Michelle Obama makes a Chicahgah kind of mistake
Michelle Obama has clearly become very comfortable as co-campaigner with her husband, Barack. This morning, according to The Times' Seema Mehta, she confidently bounded onto the gym stage at a morning rally at the University of Nevada's Reno campus.
"Your Love is Lifting Me Higher" was booming out, and the crowd of way more than 1,000 potential caucus-goers roared.
"Hey! Wow! Look at all these folks," Obama said. "Where did you come from? It is so nice to be back in Nevada! We are so happy to be here!" But, suddenly,....
the crowd turned less friendly, audibly grumbling and groaning. Michelle immediately realized her mistake and covered her face.
She had mispronounced the name of the state as Nuh-VAH-duh, which many people passing through do innocently enough, which annoys the heck out of Nevadans and which really embarrasses candidates who are asking Nuh-VAD-uhns for their votes. That's the correct pronounciation, in case you're ever there running for president: Nuh-VAD-uh.
"Nevada, Nevada, Nevada, Nevada, Nevada!" Obama repeated correctly. "Oh, noooooo! I've been in South Carolina too long!" And the crowd started cheering. "It's nice to be here in Ne-VAD-a! Nevada, Nevada, Nevada!"
"I know how to bounce back from my mistakes," she added.
Indeed she does. At the Obamas' second event of the day, in Elko High School, Michelle Obama gave the same introduction of her husband, saying how happy she was to be "here." But she never got around to uttering the state's name either way.
Now we can't wait until the campaign visits Missourah.
--Andrew Malcolm
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Obama once again pulls the race card. His staff started all that race stuff about MLK last week then he denied it. Obama finally admitted it but did not fire the staff who started the race card issue.
Obama is privately high-fiving his staff for starting the race card issue just before south carolina and nevada
Posted by: Jesse Jackson | January 19, 2008 at 04:27 AM
Nevada is a Spanish word. So, the real pronunciation is Neh VAH dah!
Don't feel bad though, all over the southwest, Spanish is butchered and mispronounced on a daily basis.
Posted by: Omar | January 19, 2008 at 02:52 PM
Look, I'm a Clinton supporter, and so glad she won, and support any opportunity that honestly allows people to see her competence level is better fit for president than Obama's, but this article has me saying, but "really though," is it that serious?
Posted by: Really though | January 19, 2008 at 03:07 PM
Millions of people say Nevada in millions of different ways. Oooo! Boo to this article. Big time. Michelle Obama is amazing. We would be enriched by having her as first lady. Obama 08!
Posted by: ber | January 19, 2008 at 04:11 PM
Hooray for Michelle being herself. You know that Bill would have practiced it and got it "right" -- so much worse for the whole point of this exercise, which is to get to know these people as they are, rather than as they wish to portray themselves. If anyone says Ms-Uhr-uh, here in Missouri, I'll be ready to pounce. Sure, that's how some people want to hear the name of their state, and they are indeed one issue voters -- they vote based on how you pronounce the name. But like Obama says, have faith in the American people. They know you're from Chicago, Hawaii, New York, LA, whatever. Why would you try to pronounce the name of the state differently all of a sudden? When a candidate does this, what is she really up to? What other deceit does she take in stride? No, I'd rather have a candidate butcher "Worcester," but compensate by knowing that the Patriots are undefeated. That shows sensitivity to local interests AND honesty about who you really are.
Posted by: Ronald Loui | January 19, 2008 at 11:34 PM
Ber is right. Michelle Obama is a FANTASTIC woman. Those who support Hillary and say it is because of her gender really owe an acknowledgement of Michelle Obama's accomplishments.
Posted by: Ronald Loui | January 19, 2008 at 11:38 PM
She's been in South Carolina too long? Is she saying that South Carolinians are stupid?
Posted by: R. Gregg Reed | January 21, 2008 at 02:56 PM