I believe Huckabee's apology

[Stinky The Clown]

That is not to excuse what he said. It was an awful thing to say. But we all know he likes to quip. He was in front of the NRA. He started by saying Obama fell off a chair and then added on the part about the gun. It was clearly an ill-formed joke that fell flat, even to that audience. No one laughed at the second (gun) part.

Going after Huckabee for this one, in my view, is a waste of effort.

Much better to stay with Obama's absolutely brilliant double smackdown of Fuckface and MiniMe all day today.

[Nitrogenica]

1. Why was that the first thing off the top of his head to say?

[Stinky The Clown]

5. If oyu watch the tape, the first thing off his head was not the gun part .....

.... it was falling off a chair. The gun part was clearly an add-on. Probably because he was at the NRA and it seemed a good way to pander. It wasn't, even to that crowd.

We've all done such stuff. A joke that seemed real funny way back there at the rear of your skull, but just dribbles out impotently when you give it voice.

[malta blue]

2. I'm with you on this one...

:thumbsup:

[Condem]

3. It was just inappropriate, Husb2

No malice intended.

[sniffa]

4. I think he's the VP and he had to apologize

Believe, not so much.

Just reading the thread titles earlier without clicking, I assumed it was going to be a Sniper Fire dig. Now hearing what he said, that was either the most poorly delivered joke, or he should have the Secret Service pay a visit.

[Faygo Kid]

6. Haven't seen the apology just yet. But I think he's another Repuke with a wink and a nod.

Just pandering to the Hannity Haters.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Oh ... he was pandering, alright. But not very well. Even the NRA crowd didn't laugh.

It was a bad joke, even more badly delivered. Nothing more.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

8. Where's the apology? What did he say?

I missed it.

[AngryOldDem]

39. Here you go.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jWOCO_efafmW4lPBXAqvW5kKrVdAD90N09P01


<<LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican Mike Huckabee responded to an offstage noise during his speech to the National Rifle Association by suggesting it was Barack Obama diving to the floor because someone had aimed a gun at him.

Hearing a loud noise and interrupting his speech, Huckabee said: "That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He's getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he — he dove for the floor."

There were only a few murmurs in the crowd after the remark.<<


I'm sorry. That was totally uncalled for. I DON'T accept Huckabee's apology.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

41. Thanks, I meant the apology, which I have now seen.

[Swamp Rat]

9. Poor Huckaburger!

:D

[Thrill]

10. Huckabee thinks everything is a joke

He's a clown.

[kid a]

11. fuckface and minime! love it

[IsItJustMe]

12. Just more right wing vile. Screw the Huck. Too many right wingers out there for

this type of talk for my taste.

[goletian]

13. even though i think hes kinda dumb, i think huckabee is an okay guy, but...

what he said was very irresponsible, and could be seen as though hes encouraging an assassination attempt.

[Condem]

14. I'll tell you something about Huck

He's done alot more to quell the Wright deal than a fuck of alot of democrats.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

15. If he had just said "Obama saw someone with a gun"

instead of "someone pointed a gun at Obama", then it wouldn't have been a problem. It was obviously an off-the-cuff remark, trying to make a joke, and it came off badly. I disagree with Huckabee on pretty much everything, but he has shown himself to be honorable by apologizing (unlike, say, McCain).

[A-Schwarzenegger]

16. Um, you believe this?: "in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama."

Huckabee released the following statement regarding his comments Friday, according to the New York Times website:

During my speech at the N.R.A., a loud noise backstage, that sounded like a chair falling, distracted the crowd and interrupted my speech. I made an off hand remark that was in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama. I apologize that my comments were offensive. That was never my intention.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/16/huckabe...

[goclark]

18. He is smarter than to not realize the implicaions of what he said..

Now it will be open season and all that will have to be said is "Sorry- I made a boo boo." :puke;

[blonndee]

17. I believe he didn't intend for that ugliness to come out

and maybe he is sorry that it did, but the fact that he had that in his head and associated it with humor is SICK. Think about it. Would you even THINK about joking about something like that? And yes, people DID laugh at the second part. Not many, but several.

[mcctatas]

19. Me too...

If he wasn't such a flat earth fundie throw-back I might even like the guy....

[rch35]

20. what did he say? i missed it!

someone help me out please!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

23. Here:

including apology at end...
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/16/huckabee-jokes-about-obama-ducking-a-gunman/

[rch35]

42. thanks much nt

[PleaseSayItAintSo]

21. Lest we forget ...

This is Mike Huckabee - the one who said that the Constitution of the United States of America should be changed to conform to "god's law" not vice versa.

[tokenlib]

22. I hope he calls Obama personally to apologize...

Although I don't think Huckabee meant to be so awful. I do not like the wording of the apology--it is weak--and misses the mark.. One of the greatest fears many of us have is that some racist nutcase is going to pick up a gun and try to make a name for himself. Mike Huckabee should know this is nothing to even attempt a joke on--and I hope he picks up the phone. I am disturbed by this.

[blonndee]

26. I agree with you. He should know better

and it REALLY bothers me that anyone is joking about such a thing in the public realm, surely knowing that the press is going to pick it up and replay it over and over.

[Blondiegrrl]

28. I hope so too. n/t

[Youphemism]

24. A clear "stream of consciousness" error

The guy was at an NRA gathering, so guns were on his mind.

He was trying to help McCain win, so Obama was on his mind.

It was a totally stupid thing to say. But you could watch what happened and see the wheels turn.

I think most people have had something like this happen, though maybe not quite on such a grand scale. There was true malice intended when Bush lobbed the "Nazi appeasers" comment and McCain unsuccessfully tried to spike it over the net.

This was just a really dumb thing that got blurted out in a moment of confusion. He apologized. Time to let it go. It's just another distraction.

[Condem]

25. It's timing

I'm sure at the given signal, an aide dropped something on the floor and the Huck came up with this line. It was all planned.

[Blondiegrrl]

27. I agree. It was a lousy thing to say, but he realized the error and

he apologized. (At least he said "... that I offended anyone" as opposed to "... if I offended anyone.")

Let it sink.

[Faygo Kid]

29. How old are you? He's 52, almost 53. He remembers. Nobody who remembers would make that statement.

He vividly remembers RFK and MLK, and likely also is old enough to at least somewhat remember JFK, too. Maybe more than "somewhat."

Anyone his age knows DAMNED WELL what it means to make an "offhand" statement like that. Damned well.

Don't kid yourself. No one his age makes a "joke" like that. Offhand or not.

[tokenlib]

31. Some of those memories came back to me after hearing the "joke"

bad memories indeed....

[Sparkly]

34. "How old are you?"

:rofl: I ain't sayin' nuthin'.... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Stinky The Clown]

36. I'm considerably older than he is ......

.... and while he and I are not one bit alike, I can see me making a horribly ill advised joke like that. It would be unintentional. But the fact is, we all have all sorts of thoughts in our brains. When we make ill-conceived or ill-advised comments, that's exactly where they come from.

I'd bet even you could make such a remark. You would in no way intend to make it. But there it would be.

[Youphemism]

30. Even as a mistake, it's disturbing

I suspect a lot of people had the same reaction I did when I heard that comment. You don't want anyone to say anything even close to what Huckabee said, because there are so many whack jobs out there.

Obama has taken some heat for not campaigning enough in these latest Dixie primaries. I don't blame him one bit. I think Huckabee's comment darkly highlights a darned good reason not to campaign in WV and Kentucky. I wouldn't be surprised if Michelle tried to discourage it, and good for her if she did.

We've seen some of the sorry side of humanity driven into the light during this campaign. It makes you shudder to imagine Huckabee's words falling on the horrendously hateful.

Postscript: I notice Huckabee's name isn't in the DU spellchecker but I don't want to complain because first, I find the suggested replacement, "hackable," oddly amusing and second, I like clicking "Ignore" with Huckabee's name highlighted.

[TexasLady]

32. His remarks scared me..inappropriate? Try DISGUSTING

It makes me wonder about 'kitchen table' talk, now...

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[hendo]

35. I doubt he meant anything offensive by it

As was already pointed out in this thread, he probably just meant to say that obama had seen a gun or something long those lines. The guy just mis-spoke and now he appologized for it.

Huckabee seems like a decent person, just let this drop off the radar. Some people are too paranoid.

[Sparkly]

40. I thought it was bizarre and majorly offensive until I realized he was speaking to the NRA.

I was wondering why on EARTH his mind went to "gun."

Now it makes a little bit of sense. It was still really bad, but I think he was going for something about being for any kind of gun control as equivalent to being scared of guns... He's have to be a complete idiot to think it'd be a good move to imply anything more!! And the danger about people like Huckabee is that he is NOT an idiot.

[Tribetime]

37. I don't know why this was the first thing to come into his mind

it's disturbing.....he's a preacher??? I believe he's sorry, but what really are his true feelings???

[OzarkDem]

38. He's a Republican, who cares?

They don't need Dems to defend them.

[Basement Beat]

46. Thats basically the first thought that popped in my mind...

*shrugs*

[joeybee12]

43. Hmmm giving Huckabee the benefit of the doubt, but never giving it to Hilary.

We are definitely entering an alternate universe.

[Youphemism]

44. Quote a Huckabee camp inflammatory comment...

...and I have no doubt that people on this list will be happy to return each quote with ten from the Hillary camp.

My bet is that this is a moot point. You can't.

Huckabee is a nut, but he doesn't have a history of deliberately trying to whip people into a frenzy. That's the difference.

[sandnsea]

45. Part of them laughed

Listen again. And ducking from gun fire, well, I guess when Cheney is in your family you have to be prepared for that sort of thing.