A Taboo Moment for Obama
PORTLAND, ORE. – So what do presidential candidates do on five hour flights as they campaign across the country? On Barack Obama’s press plane, it’s Taboo – the board game, that is.
About an hour into a flight from Washington to Portland last night, Obama walked to the press section of the plane and announced he was ready to play. A favorite of the Obama press corps, the charades-like game forces players to describe the word given to them on a card without using certain key terms. If the player accidentally uses one of the forbidden – “taboo” – words, the opposing team "buzzes" them with a plastic buzzer.
Obama dove right in – throwing out words, hi-fiving his staffers. Casually leaning on the plane’s arm rests, he taunted the press corps – his competition – and warned me that buzzing him meant "no access" while covering him. I buzzed him twice.
One Obama staffer pulled the word “gap,” and his clue to the team was: “where gay people get their clothes.” Several people called out store names, with Obama chiming in with "Abercrombie and Fitch."
The lighthearted game was also filled with campaign references. To guess the "White House," a reporter said "it’s where Barack wants to live," to which she quickly added "I mean Senator." To lead teammates to the name "George Bush," a player said it was the job he wanted. When describing the word "California," one reporter said it was where the senator made his now notorious "bitter comments." Obama joked that he didn’t come back here to "drag back to painful memories," but a quick glance to a staffer said he didn't like where this was going.
While the energetic press corps team gave a valiant effort, both games were won by Obama campaign. A rematch was promised as the victorious staffers walked to the front of the plane, leaving reporters to blog and practice.
About an hour into a flight from Washington to Portland last night, Obama walked to the press section of the plane and announced he was ready to play. A favorite of the Obama press corps, the charades-like game forces players to describe the word given to them on a card without using certain key terms. If the player accidentally uses one of the forbidden – “taboo” – words, the opposing team "buzzes" them with a plastic buzzer.
Obama dove right in – throwing out words, hi-fiving his staffers. Casually leaning on the plane’s arm rests, he taunted the press corps – his competition – and warned me that buzzing him meant "no access" while covering him. I buzzed him twice.
One Obama staffer pulled the word “gap,” and his clue to the team was: “where gay people get their clothes.” Several people called out store names, with Obama chiming in with "Abercrombie and Fitch."
The lighthearted game was also filled with campaign references. To guess the "White House," a reporter said "it’s where Barack wants to live," to which she quickly added "I mean Senator." To lead teammates to the name "George Bush," a player said it was the job he wanted. When describing the word "California," one reporter said it was where the senator made his now notorious "bitter comments." Obama joked that he didn’t come back here to "drag back to painful memories," but a quick glance to a staffer said he didn't like where this was going.
While the energetic press corps team gave a valiant effort, both games were won by Obama campaign. A rematch was promised as the victorious staffers walked to the front of the plane, leaving reporters to blog and practice.
As was the campaign itself, much to the consternation of Hillary "I was shot at in Bosnia but took the hit in America" Clinton.
Updated: 05/09/2008 07:38 AM
By: Shawn Flynn
[The problem regarding this year%u2019s double counting was narrowed down to an optical scanner machine, which most counties do not use.]
The problem regarding this year%u2019s double counting was narrowed down to an optical scanner machine, which most counties do not use.
MECKLENBURG & WAKE COUNTIES -- Vote tallies are changing in the state%u2019s two largest counties, after certain ballots were counted twice in Mecklenburg and Wake counties.
The mistake didn%u2019t change the outcome of any elections, but it is a cause for concern to election directors. For example, when Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama declared victory Tuesday night in North Carolina%u2019s primary, he was given approximately 15,000 votes more than he should have been. That%u2019s 1 percent of all ballots cast.
In Wake County, early and absentee ballots were counted as part of the individual voters precincts and again as a whole. %u201CSo in essence, those voters were recorded double,%u201D said Cherie Poucher of the Wake Co. Board of Elections. It was around 37,000 votes.
%u201CThere was no doubt in my mind that as a member of the black community, I am obligated to this community and will utilize all of my present and future resources to benefit the black community first and foremost.%u201D
Good luck and I hope you get to see him. he is the next President of the United States of America and people are just going to have to get used to that. Personally I''m looking forward to the next 8 years of him in office.
It seems that many people are not able to walk in someone else''s shoes. I am a white older woman that can remember separate schools, swimming pools, etc. You are fooling yourself if you think African Americans are no longer discriminated against. It only takes reading a few blogs to see the blatant hatred toward Obama because he is black. Some people try to mask it by falsely saying Obama is a Muslim.
How many women are voting for Hillary because she is a woman? I encountered discrimination in the workplace. Even though the discrimination toward women is much less than it was when I first started my career, there is still discrimination toward women, which is usually better hidden than in the past. Just as it did for African Americans, it took laws for the improvement for women in the workplace.
I would vote for Clinton to support another woman and to have the first woman President, but I cannot support Clinton''s very long history of unethical behavior. If she were to be the Democratic candidate, I would "hold my nose" to vote for her because our country does not need anymore Republican destruction.
Obama is the first Presidential candidate that I am very excited to support. I also made my first ever donation to any political candidate.
Remember to think about what it might be like to walk in someone else''s shoes.
Bravo! Wells stated and 100% correct! Great post!
Posted by mbcsmith at 02:56 PM : May 09, 2008
They have no standards...that''s why they''re all in the tank for Ubama. That plus they''re dead from the neck up.....just like the rest of the loser liberals posting here.
They better get used to forming the words ''President McCain'' cause their boy doesn''t stand a chance.
Posted by Oscarez at 04:29 PM : May 09, 2008
You''re welcome. And don''t be such a little weiner. :)
Posted by mbcsmith at 02:56 PM : May 09, 2008
I''m sure it would be ok if this story was about McCain!!!
Posted by JulieKay44 at 03:36 PM : May 09, 2008
''A fool and his money will soon part ways.''
Posted by Oscarez at 04:33 PM : May 09, 2008
Actually it wouldn''t. He''s just a RINO democrat in disguise, so it would amount to the same thing.
Is he gonna roll the dice when he tries to lead this country?
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Posted by remco82
TELL ME Oh puleeze tell me how hes going to change them. Just like the new Democratic Congress changed the economy since it took over. Gas hiked, unemployment hiked and housing equity down 10% all since the democratic congress came to be. WOWEE! How will he make change?
She has LOANED her campaign nearly $12 million dollars; at the moment there is not enough money in her campaign to repay her, if she quits then the donations stop, which means she has a problem recovering her millions.
However if she is clever she can continue and keep making requests for donations from foolish Clinton supporters.
Once enough gullible people have made donations and there is enough money to pay her back THEN suddenly she will announce that she is quitting for the good of the Party !
Does that make sense to you Clinton supporters?
Now go to her website immediately and pay back her loans!
All I see from you is unsubstantiated accusations and vicious attacks. Do you actually have anything to offer other than prejudice and venom? If so, let''s hear it, because otherwise you should be running for VP, since all you seem qualified to offer is a "bucket of warm p*i*s*s" (John Nance Garner''s opinion of the worth of the VP job).
Posted by mbcsmith
Lighten up. The press corps embedded with a candidate has always done this. Their job is to provide an inside look at the candidate and his staff in those moments when they are off-guard and human. The research and policy analysis is left to the bureaus and their staff writers.
And kudos to the Obama staff...I''m not surprised they bested the reporters!
Again, I quote the author, Mike McIntire from his February 3, 2008 article in the New York Times. Exelon (contributed over $225,000 to Obama) .It is %u2018The Big Lie%u2019 because he never passed the legislation, many in Iowa believed him, and the Illinois senator was never quizzed about it. He then moved forward basing a part of his entire campaign on something he didn%u2019t do, but said he did.
To base your first win on %u2018The Big Lie%u2019 is to have the rest of your wins cast in that shadow of your %u2018First Big Lie%u2019. Judgment is critical to Senator Obama%u2019s presidential hopes. He has little else, no bills or legislation of his own passed, no lengthy time in the US Senate, and maybe just his veracity as his only virtue. But where is that %u2018good judgment%u2019 if you told %u2018The Big Lie%u2019 first?
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by bayskipper
May 11, 2008 12:25 PM PDT
- So what are the taboo words?
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