Comments on: Joke of the Day

By: Freddy

Freddy — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:42:56 +0000

“…the MTV awards in which a Brit tells us we owe it to the world to prove we aren’t racists …”

Regarding that frightful little oik at MTV, is there any chance we could persuade you to keep him over there in the US ?

Please ?

By: Helen

Helen — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:48:54 +0000

I don’t think the details matters and France isn’t actually a joke of a country. Belgium, yes. France, no. But neither is it the equivalent of Europe, which is what too many American commentators seem to think.

Heigh-ho, I shall have to blog this one tomorrow I think.

By: LotharBot

LotharBot — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:17:10 +0000

“The BBC World Service asked 22,500 people in 22 countries… That’s the world? Aaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Lots of other reasons the poll is garbage:

In many of the countries, the polls were taken in July, when McCain had hardly been campaigning while Obama was all over the news. The last poll closed August 27, 2 days before McCain even made his VP announcement (see page 17 of the PDF.)

In 9 of the 22 countries (South America, the Middle East, China, and the Philippines), the polls were urban-only. I don’t know how that affects voting patterns in those countries, but in the US urban areas are more leftist than rural areas.

In several countries, 15 and 16 year olds were polled. LOL!

The selection of countries is questionable. In some of those countries, the people can’t even elect their own governments, and there’s no free media. They conveniently left out Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Georgia, all of which would benefit from not having a surrender monkey as US president (but notice McCain’s relatively high support in Lebanon!) And speaking of surrender monkeys, they included France, which is a joke of a country.

Finally, in total, those countries comprise zero electoral votes.

By: Helen

Helen — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:42:05 +0000

God I hate those “the world wants him” articles and polls. It is so embarrassing. Honestly, we are not all this dumb on this side of the Pond or even in the rest of the world. I wrote about it in 2004 and I have already written about it in this election but I might as well beat my head against a wall. The BBC World Service asked 22,500 people in 22 countries, many of whom cannot elect their own governments. That’s the world? Aaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: LotharBot

LotharBot — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:46:17 +0000

Hilarious: Obama's Electoral Map (hat tip: James Taranto / BotW)

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:57:18 +0000

Don’t they realize this wasn’t all that effective a tactic in the last election?

No, and that’s the joke.

By: Ginny

Ginny — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:51:30 +0000

Accident? Last night the news shows discussed the “world” poll in which other countries want us to elect Obama and clips from the MTV awards in which a Brit tells us we owe it to the world to prove we aren’t racists by electing him. Don’t they realize this wasn’t all that effective a tactic in the last election?

By: Lexington Green

Lexington Green — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:40:38 +0000

“Bad timing.”

Nah.

He’ll just laugh it off, get softballs from Letterman. He will have a good night on Letterman.

By: Mrs. Davis

Mrs. Davis — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:18:04 +0000

Isn’t he on Letterman tonight? Bad timing.

By: Lexington Green

Lexington Green — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:55:26 +0000

Yeah, it is like the scene in The Man Who Would be King where the mountain people see that Sean Connery can bleed. Then they turn on him and tear him to bits.

By: Robert Schwartz

Robert Schwartz — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:42:06 +0000

Could be an important moment. The late nights have stayed away from Hussein. Once he becomes a target of ridicule, he is human and not divine anymore.