Debate video: Obama can’t remember the soldier’s name on his bracelet
I mentioned this in my liveblog and wrap-up posts: Barack Obama’s cringe-inducing “Me, too” moment with his troop bracelet –given to him by the mother of a soldier whose name he can’t remember without having to look down and read it. The name of the soldier is Ryan David Jopek.
Here’s the video:
Remember how much of an uproar the MSM made of George H.W. Bush looking at his watch during the 1992 debate with Clinton (also moderated by Jim Lehrer, by the way)?
Gestures matter.
***
Related: Charles Hurt at the NYPost on a “Tale of Two Bracelets.”
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Trackbacks
- The Strata-Sphere » Live Blogging The 1st Presidential Debate Of 2008 - I Have A Bracelet Too!
- Video: Obama Can’t Remember Name of Soldier on His Bracelet | The American Pundit
- Suitably Flip
- The Presidential Debate: I HAVE A BRACELET so I should be president | LEESEAN.NET
- 2008 Presidential Debate 1: Obama Gaffe Videos « BUUUUURRRRNING HOT
- once upon a krischel » Michelle Malkin » Debate video: Obama can’t remember the soldier’s name on his bracelet
- Ed Driscoll.com
- Debate “afterblogging” UPDATE: Forgot the name?? « WitSnapper | The Blog
- Pretty Boy Me Too Thunder Stealers | Bitter Knitter
- McCain Presidential and Real~Obama Petualant and Smirky (and forgetful) « Zipline Conservative
- Obama: I’ve got a bracelet too! « Right of Mississippi
- Points At The Debate « Quipster
- Cop The Truth
- Debate bvideo/b: Obama can’t remember the soldier’s name on his bracelet
- B I R D
- I’ve Got A Bracelet Too, I Just Don’t Know Who From « Heroes for Hillary
- Snapped Shot
- Obama has a bracelet too; just doesn’t know who it’s from « Gaffe Nation
- CHILDISH: Barry Soetoro “I have a braclet too” | The TIW Blog
- BizzyBlog » Gaffe of the Night: Uh, Uh, Uh, Sergeant Who? (Updates: Obama’s Agree-giousness, Kissinger)
- Obama Couldn’t Remember the Soldier’s Name on His Braclet! | BlogWonks Free WordPress Blog Hosting
- More on the Obama/McCain Debate and Kissinger Flip-flops « The Crone Speaks
- Wizbang
- Democrat=Socialist
- Webloggin » Spinning a Win for Obama from a Supposed Tie
- Debate wrapup
- WeatherOutpost12
- Ace of Spades HQ
- IMAO » Blog Archive » I have a bracelet too! Ooh! Something shiny!
- Eeeuuuuhhhhh… « Because No One Asked
- Reverse Spin » Debatable pandering
- McCain vs Obama ROUND ONE; The first debate and what we really saw… « Northern Thoughts And Reflections
- Bookworm Room » A new addition to the pantheon of memorable moments in debate history
- PrestoPundit
- The Debate - Page 2 - Trackpads Community
- The Debate - Page 3 - Trackpads Community
- The College Politico » Blog Archive » The Debate… Who cares?
- Debate video: Obama can’t remember the soldier’s name on his bracelet « It’s ONLY Politics
- The Worst Thing Obama Has Done (So Far) « You Should Be Tasered
- Go Mac Attack « Mcnorman’s Weblog
- Michelle Malkin » Uhhhhh: Family doesn’t want Obama wearing troop bracelet
- Webloggin » Family of Slain Soldier Had Asked Obama Not To Wear Son’s Bracelet
- Disrespecting The Bracelet’s Meaning « Quipster
- Tel-Chai Nation
- Full Video & Transcript Of The First Presidential Debate - 26 Sept 2008 | BigMouthFrog
- McCain Palin, Have More Fun and Get Things Done! « Riggword Weblog
- Moonbattery
- Don Surber » Blog Archive » Oops
- DOCTOR McCAIN’S DEBATE CLINIC: OBAMA DOWN WITH THE UNCOOL FEEVAH – suzyrice.com/BIRD
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You noticed that too, eh?
Yeah, that’s a good’un! What a poser.
A very telling moment.
How embarrassing! That was painful. We’ve got to get down on our knees and pray this guy does not become president.
Am I crazy, or did McCain just do a flying leap on Obama’s head?
I can’t believe this would end any other way than a McCain/Palin landslide…please tell me America still knows what is right.
That’s the problem they’re being sold on a smooth voice from a suit stuffed with straw.
It doesn’t make any sense to me that Bush could win over Gore and Kerry. . .and yet McCain would lose to someone this inept and socialist. No one I know is taking these polls that show Obama leading seriously, and they know they are manufactured in an affirmative action bid to boost Obama’s standing.
For example, what would change so dramatically in four years that a communist could win over the Republican?
Again, polls in state after state showed that Obama was leading Hillary in states that Hillary easily won. Something doesn’t make sense about these polls.
Zogby is even predicting a landslide for McCain.
I….uuuuhhhhhh……uuuhhhmmmm……have …uhhh a.. bracelet.. too! What’s her name gave it to me!
Beyond embarassing, he sounds like a kindergartener that interrupts a story to say, “me too!!!”
SGT Uhhhhhhhhhhh’s family must be so proud.
God bless the family and friends of
Cpl. Matthew Stanley and Sgt. Ryan David Jopek. May the purpose of their sacrifices never be retreated from,
and their memories live on.
I’m not sure who I hate more: B. Hussein Obama or his idiot supporters. Probably his supporters. Without them, the man is nothing.
FauxBama isn’t just a thug, liar and utterly horrible candidate. He’s an insult to this great country, to the image of a President, and anyone who supports him insults the idea of self-government. No people that would be stupid enough to elect him are worthy of self-government.
Henry Kissinger is angry with Barry. I can’t imagine why.
It was so lame. Hey, we have a volunteer army. Even in peacetime, our soldiers die.
Empty head, empty suit…
Obama wasn’t trying to remember the soldier’s name. He was trying to remember the line that he had memorized.
If you’ve ever done any public speaking, watch it again with your “public speaker” hat on.
The problem was that he threw out the line as a response to McCain’s “bracelet” comment but hadn’t practiced it that way.
With all the Camelot crap the MSM media has been spewing regarding the BHO’S, I am waiting–hoping for McCain to turn to BHO during one of these debates and say: “Senator Barack H. Obama, you are no John F. Kennedy”!
That would not only totally deflate BHO’s straw-filled suit (thanks Goldwater Knight), but would send him into an uncontrollable “uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,” hissy-fit, one which he would never recover from.
Now, THAT, would truly be priceless.
Just goes with the theory that this guy really isn’t very bright. If he had been, he’d have checked the name before he called attention to himself.
The One just telegraphed to middle and rural America his contempt for our military and our fallen.
We are nothing but talking points to him.
I must believe in my heart that people can see through the charade and pick up on his phoniness.
This may be rude but the mother of the deceased soldier who said to Obama, “make sure no other mother has to go through what I go though,” is selfish. That is not putting country first, but yourself first. that is a problem with our country right now and that is a typical leftist philosophy, me first me first….
I would rather, a thousand times more, that any candidate for President knew the name and forgot he had the bracelet, than the converse just demonstrated by the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois.
Cut Obama some slack. I’m sure he has a different bracelet for each state in which he campaigns. You can’t expect him to remember all of the names….
29Victor said:
I disagree. He starts to say “Sergeant…” then there is a long pause where he looks at his bracelet, before finally coming up with the name. He didn’t have to pause to come up with the rank, but he did have to pause to come up with the name. Given the timing of his pause, I think it was clear that he had forgotten Jopek’s name. Jopek was just a talking point to Obama – the name obviously didn’t matter.
The talking heads who said there was no big embarassing moment in the debate need to go back and take another look.
I have… and I did… and he was playing “Me Too! Me Too!”
Obama doesn’t show the maturity it takes to play Pin The Tail on the Donkey, let alone speak publicly in the same room as Senator McCain. He should be ashamed of himself.
Meh. If that’s the worst thing to go after Obama on after this debate, he did better than expected. McCain screwed up a few names. They’re going to have memory lapses. It happens.
My point. Since the line was memorized, the familiar word “Sergeant” popped right into his head, the name, on the other hand, didn’t. He didn’t know the guys name, he knew the line containing the guys name.
You have to know that he had rehursed using the line and had probably used it in speaches before. But he wound up throwing it out there out of it’s normal context and flubbed it.
Mookie said:
There were a lot of highlights. My favorite part of the debate was when McCain turned the tables and compared Obama to Bush. Obama was grinning cheek to cheek, trying to mask how much it stung him.
It gets worse:
True enough…that’s 58 names!
An insight: Perhaps the expression “I know it like the back of my hand” came from the act of folding one’s hands and casting one’s eyes down in prayer, an act of humility from one who sees the need for guidance and help from a higher source.
The One doesn’t seem to spend much time looking at the back of his hand, in the vicinity of that bracelet. No, he spends all his time navel-gazing.
My favorite part was when McCain proposed a spending freeze. I swear Obama’s heart stopped when he heard those words.
Yeah, that was good. Obama giggled.
Nope. Not the worst. Just the funniest.
Sorry, perhaps my original comment wasn’t clear. What I meant was that to Obama, the soldier’s name wasn’t important, it was just part of the line that he had practiced. He didn’t forget the soldier’s name; because he never knew it, not really anyway, what he knew a line that he was supposed to recite and the political point that it was supposed to make.
Does that make sense?
See… I have a client who I consider to be a war hero. He’s about 70 and has a name that is really difficult to pronounce and remember. I’ve only met him twice and yet I never forget his name (and I have an awful memory).
I can’t forget his name because, to me, he’s a hero, to me he’s someone important and I feel honored for having had the opportunity to work for him a couple of times and listen to his stories (he’s got a lot of stories, Vietnam, College of the Americas, etc…).
On the other hand, when I’m giving a speech and I quote or cite someone I have to have their name written down, because if I don’t, I’ll forget. This is because they aren’t important to me except for that one moment in time when I use them to prove my point. Now, if I work really hard and memorize my speech (I usually just work from notes) then I could probably pop off their name with no problem because it’s part of the line I memorized.
But if, later on, I had to speak “off the cuff” (which I suck at) and need to quote the person, I would have to consult my notes. Or, in this case, my bracelet.
Tonight McCain proved that he can do two things at once. He can work on solving the financial crisis with one hand and kick Obama’s ass with the other.
And…
Several people are saying that McCain’s performance doesn’t mean much, but it does. McCain was the underdog here, he was supposed to be happy just to break even. The media and everyone else had very low expectations for him.
If it had been a “tie,” it would have been a victory for McCain. As it stands now, he did very, very well for himself.
The MSM will spin this into a BO win…
Holy moly!
UHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Yes, that was a cringe-worthy moment, when Obama forgot the name of the soldier, and had to look down.
Poseur.
I wonder if there are any recent pictures showing him without that bracelet?
I missed the Palin interview, but from what I hear it wasn’t terribly good.. in a short out-take I saw, Palin sounded very nervous. Michelle I’m surprised it wasn’t covered here.. I guess it must have been pretty bad, unfortunately.
Oh, and lately I’ve been hearing some stupid lib rumor that Palin is going to withdraw.. whatever.
Hey, it’s just past 1:00 AM. Let’s have a bracelet check!
Ole George Stephysnuffyglopofguts has already declared Obama winner of the great debate.
What a freaking tool!
I don’t have to look at my KIA bracelet to remember his name. I brought his body back from Iraq.
I didn’t have to look at the MIA bracelet that I wore for almost 20 years before that, either. I met his parents.
To Barry O’Bama, a KIA bracelet is a political prop, just like the American flag pin he now wears on his lapel. The same one he refused to wear a little while ago…
He’s a disgrace.
Unfortunately, so do white things stuck to one’s lip.
Did anyone but me notice Barack Obama’s eye movements in many cases they were dismissive of what was being said by his opponent or the moderator at other times they shifted left and right sometimes accompanied by affirmation gestures to his coaches. The eye movements reminded me of Richard Nixon’s eye movements in the Kennedy debate and at other times he looked like the cat that ate the canary or like a child being dismissive of an adult speaking to him about something that held no interest for the child.
I’m probably not in the majority, but those eye movements and gestures made me very uncomfortable. A bit like interviewing a suspected Al Qaeda operative and watching their body language. Too cool, too practiced, too artificial and lacking any kind of respect for other people. I’d give anything he says a low confidence level unless and until it was well corroborated by multiple independent sources.
come on lets cut the chosen one some slack he was just tired . you know it takes a lot out of you traveling to all 57 states.
I laughed when McCain did the ‘puh-lease’ thing.. heh
This is ridiculous. “O” should not even be up there. He is a Fake, Phony, Fraud. What has this country come to that we can nominate a inexperienced novice. A person with absolutely no resume on running a thing. He hasn’t even kept a job long enough to consider it a career. This is no game or just any job that you can bluff your way into. Millions, 10’s of millions maybe 100’s of millions lives are entrusted to the person who sits in the most powerful seat in the World. These followers of his, have to wake up and realize this.
Could this be the “Dukakis in the tank” moment we’ve been waiting for? Oh please, please, pretty please.
I know we conservatives have been waiting for a *GOTCHA!* moment even though we’ve had a hundred of ‘em already. (It won’t mean a thing unless it happens on live TV in front of a significant portion of America because the media sure as hell won’t report it.)
This ain’t it, though.
I call my children the wrong name. I’ll be looking right at one of them – one of the most precious things I have in the whole world – and occasionally my mind goes blank.
Additionally, McCain had a spot where he had trouble pronouncing “Ahmadinejad.” If the libs were to try use this against him, we’d cry foul… and justifiably.
Let’s nail Obama on the fact that he is a socialist whackjob who hangs out with terrorists and racists rather than the fact that he can’t remember the name of a man whom he never met and whose mother he met only once.
He probably borrowed the bracelet from an advisor just before coming on stage. One of those last minute “Hold it. Wait a minute” thoughts from someone.
I think Obama and all of the war hating libs who want to wear a KIA bracelet as a propr should all agree to have Casey Sheehan’s name on it. His mother turned him into a prop years ago. So why not use him? Heck, his mother was so distraught it took her over 18 months to even put a marker on his grave.
That soldier certainly did not deserve the mother he had. God bless him for his sacrifice.
But, he did remember the name of the soldier’s name on his bracelet.
Is this really how desperate you are, Malkin? Because, this seems profoundly desperate. I mean, seriously, grow up for crying out loud.
On September 27th, 2008 at 7:51 am, Omu said:
But, he did remember the name of the soldier’s name on his bracelet.
Uh Uh Uh….. OMU- he did not TIL he looked at hit bracelet.
Hey OMU here is a napkin wipe that KoolAid off your chin.
I still have my Vietnam POW braclet. His name is LT Larry Stevens, USN. He was shot down in 1967 and did not return home in 73 at the end of the war. I’ve often wondered what happened to him.
The pandering jackass probably just put it on 20 minuets before he went on stage. Obama is so transparent . . . I can’t understand why it is so difficult for some people not to see through him.
Wow, you wingnuts really are insane. He did not read the name off of his bracelet, he just jumbled his words a little.
It’s almost sad to see neocons so desperate that they’re clutching at the thinnest of straws like this. Almost.
This is the difference between a true patriot and a phony.
No, the rumor is that Biden is going to fake some kind of health problem, (other than mental, which would require no faking), and Hillary will come rushing in to save the Messiah’s sorry butt.
Unless they are complete and total idiots, they do see through him, (it’s not real hard), but they support the Socialist/Marxists state they want the USA to be, so all is forgiven and the Messiah can say or do no wrong. When your whole life centers around being taken care of by your government, (the taxpayers), anyone who promises more handouts and punishment of those who work for a living becomes very popular. They thought of higher taxes, (for example), has little affect on most Obama supporters, many of whom are in the almost 50% who pay zero federal income tax anyway. Actually, through the insane magic of your federal government, paying zero taxes doesn’t stop you from getting a federal tax refund.
Omu. I could start by pointing out your name calling:
“wingnuts”. Next, “insane”, a term that went PC about twenty years ago. If a “wingnut” used it, they were roundly criticized. You don’t “jumble” a person’s name you supposedly care about. I used the term phony.
The example of Landstuhl comes to mind. Sarah went there as well as others without the press. It shows their honest caring for soldiers.
Next: “neocons”. Nice word if someone actually knew how another acts toward certain behaviors. Throwing out a word without knowing people is called prejudice. That term is fairly well defined to mean pre judging a person before you actually know them.
I could throw out various terms, but I do not engage in prejudice. I do reserve my right to defend myself and avoid groups of people, places and situations that, generally lead to violence or crimes.
You must not have heard your Messi♠h. We neocons (liberal code for: JOOOOOOOOOOOS!) cling to our religion and guns–not straws. Clutching at the thinnest of straws is what you do when you stand at the urinal.
Why don’t you logout and return to watching your TiVo’d episodes of The Rachel Maddow Show.
Dolt.
Conservatives can see through all of his socialist views, but the libs who are supporting him are the ones who want this country to be socialist. They feel like they are going to get some more goodies from the government if he wins. They are too stupid to realize that his policies will affect everyone in the worst way.
Thank you. You are a true patriot.
Obama is the finest example of a politician scoring political gain by using a dead soldiers’ name and unselfish sacrifice for others.
I didn’t think much one way or the other about this one, but I love Jonah Goldberg’s take over at NRO:
” … if I were writing the SNL skit, I would have the two candidates engage in a sympathy-for-veteran-families-and-other-noble-causes “Jewelry-off” playing on the “I have a bracelet too” comment from Obama.
“Oh yeah? I have this earring and two bangles….”
“Well, my nipple ring proves I care more about ….”
Unfortunately, OMU, your theory doesn’t wash. The O-man has had the bracelet on his wrist since February.That’s over six months. Plenty of time to have the name seared into his brain. The people that I have known to wear such bracelets know that name, rank, service, and POW/MIA/deceased date by heart. They know it as well as they know their own name. If he can say “I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message”, he should have no problem remembering the patriot’s name on his wrist. Unless, of course, he doesn’t wear it all the time. Just when he thinks it might make points with the adoring crowd.
No, OMU, Obama is disingenuous at best.
I saw the bracelet thing too and wondered if I was being too hard on Obama by thinking that that’s exactly what he was doing, checking the name.
Michelle did cover it but I wonder why the world is possessed with talking about the Palin interview and say very little about the Biden/Couric interview when Biden talked about FDR on TV in the 1929.
I didn’t think Palin’s interview was “good” but I sure didn’t hear any gaffes or lies in it.
I’m sure Sgt. Jopek’s mother regrets giving Obama that bracelet.
Did anyone notice when McCain spoke how Obama kept clinging to the idea that the surge didn’t work, Obama started laughing, clearly thinking McCain was taking a shot at his “bitter clingers” remark. I don’t think McCain was, but simply using the word in a proper context.
I guess when you parse and campaign all the time, and clearly DO use words (like lipstick) for that kind of effect, you assume everyone else does too. I don’t know, the braclet thing did come across as “me 2″ but I was struck by the that moment more. CNN was in HD so I was watching there and they cut away pretty quick. Maybe other channels got the same feed? Clearly though, Obama thought that was a shot.
McCain and the Republican’s are running against Obama, the MSM, DailyKos, MoveON, George Soros. It’s a wonder Republican’s ever win. We MUST win this election, WE MUST win more seats in the house and congress.
When McCain wins, he MUSH cut spending, spending spending…..
McCain, like him or not, is a leader. Obama is an empty suit with a gift of gab.
Maybe his handlers should have found an easier name to remember like John Smith. BO seems to remember his own name just fine.
Couric obviously tried on a number of occasions to”get” Palin. I am sure after the Gibson interview, where he pulled a number of stunts, that she was nervous. My hope is that she eventually realizes that she is the one being interviewed and controls the agenda and the answer without recourse to the absurdity of the question. Palin will get no support from the left who control the media so she might just as well forget what they say and be herself.