AP baselessly suggested Michelle Obama's "cute" comment was directed at Palin

[DeepModem Mom]

Media Matters for America: AP baselessly suggested that -- contrary to her own words -- Michelle Obama's "cute" comment was directed at Palin

Summary: The AP put out an article advancing the baseless assumption that Michelle Obama was referring to Gov. Sarah Palin when Obama "asked voters Thursday to make their choice on the issues, not because ... 'she's cute' " -- even though the article specifically noted that Obama followed her statement by saying, "I'm talking about me," and that Obama "did not talk about Palin directly in her remarks."

*

Associated Press writer Mike Baker authored a September 18 article based on the groundless assumption that Michelle Obama was referring to Gov. Sarah Palin when Obama "asked voters Thursday to make their choice on the issues, not because ... 'she's cute.'" Baker offered no evidence supporting his question, "Might she be talking about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin?" Indeed, Baker specifically noted in the next sentence that Obama followed her statement by saying, "I'm talking about me," and in the article's final sentence that Obama "did not talk about Palin directly in her remarks." Nonetheless, Baker devoted a 183-word article to making a link between Obama's comment and Palin, despite the absence of any mention of Palin in her comments.

The original version of the article, distributed by the AP's State and Local Wire and published on the USA Today website as part of a roundup package, simply asserted as fact that Obama's comment was "a clear jab at Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin," adding that "Obama tried to clarify her remark with a smile, saying she was talking about herself."...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200809180016?f=h_latest

[SoonerPride]

1. We're supposed to "know what McLame" meant 3/4 of the time

so I guess they can project meaing onto other people's words too?

[Mz Pip]

2. Even if MIchelle

were talking about Sarah, she wouldn't be that far off base. THere seem to be plenty of people out there, particularly women, who love Palin because "She's just like me!" "She's a Mom!" WHoopeee!

I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't a good number of people out there who are supporting Palin because she's "hot." IT's not like she's got much else going for her.

[Diamonique]

4. Exactly. To be honest, I do think she was referring to Palin...

.... but I don't see anything wrong with that reference.

I do think Michelle realized that it would be twisted and taken the wrong way, so she cleaned it up by saying she was speaking about herself.

[cyberpj]

5. Love your sig line - is there a larger pic or a bumpersticker - would live to put it on my car

[AtomicKitten]

3. FFS. The McBush campaign is junior high school redux.

[Semi_subversive]

6. I assumed it was directly pointed at Palin

I think Michelle never should have added the clarifier. What's wrong with what she said? She's making a point that people need to look past the exterior. If people were actually capable of that function, Dennis Kucinich would be president.

[justiceischeap]

7. The line was aimed at three factions, Palin, the voters and

the press. Michelle, really, was calling the press to the mat and voters for not thinking further than image. It was so obvious.

[FloridaGrl]

8. It doesn't matter

who she was talking about. We should vote on the issues not because of someone's looks or popularity. This election is not a Miss America or Mr. Popularity contest.

[jbnow]

9. On morning joe they obsessed with this. They showed Clinton

(Bill) talking about Palin as a "what to do" and the "what not to do" was Michelle.

Watching it it was just amusing, had I been watching it I wouldn't have thought "gaffe".
What she said was to be sure they vote in their self interest and not just reasons like "I sort of like that fellow" or "she's pretty cute".
She could have stuck to male gender...he's pretty cute.

Now unlike the pig comment when they said the audience thought it was about Palin as proved by their laughter, this time they did. With Obama they had been laughing all along as he was mocking McCain and change. With Michelle the laugh came after this line and then she said she was talking about herself.

I didn't care who she was talking about in making her point. If it did vaguely refer to Palin, so what. She was saying not to do it for surface or trivial reasons...but if you include sentences leading up to it she said there could be a reason they decide to vote for someone else so obviously she wasn't trivializing Palin.

The other thing is Alaska has the stickers about "Coldest state, hottest governor". They should go yell at Alaska.

[EC]

10. When did it become a slur to be called

cute?

[Heather MC]

11. The COLDEST STATE has the HOTTEST GOV.

Clearly they have been trying to get the "Cute" vote for years

[Supersedeas]

12. her entire speech was very moving: Joe & Mika (brother on McGaffe compaign bus) take on snip out

of context and VOILA - McRove talking point of the day gets National dissemination