Obama - Buchenwald not Auschwitz

Cor blimey!

The Barack Obama campaign said Tuesday the candidate mistakenly referred to the wrong Nazi death camp when relating the story of a great-uncle who helped liberate the camps in World War II.


The Democratic presidential candidate said the story is accurate except that the camp was Buchenwald, not Auschwitz.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080528/ap_on_el_pr/obama_nazi_camp

Obama's mistaken mention of the camp on Monday quickly generated Internet chatter, ranging from puzzlement to outrage. The Republican Party demanded an explanation.

This guy can really add a new dimension to the word

INCOMPETENT


He named the camp Auschwitz when it was Buchenwald


What an outrageous gaffe

 

what's so outrageous about this gaffe?

 

Nothing typical thats all
al la
Blair
Bush
Cheney
Browne
et al

All the same nothing to chose between them they all have the same common denominator

INCOMPETENT

It's how they are these days in International Politics

 

Britishguy, in a hall of fame of gaffes, I don't quite see this as major league. Kind of a non-issue, really, seems to me. I'm sure lots of folks will leap on this, but, well, they would.

 

Worst things happen at sea...

It's not really much of a gaffe in the Premier League of All Time Gaffes...

 

I'm not seeing what's so horrendous about this? Everyone makes mistakes like that now and then.

As a relative example, would this be such a big deal if he had said his grandfather was at Normandy but mispoke and named the wrong beach head?

My grandpa landed at utah beach on d-day... oops it was omaha!

My grandpa helped liberate auschwitz in germany.. oops it was buchenwald!

 

He's doing a dangerous game, flirting with the holocaust, when trying to promote himself.

Who cares what his ancestor did? We're still trying to figure out how this guy is practically one ballot from the Presidency, because as far as I can see, thus far, he hasn't done squat!

 

That statement is like a double whammy, most likely designed to gain veteran and Jewish votes all in one. If he had written his speech beforehand, I believe he should have taken the time to verify the facts. Maybe Obama didn't speak to his uncle that much about liberating the camp, otherwise Buchenwald would be etched in his mind, I would think. I guess there is no reason to split hairs over it, if he liberated a camp, then I congratulate his uncle. Although, I am more interested in what Obama has done, than his uncle.

 

For Christ's sake. Get a grip. BIG DEAL.

 

I guess I didn't see it as this conscious of a ploy. Apparently he made a speech at a memorial day event, and it was in the context of improved healthcare for vets. I didn't get he was using his uncle's story to pander, but to tell a story, related to what he was talking about. I know I've done it - talked about my uncle's service, Bulge, WWII, for instance, and over much the same topic of conversation.

I certainly do not see it as a case of him "flirting with the holocaust." The context was about vets, and, hell, if my uncle took part in the liberation of a death camp, and it was memorial day, I'd be moved to tell the story as well - it's a good story, about a right fight. From the HBO series, Band of Brothers, episode 9, "Why we Fight," what greater story can someone tell than that their relative took part in the liberation of innocents from the grip of an extermination camp?

You might be right...just not what I whiffed out of the gaffe. I chalk it up to a screwup in name, and that's about it. Among a host of other things, that the GOP is leaping on this seems pretty disingenuous, to me.

 

You are probably right. I guess I am just automatically suspicious that whatever is said during a campaign, is out of a desire to gain votes. People are making too big of a deal out of it, Hillary probably send out info to all the media.

 

Yeah, but they all do it, it's part of the game... I would be more reassured knowing that Obama's grandfather helped liberate a concentration camp rather than being a Nazi supporter...

 

Touche. Although it didn't seem to hurt either Bushes that their relative was a Nazi sympathizer, and was implicated in a 1933 (?) plot to overthrow the US government.

 

it all about florida

 

Thats my point too, has not done squat, and what he has done is negative

The guy is all over the shop, trying to gain points, many which turn out to be 'own goals'

 

Hey! I have something nice to say about Obama. This thread made me wonder if Obama is sincere in helping veterans or has any plans to do so. I checked, and he does. Here is Obama's plan for helping veterans. The first half of the web page is like blah blah blah, but scroll down to the second half and you will see he has actual plans. Recently, I became interested in an issue with many veterans who have suffered from agent orange and have had to fight to get treatment. I just don't think that is right, so this is something I like about Obama.

Edit: Here is Mccain's plan for veterans. Actually, he is looking pretty good in this area as well.

Who do you think has a better plan for veterans?

 

Ron Paul

He's the only member running who actually cares about our POWs and doesn't believe in sealing their records as McCain had done (presumably to prevent embarrassment about his adventures in Vietnam). Paul is revered by veterans groups around the country for fighting to get them their medals, care etc.

Rolling Thunder, the pre-eminent veterans group may even come to his Washington Rally.

Of course, Paul kicks these other guys asses where it counts regularly. When McCain, Obama or Clinton gets in, veterans are the least of their concerns, they will be way too busy making more veterans and wounded, by continuing the foreign policy of imperial aggression. The remaining candidates are much more likely to destroy lives, than to preserve and improve them.

But it doesn't matter. The President can only lobby for the veterans, the Congress has to get things done.

 

Guerilla makes a good point:

 

Obama's ancestors owned slaves. Any plans for Obama to campaign on that?

Obama lost Florida.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/menachem-rosensaft/using-the-holocaust-to-sm_b_103990.html