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

[Brandon]

I'm sure the media will have a field day with this... Maybe, like Bush, he should've waited until after he was elected...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Gy6oITU2I

[Van Scheurich]

"I've never been more proud of America than the last few months". This is one super liberal family. I do believe that world leaders from other countries would play this to their favor if Obama would to get elected to the White House. I'm sure Iran would have fun with him and North Korea would throw it right back into his face.

[Rabscuttle]

You guys can't see it, but I'm secretly giving Andrew Malcolm the bird right now....

[wow]

More stellar reporting from the organization who exposed Puff Daddy as Tupac's killer.
Morons!!

[TimesSux]

He has two fingers raised, that's not an obscene gesture by any stretch imaginable.
But DEAR LORD is he actually using his LONGEST finger to scratch his face? WHAT AN EVIL EVIL MAN. HOW could he do this TO AMERICA?

[Oz Zinny]

Now let's see a hard hitting editorial on Obama's policy positions on cheek scratching. And we need a few more questions answered on this matter. For example, is it more patriotic to use more than one finger to scratch one's cheek? What would be revealed if Obama uses his index finger the next time he scratches his cheek and what will he be talking about at that moment? The LA Times needs to dedicate adequate resources to this growing controversy. NOT!

[tim]

THIS is how you flip the bird:
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/bushvideos/youtube/bushfingerflip.htm

THIS is how you tell a college to have sexual relations with themselves on the floor of the Senate:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3699-2004Jun24.html

I'm sure both of these refined gentlemen can also teach you how to dodge the draft, do cocaine, and drive/hunt drunk. It's all in the manual they give you on the night of Jan 21st. You'll see. They also tell you where Hoffa is buried. It's good stuff.

[justforkix]

I smell HANNITY. The GOTCHA games continue. What a pitiful country we've become...if you accept that the media reflects a meaningful slice of the public's psyche.

[Diego]

I find it intriguing (considering Im not even in your country) that so much extravagant and sophisticated maners are presumed from Obama, and thuis make him childish/a teenager/a dangerous person. On the other hand, saying you where in danger of being sniped, that you didn't support things (all demonstrated to be false) somehow... don't compare to a reasonable doubt? This has nothing to do with being Pro Obama or Pro Clinton, it's just facts. Clinton has nothing to do other than throw dirty water around, do you really want something like that as a president? I admired her a lot, and incredibly, it's her campaign that turned me against her. I don't know Obama, so no comments there.

[Herschel]

I'm not so certain that he did it on purpose. However, if he did do it on purpose he is a very smart person in the way he did it.

We will never know one way or the other if it was intentional. What is sad is that politics and journalism has come so far down the crappy road that people are actually reporting and talking about this event.

It is really sad because it distracts us as a nation from having the conversations we need to have on the future of this country.

[Angry Shark]

This is a really idiotic story in the first place, but I'm even more embarassed for the people that might actually believe that this is at all relevant to anything. This is an excellent example of how the race has become so thoroughly polarized, and how stupidity congregates on the internet. I don't actually think any of the people posting here claiming to believe that this is a serious issue are being honest with us. Unfortunately for them, the people of Pennsylvania are intelligent enough to ignore this non-issue, and reject politics as usual.

[Scott]

If McCain made such a gesture, Dems would be all over it. BO is a weasel. Period. Glad to see his true colours.

[Neil]

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

Just one finger? Because in that picture I clearly see two. Is anyone even looking at the still frame?

[Paperclippe]

Okay, first of all, this is disgraceful. Whether or not he DID actually flip the bird in this video (which he didn't - it's two fingers he's using, and is a more polite way to scratch your face than just to tear at it with your nails), save the slander for when he actually DOES flip Hillary the bird, in an obvious way, to her face, WHEN HE WINS.

I can't believe this is news.

This isn't news. This should be taken down and an apology be put up in it's place. Regardless of who you support, this is stupid.

The headline should read, "Obama scratches face, gives speech."

[Paul]

Please tell me you're kidding. Please.

CONCENTRATE ON THE ISSUES INSTEAD OF THIS TRIVIAL, MANUFACTURED B.S.

The media is really starting to disgust me.

[thisniss]

This is IDIOCY. You have GOT to be kidding me. The crowd reaction was *not, not, not* because they thought he was "flipping her off." Half of them couldn't even see that - he was speaking in the round. And the smile was because he was responding to the crowd's vocal reactions to the debate, and because he was having a hard time being heard in the room over a very enthusiastic crowd. Jeeeeezus. Find something else to pick apart.

The multiple pieces of video, which seem to suggest different "crowds," are all of the same event. The town hall in Raleigh was an event where he had people *all around him*. So depending on what side the footage was shot from, you got a slightly different angle on his face, and a different crowd behind him. And I can tell you for sure that the crowd yesterday was responding to what he was saying, not to his face scratch - which, if you get a better straight-on shot, is clearly "two fingered" and not Obama flipping Clinton off. Grow up.

[wolftex]

There is no doubt that the gesture was intentional based on his reaction once the audience caught on...And this is who we want as our President? Wake up America, before it is too late....

[ChrisM70]

Let's all observe a moment of silence...

The LA Times and real journalism died on April 18, 2008 from the hands of hack reporters who were more interested in making up phony conflicts than actually informing the American people.

It is survived by it's brother Democracy, who is now in seriously ill health.

[Christopher London]

This is "Journalism?" OMG, dude, you are lucky to have a job writing for anyone beyond a High School newspaper. The foregoing being said, more than 60% of the American public would happily flip off Senator Hillary Fraud'em Clinton.

[bill]

I've never seen such a pattern of "plausible deniability." It's called "passive-aggressive personality disorder."

[Smoked Out]

It's pretty obvious he knows what he did. He was responding to Hillary "digging" him as he says. The smile and lack of concentration afterward makes it clear.

No suprise that those that love him don't want to hear it though.

I think it's kind of refreshing that a political figure would actually do what most people want to onece in a while.

[SarainKC]

What do I think? I think with every lame attempt the Clinton camp and her right wing cohorts try to stir up some faux controversy or feigned outrage only serves to pound Obama's point. People are dying in an endless religious civil war that is bankrupting our country. People are losing their homes while Wall Street fat cats use our hard earned tax dollars to bail their rears out of the financial mess they created. People are finding it harder to fill their tanks to make it to work, if they still have a job. People are realizing they are only an prolonged illness away from bankruptcy. People are realizing that every area of our government has been hijacked by the corporations who don't think twice about screwing the worker while propping up their executives with obscene golden parachutes.

What the dumba**' DC crowd doesn't seem to realize, though, is people aren't falling for the distractions, fear mongering and crap of the past, as this forced "story" highlights.

[jb]

He clearly didn't flick her off. Look at this picture of it: http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9839/79695420le6.jpg

[Matt Ahrens]

Ironic that he is talking about "gotcha politics" in your attempt at "gotcha" journalism.

What do I think? I think you should be fired for making this insinuation. How many minutes of video of Obama talking off the cuff did you watch before you made this conclusion? I'd bet you can find many instances of him scratching his face with his middle finger. You are an idiot.

[Deon]

Oh GOOD LORD. Here we go again with yet another MANUFACTURED ISSUE... please. I've seen him scratch at his face with his middle finger before. And this speech is what he was smiling about. He's given the same speech a few times.

This is just silly.

[Ken]

This just shows how our city's newspaper, and news journalism in general, is going down the tubes. How can anyone with any sense respect the Times when they're spreading junk like this?

[Alex]

This has gotta be a spoof report or something right, or maybe a late April fools because this surely cant be professional journalism!!!

[Mike Kelly]

Wow! War, Famine, corruption fills the world and your newspaper decides to run a story on Obama's Finger? Please inform your reporters that they need to return their Diplomas to they're respective universities...I think they lied on the ethics test.

[jill]

Debates should have mattered but it is obvious that they do not since Hillary won all debates and Obama still has more deligates. So the big question was why? Do people want the least qualified person in the White House? No the young people have fallen in love with Obama's speaking ability and no matter what he does now they have not got the political experience to see they have been used. That is evident in these posts where so many do not see the obvious finger. This man is a liar and of poor quality to be even a Senator. He will never be President. If he is nominated we will see Republican parties everywhere as they enjoy an easy ride to the white house for McCain. Vote Hillary and get rid of this slime ball.

These posts remind me of the musical "The King and I" . There is a scene in the show where the King says something like: These people will spend a great amount of time and energy to convince us that what they know to be untrue is in fact true. Obama did give the finger and that is what the clapping is for....his supporters are trash too.

[Bill]

Cries of "yellow journalism," insults about the financial health of the LA Times, calls for Mr. Malcom to retire... It's amusing how defensive this group of Obamaniacs have become, keep up the furious retaliation and redirection and maybe no one will notice how much water the S.S. Obama is taking on!

[Facepalm]

Really? This is what you have resorted to? Really?
How old are you, Mr. I-write-for-the-LA-Times? Are you one of those mainstreamed kids I hear about?

[Chris Hundley]

This marks a new low for reporting associated with the Los Angeles Times. Obama can't even scratch his face without having it turned into this.

[A.E.]

ABC called. They'd like to hire you as a debate moderator.

[harpers]

"The continuing smirk as the crowd "gets it" confirms that it was not an accidental gesture. Pretty childish and stupid on his part."

Exactly. The responses I am reading on here are priceless.

They don't call it head in the sand for nothing.

[Adkins]

This is as irrelevant as the Wednesday night debate.

[Roscoe]

...Are you kidding me?

Are freaking KIDDING ME?!?!

That's the story you want to push right now, that Obama scratched his face with his middle finger. No, not a substantive discussion of policy differences, not a critical look at the candidates' goals for the country, not even an in-depth analysis of electoral strengths and weakness, but "Barack Obama did something that kinda looked like he was flipping the bird." That's the big story du jour.

Yeah, this is why print newspapers are going down the toilet and blogs are picking up the slack.

[Adrian]

To: LA Times Editor

Please fire this lame nitwit.

[dfc102]

Wow. That's got to be the equivalent of the Zapruder film. Talk about important.

[Adrian]

To: LA Times Editor

My mistake. Please reinstate this comedic genius.

[jodi]

Obama taught his supporters to lie or his supporters are liars. There is no doubt that he is flicking the finger and then waited for response before smirking. Gorw up kids!! This is not a President. Obama also can not and never will win MA....now find me a year when we elected a democratic President that lost MA......it never happened. And he will also lose CA to McCain. This game is over and if the dems are dumb enough to nominate Obama then McCain wins and gets my vote. If you want a democrat then call your Senators and inform them that they lose your vote if they do not nominate Hillary Clinton.

[Kevin]

First time I've been to your site... And the last time.

This is ridiculous. The arrogance that you have to read something into his gesture and his smile is beyond believable.

Is this what passes for investigative journalism in the post-monopoly era in American newspapers?

Keep grasping at straws, maybe you'll get your Pulitzer.

[Timm]

What do I think, Andrew?

I think you're an idiot with way too much time on your hands. Get a real job if this is your best work. I hear TMZ is hiring....

[Tom]

Pulitzer worthy, Andrew Malcolm. I can see it now
"The Runners-up are:
'Strife in Uganda'
'The Human Toll of China's Rule over Tibet'
'Investigative Report on Putin's Shadow Government'
....and the winner is 'Candidate Scratches Face'."

[ran]

RETRACT you spineless LA TIMES!!!!!!!!!!

[Carla]

I am amazed at the negativity that I consistently see, read and hear in 2008 in the United States of America. The way that this man has been derided and criticized for his message of change and hope has been absolutely amazing to watch. Early in the process, Sen Clinton made a brilliantly strategic move.....deflect! Claim that the "other" guy is being treated with kid gloves and the press will jump on it! What a brilliant move, it has worked and worked and worked. But, the challenge for Sen. Clinton and the press is that it has not given her the victory that she is willing to destroy the Democratic party to achieve....more delegates and more wins!

As a journalism major I have been ashamed at the lack of journalistic integrity at all levels throughout these contests. If you look for a negative and appeal to peoples fears, prejudices and Cynicisms you end up with a fearful, prejudice and cynical electorate. Because I am still able to think for myself, Thank GOD, I choose to see beyond the foolishness.

I want change. America needs change. The voters have and will continue to speak. No more politics as usual, dirty or otherwise.

LA Times, grow up and go back to the basics of journalism.....first, have something substantive to talk about!

[JoeforObamaalltheway]

To the people that believe the media bull****, You are a loser Get over this lame reporting.
Anyone can take a clip and edit it to sound or look negative.
If I ran a news post i would slap the stupid out of any reporter trying to pass this as news!!! YOUR FIRED!!

[Timm]

What do I think, Andrew?

I think you're an idiot with way too much time on your hands. Get a real job if this is your best work. I hear TMZ is hiring....

[Gene]

The only thing this confirms is that you need to find yourself a real job. Elections matter, and if some people in the media succeed in making them all about frivolous nonsense, they deserve all the wars, recessions, and environmental disasters that result. But how about the rest of us?

[LB]

New those Obama folks would all apologize for him while secretly enjoying that he gave Senator Clinton the finger.

That's OK...this dirty Chicago politician might get the Democratic nomination but he won't win the election and it'll be immature acts like this, ignorant comments calling small town folks bitter, typical white gun loving bigots and these apologist supporters of his that will once again lose the election for the Democrats.

[Sean]

There is no doubt that he did give the finger. It is amazing that the Obama supporters (of which I was one untill today) will say anything to get this guy elected. I would have voted for either Hillary or Obama depending on which was nominated but no longer. After that gesture and along with a very poor debate from Obama in PA, I will now vote democrat only if Hillary is nominated and will vote McCain if Obama is nominated.