Did Obama Steal his ‘Lipstick on a Pig’ Speech from a Political Cartoon?
Posted on September 10, 2008
-By Warner Todd Huston
The folks at FreeRepublic have found an interesting… uh, shall we say coincidence… concerning Barack Obama’s widely panned September 9 comments made at a rally in Virginia where he seemed to be saying that Governor Palin was a “pig” by referencing the “lipstick” quote from her acceptance speech at the GOP convention. It is looking like Obama’s comments were not off the cuff, but scripted. And, not only were they scripted, but they were stolen without attribution from a Washington Post political cartoon by Tom Toles from September 5.
Obama tried to quip that “you can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig” when attacking the McCain/Palin record. But the entire segment, including the previous comments leading up to the insensitive “pig” line, are almost word for word from the Tom Toles cartoon from the 5th.
Transcript:
John McCain says he’s about change too. Exce- and and so I guess his whole angle is – watch out, George Bush – except for economic policy, healthcare policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy, and Karl-Rove-style politics, we’re really gonna shake things up in Washington.
That’s not change.
That’s that’s just callin’ sumpin’ the same thing somethin’ different.
But you know, you can’t, you know, you you can put, ah, lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig.
And now for the cartoon…
You can see for yourself that the entire segment before his “pig” quip matches the Toles cartoon exactly.
So, now we have a few points to ponder. Will the Obama campaign admit that this whole bit was lifted from Tom Toles? And are we to understand that the Obama campaign is now being programmed by cartoons?
See ya in the funny papers, Barack.
» Filed Under Elections, Liberal Media/Bias, News, Obama/Biden, Sarah Palin
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31 Responses to “Did Obama Steal his ‘Lipstick on a Pig’ Speech from a Political Cartoon?”
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It’s certainly not a stretch to pose Obama (and his muses) lifted his prelude to the lipstick cliche from cartoon writer Toles. Any good public speaker uses whatever he/she can from a variety of sources to attempt to come up with new, hopefully fresh, material.
What we should be discussing is why a woman can “get away” with being sexist to her own gender by saying the difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom is “lipstick.”
Had a man said that there would be a totally different connotation.
Yet nobody challenges Palin on the lipstick joke.
How about the difference between a hockey mom (or any other mom) and a pit bull – moms are love not anger, rage, go-for-the-jugular attack dogs.
And we don’t need to wear lipstick for anybody.
What if he stole it from McCain?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMPYkNQlJMM
Since Sarah Palin equated herself with the “lipstick” comment… a comment that was WIDELY heard and is now associated with her… any comment by Barack was obviously meant as a jab at her. It’s really just that simple. We all know what he meant, don’t we? If we want to be honest, of course.
*sigh*
“put lipstick on a pig” is a common expression. If you want to accuse Obama of plagiarism for using it, you’d have to accuse Ann Richards, Juan Mexicain and every other politician, businessman and back country redneck who’s used it for years.
As much as I despise The Obamassiah, that dog won’t hunt. Making such an accusation reeks of the sort of false accusations leveled against Palin in recent days. This is unworthy of STACLU.
Hey! Here’s a rumor about Obama that’s much more believable!
And the cartoon/Obama “plagiarism”–whiule you’re more on target there, I still can’t buy this as substantive. Cole seems to have gotten all his talking points directly from the Obama campaign’s recent ads, operatives’ talking points, etc.
Attack Obama. Please! But attack with something that the everyday Joe will relate to. This just isn’t substantive. It’s puny, and will be seen as nit picking.
So now that anytime somebody mentions ‘lipstick,’ they’re automatically referring to Sarah Palin, is that what you’re saying?
It was obviously NOT an attack on her. Did she also equate herself as an 8-year-old fish? This was obviously in reference to the policies of Bush that McCain would continue. Learn to read!
Actually, I think it IS rather an obvious jab at Palin, and ESPECIALLY when you add in the second part about the fish:
“You can put lipstick on a pig,” he said as the crowd cheered. “It’s still a pig.”
“You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It’s still gonna stink.”
“We’ve had enough of the same old thing.”
If you put the WHOLE thing in context, I think it sounds pretty clear to me that he is referring to Palin AND McCain, as references to McCain’s age have been made in SEVERAL arguments by the left on why it would be “so horrible” to have Palin as VP if McCain wins. How anyone can think anything different in light of the now famous “lipstick” line of Palin I don’t know.
And Levi, no, not every reference to “lipstick” would refer to Palin. But you have to take it in CONTEXT with the political campaign AND how this PARTICULAR word has become so closely associated with Palin from her VP nomination speech just recently.
Robert, context. The context was that Obama was describing Republican policy. If you hear ‘Palin’ and ‘lipstick on a pig’ within a few seconds of each other and think that Obama is insulting women, you probably don’t have any sort of understanding about what context is.
No, I don’t think he was insulting women. I didn’t say that. I said he was insulting Palin and McCain. There’s a big difference.
I don’t think this had anything at all to do with insulting women, Levi. But I DO think it had to do with making a political jab at his opponents. Not women…just Palin and McCain. And I still do think that is was a low way to do so. Obama has said before that he wasn’t going to run his campaign the same way that its always been done, but…I’m sorry…from the adds of his that I’ve seen to things he’s said on the campaign trail, I have to disagree with his statement. He is running things EXACTLY the same way that they’ve always been run, mudslinging and all.
What is insulting about it then? What about politicians using euphemisms to describe opposing politicians’ policies is insulting?
Next Obama will say that its not fair to be running Against a women.
Palin was referencing to her self as a hockey mom with the lipstick comment. Obama comment was Referencing about women
What I think is insulting about it is that he wsan’t just using a euphemism, although it was that. Whether he meant it to or not, it LOOKS like he is calling Palin a pig and McCain an old smelly fish. And that’s just an insult, plain and simple, showing no respect for your opponents. AKA: mudslinging the same way its been done for years.
How can you say that Mike? He was clearly referring to Republican policy.
Robert, what are you not understanding? He was referring to their policies. ‘Lipstick on a pig’ is a common phrase. Did you watch the video I linked about where McCain uses the exact same terminology to describe Hillary Clinton’s health care plans? Why didn’t you jump to Hillary’s defense back then?
I mean that’s just crazy. If you irrationally interpret something that somebody says as an insult, that makes it an insult?
Its not just what he said. But how it was said, and where he said it, and when it was said. You can’t just take the line out of context and say “oh its just a euphemism”. You have to take the whole situation that he is in, and involved with, and the way the crowd reacted to that one particular line, etc., as one. When you look at the whole thing, yes, I think it was an insult. But just forget about what I think for a second, Levi. The main problem for Obama here is that its IS PERCEIVED to be an insult by a TON of people. And rather than take the high road, and say something like “okay…maybe I was wrong. If you took it as an insult, then I’m sorry.” which DOESN’T retract the line, but DOES stand a chance at mollifying people who are up in outrage about it…he says this today:
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/Obama-on-lipstick-comment-Spare-me-the-phony-outrage-/1221058082.html
This does not sound to me in any way like a man who is “bipartisan” and thinks he can bring any thing from both parties together.
It is PERCEIVED to be an insult by TONS of REPUBLICANS. I mean this is just silly. Half of the people that have commented in this thread agree, even if they aren’t fans of Obama. Just face it Robert, you got up this morning, checked the blogs, they told you to get upset about this, and you’re obliging, like a good little Republican. There’s nothing to this.
You want to talk about the way that McCain said ‘lipstick on a pig?’ Because unless you want to condemn him for using those words, you pretty much have no standing for your ‘argument.’
Additionally, I don’t give two squirts about bipartisanship. Republicans have no good ideas and have totally discredited themselves during the Bush years, and Americans should keep them as far away from any decision-making as possible. If anything, Obama isn’t partisan enough.
Ah, but there IS a difference between McCain’s use of the phrase and Obama’s use of the phrase. The difference is the context of the times when they were both used. McCain used it out of the blue, with nothing to relate it to. Obama used the phrase in a situation when it could easily be taken as so many people have taken it; and no, not just republicans. I heard this yesterday, and came to my OWN decision about what it meant, not what I’m being told it means. It sounds more to me like YOU are just going with whatever YOU are told it means, Levi. Obama says I didn’t mean it that way, therefore that is the only truth. And I’m sorry, but there ARE two major political parties in this country, and they DO have to work together, Levi, no matter what you may wish or think. If things were to go the way you want, we might as well name him (Obama) king and get it over with. Sorry, but that’s not how I feel this country has been founded.
I do think its funny, though, that I trid to make a rational argument for my side…no sneers or jibes at you…and you have to try and go make it personal by putting me down for being a republican. Nice. Now we DO see where the left wing has to go to try to win something. That’s just sad.
So now what you’re saying, is that McCain’s usage only would have been an insult had Hillary said something publicly about lipstick?
Is that basically right?
Way to keep up the good fight.
Certainly I am. I think Obama was directly linking his statement to what Palin said in her speech that has become so famous since then. Its a matter of what the circumstances are at the time. And if he did NOT mean it in that context, if he was completely unaware of how it would sound to anyone besides the crowd listening directly to him, then Obama is incredibly naive and not in touch with the reality around him. When you are running for the highest executive position in the land, you HAVE to pay attention to things like that. It was either an intended insult, or a horrible gaffe on his part. But if you will notice he didn’t even give the SLIGHTEST HINT that he could have been in the wrong. No no…its all the McCain camps fault! They are over sensitive! Get over it! That’s just sad that the man thinks so much of himself that he has to come across like that.
Rob, buddy, get a hobby.
OBAMA HAS MANAGED TO MAINTAIN A PLACE ON THE HIGH ROAD NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID, HE HAS NEVER ENGAGED IN MUDSLINGING. HE DOESN’T HAVE TO TAKE POTSHOTS EVEN THOUGH DARK HORSE PALIN DID FROM DAY ONE.MCCAIN IS AN OLD MAN AND ACTUALLY I SEE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS “PIMPS”. THEY BRING IN THIS RELATIVELY YOUNG FEMALE AS A DISTRACTION, JUST LIKE CORPORATIONS DO WHEN TRYING TO SEAL A BIG DEAL. PALIN IS NOT HILLARY AND ANY ATTEMPT TO PUT THEM IN THE SAME CATAGORY IS FOOLISH.WE THINK THAT THE BUSH ERA HAS BEEN HELL? VOTE MCCAIN/PALIN AND AMERICA MAY NEVER RECOVER.
IF WOMEN DEMOCRATS VOTE FOR HER JUST BECAUSE SHE IS FEMALE, THEY WILL LIVE TO REGRET IT.
OBAMA AND BIDEN REPRESENT A SMOOTHE TRANSITION FOR CHANGE, THIS WILL LEAD TO A FEMALE PRESIDENT IN THIS CENTURY. GOD BLESS AMERICA, PLEASE!
I believe it was Minkin or Twain who coined the phrase about a pig wearing lipstick. It refers to politicians. Obama paraphrased it to show that McCain’s platform is still Bush’s platform. After all, it was Palin who opened up the debate regarding lipstick use. Some pit bull she’s turning out to be.
Here goes a reference: “An honest politician is like a pig wearing lipstick, both unexpected but a wonder to behold.”
Go, Obama. You’re a wonder to behold!
I’ve been watching all of these political antics and, as a voter, am getting pretty disgusted. I had not heard of this “common phrase” and did take it that Obama, in his usual arrogant manner, was referring to Palin. In his position, he should be more careful what phrases he uses and how the average person will interpret it.
The insinuated equation is simple enough :
[lipstick -> female] + [pig -> right wing] = Sarah Palin
[old -> aged, decrepit, useless] + [fish -> ocean -> naval service] = John McCain
Re: “An honest politician is like a pig wearing lipstick, both unexpected but a wonder to behold.”
This is apparently a paraphrase of Dr. Johnson’s waggish observation to Boswell anent female clergy, “Sir, a woman’s preaching is like a dog’s walking on his hind legs. It is not done well ; but you are surprised to find it done at all.”
Obama and his lipstick comment:
What does lipstick on a pig have to with soccer moms and pit bulls? Obama’s blatant attack was obviously intentional; where saying other wise, but Obama had absolutely no reason whatsoever for attacking America’s beloved Sarah Palin. For goodness sake, what in the heck is wrong with this man?! With each passing hour he becomes more paranoid, while uncovering his true neurotic and psychotic behavior. Frankly, we’re all sickened of him already and the illiterates who believe he’s America’s Messiah, what a yarn that is! And I mean that in a nice way.
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