Barack Obama makes a one-fingered gesture while speaking of Hillary Clinton

This is one of those political moments that really needs few words.

We'll no doubt hear much more about this incident in coming days.

Right now, we'll just leave this video for Ticket readers to view and judge for themselves. It's Sen. Barack Obama, according to the caption on YouTube posted just minutes ago, speaking to a friendly crowd in Raleigh, N.C., today.

He's talking critically about his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, and the kind of distasteful gotcha politics that occur in Washington. And he says, "That's all right. Sen. Clinton looked in her element."

Watch the video right then. The presidential candidate raises his right hand to seemingly scratch his cheek.

He doesn't use his whole hand though. Just one finger. Briefly. A couple of strokes.

He pauses. He smiles slyly as the crowd begins to mumble and then he tries, somewhat distracted, to continue his remarks, smiling as the buzz spreads through the crowd.

He'll no doubt deny it later, but that mischievous smile seems to confirm plenty. And the crowd sure sees something.

(UPDATE: A new item has been posted on the Obama campaign's reaction to this issue, calling it "absurd and untrue.")

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[JayPea]

I tried it many times and no matter how I try to scratch my cheek, my middle finger sticks up more because it is longer. I tried bending it more and curling it up but it still sticks out more than the other fingers BECAUSE IT IS LONGER!!!!!!!! OMG, I have been flipping the bird at my boss, at my coworkers, at the Orientation group, my church members, my priest, my family, my friends, my enemies.....AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT. I know what I can do...OUCH...there, the danged thing ain't longer now! So what do I do with the tip?
Mail it to you who wrote this epitome of irresponsible reporting? Okay!

[Le fou du roi]

Can this guy exploit the herd instinct or what ?Obama
supporters on this blog are inspired by a fanaticism not
unlike the jihadists. They are blind to this obvious vulgar
gesture,performed with masterfull hypocrisy by the
endorsee of the Judas gov. and that suppository like,
flawed ex -proletariat secretary. Add the moove on org,
Rezko,Wright,Ayers and Farrakhan and you get the most
lethal threat to American civilisation.Un-American activity
charges need to be levelled against this conspiracy to
throw our country in total decadence.

[TG Davidoff]

Andrew, the big question in my mind is do your fellow writers and editors now suddenly get a need to scratch their cheek when talking to you? I suspect the sniping by LA TImes staff is going to cause you more anguish than all the replies to your blog entry.

(Anguish? Because in the last several days several hundred thousand readers, including you, have come to this blog? Now, you're joking.)

[Jaypea]

For those of you who overreact to the seemingly innocuous things that people say or do (and you know who you are), no, I did not really cut my fingertip off, and I am not mailing it anywhere. Just wanted to clear that up (and get in a dig at people who make mountains out of VERY small molehills).

[Amber]

Your post was actually amusing-- He is just really letting his true colors show this week isnt he? Hes like a big 5 year old

[jeremiah wright]

The OBama supporters have really drunk the kool aid! First, their "messiah" can't be asked any question that could be considered complicated, then they defend the most racist affiliations, and now they go crazy over a self-evident and unmessiah like salute to Hillary. C'mon.

[Carol]

Yes -- no question that it was purposeful. The sly smile in response to the mumbling confirms it. What a fool!
He demonstrated once again that he is not presidential material. If he's the nominee, McCain's going to win big.

[Prokofy Neva]

Yes, of course he's giving Hilary the finger, and the crowd is picking up on it. Duh.

Why is everybody in denial?

[Start Making Sense]

We'll be hearing a lot more about this in the coming days?

Have you people lost your minds? How dumb is this?

Too dumb for words - I can't think of anything that captures the stupidity level here.

Please! Bring the adults back!

[back to the issues]

Obama was tired of using his pinky finger so he used his middle finger. Change we can believe in. I hope not!

[NickiH]

Has anyone just tuned up the volume and listened to this? The crowd is obviously reacting to him saying that Hillary was "obviously in her element" taking opportunities to "get a dig in". He smiled at their reaction.
The theory that he was giving Hillary the finger is ridiculous and you should turn in your resignation.
This article is not journalism, it the juvenile work of a hack. Get a grip.

[Johnny]

I find that Senator Obama, from the inception of the campaign, has attempted to cover his background of questionable activities and lack of maturity and qualifications for the Presidency, by resorting to childlike behavior, creating empty slogans, voicing meaningless rhetoric, brown-nosing an equally inept but partisan media symbolized by MSNBC's "leg-trembling" Chris Matthews. The worst of his less than acceptable traits as a whole is his "elitist" and arrogant attitude causing him, by nature, to demean and insult the "bitter" American people and make obvious indecent and obscene gestures towards his opponent, Senator Clinton. America, requires and demands an individual, mature in stature, not a 48 year old "child," absent the despicable self-absorbing demeanor of Senator Obama, and one whose qualities and qualifications extend far beyond that of a charlatan whose only utterances, repeated babbles if you please, are empty slogans and meaningless rehtoric. I recommend that Mr. Obama, and his wife for that matter, seek to grow up first before venturing out and making fools of themselves while inflicting insult after insult upon the American people.

[Glynis]

He did give her the finger. He actually did it twice in one day. He put his finger to his face in the exact same moment of the speech, and got the same response AT ANOTHER RALLY.. PLEASE GET RID OFTHIS GUY!!

[jeremiah wright]

My boy BO is riding dirty on Hillary!!!