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

To get notices on each new Ticket item sent to your cellphone, go here and register. We've got tomorrow's vote and then, immediately, construction of a new White House administration

Comments

[vinnie]

Here's the thing. A friend of mine sent me two clips (this one above) and guess what, there's another clip of Obama in NC giving the same speech, giving the same finger salute to Hillary. Wow, obama, didn't think this was a skit you're doing. I'm sure you can't say it was just a scratch when it's the same speech, same exact moment of the finger scratch. This is the lowest of low, and I'm sure it'll go viral.

[Jim]

This would be funny if it weren't so, so sad.

[robinia]

To the blogger named Brian Williamson...good riddens! Like having one less blogger without a sense of humor and a grip of 21st century opinions will mean a hill of beans.

Why don't you try the Los Angeles Herald Examiner for your source of news. It just symbolizes how "outa touch you are!"

[Chris Parker]

So, let me get this straight - instead of perhaps reading up on some of these issues and actually doing the job of a reporter, you're sitting around watching You Tube for perceived fingers? What the hell do they pay you for? You should see if you can get a job at ABC news working on This Week with George S. You'll fit right in with those hacks.

Please note I'm not an "Obama supporter" (though I'm a bit dismayed that this is somehow a slur these days, it seems); I'm just completely fed up with the substanceless content. Read a book or report something; a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

[Norm Ferris]

Seriously, is this what we've come down to? Turning a face scratch into a scandal? Are your ratings THAT bad? Please stop this garbage. Bad media! No biscuit!

[Harriet]

I hope you're wrong about this slipping into the news cycle. What a total non-story.

This is a presidential election, not "The Hills." With everything on the global horizon that will need attention from the next President -- the looming recession, the health care meltdown, oil prices, food shortages, the war in Iraq, the situation in Iran, the crisis in Darfur, whatever the hell is going on in Zimbabwe -- THIS is your idea of an important, under-examined aspect of the election? This?

LAT editors, for the love of Mike, would you sit down with your staff and talk about what constitutes a valid use of bandwidth?

[bruce becker]

1, He is constantly pointing while he is talking.
2. Now that the latest polls in Penn have Obama leading, HRC's new ploy is to wheedle the female superdelegates on the following lame premise; she says women must vote for HRC because she is the last chance for a female to win the presidency.That is demeaning to all women. It is false. Other women will come along who will not be the former First Lady, and will win on their own "name brands" from all that they have accomplished and because they are recognized on the merits. The other women will be different in all the wonderful ways people can be, some will be more feminine, and younger, some will be more masculine and some less attractive, and all will win. They will win without the constant spin, by ideas and appeal, with speeches that draw choirs of angels, and with armbreaking insider strength too. But surely there will be many, many other women who will win, from the DEMs the Republicans, the Greens too! and parties we dont even have yet.She is not the last best hope. She is just the only woman running. And she is behind in NC and Indiana so she has gone over the top to piteous claims that demean all women forever to come. No.

[Simon Aziz]

This is rediculous. I would expect this from a sleazy tabloid but not the LA TIMES. Im gonna switch to the OC Register for my news if this type of stupid reporting continues. The Timses should be embarrased to make this a breaking story. So sad. So sad.

[bluestocking]

He does the same gesture at the same point in another speech posted on CBS. The speech was done today also.

[Steve]

Oh, sorry, I thought I was reading the L.A. Times.

[michael]

Yep, i've seen the video from 3 different angles now...he's passive aggressive and flipping the bird. He's pretty unconcious, but not that unconcious.

[nobama]

Here is a better angle and you can tell by the lady in the last row she knows what he did and tells the lady next to her something http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4025010n

[bruce becker]

How dumb.
It is time to require an IQ test to get to register to vote or to post a blog.

This is precisely the kind of non-issue that takes people's attention from the fact that the WTO is running our economy. Let's not talk about that. Let never discuss the fact that in CA, corporations place competing referenda on the ballot and prevent citizens from have a fair hearing for their referenda, due to the 'legal fiction' that companies have the rights of a person.
That has to stop or we will never have a democracy.

[Leawood]

Let me get this straight ... HRC intentionally lies on three separate occasions about sniper fire in Bosnia. Obama is tossed that softball in the debate and he is charitable towards her ... courteous even. He could have said "Liar, liar, pantsuit on fire" but he didn't. Then after that you think that he wasn't scratching his cheek, he was flipping her off?

Give me a break. This is the kind of journalism (maybe not the right use of the word) that one would expect to see from middle school boys ... right after they tell the fart story.

[Kane]

I think the Obama supporters that spend all day posting on the net are starting to really panic and are lashing out everytime anyone dares question Obama. It's tiresome.

But then after seeing this clip I can see why he attracts those sort of people. Why does the crowd roar in approval as he starts stratching his face with his middle finger? He's acting like a five year old by flipping her the bird like that.

[jane]

You guys are going to look stupid when they release the SAME video piece taken from a better angle and you can actually see two fingers. Here, check the photo for yourself http://soulmachine.dyndns.org/images/barobscratch2.jpg

[Killjoy]

What do I think? I think Stephanopoulos and Gibson are relieved that they aren't the stupidest members of the mainstream media, that's what I think.

[Kay]

Lets see there are people in Los Angeles living in tent cities because they lost there homes and this stuff is that the American media report on. Do journalists have low IQs or did they cheat their way through college? Oh I forgot most of the media went to modeling school instead of getting a degree in journalism. The European media is doing reports on how American families are living in third world conditions yet the American media only reports a bunch of high school gossip girl stories.

[JohnHo]

Are you completely out of your mind?

[Michael Ritter]

Puleeze!! Just when I thought ABC had defined the mainstream media bottom of the barrel with last night’s PA debate/sideshow, the LA Times publishes this stinker! Don't you media idiots realize the cumulative damage you are doing to our democracy? By relentlessly distracting voters from focusing on the extremely grave problems that confront our society you are literally damaging our prospects for successfully solving them. For shame!!

[Tim]

This just reinforces my low opinion of Obama. Why must he act so condescending and smug?

[Tammy]

Wow, the comments here really show how deranged Obama supporters become when someone dares to question their Messiah.
It's a clear flip off. Obama is the left-wing Bush.

[Adam Arkin]

To what lengths will you go to keep appealing to the lowest common denominator of your audience? The nation's future is at stake and you insist on covering this contest as if it were a professional wrestling event. Your dumbing down of the process is a disservice to both this country and yourselves.

[crimson]

Here's a video from a different angle, he used 1 finger:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4025010n

I agree it's not a big deal, except to the undecideds. If you watch the video in itself, without reading any comments, you'd see what we're all seeing.

[Jason London]

This is news!?! Come on your the LA Times!