a shoddy press corps.; 9/23/08, 3:29 PM
vbspurs said...: BTW, guys, I updated my post with an unflattering Obama photo.

Took me forever because, with this thread in mind, I had to find one that was unflattering but not racist.

In other words, I had to bend over backwards to find JUST THE RIGHT ONE, because no one wants to be accused of racism.

Please note that if Senator Obama loses in November, the exit poll question that should really be asked is not:

"Did his race play a negative factor in not voting for him?", as is currently being pushed by media today.

Instead it should be:

"When is race not going to be an issue in America when dealing with anything to do with black people?"

A pipe dream, perhaps. I could ask the same of class and Britain.

Cheers,
Victoria; 9/23/08, 3:31 PM
Revenant said...: When is race not going to be an issue in America when dealing with anything to do with black people?

It already isn't an issue for me. As for other people, well, I'm not the boss of them.; 9/23/08, 3:49 PM
Simon said...: Victoria - I guess when it's no longer useful as an in terrorem election tool for the dems.; 9/23/08, 4:00 PM
Unknown said...: This view of Michelle ain't doin' it for me, either.; 9/23/08, 4:54 PM
Roger J. said...: Victoria--I second Ersnestos salutation of "mi amor" Why is it that our immigrants seem to prefer los estados unidos to their native countries? Because, I think, that for all our faults, we are the best thing going.; 9/23/08, 4:54 PM
Roger J. said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/23/08, 4:55 PM
Buford Gooch said...: Way too often, she looks like "Aunt Esther" must have looked when younger.; 9/23/08, 5:01 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: It looks like everybody had a jolly good time.

Nina has splendid blogs and she's the bestest reporter.; 9/23/08, 5:18 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: McCain grimace. Michelle Obama's bicuspids.

Here's my opinion on photographs and satire. It's a bit OT. When Darrell Hammond (my, that's a lot of double letters) depicts McCain on an SNL skit, he should keep a jaw breaker in his left cheek, for base comedic effect.

Perhaps produce a set of partials into his hand as if spitting them out while simultaneously stretching his lips over his actual teeth in imitation of a toothless man, then say something like, "oh, I jesh pud 'em in for company."

That is all.; 9/23/08, 5:33 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: * looks up en terrorem *; 9/23/08, 5:39 PM
Beth said...: I don't wish anyone to attribute that to me, Beth.

I was disagreeing with that other commenter's assumption about your perception, VB, not attributing it to you.; 9/23/08, 5:44 PM
Beth said...: "When is race not going to be an issue in America when dealing with anything to do with black people?"

I suppose not until we stop encountering the sort of crap posted by Cedarford almost daily, and by John here at 3:09 p.m.; 9/23/08, 5:48 PM
Joe said...: Take enough pictures of someone, anyone, and you'll find many that are extremely unflattering (yes, even of John Edwards.)

People are notoriously bad at estimating number of people in a group when on the ground, especially if there are more than 100 people in the group. (Humans are really bad generally at big numbers; with crowds it's even worse.); 9/23/08, 5:59 PM
former law student said...: To some people, bared teeth are a smile, to others, a snarl.; 9/23/08, 6:21 PM
Revenant said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/23/08, 6:39 PM
Revenant said...: I suppose not until we stop encountering the sort of crap posted [...] by John here at 3:09 p.m.

So race will stop being an issue in dealings with black people... once people stop pointing out black racism?

Or are you actually enough of an idiot to deny that Obama's church was anti-white?; 9/23/08, 6:39 PM
UWS guy said...: Name the last white man lynched by a black mob reverent then we can compare racism. Or the southern baptist university of all black students that officially frowns upon interracial dating, or country club full of local elites with no white members.

Thought so.; 9/23/08, 7:41 PM
Revenant said...: Name the last white man lynched by a black mob reverent then we can compare racism.

If your standard for "racism" is people being lynched by mobs, there is no more racism in the United States and hasn't been for over 40 years. If your standard is "racially motivated lynching" then there hasn't been such a case in 27 years, when Barack Obama was too busy snorting coke in his Occidental College dorm room to spend time being oppressed by whitey.

If, on the other hand, you want to talk about racially-motivated murder, most modern perpetrators are black; most modern victims, white or Asian. In fact, the most recent racially-motivated mass killing was orchestrated by Barack Obama supporter and occasional Democratic Presidential hopeful Al Sharpton.

Or the southern baptist university of all black students that officially frowns upon interracial dating

I'll stick to pointing out that private black colleges frown on admitting white people at all, and actively discourage a significant number of whites from applying. Nor do they shy from advertising themselves as "black colleges"; in contrast, no college advertises itself as "a college for white people", as they'd be sued within an inch of their lives if they did.

or country club full of local elites with no white members.

I can't name a country club full of local elites with no black members, let alone no white ones. I'll concede that one might exist.

But if you want a good counter-example of black racism, I'll simply point to the Congressional Black Caucus. It used to try peddling the line that it was a caucus focusing on black issues rather than a race-exclusive club for black Congressmen, but that lie was exposed when they denied membership to Steve Cohen.; 9/23/08, 8:17 PM
Revenant said...: But anyway, UWS, congrats on offering the "two wrongs make a right" argument for why it is ok for the Obamas to support black racists. I'm sure that'll help the magic man win those white swing votes he needs.; 9/23/08, 8:24 PM
Fletch said...: Chip-

(my, that's a lot of double letters)

Do you know the only English word with three 'consectutive' pairs of double letters?
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Bookkeeper.

Bonus round!

What word starts with a "F" and ends with "uck"?
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Firetruck.; 9/23/08, 10:49 PM
Fletch said...: Beth-

I suppose not until we stop encountering the sort of crap posted by Cedarford almost daily, and by John here at 3:09 p.m.

How about the when blacks are not responsible for 60% of all murders in Columbus, OH for the last 30 years- while composing under 25% of the population?

How about when blacks do not commit 85% of the 'inter-racial rapes' in Columbus every year?

And 60% of all 'armed robberies'?

Or, when the 5 worst Elementary schools in Columbus are not 99+% black?

Or, when the only schools that 'need' metal detectors isn't indicative of a black majority student pop?

This, in a city with a popular 2-term black Mayor (unopposed last election), a black police chief, a black fire chief, a black majority on the School board (7-0 Dem), a black majority on City Council (w/ a white lesbian! 7-0 Dem)- and I literally can't remember the last Supt. of Schools that wasn't black.

Which Republican can you cast your blame upon? (Don't blame 'spending'!- Current spending is over $11k/student- and they're also spending $3 billion to replace old schools...

Of course, since student enrollment has dropped from 103k to 60K in the last 35 years- they're replacing everything that's actually being used.; 9/23/08, 11:36 PM
Fletch said...: UWS-

Name the last white man lynched by a black mob

Does Reginald Denny ring a bell?; 9/23/08, 11:49 PM
Fletch said...: UWS-

Or the southern baptist university of all black students that officially frowns upon interracial dating, or country club full of local elites with no white members.

Why isn't Democrat Steve Cohen a member of the Congressional Black Caucus? (He represents a majority-black district and supports CBC policies.)

It it the "white", or is it the "Jew"?; 9/23/08, 11:58 PM
Beth said...: Revenant, I was talking about the tiresome "angry black woman" meme John was flogging. You probably could comment without calling me an idiot, but just for fun, I'll throw back a "fuck you, you pencil-dicked fuck." Just for fun, and because you'd be disappointed otherwise.; 9/24/08, 12:10 AM
vbspurs said...: I was disagreeing with that other commenter's assumption about your perception, VB, not attributing it to you.

Beth, I know, but the assumption was thrown out by someone. I just wanted to speak my peace about that.

Thanks.; 9/24/08, 12:24 AM
Beth said...: Never a problem, VB. My point was your response to Michelle Obama seems a bit over the top. You've commented on liberal response to Palin as being, shall we say, unhinged, and I saw a hint of that in the hair on end, recoiling reaction. The whole angry black woman thing came from somewhere else -- and continued elsewhere. Not you, not me.; 9/24/08, 12:36 AM
Fletch said...: Vic-

A Face Only A Mother Could Love

I posted my entries in your "caption contest".

(I think I was funny on all of them, but my #1 cannot be beaten!); 9/24/08, 12:46 AM
Revenant said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/24/08, 12:57 AM
Revenant said...: Revenant, I was talking about the tiresome "angry black woman" meme John was flogging.

She's angry, black, and a woman. If you have a problem with that, ask her to either chill out or get a sex change. Or you could keep sniveling about racism where none exists; there's always that option.

You probably could comment without calling me an idiot, but just for fun, I'll throw back a "fuck you, you pencil-dicked fuck."

I find it amusing that a person as humorlessly obsessed with bigotry as yourself would resort to sexist insults. We can all imagine the hysterics you'd erupt in if I called you a cunt.; 9/24/08, 1:00 AM
AllenS said...: Yesterday, I said that the crowd was 231 people. Let me tell you how I came to that conclusion. I got out my Army pictures of the company that I served with. 1st platoon - 44 people, 2nd - 35, 3rd - 35, weapons platoon - 24, hq - 14, for a total of 152 people. I then compared the size of the company and added some more to get to the 231. About as scientific as you can get.; 9/24/08, 8:15 AM
Beth said...: Revenant, you have no sense of humor whatsoever. Do I need to add little emoticons for you?; 9/24/08, 11:02 AM
Revenant said...: Revenant, you have no sense of humor whatsoever. Do I need to add little emoticons for you?

It might be easier to actually be funny, but, you know... whatever works for you.; 9/24/08, 6:38 PM