Obama’s sentiment about sediment on 60 minutes…

*
Chalk this post up to my interest in how the English language is used (and misused). I thought college linguistics was fascinating. I guess my fascination with presidential speech patterns is somewhat understandable.

Bear in mind that the last president particularly drove me to distraction with his misusing or mispronouncing about every thirteenth word that he uttered. I suppose I’m used to being hyper sensitive to listening to the chronic mistakes GW made.


I’m guessing most folk probably didn’t even notice this and if they did wouldn’t care but the other night (Sunday to be exact) on 60 minutes President Obama interchanged two words. He was talking about Guantanamo, Cheney and the creation of more anti American “sediment.” He clearly had meant to say “sentiment.” Many people mix those two words without realizing it, just take a look at the internet.
For the record: sediment is the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid, while sentiment is a feeling, emotion, attitude or opinion towards something.

However, that wasn’t the interesting thing… everybody makes mistakes and the rest of the interview was pretty coherent. Afterwards I listened to what the different station’s pundits had to say about the 60 Minutes segment and they varied from “it was awful he laughed inappropriately at the economic crisis” to “he was informative, sincere and spoke directly to the issues.” Of course no one mentioned the mistake because it’s not a very important one in the scope of a speech.

I had to laugh though because when I got to Rachel Maddow afterwards they had shown the clip where Obama misstated as part of a story on Cheney. When Rachel spoke about it she very clearly enunciated the word “sentiment” with a smile. I’m pretty sure she noticed the switch. So is that the jaws of the liberal/socialist/left leaning media monster that we keep hearing about being too gentle on Obama? So she’s mean to that nice, sweet hearted old Dick Cheney while she’s indulgent towards that contemptible, nasty Barack Obama. Mildly amusing. And not to be soft on Rachel but she was a Rhodes Scholar and has a doctorate in political science. I think she can take it.

If it had been Bush it would have just been simply another day, another speech, another mangled word, because after all George W was certainly our most “misunderestimated” president.
Wait what’d he say?

G’night,

Laura

Three days left till E-Day... tired of the volumes of rhetoric.

*
Happy Halloween! Boo!

Lots of political tidbits:
Al Gore out in Florida for Obama. About time Al.
Since you're "Al the global warming guy" and Obama is with you on this topic.
McCain is the Drill more and build nuclear power plants guy-
And Palin is the dunno about global warming's causes at all gal.

McCain has Ahnuld out stumping for him now... you know Ahnuld the governator right?
McCain will be stopping in at Saturday Night LIve for a down to the wire visit to the cosmopolitan NYC where all those nasty elitists he keeps talking about all live (and vote). Oh boy, as a New Yorker I for one can't wait.

McCain keeps saying things about Obama like: "His eloquence is very excellent..." I don't know why that bothers me. But it surely does my friend.

Monday November 3rd is the day the automotive industry reports on auto sales. That likely won't be good news.
And there's talk of more layoffs in the industry.

Joe the plumber has a agent now. Good God. If only he got his fifteen minutes of fame and then went away.
Joe the writer, the country singer, the congressman, the stater of such nonsense as "a vote for Obama would be a vote for the death of Israel." This guy is NOT representative of the average Joe, please could he go away after the election and stop talking. Please. Watch this clip bearing in mind that it's from FOX news.



Perhaps the republican ticket (the conservative, right wing, evangelical core) could run a Palin/Joe the Plumber ticket.
I would have suggested Palin/Elizabeth Hasselbeck but that would be too much I think for most people.
Palin could do it cause now she can claim presidential ability because she simply ran for VP as a candidate.

McCain seems to have captured the coveted voting group of ambitious mavericky opportunistic narcissistic rogue presidential campaign sidekicks.
Speaking of folk that are benefiting from the McCain connection here... If McCain's looking for someone besides himself that he can blame his loss (if they lose) on Tuesday night as many people feel he is. He could look to the internet blogger that takes the credit for starting the whole Palin for VP ball rolling in Colorado. Adam Brickley. Here's his blog take a look.
Brickley's Palin for VP site
Today McCain stated that in this last week his campaign has made impressive strides. Really?
McCain apparently forgot to put those infamous "air quotes" around "impressive strides" so I'm doing it for him.

I have no idea why we should trust anyone in the government or corporate America to tell us the truth about the economy.
It's not really in their own self interest is it?
You have one channel telling us that there will be far more job losses, drops in personal spending, and really tough times still coming. So you listen nervously drinking your coffee in the morning feeling really stressed out and worried. Then not very long after that they're telling us how Halloween spending isn't down that much, and that people are feeling a little better and spending money on partying to enjoy themselves. It might indicate a faith that the recession will be over. Are people more optimistic now? Or worried to death? Same channel, but somewhat mutually exclusive story lines. No wonder no one understands the media, government or the economy. They can't even agree amongst themselves.

Bill Clinton seemed to finally give a rousing speech while campaigning for Obama. Strong supportive words.
It's about time that he lit the old Clinton fire in support of Barack Obama. I wish Bush spoke with such authority and energy.
The clip is only part one and you don't have to listen to it all if you don't want to but he's definitely NOT Bush.



And why does it sound like John McCain always says "Warshington" instead of Washington. There's no R in it that I'm aware of.
Bush's mispronouncing everything of course was far worse, so I suppose McCain is an improvement.
I swear Bush is linguistically challenged. Then again there's a lot of that going around it seems.

My little video camera came so now this weekend I get to play with it.
I was all set to go fishing and take it with me to play with it a bit out there but when I went out to get the fishing pole I realized that when my son borrowed the van to go to school today the fishing pole and gear was in it.
Bummer. A good day to fish too. oh well, plan to go tomorrow for sure.

Tired of election news today. Need breather till tomorrow.
Going to watch my tape of CSI.

G'night
See you tomorrow.

Laura

*