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

[NYC]

This is classic. It's what kids do. Everyone knows that trick. Flipping the bird in a covert manner. Very street. Congrats to O for pulling that one off. As well as the other gestures in that video. But I thought he was about a different kind of politics. How can he change things, if he's still slinging mud too? I'm sure he'll get a pass on this too. But this doesn't help the stereotypes people have of black people. And it doesn't look presidential.

[Jim B]

What a joke.

[Jason London]

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

[Skip]

He thinks he's got plausible deniability but the audience knew what was happening and so did he. It was stupid and juvenile, but that appeals to his followers.

[sue]

I can't believe this appeared as headlines. How low can the LAT get! Shameful!

[Sick of the Press]

Are you serious Mr. Malcolm? No wonder your paper is going under. Your blogs are frequently puerile and often bely the self-importance and arrogance that has doomed your industry to oblivion. How can you "real" journalists complain about bloggers when you stoop to--and sink below--their level. Find some substance or make room for someone who can think.

[max]

Obama is acting like an child/adolescent boy. This is news, he is a scam. He is unfit to be President. His narcissistic rage is dangerous in any position of power.

[sue]

I can't believe this appeared as headlines. How low can the LAT get! Shameful!

[mandy]

This is right in keeping with the "class" that Obama has shown throughout his campaign. But like every other crappy thing he's done, it won't stick. Hillary will probably gt the blame for it. Grrrrr

[Muzza]

This candidate is a DISGRACE. I will disown the Democratic Party if they support this shamelessly desperate man. He cannot take criticism. He gets a few tough questions in ONE debate and he has a complete BREAKDOWN!. His supporters are also hysterical! Now he gives the finger to his opponent showing his TRUE COLORS.

Game over. Obama is OUT with this one.

[bodhi]

I hope Obama flipping off Hillary was intentional. She deseves it. Every Democrat should be flipping her off right now.
Where did George Stephanopoulos get that Bill Ayers question from?
The day before George was on the Sean Hannity talk show and was fed the question from the looney right wing.
shame on Stephanopoulos and the Clintons for sleeping with the enemy!
check out my blog
http://psychedelictourist.blogspot.com

[Alan]

You're reading too much into it. Get a life!!

[Gion]

its very ironic that in a speech chastising the media for this sort of thing, the media is starting at fingers and trying to find things.

Obama wasnt giving the finger, Andrew. But I'd gladly give it to your face for nontroversies like this.

Get bent.

[Palomino]

The reaction of the crowd cannot be explained by anything other than the gesture of the raised middle finger "scratching" Obama's cheek. That gesture is one of a series, including the Jay-Z shoulder dust-off and the "got to scrape that sh*t right off your shoes" gesture, not to mention the Best of Reverend Wright "ridin' dirty" hand motion presented in the guise of a knife twist and quickly performed twice, with cheers from the crowd and smirks from Obama. Everybody knows how to give somebody the finger with "plausible deniability." But when you do it as a supposedly frontrunning male presidential candidate who just got his butt handed to him in front of millions in a debate with a woman, the deniability is no longer so plausible. What a stupid thing for Obama to do. Is he self-destructive or what? What a jerk. As I said before, the Obamabots can minimize and deny all they like. The rest of us know what we saw, and so do the Obama fans in this audience.

[Xu Xu Fang]

You are part of the problem for reporting this.

[Steve]

What an absurd suggestion. The guy scratched his face.

[Pat]

Poor Barack, he can't even get away with a subtle rude gesture.
The silly part is that it most likely wasn't aimed at Hillary.
Like other folks said, he does the middle finger thing ALL THE TIME.
He thinks he is superior to all of us. He is giving all of
us the finger both verbally ( with his excellent speeches ) and manually.

Wait until you see what we get if Obama is in the White House. Right now Obama is the
Freshman Senator with the most missed days for a first term in the Senate.

[Suzan]

I smell desperation too, from Obama's supporters. They know exactly what he did, and they're terrified their candidate is imploding before their eyes. Otherwise, why would he model such appallingly imature behavior for all the young people he's supposed to be inspiring and bringing into the arean of modern politics.

He gave her the finger. You'd have to be blind not to see that, no matter how much Kool Aid you're drinking. She whipped his butt in the debate and he's a sore loser. Great role modeling, Senator. You'll make a great COC. Another arrested adolescent cowboy in the White House.

[Tom]

Desperate media attempt ... non-story

[MW]

Get a life! I don't think even Hillary will be childish enough to go with this alleged insult. There is nothing here, report some real news!

[Christina CA]

What surprises me more than this video are the blog posts. Some of the Obama excusers readily admit he did it, with style, and that they want to do it too... other excusers cry foul, he didn't do it.

You guys can't even make up your own minds.

Pick an answer. He either did it and should be ashamed of himself (not hailed as their hero) or he didn't do it and it's just all one big conspiracy against him

Oh, Obama isn't stuipd enough to do it? No, he's not stupid... he's arrogant.. arrogant enough to continue to think he could get away with one thing after another.. so for all of you who continue to post vulgarity on the internet in support of him, he will be your nominee.. but I guarantee you he won't be President.

[Goldie]

What? I think this is the most stupid thing I have every heard from a paper. So if I scratch my cheek, I am giving someone the finger? How pitiful. What is wrong with you? Andrew Malcolm must have brain disease or something. This is ridiculous. Now everyone will have to be very careful how they scratch a nose, a cheek whatever. I guess we can go back through all the political tapes and see who else was scratching a nose or a cheek in a supposedly suggestive way. This is more revealing of the people who see it where it doesn't exist than anything.

[ck]

How offensively does this man need to act in order for his kool-aid drinking supporters to recognize that he isn’t fit to even think of running for the Presidency? Yes indeed, he deliberately, intentionally and without question gave the international gesture of ill will when speaking about his female Democratic primary opponent. It’s there on video for anyone with eyes to see. But, worse than the fact that he made the offensive gesture at all in front of a public audience (which must’ve included children) is the fact that he so clearly believes that it was not only acceptable but also somehow ‘cool’ for him to do so! The man obviously believes (and has no qualms about teaching children this) that it’s acceptable for him (and by extension, for any man) to behave dismissively and even abusively and offensively toward a woman (and by extension, toward any woman) for no reason other than that she has the audacity to be his opponent, and because she is so obviously better qualified than he is, as was demonstrated during the debate. One has to wonder how he treats his wife and daughters when no one is watching. God help the Democrats if this abusive, adolescent, arrogant, self-impressed misogynist gets the nomination. Does America really want a potential President who resorts to vulgar junior high school hand gestures to express himself when the issues and the questions have become a little too tough and frustrating and he hasn’t been able to fall back on a canned speech from a teleprompter? Could this man who has been so praised for his so-called eloquence not think of any more intelligent assessment of the debate than to raise his middle finger? And Obama claims to be a Christian? Right. So are Louis Farrakhan and Tony Rezko…

[Jermaine A Fields]

!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!what!
Fuck off with that shit. Hillary would't believe that shit.

[JimBob]

This is truly pitiful journalism.