100
Cidu Bill on Mar 30th 2010
When I placed this in the queue a few weeks ago, I had no idea what they were talking about. In the interim, I read The Audacity to Win, which discussed the fact that President Obama is seriously bowling-challenged. So this is no longer a CIDU, but a question remains: Is Obama’s inability to knock down tenpins common enough knowledge to make this comic work?
Filed in Barack Obama, Bill Bickel, Hi and Lois, bowling, comic strips, comics, humor | 19 responses so far
Dustin Mar 30th 2010 at 12:07 pm 1
Yes. There were quite a few “news” articles regarding his bowling prowess, or lack thereof.
Kate C Mar 30th 2010 at 12:11 pm 2
Unfortunately, I think it is (although it might be a year and a half too late). There was an ordeal during the campaign where he went bowling somewhere in Pennsylvania and got a really horrible score. I honestly can’t remember much of the details of it, but it was considered proof (by a certain loud contingent of right wing TV personalities) about how out of touch Obama was with the “working class.” The word “dainty” was used to describe his form. The fact that Obama was good at basketball and not bowling was further evidence of how he wasn’t right for America.
Rich Mar 30th 2010 at 12:24 pm 3
The event I recall was his comment on Leno ( http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7129997&page=1 ) when he compared his bowling skills to a special olympics participant. That one kind of burned me up and I think the press let him off the hook too easily with his apology.
I think he (like most people) find it easy to laugh at the special olympians - I found his apology more political than of any substance. I highly recommend attending a SO event - it would change most people’s veiwpoint.
Disclosures: I have a special needs son; I voted for Obama
Heather D Mar 30th 2010 at 12:49 pm 4
I’m not even American and I knew all about it. I recall very clearly seeing news footage of him getting a gutterball.
Obama-haters can’t be satisfied no matter what. If he’s no good at bowling, he’s “too far removed from the working class”. But if he were an ace at bowling, you can be sure they’d say “he’s too good at everything, what an elitist”.
I thought it showed him being human and vulnerable and not perfect… acknowledging something he wasn’t good at, and being in good humour about it (insensitive joke notwithstanding), self-deprecating and not puffing himself up. Letting us see he has faults and foibles and not ashamed of it. It’s not like championship bowling is a necessary job skill for the presidency…
Rebecca Mar 30th 2010 at 01:52 pm 5
There is a bowling alley in the White House, and apparently Obama is the one to add the basketball court.
Chakolate Mar 30th 2010 at 02:02 pm 6
I recall during the election Obama throwing a gutterball and saying something like, ‘I’m really a better ____ (politician?) than this’ and a guy in the crowd calling out, ‘You’d have to be!’ I think he bowled a 37 that day.
Cidu Bill Mar 30th 2010 at 02:17 pm 7
In Obama’s defense, that 37 was only six or seven frames, not the full ten.
Granted, not much of a defense…
furrykef Mar 30th 2010 at 03:05 pm 8
Yeah, I remember hearing about the bowling thing. I remember it because, really, that’s about the most absurd criterion you could possibly judge a politician on. Anybody who seriously thinks Obama’s bowling score has the slightest thing to do with how he relates to the working class should just keep their trap shut.
Everybody here already knows that, of course, and I’m sure most of the people who listened to the people spewing such nonsense knew it too. But they got away with saying it because there was nobody around to say, “Um, hello? That’s an utterly moronic comment and you should be ashamed for having even thought it.” So they really didn’t have much to lose by saying it: maybe if they said enough negative things about Obama, whether or not they actually made any sense, something would stick.
- Kef
Soup Dragon Mar 30th 2010 at 03:07 pm 9
Well, I myself suck at bowling. Just thought I’d mention that.
Andrew Mar 30th 2010 at 06:52 pm 10
Viewers of Have I Got News for You will know that there are political leaders who bowl worse than Obama. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7353172.stm
John Small Berries Mar 30th 2010 at 07:34 pm 11
Yeah, I remember hearing about the bowling thing. I remember it because, really, that’s about the most absurd criterion you could possibly judge a politician on.
Haters will jump on anything they can; it doesn’t have to make sense. I remember right-wingers leaping all over the fact that Obama asked for dijon mustard on his burger rather than good old-fashioned American ketchup, and left-wingers pointing gleefully at Bush working his jaw from side to side as he spoke and insisting it was “coke jaw”.
Mark M Mar 30th 2010 at 08:09 pm 12
Those damn right wing Obama haters!
David A. Rooney Mar 30th 2010 at 10:06 pm 13
Mark M - to quote Tom Lerher “I know there are some people in this world who do not love their fellow men, and I HATE people like that!”
Plenty of ludicrous hate-mongering on both sides. I’m thinking of starting a new political party based on those of us with high-functioning Autism - the Aspergers Party. Our slogan - “For truly Intelligent and Honest Government - Vote Aspie”. Our symbol will be the silhouette of a human head - because this country is supposed to be governed by ‘people’ not jackasses and ponderous pachyderms.
Any takers?
The Bad Seed Mar 30th 2010 at 10:12 pm 14
I’d like to think that POTUS - no matter who he is - has better things to do with his time - especially during times such as these - than hone his skills at bowling, golf, Super Mario Brothers, or whatever. Sure, he needs to do whatever floats his boat to unwind, but improving his scores would seem to take a back seat to other pressing issues.
Mark in Boston Mar 30th 2010 at 10:30 pm 15
It’s been a while since we had a President who could play the piano or the saxophone.
Chuck Mar 31st 2010 at 02:00 am 16
We need a president who is really good at Pokemon. I don’t trust my country to anyone who can’t catch ‘em all.
ShireNomad Mar 31st 2010 at 03:42 pm 17
It’s mostly well-known because Obama compared his lack of bowling talent to the Special Olympics on Leno, which got him in some hot water with representatives of the organization.
Prosfilaes Apr 2nd 2010 at 07:13 pm 18
#8: Most absurd? I don’t know; my mother really ripped into me when I claimed that the fact that an Obama-Biden morph looked decent but McCain-Palin was butt-ugly might be a reason to vote Obama.
David A. Rooney Apr 2nd 2010 at 10:40 pm 19
Prosfilaes - so what would a Mitt Romney/Sarah Palin morph look like? Two good-looking people who *shudder* might actually be a ticket in 2012.