From Jake Tapper – Obama appears on Jay Leno and jokes about being a bad bowler saying it’s “like the Special Olympics or something.”
The first appearance by a sitting president on “The Tonight Show” may well end up being the last.
President Obama, in his taping with Jay Leno Thursday afternoon, attempted to yuk it up with the funnyman, and ended up insulting the disabled.
Towards the end of his approximately 40-minute appearance, the president talked about how he’s gotten better at bowling and has been practicing in the White House bowling alley.
He bowled a 129, the president said.
“That’s very good, Mr. President,” Leno said sarcastically.
It’s “like the Special Olympics or something,” the president said.Look, considering all the other things he has done and said the past two months, this comment is probably the least of his troubles, but I just have to wonder what the reaction to this would have been if it was President George Bush who said it. It remains to be seen how much attention and what kind of reaction the comment will get.
Kim adds: I understand President Obama was trying to make a self-deprecating joke, so I don’t want to make a bigger deal out of this that what it is, but, man that was cringe inducing. At least it was for me since I, like millions of other parents, have a disabled child. I mean his joke is right up there with Joe Biden asking a wheelchair-bound man to stand up. Obama certainly didn’t do anything to quell the teleprompter jokes.
I, too, could make a joke and tell the president to skip the comedy routine and stick to his day job, but he sucks even more at that.
Kim adds again: I saw Bernie Goldberg on Bill O’Reilly the other night say that Obama going on Leno was a win-win for him. It’s safe to say Bernie overestimated Obama’s ability to speak extemporaneously. Be sure to stop by Barack’s Teleprompter’s blog tomorrow.
Update: Jim Treacher has been on fire on Twitter tonight on this topic. Tammy Bruce said she is going to be reading some of his comments on her radio show tomorrow to show those who are not on Twitter what they are missing. Do you all remember when some comics said the reason they didn’t make as many jokes about Obama as they did McCain and other Republicans was because he just wasn’t as funny? The past two months he has provided them with a year’s worth of material and if you don’t believe it just check out Treacher. Heck, the TOTUS jokes alone could be stretched out for months.
