Quote of the Day: “You’ve got to be kidding” edition

**Posted by Phineas

In the wake of President Obama’s shellacking at the hands of Governor Romney in last week’s debate, the Obama campaign has sought to show Americans that they are focused like a laser on the issue we all deeply care about.

What is that issue, you ask? A $16 trillion-dollar national debt that growing by the hour? A trillion-dollar budget deficits that show no sign of ending? A resurgent al Qaeda? Chinese aggression in East Asia? A failing war in Afghanistan and the potential loss of all we gained by our sacrifices in Iraq? Scandals in the Departments of Justice and State that have cost human lives?

Don’t be silly, silly! The President and his campaign are fighting for what truly matters: Big Bird.

“I will say it doesn’t change the fact that there’s only one candidate in this race who is going to continue to fight for Big Bird and Elmo, and he is riding on this plane,” [campaign spokeswoman] Psaki continued.

Psaki reminded reporters again of the campaign’s “love for Big Bird and Elmo,” then defended the concept of the ad.

“This election is about serious issues,” she noted. “That’s what the President talks about every day. That’s what his focus is on every day.”

It’s been said that the moment the McCain campaign lost the election in 2008 was when he made himself look ridiculous by suspending his campaign and heading for Washington during the September fiscal crisis. While this isn’t nearly as dramatic, people may just look back on the decision to make Big Bird a major talking point as the moment Obama lost 2012.

(And how Psaki could say that without choking with embarrassment or the reporters laughing in derision, I have no idea.)

UPDATE: Yep. This may be the moment they lost it. When even Chris “Tingles” Matthew says this is a Mickey Mouse issue…

UPDATE II: My friend Michael Ledeen compares this to Jimmy Carter and his killer rabbit.

(Crossposted at Public Secrets)

11 Responses to "Quote of the Day: “You’ve got to be kidding” edition"

Drew the Infidel says:

October 9, 2012 at 6:52 pm

When Al Gore a.k.a. “The Goracle” said Obhammud debates better at a lower altitude he did not know how right he was since Obhammud’s favorite territory for political discourse is either the gutter or the irrelevant.
tommy mc donnell says:

October 9, 2012 at 10:50 pm

sesame street takes in about 50 million from sales of merchandise each year. removing taxpayer funding will have no effect on pbs’s ability to televise the show. but why let the truth get in the way of a good political lie.
BBHunter says:

October 9, 2012 at 11:35 pm

– I’m assuming that by now ST you’ve seen the Nuke that the state department dropped in the news room at ABC.

After a few days of hearings (to be shown on Cspan), this election will be all but over. Biden may never have the opportunity to make a complete fool of himself after all.
Brad Ervin says:

October 10, 2012 at 3:16 am

Big Bird and the rest of the gang aren’t going away (wait, didn’t Big Bird used to play basketball for the Celtics?). In fact the issue is who will Big Bird be the cash cow, er, cash bird for? Whatever successful ventures there are on PBS will continue somewhere no matter Federal funding. What will end with the Federal funding of PBS are the fringe ventures made possible by the commercial success of Big Bird and Big Bird cash filling the pockets of PBS execs.

The truly infuriating thing here is the drumbeat concept that if it isn’t funded by the Feds (taxpayers) it won’t be there because we can’t build that.
Always On Watch says:

October 10, 2012 at 8:08 am

Obama is sinking his own campaign.

My personal view is that he’s in a drug phase — on top of whatever else is wrong with him.
Kate says:

October 10, 2012 at 8:54 am

It seems a little desperate for Obama to cling to his Tickle me Elmo and Big Bird campaign! The earnings for this CORPORATION are able to support the production costs of the show, which in my mind is free advertising and smacks of political cronyism as they are picking Big Bird over Dora the Explorer, for example.

The point Romney was making is that he would cut funding for this multimillion dollar show than borrow money from China to continue paying for production on PBS. That’s a point that has been completely missed by Obama.
TexasMom2012 says:

October 10, 2012 at 9:22 am

The Big Bird debacle just proves that Obama will never cut any spending period. All his rhetoric about spending cuts is a joke. The only spending he believes in cutting are on the backs and lives of our troops. If his panties are in a wad about cutting funding to a program that is a cash cow and pays its CEO nearly a million dollars a year then I cannot wait to see his reaction to Romney’s first budget. When Romeny ran the Olympics he slashed the budget to the items that had to be funded and cut all the other “it would be nice to do” items. Plus Obama’s head will explode when ANWR gets developed, the Keystone pipeline is a go, and federal lands are reopened for drilling. Revenues will pour into the federal coffers and job growth will explode… The first year of Romney is going to be fun!
spudmom says:

October 10, 2012 at 10:09 am

Programs that were once considered beneficial to the country have become like the 30-somethings living in their parents’ basements. Wean PBS, National Endowment for the Arts, Planned Parenthood, and other “charities” off the government teat. All other programs should be reviewed for constitutionality, effectiveness, and cost/benefit. Let liberals fund their own pet charities. Then make all non-essential funding subject to regular review rather than the normal eternally increasing funding we have now.
obama - focusing like a laser on important topics - Christian Forums says:

October 10, 2012 at 12:50 pm

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#VPDebate PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Joe Biden & debate prep team pose for picture « Sister Toldjah says:

October 11, 2012 at 8:20 pm

[…] the realm of possibility for him to have had Sesame Street characters for his debate team. Too bad Big Bird isn’t in the […]
Carlos says:

October 12, 2012 at 11:25 pm

How about this, spudmom? Check the Constitution for what is specifically mentioned as the responsibility of the federal government, fund those things, and cut the rest of all this largess-at-the-taxpayers’-expense completely out?

Yes, a very radical idea, but if our own lawmakers, judicial and presidents don’t respect the Constitution, why should anyone in this once-great country respect any law from any legislative body here?

Comments are closed.