Jack & Jill Politics

via YouTube

I’m interested in seeing that the GOP is getting down with social media, but how tired is this? Back in a February post here at JJP, dnA ripped conservatives for their knee-jerk criticism of Michelle Obama, noting how they all misquoted her to make their stupid point.

In any case, all of the above had one thing in common: They had all misquoted Michelle Obama to make their point. The place where the quote originated, the Boston Globe’s “Political Intelligence” blog, had posted half the quote with a snarky title in typical Drudge-baiting fashion. Ben Smith quoted what was posted there at Politico, and everything snowballed from there.

Hours later, the full quote was up. Still later, there was an update acknowledging that the full quote had not been posted.

“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country,” she told a Milwaukee crowd today, “and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”

I’m not sure what Michelle Obama meant, but being a black person with privilege and access often makes you more aware of American inequality, not less, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what Michelle was referring to. Try living in say, New Orleans or Newark for a few years and see how proud of your country it makes you.

The full quote (the reporter seems to have quoted Michelle Obama mid sentence, since what was once a comma is now a period) literally says she is not proud “just because her husband is running for president.” After emailing briefly with Ben Smith, he corrected his original item, while the folks at Hot Air and NRO didn’t.

If you have to cut a quote mid-sentence to make a point, you don’t have a point.

Exactly. Now they’ve taken their poorly informed and stupid point and put it on YouTube along with testimonials of a handful of “real” proud Americans. Weak.