Over at TriCities.com, Gary Gray from the Herald Courier has a quaint story about Obama’s unscheduled stop at the Pop Ellis Soda Shoppe & Grill in Abingdon, VA.
Gray reports:
[Obama] then leaned back and yelled over his shoulder to staff members who had filtered off the bus and into the business: “You guys want something?”
The yelling wasn’t an intentional discourtesy but necessary so he could be heard over the cackle and buzz.
At first, I thought it was odd Gray felt it necessary to point out Obama wasn’t being impolite by using his outdoor voice inside. Then, I remembered… people do tend to work themselves into a tizzy over the silliest things. As a matter of fact, right this very moment, people are going nuts over the McCain ad, which features Obama using the “You can put lipstick on a pig” line.
Good grief people. The phrase has been around for quite some time. In fact, my grandmother used it frequently when talking about politicians, the local butcher and the TVA. It simply means you can dress something up and try to make it look good – but underneath it’s still the same as it always was… whether this be dishonest, dangerous, ugly, unfit, full of fat and gristle or somehow otherwise bad.
So, I think we’re making mountains out of molehills here. Then again, I suppose I’m no different because I got hung up on this portion of the Herald Courier story:
“That looks good – you going to eat all that?” [Obama] asked Lindsey Short, who was finishing up her meal. “How you doing – you want a picture? Nice to meet you.”
Short said she had “no clue” she was going to meet Obama on Tuesday.
“I came down here with a friend from Richlands to work on a project at King College,” she said. “We were in here, and all of a sudden security guys came over to us to search us. It’s really exciting.”
Humph! I assume the Secret Service had to search every single one of those Pop patrons, which would only be exciting or worthwhile if you had some desire to see Obama, which I don’t. Therefore, I’d have found the ordeal of being patted down to be in his presence intrusive and annoying. Then, “that looks good – you going to eat all that?” What was that? Was he planning to filch the fries or was he calling her fat by insinuating she shouldn’t eat all of the food? Good lord, you could get stabbed in the hand with a fork for comments like that around here.
Of course, I realize those people were probably thrilled to have an opportunity to meet Obama. I understand that. I do. As Smartypants says, Obama is historical and stuff. I’m just sayin’ – as a person, who’d prefer a pig in lipstick over a pig in a poke – I might’ve found the whole thing a little rude. That’s all.
[...] » Pigs, Lipstick, Pokes and MolehillsPosted 106 minutes [...]
Brilliant! Thanks for making my day!
Or perhaps Obama was just being friendly and joking with people who were inconvenienced by the Secret Service. We seem to be operating on a hair-trigger that everything someone does in politics is racist, sexist, or meant to offend. People in Abingdon got to meet the next president of the United States. For those of us in Southwest Virginia that are used to candidates pretending the state ends in Richmond it is a nice change to be asked our opinion on the major issues of the day, have someone solicit our advice, and get to know us and our needs. The McCain campaign has shown their contempt for everyday Americans with this incessant focus on getting in tiny digs on insignificant issues (pig lips, etc), instead of focusing on what the American people really care about—jobs, the economy, the spiraling cost of healthcare, etc.
[...] me repeat that, 20 YEARS, referring to certain policies were like putting lipstick on a pig. First of all, it didn’t look good, and second of all, it [...]
Jack,
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said – although I am skeptical that Obama can produce the changes he’s been dangling before voters like a carrot on a stick. You know, I honestly do not see how some his policies could work without imposing a significant tax burden on the American people and/or stifling economic growth – which would be more of a shift than a solution.
Therefore my opinion is (back to the pigs) the only difference between a pig in lipstick and a pig in a poke is at least with the painted-up pig you know what you’re getting. Of course, making an argument that one should vote Republican because their ugliness is more apparent isn’t going to win elections.
So here’s to hoping Obama proves me wrong. And for the record, I’m not interested in being patted down for Palin either.
A.