Real good talker Barack Obama loses mind on stage

We've had some fun here at The Ticket in recent months over Barack Obama's 57-state remark and his promise to meet with the president of Canada and his shouted greeting to one city when he was actually in another. (Yes, and John McCain's and Sam Nunn's shared fondness for good old Czechoslovakia.)

The poor famous guy in this video from an Indiana TV station may be a regular rock star in Germany and have just turned 47 last week. Which, admittedly, is getting up there in years.

And he did not have his usual teleprompter. But it sure does sound like he's not very happy with this America that he wants to be the president of, if he really doesn't want his daughters to grow up in it.

Now, we understand why the freshman senator ended up dodging that summertime series of joint townhall meetings with the veteran McCain.

But whatever Obama meant to say, the guy really, really needs a vacation. May he and his family thoroughly enjoy and soak up the warmth from the sands of Hawaii together this whole week and not even use the word townhall in a vicious game of S-c-r-a-b-b-l-e.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Alessandro Machi]

lol, boy that sure sounds like John McCain's effort in Florida recently. The difference is McCain had really loud winds behind him, all Obama had was the winds of change.

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[dan]

I don't know what country you live in, but Obama is RIGHT. The United States of America is no longer the country that it once was. After the second Iraq War, our national debt skyrocketing, and economy in a major slump - I'm not sure when if ever America will return to its glory. Still, it's a great place to live with wonderful opportunity - but Obama is only telling the truth. You must be rich and living in a bubble if you think things are going great.

[Ben]

The America that tortures? The America that has abandoned the Constitution?

You are proud of the last 8 years?

The America that fights wars of choice as a resource grab under the guise of fighting terrorism? The America that is xenophobic towards the Muslim community, our growing poverty, our uninsured children, our continual decline of the quality of education?

You don't want something better for your children?

[Patrick Gettrust]

Once again another racist attack against Barack Obama by the LA Times staff. No where does it talk about McCain's gaffs and how he can barely give a coherent statement if it is not written down for him. No, lets attack Barack because he is something new and got forbid we elect a black man as president. When you do not go after the 70 year old white man the way you go after the 47 year old Black man it says a lot about your character and your thinking towards minorities. Obama and Michelle have been the most criticized presidential couple in history, and it shows that the media will go to any lengths to stop a black man from becoming president. Shame on you LA Times...Your mothers would be ashamed of you.

[GEAH]

I'd love for dan and Obama to explain when America was "the country that it once was," and why.

Was it the country it once was in 1995? 1985? 1975? 1965? 1955? 1855? 1795?

Please tell us of the time when American "was".

[Carl Rover]

This article really has no substance but is an attempt to put a smear on Obama's name.. Andrew Malcolm.. whoever you are, find something substantial to talk about..

I'm surprised to find this pop up google news search!!

[Carl Gauss]

Obama loses mind on stage? Obamas' gaffes' make McCain look like he is in the early stages of alzheimers. You know Mr. Malcolm you and your tired column and McCain and his tired politics should take a well deserved retirement.

[Bob]

I agree with machi. since WW2 we have been going down hill on that prospect.

[BPC]

I agree with the above 2 comments. this article is so far from the truth, Obama is a constitutional law professor do you really think he needs help speaking in front of people about how America is supposed to be? i think its time for retirement mr. Malcolm. Your point of view is much more appreciated by those in your age group...sadly 99% of them do not know how to use an internet machine.

[ali]

are these people serious? Am afraid you malcolm, have lost your your mind.

[Jim - Pa]

Typical media right wingnut; you can't find anything of substance to attack him on so you turn to nonsense no one cares about. If he's a rock star, its only because the idiots that have had too much power for too long make him look godlike by comparison. If people are sick of hearing about him, it's only because of the deafening silence coming from the right regarding actual solutions to our problems, other than continuing to do the same things that got us in trouble in the first place.

But don't worry, after Nov you will have at least 4 years to fling poo in his direction.

[brooksfoe]

Dear Andrew Malcolm: Grown men do not list on their resumes the fact that they could once recite the names of all 50 states alphabetically. You should go back to being a first lady's press secretary, a job I am sure you can still handle, even in your senescence.

[Stan]

I remember when the LA Times used to be a good newspaper. Now they hire hacks like Malcolm. I'm sure we'll be looking back on the good old days of the George W. Bush administration - you know those knee slappin' good times of smuggling gay prostitutes into the White House late at night, renditioning and murdering people, starting wars of aggression based upon forged documents and a stack of lies as high as the Empire State Building. Oh yes, the Bush years.

[holualoa kid]

I clicked on this story because it was presented as "news". Google passes this off as news? lol

This is paid slander not news.

[bigbrain]

I clicked on this story because it was presented as "news". Disappointing to find paid slander.

[Joanne600]

Just once I would love to see an example of how we have allegedly trampled our Constitution instead of a broad based, unsubstantiated accusation of such. What's the matter, don't the DNC talking points come with more detail? You can all go after McCain for being old - how tolerant you liberals are - but the fact is that the Obamessiah is afraid to go up against him in a townhall style debate. If he weren't, he would be doing it. He can't and he won't because the Obamessiah cannot be unscripted or he sounds like the loser Marxist he is. There is just no there there.

[Maritiza]

With 80% of Americans think that we are in the WRONG TRACK wouldn't you say that the vast majority of Americans AGREE with Obama.

This is NOT controversial at all.

[kay]

The job Obama is applying for is Commander in Chief. How does a Community Organizer, lawyer, and a few years in the State Senate and few days in the US Senate give you the experience necessary to run a country? Obama is, however, qualified to take over Jesse Jackson's job at Operation Push.

[Dr. Castille]

Shame on you Mr. Malcolm. And shame on the L A Times and Google ( THIS passes as headline news these days? )

McCain wanted "townhall meetings" because that's the only type of forum he might be able to handle without appearing to be completely incoherent. I can't wait for the debates to begin.

And "gaffes" ? Why don't you write an article about "the border between Iraq and Pakistan"?

[Akim]

Are you kidding me??? What the hell? Is that really the only thing you can write about??? Get a grip!

[Dari]

Huh??????????

This is the BEST that you can do at humor?

Or, was this what you needed to write so that THIS ad could run under your 'POOR' excuse at humor:

Ads by Google
"Barack Obama Exposed"

A Free special report on the real Barack Obama - get your copy today!

www.HumanEvents.com

And the Print medias' FALLING PROFITS and JOB REDUCTIONS are most likely directly proportional to THIS type of TRIPE being printed ...... instead of analytical, in depth stories about EACH candidate that the voters need.

LA Times, you can do BETTER!

[lokietek]

This country is still the greatest country on God's green Earth. The people here are wise also and they will not elect the empty suit that Obama is.

[SteveRuyle]

I have always voted republican and what has it gotten us? We have gone from being the wealthiest country on earth to having to borrow money from China. We have gone from being the most respected country on earth to being one of the most despised. Yes. Its time for a change. I apologize not only to all Americans but to the rest of the world for having voted republican in the past two elections. I was wrong to do so. It is my hope that when the smoke clears after the November elections, there wont be a single republican left in office anywhere in this country.

[Homer]

I am trying hard to figure out the news value of one tiny clip out of the whole talk.

I keep hearing this line about obama not being good on his feet in unscripted situations, nut I have seen him speak three times, none with a teleprompter, including a town hall meeting, and he has been a tremendous presence and a skilled public speaker.

[Bubba Bob]

"[Andrew Malcolm] is the author of 10 nonfiction books"... Well, if this editorial comment by Malcolm is an example of his "nonfiction", then perhaps Mr. Malcolm's works need to be reclassified as fantasy. To see evidence of Obama "losing his mind" in this clip requires a world view so far divorced from reality as to be laughable. Where has Mr. Malcolm been these last few decades? If he had spent any of that time in dialog with any of the vast majority of the population of America and the rest of the planet who find themselves in full agreement with Obama on these points and are now breathing a sigh of relief because finally there is a Presidential candidate who gets it; rather than restricting himself to dialog with other delusional dittoheads who occupy their time with feeding each other rhetorical support for their increasingly bizarre delusions; Mr. Malcolm would be able to see just how sad and pathetic his rants from atop this little soapbox are.

No, Mr. Malcolm; it is YOU who has lost your mind on stage (albeit a very small, soapbox-shaped stage). If you wish to get back in touch with your mind (and reality), read the comments here responding to your outburst, paying particular attention to the ones that are NOT vacuous, dittohead regurgitation of your own (or Billow Reilly's) words. Honestly, the real world is not so scary that you have to distance yourself so far from it.

[diana z]

What flavor Kool-Aid are the Obama fans drinking this week? All I can say is "No BO--he smells fuinny to me".

[aw]

"The United States of America is no longer the country that it once was"...

OH..the glass..."half empty".."half full"... argument...

O says the good ole USA is "half empty"... and will be, i guess, "half full"...when he is elected...

Ohh..Slick Barry...

[Claude Batmanghelidj]

I just thought I'd join the chorus. Malcom, you ought to take your retirement old boy. Give it up while you still got it, even if you did lose it some time back, or more likely, never had it in the first place.....

[fds]

Die in a fire

[Larry]

I want to hear more about why Obama followed his racist mentor, Rearend Wright for twenty years. I would love to hear Michelle speak on her lack of pride in America. I want to hear more Obama's surrender-the-US-military plan, his socialist/communist economics, 65 billion dollar tax on "big oil" that the poorest Americans will pay for at the pump, is he for drilling today, or against drilling. These are some of the things that we Dimocrats love. Please tell us some more stories Mr. O.

[matt]

Perhaps he is confirming the exsistence of 7 additional states that only the Democrats know of. CONSPIRACY!!

[Craig Wille]

Enlighten me Patrick as to how this aricle is an example of racism. That kind of analysis is one of the reasons that iIm concerned about an Obama administration.

Whoever is president needs to have his/her feet held to the fire, and I'm afraid that process would be greatly hindered by constant accusations of racism whenever legitimate criticism is spoken.

[TimNCGuy]

IT's one thing to say that American can be better than it IS. That is always true. It is quite another to say it is not what it WAS and then not explain what you are talking about specifically.

If he is simply talking about our reputation in the world due to the Iraq war, then SAY THAT.

But, he certainly couldn't have meant the country was what it could be under Cliton, because he spent the entire primary bashing the Clinton administration and praising Reagan and telling us the Repuds were the party of ideas. So, maybe he meant the country was all it could be under Reagan.

Maybe he should start giving some specifics wit hhis answers. Yes, it was a child who asked the question. But, did he have to act as if he was asked the "what if you had one wish" question in Miss America and just had to say "World Peas"?

[frankv]

If all you Obamabots think he was right about the USA, why don't you move to Iran, Syria, Russia, Venezuela, North Korea,China, they are all the same countries that they always were,terrorists and communist. This is the greatest and most powerful country in the world and has been for 200 yrs. Hussein Obama, the racist, lying, phony,and a hundred other negative things, doesn't deserve to even be a Senator, much less president.He deserves to run for president in Kenya, another country the same as it always was. This guy is a joke, created by the media, Hollywood and the left wing Dumbocratic party,along with the socialist party.

[Matt Weiner]

You know, it would've taken about thirty seconds to transcribe Obama's entire statement -- watch, I'll do it.

"America is no longer what it could be, what it once was. And I say to myself, I don't want that future for my children."

But if former Bush employee Malcolm had quoted Obama's exact words, he wouldn't have been able to insinuate that Obama got confused or said the wrong thing. I agree with the majority of the commentors; what exactly is wrong with Obama saying that America is worse off than it used to be and that he wants a better future for his children? It's certainly nothing like McCain's utter inability to say anything when asked what he'd done for African Americans.

[b g warnock]

I guess about 95% of the comments on this page demonstrate that no one gets more insulted than a thief that is accused of being a thief. All these people pointing fingers and the bloggers and making their accusations...amazing. Don't you people recognize humor at all? Or, is it that you only recognize humor that puts your golden boy in a good light, or puts that 'other' guy in a bad one? Regardless of how you phrase it, you don't know more than anyone else and you're not on higher moral ground. Resentment may be good fuel, but it's not the engine.

[Doug Leunig]

I believe Mr. Malcolm wishes that our rulers (not leaders) of the past eight years have excelled in making the rich richer at the cost of less fortunates like the American working class. I think he has decided that there is no future in weaning ourselves from foreign oil dependency or that conservation might be beneficial. I guess it is a pretty safe bet that Andrew Malcolm sees the future of America as a target for extremists because it has been in the past. I also think that Andrew tried to find a video clip that could be distorted and twisted to fit his equally warped views of the future to which American should aspire. Fortunately the only thing twisted about this clip is Andrew Malcolm's commentary.

[Herndon VA]

A racist attack? Painting the LA Times as being "racist" is the silliest thing I have ever heard. Stop trying to paint people racists when you don't like the message. Obama is NOT black but a mixture of a Kenyan male and a Caucasian woman. Why this makes him "black" makes no sense since he really is white with African not American linage.

Barack does not bring a message of "change" but the same old change my mind when the issue get too difficult. Why is he not accepting public funds as he promised or off shore drilling. His "change" is his ability to "change" his mind when it serves his purpose. Barack is good old Washington DC politics.

[Joyce]

You all are missing the point. He's telling this 7 year old girl this very depressing outlook. What ever happened to encouraging the next generation to do better than the previous one? If I was that 7 year old I'd be thinking why should I bother with anything if it's so awful here?

What ever happened to good old fashioned patriosim? Regardless of all of your boo-hooing that things are not like you personally want them but this is still the greatest country on planet earth. Freedom is wonderful and we can't lose it. You'll find out how wonderful it is when you don't have it anymore after Obama gets crowned king of the world.

[Tim]

Obama sucks. Why? Because of his so called windfall taxes proposition. He wants to add a special tax if you turn a profit - on top of the existing tax bracket slanted against those who are successful. A person or company who succeeds should not have to be punished. The United States is supposed to be a country that welcomes and exemplifies ambition and entrepreneurship and hard work, not stifles it. A windfall tax is flatout un-American, not to mention bad for the economy, etc, etc.

[JoshMTX]

"...America is... is no longer... uh, what it could be, what it once was, and I say to myself, I don't want that future for my children."

It used to be when America was what it once was, that if you said something like that you would get your you know what kicked. There is no way that you could be running for President saying that sort of thing.

Please tell me how you are going to make this nation great again Mr. Obama? By extending handouts? By creating more unions that force more jobs out of this country? By killing more unborn children? By taking away my option to send my kids to the school of my choice where my kids can learn about God and what this once great nation was founded on? By making me more dependent on the government?

This nation was great when we had less, perhaps we need to go back to having less. We are not entitled to anything, except our freedom, that which God has given us, and that which we have fought to protect.

I will always vote for the candidate that protects my freedoms the most. Give me liberty, or give me death.

[Russ4McCain]

That's the stutter of a man who is making things up as he goes along. Use Your Brain. Vote McCain.

[Lee Park]

This guy is scary, not being so proud of his country for his wife and his daughters, not wanting them to grow in this country, he wants to be our leader. The American people are not stupid enough to let these phoney into the Number One position in the USA. He spent very little time only 180 days in the Senate. How the hell does he lead us from that kind of experience???

[JC]

Luckily, for Obama’s campaign, anyone who questions his ability to lead is a racist. Any question about his recent visit to all 57 states, research into past associates, who often preach of racist and bigoted sentiments, is an attack against the black church.

Obama is the beneficiary of Clinton fatigue, and marketing, but if we really want equality, then the first black candidate with a chance to win the presidency he should be subject to the same vetting any presidential candidate would face, and not get a pass because of his skin color. Anything less is a definite slam against blacks, because it says that a black man cannot win unless he receives special treatment. If he is the one we were waiting for, then he will easily excel any question of character, experience, or leadership.

The first should be an ability to express his ideas without the help of focus group approved taglines, or a teleprompter would be a big step into the right direction.

Just an FYI I am a black male, and hate the only other viable candidate is McCain, and a vote for Libertarian Candidate Bob Barr would be a waist, unless the bottom falls out for the current Democrat & Republican nominees.

[divamama]

What do Osama bin Laden and Barry Hussein Obama have in common?

They both have dear, dear friends that bombed OUR PENTAGON.

[al]

It is scarey to see so many loose screws out there defending the indefensible : Obama. He is right that Amereica isn't the same if there are that many mind-numb left wing ding bats supporting this empty suit. But that is what liberalism has done to our country, family values, schools and morals.

[OxyCon]

Obama is using the same Alinsky agitation tactics he used when he was a Chicago street organizer. Agitate the masses by convincing them that things are really bad, then you can convince them to do whatever you want them to do.

[Ginger K.]

No wonder this "news" paper is going down.

Hey, L.A. Times, if you have a Obama hater like this old dude on staff, doesn't it make sense to hire a McCain hater to balance things out?

It looks like page views are the new holy grail for you, rather than excellent journalism. So hiring a frothy-mouthed McCain basher to counter Malcolm would probably give you more of what you value, increased page views to brag about in future reports.

[SukieTawdry]

Let's for the sake of argument say he's right about America. The point on that basis is that Obama has no interest in returning America to its "former glory." Not at all. Obama wants to remake this nation in some crypto-Marxist European image, weak at home, weak abroad. Obama doesn't want America to lead; he wants us to merely take our place among the community of nations, no better, no worse. Enough of this talk of American exceptionalism! We are but citizens of the world just like everyone else and should learn to act like it.

Once Obama's cradle-to-grave nanny state is fully in place, there won't be enough money left over to fund the most advanced, fearsome military the world has ever seen. And in the Obamanation that will be a good thing as it will force us to settle our disputes using diplomacy as all good nation states should (at least until this antiquated notion of nation states is finally abandoned). And too bad about Europe and Japan and So Korea and Israel and most of the Middle East and Canada and Mexico and everybody else who counts on that military not only for the protection of their own sovereignty but as first responders in times of natural disaster and the guarantors of the little things in life like the unobstructed flow of oil around the globe. Oh well, maybe the Russians or Chinese can pick up the slack.

If Obama weren't so tone-deaf and inept, he'd be a dangerous man.

[Jan]

Here's yet more proof that Barack Obama has no leadership skills whatsoever:

(1) Re-read all the personal attacks (above) from BHO supporters directed at U.S. Senator and America Hero John McCain

(2) Re-read these Pretty Empty Words from The One They Have Been Waiting For:

"You said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that’s consumed Washington; to end the political strategy that’s been all about division and make it about addition... We will beat back the politics where we tear each other down instead of lifting this country up."

(Cue up the creepy chant from the cultists)