Obama Puts Different Twist on Lipstick

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

What’s the difference between a more hopeful kind of politics and old-fashioned attacks? Lipstick.

Barack Obama says the John McCain-Sarah Palin policies don’t represent change, they’re “just calling the same thing something different.”

“You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” Obama said during a town-hall style event here Tuesday night.

The comment was widely interpreted as a play on Republican vice presidential candidate Palin’s joke during the Republican National Convention that the only difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom was lipstick, though the campaign said Obama wasn’t referencing Palin’s comments.

Obama has been hammering the Republican ticket for adopting his change mantra. “This is a guy who supported George Bush 90% of the time. What does that say about somebody’s judgment that they agree with George Bush 90% of the time?” he said.

“You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called ‘change,’ it’s still going to stink,” Obama said. “After eight years, we’ve had enough of the same old thing. It’s time to bring about real change to Washington and that’s the choice you’ve got in this election.”

This isn’t the first time in a 24-hour period that lipstick has become an issue. As he was introducing Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, Missouri Rep. Russ Carnahan said Palin had “zero experience in national government, zero experience in foreign affairs. There’s no way you can dress up that record, even with a lot of lipstick.”

Republicans struck back, calling the attacks on Palin old-style Washington attacks that run counter to Obama’s promise of change. “Sarah Palin’s maverick record of reform doesn’t need any ‘dressing up,’ but the Obama campaign’s condescending commentary deserves some dressing down,” says RNC spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson.

Hogs were a theme of Obama’s town hall. Later in the event, while discussing the No Child Left Behind policy that puts stress on teachers to test students, he made another swine reference. “There’s a saying in Southern Illinois that you don’t fatten a hog by weighing it. You can weigh it everyday, that’s not how you fatten it up,” Obama said.

UPDATE: The McCain campaign quickly struck back convening a conference call with reporters and former Mass. Gov. Jane Swift to paint the common expression as a sexist jab at Palin. “As far as I know there is only one candidate in this contest who wears lipstick,” Swift said.

The reaction set off a frenzied dive into the opposition research vault. Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton sent reporters a Chicago Tribune article published in 2007 during the Democratic primaries that cites McCain criticizing Hillary Clinton’s health care plan. “I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” McCain is quoted as saying about Clinton’s proposal.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/09/09/o...ntra-of-change/

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It's a thin connection at best...

[Marilyn. 340]

I heard that McCain also used this expression awhlie back...

Of course, it was John McCain who called Hillary Clinton's health care plan in the primary campaign "lipstick'' on the "pig'' of the health care reform that she had promoted as First Lady back in the early 1990s.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics...stick_pigs.html

[no name 1]

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I forgot.... DON'T QUESTION THE MESSIAH.

[symbiosis 0]

This "issue" is beyond ridiculous and I'm afraid the GOP will see the results of their inanity:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7608653.stm

Thanks for posting this. It's obvious to anyone who isn't a complete moron that is not an issue.

If I say "that dog won't hunt" am I really calling you a pit bull?

[no name 1]

This "issue" is beyond ridiculous and I'm afraid the GOP will see the results of their inanity:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7608653.stm

I doubt the GOP cares what the BBC says. Did you watch the video above? He already made an ad about it.

The point is, people DO believe it & Obama is being talked about AND questioned - not in a good way. McCain has accomplished what he set out to do.

Edited September 10, 2008 by illumine

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I forgot.... DON'T QUESTION THE MESSIAH.

More like - don't let your personal dislike of the man interfere with your judgement and don't hoodwink yourself into believing spurious nonsense that ultimately demeans you.

[symbiosis 0]

I forgot.... DON'T QUESTION THE MESSIAH.

More like - don't let your personal dislike of the man interfere with your judgement and don't hoodwink yourself into believing spurious nonsense that ultimately demeans you.

This "issue" is beyond ridiculous and I'm afraid the GOP will see the results of their inanity:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7608653.stm

I doubt the GOP cares what the BBC says.

The video is from a few hours ago on the campaign trail.

Did you watch the video above? He already made an ad about it. Yeah, the ad was stupid.

The point is, people DO believe it & Obama is being talked about AND questioned - not in a good way. McCain has accomplished what he set out to do.

[Jenn! 918]

The McCain campaign quickly struck back convening a conference call with reporters and former Mass. Gov. Jane Swift to paint the common expression as a sexist jab at Palin. "As far as I know there is only one candidate in this contest who wears lipstick," Swift said.

I have to agree with Swift on this one. Not a smart thing for Obama to say IMO.

[HAL 9000 96]

McCain has accomplished what he set out to do.

1. Avoid issues

2. Smear the opponent

3. Fool voters

Yes... it may well be the case.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

McCain has accomplished what he set out to do.

1. Avoid issues

2. Smear the opponent

3. Fool voters

Yes... it may well be the case.

It perhaps should be pointed out that McCain himself - likely did none of this, and the management of his campaign (especially in regards to its message) is, like any other, handled by marketing and advertising gurus. He might have a say in some of the venues he selects, but he's probably heavily advised by the management team.

[Cassie 8]

The McCain campaign quickly struck back convening a conference call with reporters and former Mass. Gov. Jane Swift to paint the common expression as a sexist jab at Palin. "As far as I know there is only one candidate in this contest who wears lipstick," Swift said.

I have to agree with Swift on this one. Not a smart thing for Obama to say IMO.

But it was ok for McCain to say the exact same little phrase last year when criticizing a healthcare plan put forward by Hilary Clinton?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Obama did not mention Sarah in this at all.

The right-wing media is lying to you.

[HAL 9000 96]

McCain has accomplished what he set out to do.

1. Avoid issues

2. Smear the opponent

3. Fool voters

Yes... it may well be the case.

It perhaps should be pointed out that McCain himself - likely did none of this, and the management of his campaign (especially in regards to its message) is, like any other, handled by marketing and advertising gurus. He might have a say in some of the venues he selects, but he's probably heavily advised by the management team.

Yes... I was making but a simple joke based on the same misperception of politics as usual against the Obama campaign.