Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Over at Blue Mass. Group, there's been much discussion of Herald columnist Margery Eagan's conflation of Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden yesterday.

Therein, my friend and ex-colleague Dan Kennedy says he's sure Eagan's gaffe was accidental, and that he's made a few such mistakes himself. Having made plenty of my own, I'm prepared to give Eagan the benefit of the doubt as well.

That said, it's interesting--in light of Eagan's Obama/Osama slip--to review this exchange from the Sept. 14 installement of WTKK's Eagan & Braude show. The subject of the day was this: what's being discussed more, the NFL's Sept. 13 penalizing of Bill Belichick and the Patriots for Videotapegate or President Bush's Sept. 13 speech on Iraq? Let's pick it up from the 9:15 mark (click here to listen yourself):

Eagan: No one really wants to talk about George Bush, would be my question. You know why? Because if you saw the speech, he was in a full-throttle, Mad Magazine look--

Braude: No, he was. He looked like Alfred E. Neumann.

Eagan: It was the eyes darting, the look of uncertainty, the look of 'Oh my God, can I get through this speech without goofing it up. It’s one of those--and actually, you know who makes me feel that way? Not to the same degree--

Braude: Who?

Eagan: But you know who also makes me feel that way?

Braude: No I don’t.

Eagan: Obama. He makes me very nervous. When he’s doing a speech he’s different; he’s very good--

Braude: He’s not great in debates--

Eagan: But when he’s giving these off the cuff remarks, or if he’s in a debate, it’s the same kind of thing. 'Oh, can you get through this'--

Braude: I can’t believe you could say that. While I agree he’s not good in debates, I think there’s an intellect differential that is about as big as the Grand Canyon. Are you kidding?

Eagan: Well, there may be an intellectual--there may be an intellect differential, but he does not inspire confidence in his words. He makes me very nervous.

Braude: What do you think--what’s the thought--

Eagan: He inspires, you know, wet behind the ear. He reminds me of a kid in 4th grade the same way George Bush reminds me of a kid in 4th grade--can you get through the spelling bee?

Braude: You are out of your mind.

Eagan: I’m not out of my mind. This guy is--I cannot believe--

Unidentified male: Osama Obama--

Braude: That’s the other guy.

Eagan: Very smart people support this man.

I think it's safe to say she's not a fan.

11/21/2007 11:46:20 AM by Adam Reilly | Comments [4] |