Monday, February 25, 2008

Turbangate

Boy, just when you thought you couldn't possibly manufacture a political dust-up dumber than the Obama "plagiarism" thing, someone on Hillary Clinton's staff goes and provides The Drudge Report (!!!!!) with an old photo of Obama on a diplomatic visit to Kenya in which he is seen donning some local garb, including a turban-like head-thingy. Sub-text: "See, he really is a secret Muslim!"

The Obama campaign responded by saying, "Hey, can we get back to what matters to the American public, please?" (that may be a paraphrase) and then the Clintonites accused Obama of using the photo to create a distraction from the issues.

Amazing.

People, it is perfectly normal for Americans visiting foreign lands to try on local costume as a diplomatic gesture. To wit:

Ogaki, Japan, 1990.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you wearing a wedding ring, Andy?

Anonymous said...

If this picture of you makes me a little bit hard, does that mean I'm a pedophile?

Thunder Jones said...

Fantastic. It looks straight out of a Wes Anderson movie.

Andy said...

A: No...wrong hand. I think that's a little silver and turquoise ring I picked up in Honolulu earlier that spring.

Dr. F: 16 is the age of consent in most of Europe, so I'd have to go with "no."

Anonymous said...

Mmmm, chicken.

Courtney said...

Ok, I'm totally seeing why I went for you back in the day.

tully said...

What an eerie resemblance. Did you ever reprise your role by playing Gilbert & Sullivan's "Mikado"?

Andy said...

Eerie resemblance to whom? (Or, what?)

Anonymous said...

I was going to say, "See, it is SO unfair that you are gay!"--but then I decided you could easily counter with "no, it is unfair that most of the men I meet are straight" ... --> You win! ;)

Anyhow, I'm with Quinn. Sometimes I feel stupid about that old crush ... and then ... sometimes I feel less stupid ;).

tully said...

kr vs. kr: Perhaps the most epic battle of wits yet held on this blog!
(:
Andy- resemblance to Andy.

Lukers said...

Sigh, pictures like that are the reason I keep coming back to reading your blog.

Anonymous said...

My goodness, Andrew, who DIDN'T have a crush on you (Me included!)?

Andy said...

who DIDN'T have a crush on you

Yeah, that would be everyone *I* had a crush on.

Jade said...

Quinn & KR - I *totally* feel less stupid about my crush knowing that you two were of the same mind - so thank you guys for that!

And Andy... I seem to remember at least one of your crushes turning in to some kind of activity back then (which was a fantastically tense night, when the three of us went out to dinner together)

Andy said...

Hmmm, I am not recalling the evening in question.

Jade said...

Not sure I should post his name in public - I'll send you an e-mail.

Anonymous said...

"who DIDN'T have a crush on you

Yeah, that would be everyone *I* had a crush on."

Thanks, bitch. I knew I should have killed your cat the day he destroyed his litter box.

Still love ya though.

Crash said...

Totally adorable.