It's official: Readers pick Cokie Roberts' "foreign, exotic" Hawaii comments as Most Inane

[CatWoman]

In the end, it wasn't close. By an overwhelming margin, criticism by Cokie Roberts, NPR contributing senior news analyst and ABC political commentator, of then-Sen. Barack Obama for choosing Hawaii, the state of his birth, to take his August family vacation was the most popular entry in Media Matters for America's poll for Most Inane Punditry of the 2008 presidential campaign. Readers chose Roberts' comments -- which included her characterizing Hawaii, where Obama vacations regularly, as "foreign, exotic" -- in greater numbers than her two closest competitors combined.

Roberts stated: "I know his grandmother lives in Hawaii and I know Hawaii is a state, but it has the look of him going off to some sort of foreign, exotic place," adding, "He should be in Myrtle Beach, and, you know, if he's going to take a vacation at this time."

Roberts repeated her criticism of Obama's vacation destination during the August 11 broadcast of NPR's Morning Edition, asserting that Obama's choice of Hawaii for his vacation "makes him seem a little bit more exotic." She also characterized Hawaii as "a somewhat odd place to be doing it," despite acknowledging, "I know that he is from Hawaii, he grew up there, his grandmother lives there."

Media Matters readers were not alone in objecting to Roberts' remarks. Responding to Roberts' comments, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) reportedly said: "She's a bit of a fool that's the only thing you can say. ... Don't forget Cokie Roberts and the whole Washington crowd live in a kind of an incestuous relationship to one another, they talk to one another, they see one another, they know nothing about ordinary people."

On August 11, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) released a statement in response to Roberts' comments, stating in part: "Saying our 50th state is somehow 'foreign,' does a great disservice to the hard working, patriotic Americans who call Hawaii home. ... For months people have been asking me, 'When is Senator Obama going to come home?' I'm so glad he found time to visit his sister and his grandmother, show his daughters more of his home state, and relax a little."

Vote totals in percentages*:


http://mediamatters.org/items/200812220009?newsref=www.eschatonblog.com

[LisaM]

1. Good. Calling Hawaii foreign is bad enough

but subsituting Myrtle Beach - which to me sounds like rich white men playing golf - is what really put her remark over the top.

[DevonRex]

10. That's exactly how I reacted, too. Like, oh yeah, Obama won't look

"different" there. :sarcasm:

[katandmoon]

2. Love Abercrombie's comment

[Cha]

24. You mean 'cause he's telling it like it is?

"Media Matters readers were not alone in objecting to Roberts' remarks. Responding to Roberts' comments, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) reportedly said: "She's a bit of a fool that's the only thing you can say. ... Don't forget Cokie Roberts and the whole Washington crowd live in a kind of an incestuous relationship to one another, they talk to one another, they see one another, they know nothing about ordinary people."

I don't think cokie could have come up with a more stupid statement on Obama's vacationing in Hawai'i if her pea brain had tried.

[patrice]

3. Old Pukie Roberts couldn't be a better example of PRIVILEGED MEDIOCRITY

She has never said one thing that we haven't already heard dozens of times. She's one of the biggest reasons I stopped my long $tanding relationship with NPR.

[CTyankee]

4. I was watching when Cokie said that. I was dumbstruck by it.

Cokie ought to know better. She needs to get out of Washington, D.C. She's in a deep rut...

[elleng]

8. Yes, but . . .

she's from n'awlins, and her family has been in dc/n'awlins for a LONG TIME!

[CTyankee]

19. Her mother, Lindy Boggs, by the way is a great lady. Just super.

She gave an address at the graduation of my stepson from Tulane. In her 80s at the time and a terrific speaker with a lovely persona.

Later I heard a speech by Cokie where she remarked that her mother's appointment by Bush as ambassador to the Vatican was appropriate because, since her mother lived in the French Quarter in New Orleans she was accustomed to dealing with men in skirts. That was kinda funny...

[suzie]

20. Lindy Boggs is indeed a very great lady.

And she's a good politician, and a tactful, pleasant, gracious one as well.

It's sort of amazing that her mother's graciousness of manner seems not to have rubbed off on Cokie.

[BeyondGeography]

5. To be renamed the Snortin' Cokie Award

[SuperTrouper]

6. What about ED Hill's stupid "terrorist bump" statement when Obama and his wife

did the fist bump in Minnesotta when he clinched enough delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination?

[KansDem]

7. I gave up on NPR during the 2000 campaign when Cokie gave reports about the Bush "charm offensive"

She reported that Bush was "charming, oh, so charming" and that he would go to DC and get things done because he would use his "charm offensive." Then she told us about his penchant for giving nicknames, another feature of his "charm."

I thought, "Is this really news?" :puke:

[CatWoman]

9. isn't she supposed to be a Democrat?

I remember her husband being a panel member on some news shows.

I always thought he was cool enough.

[KansDem]

11. I don't' know...she might be.

But she still speaks like an imbecile...:silly:

[bread_and_roses]

21. NPR "news" has become nothing but recylcled spew with three syllables

- scarcely better than FOX. They just re-cycle whatever the Beltway crowd is repeating ad nauseum, and never question the status quo or report anything that might rile the Oligarchic Junta.

[salin]

12. words that flow together... Cokie and Inane

:hi:

[CatWoman]

15. Hi Salin

:hi:

[salin]

16. it is so good to cross paths with you

:loveya:

Just procrastinating taking a drive down to see my mother - and I need to get my behind in gear... as there is some sleet on the way... Hope all is well with you!

[CatWoman]

18. last week we had 70 degree weather

and this week it's in the 20's!!!

Talk about extremes!! :)

However, the cats are happy to have the heat on :)

[opihimoimoi]

13. Cokie is a Dopey Idiot for saying inane shit while on camera....

She will mature in good time...

[justgamma]

14. That was just plain stupid,but

I personally thought that the "to thin to win" flap was the most inane.

[randr]

17. She must have real estate investments in Myrtle Beach

[Number23]

22. I don't know.. Point #4 is pretty f*cking stupid

"Brooks thinks Obama wouldn't seem to "fit in naturally" at an Applebee's salad bar -- maybe because Applebee's doesn't have them"

Summary: On MSNBC, David Brooks asserted that "less educated" and "downscale" people "look at Obama, and they don't see anything," adding: "And so, Obama's problem is he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who could go into an Applebee's salad bar, and people think he fits in naturally there." Applebee's officials have confirmed to Media Matters that its restaurants do not have salad bars.

:crazy:

[WinkyDink]

23. The Lamest and Most Blatant Attempt to Smear Obama as "Foreign" Award.