What a riot! Someone complains that when Obama missteps, everyone starts bringing up Bush and Cheney?

Of course, when Bush and Cheney were in office, their missteps would NEVER have been glossed over by those talking trash about Clinton and Gore. Absolutely not! Dismiss the thought!

LOL! They even blamed 9-11 on Clinton, saying that Bush had only been in office for 8 months (while at the same time blaming Clinton for the first attack on the WTC, although he'd been in office less than a month).

I don't imagine that Sara Palin just jumped into the debate by calling up the media to offer her opinion. I would venture a guess that a savvy reporter contacted her and asked for her opinion on the President's comments.

Perhaps President Obama - as a good liberal Democrat - should take a cultural diversity course and require all his staff to participate as well. I can see Rahm and Co. positioning this as an opportunity to highlight thier sensitivity to the hardships faced by families with special needs children.

Enough already, indeed!

The abiding theme of these threads is rapidly becoming, "My mind is made up; don't try to confuse me with facts."

This site is supposed to be about communication(s), its principles and examples that will help us all become better at what we do.

TJ is correct when (s)he says, "it's interesting...how quickly we can get off-topic here." (Note: that's all I'm agreeing with, TJ. The rest? No comment. )

I'm coming to believe that a lot of the people posting here aren't even communicators; that's how off-topic we're getting. It makes for some spirited exchanges but, again, they quickly become off-topic. And they don't belong here.

Are we interested in how many posts we get or how many of them actually add something to the conversation? All I know is, I'm tired of seeing so many posts that don't. And it's a shame.

Am I alone?

Enough already, guys! As long as Obama is in office, he will always get a pass for saying something inconsiderate. Get used to it; the next four years are going to be long ones. On the bright side, they will come to an end and maybe our media will eventually wake up.

It is interesting how when the topic is an Obama gaffe how the race ensues as to how quickly we can get off topic here, and somehow always end up blaming Sarah Palin.

Joan, You live in Alaska. It's understandable that you have Palin on the brain every day. My earlier comment wasn't directed at you. And it wasn't in defense of her political nature. After all she's a politician.

My comments had mostly to do with the primary subject of this thread. Obama's blatant insensitivity to mentally challenged kids as demonstrated by his nationally televised remark. Pure and simple.

So here's my complaint. No matter what Obama or Biden do, the pattern is the same. Obama stumbles and his defenders immediately bring Bush, Cheney or Palin (Not McCain) up as in "if you think he did this, imagine what (Bush/Palin) would have done." Case closed and Obama is excused for his own offense.

Plus to your point about Palin. Even if she's political and has others help her with her kid, it is awfully insensitive of you to assume that she does not love or care for her child any less than the rest of us because she postures politically on the issue. In the end, she'll do more good for Special Olympics than most because of her credibility and enthusiasm for the cause. Many parents I know who have kids with illnesses get involved in the cause and use the talents and position they have to help that cause.

It's sort of a straw man on this thread to then bring up her rejection of stimulus moneys for people with other problems. Mainly because that's a whole other discussion. I believe the Dems and Republicans rejecting the money are seeing what the Federal Government is doing in terms of micromanagement once the money is released. Stimulus dollars are certainly "strings attached," and that's why most states that refuse the money want to avoid.

Sorry, "Anonymous," but here in Alaska it's hard not to be faced daily with Governor Palin's new persona. It's hard for Alaskans not to notice her hypocrisy, and the new very partisan politician who has evolved from the woman we elected. We Alaskans didn't turn her into this national conversation piece--I believe that was done by the rest of the country. So forgive me if I'd like a little vent now and then. We DO live with it every day, and probably see more than you do, in even the incident being discussed here.

I am certainly not intending any comedy whatsoever when I point out that she's willing for her own child to have advantages--and I'm willing to bet that she herself isn't the one suffering the daily strains and stresses of a special needs child as much as most people who care for such a child--but her willingness to give up funds being offered to assist less endowed Alaskans who need educational opportunities, or homeless shelters/soup kitchens who are seeing triple the visitors they had just a few months ago, or school districts strained to care for children whose families are without resources (we, too, are losing jobs and homes and seeing prices rise daily); for this public figure to take President Obama to task for his speech while by her actions she is willing to forsake the very same people; which do you think is the greater insult?

Wow, seriously Michael? You're going with the "it's really about the children" defense?

And you want us to believe that was your lucid analysis BEFORE you posted this item, as opposed to what you cooked up when you got called on a cheap shot?

Have a little integrity, bro.

Can we please get off of this Sarah Palin obsession?

This whole thing started because Obama made a very rude remark about Special Olympics kids. The fact he was so flippant about it is what enrages the two people I know with Downs Syndrome kids. It's like racism is a scourge and sexism is bad, but dismissing kids with mental disabilities is just a slight PR gaffe.

Posturing or not (Palin), if you have to get up every morning and take care of a person who will always need you to parent them for as long as you live, you can get an idea of what these families are up against. It's tiring and frustrating. Then to have the POTUS diss you and your whole situation for the sake of comedy. It's terribly insulting.

Michael, please put the focus back on the real issue here. Certainly not as important as the economy, but Obama continually gets a pass from you and the rest on here.

Jay, On paper your point seems remarkably cogent; however, the vast majority of people who took the time to watch President Obama on the Tonight Show--that is, adults--did not hear the president make an offhand remark about the Special Olympics and think, "Well I guess it's OK now to make fun of disabled people."

But, the many teens who saw or will see Tropic Thunder, starring Robert Downey Jr. (who earned an Academy Award nomination for the role, also star of the mega-popular Iron Man) probably didn't pick up on his vacuous mock, as you said, of self-centered Hollywood types who exploit the subject. Instead, they just heard a cool actor who was in a really cool movie that they really liked saying the R-word, to great laughs, over and over and over again.

To teens watching Tropic Thunder, the R-word equaled laughs.

I think Sarah Palin, more than understanding the difference between Downey Jr. and Obama, was smart to keep out of the way of the actor's publicity machine. But by entering this minor PR gaffe she looks like the third person to enter a hockey fight--the one desperate for blood and desperate for attention.

Palin being a hockey mom should understand that the third person in a fight is usually the one hit with the stiffest penalty.

"Where was Governor Palin when the film Tropic Thunder—and its excessive use of the “R-word”—came out to much hype last summer?"

Last I checked, Robert Downey wasn't the president.

And the point of the repeated us the "R-word" in that movie was to mock vacuous, self-centered Hollywood types who exploit the subject in an attempt to appear deeper and more complex than they actually are.

I'm sure Ms. Palin understood this. Why didn't you?

Our governor may have taken an opportunity to slam the president regarding his gaffe, but back here in Alaska, in what appears to be an obvious ploy for use in her future presidential campaign, she's refusing the portion of stimulus funding that would largely go to serve special needs students, especially in rural Alaska, yet accepting all the capital projects funding.

Locally we're hearing a lot of questions about her actual commitment to special needs children. Her criticism of Obama, in this light, looks like nothing but posturing.

Apparently her own special needs child has a bright future, so the needs of those with less income and influence aren't so important.

As a Special Olympics volunteer and sponsor while enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, I had the incredible opportunity to see the charm and kindred spirit of these athletes.

Gov. Palin has every right to slam Obama for this gaffe. The President's remarks were insensitive and tasteless.

He messed up. He apologized. Let him take his lumps so we can respect the noble service the Special Olympics provides and move on.

Anonymous,

Funny, somewhat inappropriate, but funny.

This was such a minor thing, especially given the dire straits of our nation. Still, Obama handled it well. It was PR 101 for him and now it's over. Palin jumping into the debate, as MaryAnne alluded to, is pure amateurism.

Frankly, I'm surprised more hasn't been said about Obama's laughter throughout his 60 minutes interview. It gave off this Nero fiddling while Rome burns vibe.

Seriously, on this article, you take this opportunity to take another shot at Sarah Palin? Obama has been making gaffes all week -- when did he know about the AIG bonuses? -- but you drag in Palin's incidental remarks. In fact, of all the coverage I've read on this stupid "Special Olympics bowling" issue, yours is the first to even mention her comments.
You know, many liberals want Sarah Palin to go away; maybe you should just stop mentioning her when you don't need to.
Also, am looking forward to your continued coverage of Obama's PR backspinning. You seem to have plenty to comment about.

The best damage control for the president and the best PR for the Special Olympics may already have been accomplished by extraordinary Special Olympics bowler Kolan McConiughey, who cheerfully offered to help Obama with his game. In an interview, McConiughey basically said Obama's a nice guy but not nearly good enough for SO and he'd be honoured to show him some pointers at the White House.

After that good-natured response from a key stakeholder, anyone else who comments on the president's little gaffe is just making noise.

President Obama should invited a Special Olympics athlete to bowl with him at the White House. I'm sure George W. Bush would accept.

Probably the first topic Palin is even remotely qualified to comment on... (outside of shooting wolves from helicopters, taking away social liberties and you betcha, sex education...)