Conservatives Call Obama’s Correct Pronounciation Of Pakistan ‘Exotic’ And ‘Annoying’
Conservatives Call Obama’s Correct Pronounciation Of Pakistan ‘Exotic’ And ‘Annoying’
Conservatives are in a tizzy over the way Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) pronounced “Pakistan” during last night’s debate:
– “When Obama says Pock-i-stahn I have an uncontrollable urge to read the New Yorker and find some Chardonnay. Fortunately I have an old copy of NR and a Coors Light to snap me back to reality. Seriously though — no one in flyover country says Pock-i-stahn. It’s annoying.” [E-mail posted by Kathryn Jean Lopez]
– “Re Senator Obama’s ostentatiously exotic pronunciation of Pakistan, one thing I like about Sarah Palin is the way she says ‘Eye-raq’.” [Mark Steyn]
– “Most overwrought pronunciation of the night: The academic way that Obama says ‘Pakistan,’ with a soft ‘a’ – reminscent of a 1980s ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch in which newscasters over-pronounced ‘Managua, Nicaragua.’” [Philadelphia Daily News]
– “Drinking Game: A shot every time the candidates pronounce ‘Pakistan’ or ‘Taliban’ in an annoying way?” [Ramesh Ponnuru]
Even the Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder liveblogged yesterday, “Noticing that Obama says Pahk-istan and McCain says Pack-istan.” However, Gen. David Petraeus also pronounces Pakistan with a soft “a,” the same as Obama:
Is Petraeus also exotic, academic, and annoying?
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
(R) = done.
we can not win on issues
- (R)
October 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pmit’s been said before, but the repigs do like and celebrate teh stupid.
they revel in it.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:14 pmDon’t vote for Obama! He doesn’t butcher language as much as McCain does – he must be a terrorist!
http://www.sunstateactivist.org/
October 8th, 2008 at 2:14 pmSo Cons are throwing a fit that the Democratic candidate is actually educated. He does that elitist stuff like reading books and knowing things its icky. How long are they going to play the rubes with this idiocy? Just how astonishing is it that they are this inordinatly proud of their ignorance? As for Palin pronunciation of Eye-raq there is this little difference IT IS NOT CORRECT OBAMA’s PRONUNCIATION IS. I am getting pretty sick of cons insulting my intelligence and trying to manipulat ignorance itself as some kind of positive quality. Attacking being right as if it were a bad thing is the kind of idiotic thinking that gets us into all kinds of trouble. Stop deifying stupidity. Its the same way we KEEP hearing about how all of us that were RIGHT about Iraq all along are the ones that just dont get it and are irresponsible and those who were WRONG about everything Iraq are the real wisemen. Its just making me sick at this point
October 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pmSo the people that think Nuclear is pronounced Nukular give lessons to a Harvard graduate, and who is professor of Constitional Law also? Priceless.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pmThe English language had deteriorated into a hybrid of hillbilly, valleygirl, inner-city slang and various grunts. Joe was able to understand them, but when he spoke in an ordinary voice he sounded pompous and faggy to them.
-IDIOCRACY
October 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pmSo the Republicans are so upset that they’re getting their ahsss handed to them that they resort to critcizing Obama’s correct pronunciation?
what ahsssholes
October 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pmLordy, those right-wingers are getting more desperate by the hour.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:19 pmBut they have no problem with Bush and Palin saying NUKE-YOU-LER.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:20 pmYep, all us Amerikans are supposed to say Eyerak and Eyeran too, keep a chaw in our cheek and dribble tabakkey juice out the corner of our mouth. We’re supposed to be stupid enough to believe all that Rebublikan stuff about how they’ll take care of us better and vote for them. Sometimes I can’t believe how infantile they are.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:21 pmMy dear departed Grandmother used to pronounce Italian Eye_talyun, and while endearing, it did indicate she only finished sixth grade, growing up in rural Missouri .
October 8th, 2008 at 2:21 pmGrasping at straws, I’d say.
The same people ‘correct’ others for mispronouncing the name of their native land, which I find annoying and rude. (’No, Mesickco, not Mehico.’) Ignorant snobs.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:21 pm.
Tomato…
…Tomahto
Q U E S T I O N:
After the last 8 years combined with the last 30 years of Conservative intervention…
… Why isn’t “Conservative” a dirty word by now?
.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pmSrsly, they’ve got absolutely nothing.
Heavens, we can’t be showing respect by actually pronouncing names correctly, can we?
Palin saying “Eye-Rack” is ignorant, and makes her look and sound stupid. But you keep up the good work, donchaknow.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pmApparently Republicans think ignorance is a winning issue for them.
They might be right.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:23 pmBut of course! I would go further to say that it is elitist of them that they do not change their names to Smith or some such to make it easy on the salt of the earth, Middle Americans who would otherwise embarass themselves. American exceptionalism at it finest.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:23 pmI know quite a few people who are Pakistani, and they tend to pronounce the name of the country of their birth or ancestry the way Obama does. I’ve never found it to be annoying.
What’s annoying to me is listening to pronunciations like “Eye-rack” and “nucular” — but that seems to be comforting to the LIVs.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:27 pmAh hurd that Aye-ran wunts nukular bawmbs and wud use them in Aye-rack.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pmI can only imagine what would happen if Obama began pronouncing 3raq correctly…
October 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pmRepublicans have now devolved into a party whose members complain that our schools don’t teach our children well enough while consistently nominating candidates who cannot complete a coherent sentence and ridiculing as “elitist” anyone who speaks intelligently. Sad.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:29 pmYou’re kidding me. They call us petty when we make fun of Sarah Palin saying noookyoular. Bush pronounces EVERYTHING wrong and they say we’re disrespectful when we point that out.
It’s the ultimate in IOKIYAR.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:29 pmI dare these buffoons to go to an Italian community center and ask for info about Eye-taly!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:30 pmthanks for being serious republican dipshits.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:33 pmZooey Says
October 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Palin saying “Eye-Rack” is ignorant, and makes her look and sound stupid. But you keep up the good work, donchaknow.
________________________________________________________
No, no, no, Zooey! Saying “Eye-Rack” isn’t ignorant — it’s “folksy” and “charming”! It shows that she’s one of us! (Well, not one of you, and not one of me, but one of SOMEBODY.)
She also says “nucular”, drops ending “g”s from words like they were toxic, and says “ya” instead of “you”. If you don’t think this is just as cute as all get-out, then you must be an elitist commie traitor who loves terrorism!
/snark off
October 8th, 2008 at 2:34 pmPronouncing words correctly is so “Democrat”.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:35 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
If you don’t think this is just as cute as all get-out, then you must be an elitist commie traitor who loves terrorism!
/snark off
October 8th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I have learned to embrace my inner elitist commie traitor who loves terrorism. :-D
Spot on as usual, Miss Molly.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:36 pmI’m still trying to figure out why I would listen to someone who drank Coors Light.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:37 pmJesus Christ on a cracker –!!!
How effin’ stupid are these people anyway?????
October 8th, 2008 at 2:38 pmThis is just symptomatic of the Republicans’ love of ignorance, because if they’re all ignorant together, they can then tell themselves apart from cultural others. It’s a way to distinguish themselves from other people and identify their clan.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:38 pmDon’t you know, correct pronunciation is sooo………elitist!
SNARK!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:39 pmWhy is there this celebration of stupidity and narrow mindedness on the part of conservatives? Conservatives want to point to the United States as being exceptional while striving to set an image of an arrogant people with an ignorant superiority that does seem to annoy so many of our allies and those who we need to bring onto our side.
The execeptionalism of the United States has always been its ability to seize great ideas from other countries and to bring in immigrants both to serve as a labor force and pool for new talents and innovations. Yes, there was prejudice and bigotry. However, the United States was able to assimilate ethnic, national and religiously diverse people into one nation and people. The conservatives have long since lost the humility and openness that created such a great country.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:40 pmMcCain says WaRshington.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:40 pmRethugs- dumber than a sack of shit—-AND PROUD OF IT!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:41 pmAnother example of the fire sale that is conservatism.
On another note, it’s become apparent the McCain campaign’s hurting for campaign cash. He’s pulling out of Michigan – and the trolls who usually infest the threads are all suspiciously absent.
Coincidence?
October 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pmI find it amusing these holier than thou goppers continue to bash Obama over his correct etiquette.
They have been wrong here too:
not wearing a flag pin
not placing his right hand over his heart during the national anthem:
October 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
LiberalsAreCool Says:
McCain says WaRshington.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
________
Wow! What a MARVERICK!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pmDear God, is that all they can find to complain about?!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:46 pmWow! What a MARVERICK!
That’s Captain Marvelrick.
Shazaam!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:46 pmAnd what, pray tell is the correct way to pronounce:
Ruck You, Fepublicans!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:46 pmbarfly, could it be that the McIIIrd redemption coupons all the trolls have been so zealously racking up are now kinda like WaMu stock?
October 8th, 2008 at 2:47 pmAw, now, gawd, whass wrong with them goddam smart people – they’re tryin’ to make us all feel bad becuz we’re stupid!! Stupid smartypants smart people!!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:48 pmHeaven forbid Americans electing an educated intelligent president for once
October 8th, 2008 at 2:49 pmIt’s called “Diplomacy” for all the “all shucks, gar darn ya” uneducated knuckle-dragging fascists lemming brownshirts thugs out there…something your type knows nothing about.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:50 pmNaw, Annie! Weze just gellous of them kolege edumacated liberuls and their fancy shmantzy belts they ware. Suspenders is jus tu gud fer em.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:50 pmWow. Is that all they’ve got? Seriously?
Are the surrogates for Obama’s campaign pointing out that McStain and Flailin’ pronounce Taliban like “Tellytubbies”?
Reminds me of being openly mocked when I guest-taught an 8th grade class at a private HS here in New Orleans – for correctly pronouncing the name of the country Chile, so that it didn’t sound like what you might slather on a hotdog. It hadn’t occurred to me at the time that most of those kids were Rethug offspring.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pmbarfly,
Is it conceivable that even Trolls find McC*nt boorish?
What I saw last night was an angry, rich, confused, partisan old man who’s lifelong dream of ‘ruling the Country’ to ‘1 up’ his Dad & Grandfather was vanishing before his very eyes.
THAT ONE is short of campaign funds, short on support and short on new policies. He knows he’s been part of the problem in Washington, but declares he’s ‘new & improved’. That line may work for laundry soap, but it’s McCain being taken to the cleaners.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pmthis is important stuff. its not like pahkistan has nookewlahr weapons or anything.
i hate smart people is the conservative creed.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:53 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
I was reading comments about the debate at the NYT and some
October 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pmwingnut railed about how dumb Obama was for “misspronouncin”
Pakistan. A couple posts later a guy from Pakistan corrected
him saying he was impressed that he was one of the few who actually pronunced it correctly and he hoped Obama would be
elected.
First Petraeus refuses to use the word “victory” and now he uses the elitist pronunciation for Pakistan?
Clearly he’s in the tank for Obama. Liberal, biased General.
PEACE
October 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pmIt’s kind of ironic, too – last night was the first time I really noticed Obama getting it right. At least for Pakistan. His pronunciations of Iraq and Afghanistan are almost there, but not wuite. I’m picky…
Still – I actually thought to myself how refreshing it would be to not have a President who sounds like he’s reading foreign names off a blurry teleprompter. It’s absolutely appalling that to the conservative clan of this country, education is exotic, and ignorance is a virtue.
Just unbelievable.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:56 pmidiocracy is prophecy.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:57 pm“Conservatives Call Obama’s Correct Pronounciation Of Pakistan ‘Exotic’ And ‘Annoying’”
Excuse me for a second (bangs head on desk). Okay, I’m back. Someone please tell me when it bacame elitist or exotic to have an education in this country?
October 8th, 2008 at 2:58 pmhe’s up by double digits in the polls. He can pronounce it any damn way he wants.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:02 pmbarracks9 Says:
Reminds me of being openly mocked when I guest-taught an 8th grade class at a private HS here in New Orleans – for correctly pronouncing the name of the country Chile
October 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
______
Well that sounds pretty typical for a population who dropped the O and R from their own city name…
October 8th, 2008 at 3:02 pmI posted this quote a few days ago…and it is yet again appropriate…RIP Buk.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
barfly Says
October 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
…and the trolls who usually infest the threads are all suspiciously absent.
Coincidence?
____________________________________________________________
Wow, they MUST be hurting for cash when they can’t even pay their trolls anymore.
Or maybe they finally realized they weren’t getting much bang for the buck there…
October 8th, 2008 at 3:06 pmYeah, he pronounces Pakistan properly, so he must be a terrorist…or at least Muslim…
Unfortunately, intelligence and education are no longer considered positives for politicians in this country. But good luck getting any other decent paying job here WITHOUT ONE.
P.S….
As someone who lives in the Phila. area, I can say this with the utmost confidence –
The Philadelphia Daily News is the daily local fishwrapper, not worth the ink used, nor the pulp wasted, to bring it forth into the world. Anyone who values decent reporting in this town reads the Inquirer.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:09 pmMore proof of the dumbing down of America and being proud of doing so.
Conservatives today encourage that the correct pronunciation of foreign words is somehow elite and exotic, and should be pronounced with the American twang, indicating provincialism, ignorance and resistance to anything intelligent.
Even conservative columnist, David Brooks had this to say after referring to Sarah Palin being like a cancer on the Republican party for her pride in her ignorance:
But there has been a counter, more populist tradition, which is not only to scorn liberal ideas but to scorn ideas entirely. And I’m afraid that Sarah Palin has those prejudices. I think President Bush has those prejudices.
Fox and its viewers apparently prefer all stupid, all the time. Eye-ran, Eye-rack, Eye-talian — whatever, be American! Mispronounce everything and be proud of it.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:09 pmObama pronounces Pakistan correctly, but I think that he and others still need to pronounce Iraq – “e-rack” rather than “i-rack”. Also, e-rahn.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:09 pmMHM:
You know, now that you mention it, the TP threads have been suspiciously Troll-Free as of late…or at least the ones I’ve been around for.
One of two things is happening:
Scenario A (preferable): Things are going so badly for them that they are locked in cages of despair and don’t have the energy even to spout talking points anymore.
Scenario B (more likely): They’re massing their forces for a major, all-out, racist, fact-free, fear-laden, pee-soaked offensive on all things logical and rational.
Seriously, brace yourselves, I have a feeling they’ll be back.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:10 pmI was over at redstate reading post a debate post and it
October 8th, 2008 at 3:10 pmwent off topic after 2 comments to who invented the computer?
They all are pretty depressed over there. wahhhh.
The policeman who, while introducing Sarah Palin this week and referred to Barack Hussein Obama (because they like to pronounce his full name as a pejorative) is being investigated for politicking while in uniform.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:11 pmOff-topic, but I just saw that the latest Gallup poll shows Obama up by 11 points — 52% to McCain’s 41%. The polling period was October 5 – 7, so doubtful that last night’s debate impacted it. It will be interesting to see what the polls show in the next couple of days. My prediction is that Obama’s pronunciation of “Pakistan” isn’t going to hurt him.
Anybody know if Gallup is still polling equal numbers of Dems and Reps, or if they have returned to polling proportional numbers?
October 8th, 2008 at 3:11 pmIt’s all about the children.
Sure, they start off with correct pronunciation. Just experimenting.
Then there’s peer-pressure to spell things correctly.
After that, the kids get into the hard stuff — printing…cursive.
Next thing you know they’re down at the mall, trying to score book at Barnes & Noble.
Once they’re hooked onto the books you’ve lost ‘em, dontchaknow.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:12 pmMark Steyn: Senator Obama’s ostentatiously exotic pronunciation of Pakistan, one thing I like about Sarah Palin is the way she says ‘Eye-raq’.
maybe when scoffing about Obamas “elitism” you shouldnt use fancy elitist words like “ostentatiously”.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:12 pmOnly in America would pronouncing something correctly be considered “ostentatious”.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:15 pmThe wingnuts think when she says “eye-rack” she is telling them to look at her breasts.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:16 pmliberal traitor Says:
Scenario B (more likely): They’re massing their forces for a major, all-out, racist, fact-free, fear-laden, pee-soaked offensive on all things logical and rational.
Seriously, brace yourselves, I have a feeling they’ll be back.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Macintosh and galoshes at the ready, and whack-a-troll mallet in hand. Bring ‘em on…
October 8th, 2008 at 3:17 pmIt’a like they’re PROUD of their IGNORANCE!
October 8th, 2008 at 3:17 pmThink a bit about the reputation of Americans in the world.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:21 pmIt’s gotten to the point that you need a BIG spread sheet to keep track of “stupid” which seems, in the NeoNuts case, to be happening now by the minute..
I guess that it’s consistent with their behavior, leaders (and I use that term REAL loosely), and environment…but it’s hard to tell. Maybe it’s in the water supply now – or the air – who knows!!
Another exotic elite and I had a discussion this morning about how, in general but by no means all, Americans have become so intolerant of anything outside their 4 sq. mile ‘life area’ that’s it’s become almost impossible to have a rational discussion even with a grocery checkout clerk.
We as a nation have got to re-learn how to get back into a “I live in a global community’ role or we will become at best a third world ‘used to be’ very quickly.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:22 pmMy God…. are Americans really that stupid?
We have a president who cannot pronounce the word “nuclear”. The GOP has nominated a VP who can’t pronounce it either.
Since when did being smart, knowing how to properly speak the English language, and actually knowing how to pronounce the names of foreign people and places become “exotic”?
Have we fallen so far that we are now living in an “idiotcracy”? Are our expectations for our leaders so low?
October 8th, 2008 at 3:23 pmCamacho/Not Sure 2008!
October 8th, 2008 at 3:27 pmZooey Says:
Bring me on. I am always ready for a pleasant day of troll stabbing
October 8th, 2008 at 3:28 pmAs we all know, the ReichWinger Troll Scum who post here are not exactly that attuned to the use of the English language, much less on how to pronounce foreign Countries or leaders.
We have had some great lines from some of the trolls though, they do make me laugh at the ignorance at just about anything.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:30 pm…ooops…thier ignorance….typing while eating lunch
October 8th, 2008 at 3:32 pmjpopphan Says:
——————————————————————————–
My God…. are Americans really that stupid?
Anyone who would think being able to “see Russia” was a
October 8th, 2008 at 3:32 pmqualification can’t be too smart. (including the media)
Daughter Amber, five and a half precocious years old last night said
I flyded around in my dreams…
When I corrected her with the word flew, she proclaimed “I can say it any way I want”.
To which I replied, yes, if you want people to think you are stupid.
Suddenly flew didn’t seem so bad to her after all.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:43 pmWhats annoying is this anti-intellectual plague that forces people to talk like ignorant yahoos in order to be accepted.
So he pronounces the name correctly, the way Pakistanis themselves would appreciate it, and that is annoying?!!
Grow up people.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:45 pmBuckie Boy Says
October 8th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
…ooops…thier ignorance….typing while eating lunch
___________________________________________________________
Um…”thier” ignorance? After you finish your sandwich, try again. :-)
October 8th, 2008 at 3:45 pmWe is amuhricans and we can say it like we wanna.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:46 pmgravy….hehe, darn, fork.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:53 pmTurkey, gravey, rice and peas, yummy.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:53 pmYou’re not going to believe it – our UPS man just came in and, while we were talking about the debate, said, “I got real scared.” Why? I asked.
“Last night when Obama said ‘Pahkistan’, I mean, why did he pronounce it that way?” and off he went on one of his rants (our UPS man is a ranter).
Needless to say, I let him know that Obama was pronouncing it right and heaven forbid we should have an educated President!
This is the same UPS man that said that he couldn’t vote for Obama because he was Muslim. In that instance I had told him that no, Obama was not Muslim, and that he should stop watching fox “news”.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:01 pmIt’s part of the right-wing scorched earth strategy for dealing with terrorism: waste the resources and dumb down the country so that by the time the terrorists win, there won’t be much left for them.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:01 pmZooey Says:
Macintosh and galoshes at the ready
zooey got a mac?!? fun, huh! (i hope)
.
wasn’t it not too long ago that there was much hand-wringing about the black community – blacks putting down other blacks for being smart, equating it with “acting white”?
or was it mostly progressives who were worried about that? the elites…
and it’s probably still a problem…
October 8th, 2008 at 4:02 pmi see barack obama helping that also…
misshusseinmolly Says:
Anybody know if Gallup is still polling equal numbers of Dems and Reps, or if they have returned to polling proportional numbers?
According to Research 2000 (Daily Kos’ polling outfit) they are back to proportional representation. I don’t see the breakdown there today, but I did see it a couple of days ago.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:19 pmWallowin’ in their ignerentz?
October 8th, 2008 at 4:23 pmConcerning Palin’s mispronunciation of nuclear: does anyone know if she has always said nukular, or did she just start that when she became the veep candidate, in order to connect with the “folksy” Bush supporters?
NPR reported on a linguist the other day that said Palin’s accent was authentic Alaskan. He was followed by two native Alaskan listeners that claimed they had never heard such an accent anywhere in the state. Link:
October 8th, 2008 at 4:27 pmSorry, link didn’t take first attempt. Second try:
October 8th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
How embarrasking. I’l just paste without using the tags:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95306504
October 8th, 2008 at 4:32 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
I can only imagine what would happen if Obama began pronouncing 3raq correctly…
Most people who are not native speakers and study Arabic have trouble with that glottal vowel! (I can do it but not as good as the natives can.)
I noticed in the first debate that Obama was pronouncing Pakistan correctly and I was impressed.
Palin is dumber than BushJr, if that’s even possible…
October 8th, 2008 at 4:43 pmmary Says:
This is the same UPS man that said that he couldn’t vote for Obama because he was Muslim. In that instance I had told him that no, Obama was not Muslim, and that he should stop watching fox “news”.
Mary — OMG — do we have the same UPS man? Or maybe watching Fox News is a job requirement for them. I won’t answer the door now when the UPS guy rings my bell. I wait for him to give up and just leave the package and go. I am tired of “re-educating” him every time he comes around. He apparently doesn’t like my Obama signs.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:47 pmIt is because the newscasters started saying bay-jhing, that Americans now say the same instead of saying Pee-king.
The pundits could have done a little search and said, “Huh. That sounds more like the way a Pakistani would say it.”, and then started the trend of pronouncing it correctly. Sure, some Americans are so insecure that they bristle when someone pronounces something differently or uses a word they don’t know, but wouldn’t it be nice if the media gave most of the public the benefit of the doubt and assumed that most Americans are adaptable enough not to get their underwear in a wad when they hear something pronounced differently, and that many might prefer to pronounce something correctly.
Sometimes I think they get payed to make infants of the masses.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:53 pmThey’d probably drop a pantload if any politican actually pronounced Af-WAHN-istan correctly.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:05 pmI noticed that during the Olympics — the pronunciation was updated to Bay-Jing (J as in Jingle) and not Bay-shzing (as in Zsa Zsa).
October 8th, 2008 at 5:06 pmmmanion Says:
They’d probably drop a pantload if any politican actually pronounced Af-WAHN-istan correctly.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
______
I thought you were supposed to roll the GH, like a French R. But with a bit more aspiration. That’s how I say it…
ScaryBrownHusseinChick (ThinkOutsideTheBush) Says:
I noticed that during the Olympics — the pronunciation was updated to Bay-Jing (J as in Jingle) and not Bay-shzing (as in Zsa Zsa).
October 8th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
______
Yah, that annoys me, too. It’s not supposed to be a hard J, but a soft, teeth-clenched zh for which we have no equivalent in English. Same with the x in xie-xie. Pinyin is just woefully inadequate.
Also – glad to hear I’m not the only one who has trouble with the 3ayn. :)
October 8th, 2008 at 5:18 pmInteresting. I watched the Olympics with the sound off. Sportscasters make me blind with their babbling. That’s still better that PEE-KING. I blanche at the memory.
Soooo—Pok-i-stan it is.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:21 pmThe way Obama pronounces Pakistan annoys me too. I don’t think it’s incorrect necessarily, just kind of affected. Are you saying “pack-is-tan” is incorrect, because I beg to differ. Of course, I don’t think it means anything or matters in any way; it’s just annoying, just like Tollybahn.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:28 pmDamn, it’s unbelievable that this is even an issue. The Republicans are in serious need of getting a life.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:35 pmOh, for sh%# sakes! Is THIS what it’s come down to for them? We’ve spent HOW long having to listen to the mispronunciations of words from Bush for WAY too long…and now they’re offended when someone says them properly? Truly the dumbing down of America…Pathetic souls.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:38 pmI wonder if the fact that I say, “aunt” not “ANT” makes them crazed? Is that elist, too? Ants crawl on the ground, my aunt is my father’s sister.Weird…all the troubles we have and it’s come down to this…maybe they just don’t have much else to say.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pmmistaketv – well at least you’re honest.
But, when Obama is President and he’s introducing the leader of Pakistan to, let’s say, Joe Biden (and I doubt that the Pakistani President will tell Joe that he’s even more gorgeous in person), wouldn’t it be appropriate to show respect and take a shot at pronouncing it correctly?
October 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pmMary, I don’t think you can say his way is more correct than the standard English pronunciation. If trying to pronounce the name of the country more like a native speaker or inhabitant is your definition of correct, then we need to revise the standard American English pronunciation of nearly all country names. Some would find it patronizing and/or an example of affectation. Would you not be annoyed if he decided that “MAY-HEE-CO” was a truer rendering of “Mexico”? In my mind, it’s the same thing. A total non-issue, but I didn’t bring it up; I’m just an Internet commenter here to spout off on every little thing.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:56 pmas a closet muslim who has stated that he will invade pakistan i think its important that he pronounce it correctly. we will all find out soon enough.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:00 pmHey, it’s a troll.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:07 pmNot a very good one either.
tony andlido
The Return of the Trolls…
October 8th, 2008 at 6:07 pmi am an ‘equal’ troll, i don’t think either candidate is worth a bag of dirt.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:14 pmPeople should learn to pronounce the names of other countries and their cities the same way the local citizens there pronounce them. People who say “Eye-rack” and “Eye-ran” are not pronouncing those country names correctly. There is no excuse not to. It’s ignorance, and the glorification of ignorance, plain and simple.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:17 pmOh, no, is “thinking” one of those ignorant trolls who actually believes that Obama is a “secret Muslim”? Or does he know the truth and is deliberately lying? Neither looks good for him.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:18 pmi believe he is a muslim, and we will find out soon enough. i hope to be wrong on this matter. on the other hand, i already know mccain is a idiot, and has been for a long time.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:36 pmWell, thinking, if you believe that Obama is a Muslim, then all I can say is that your sources for facts are not very reliable. There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Obama is a Muslim, secret or otherwise. None.
And so what if he was? What possible difference could it make?
October 8th, 2008 at 6:48 pmPockistahn sounds a tad affected to me. Maybe I’ll start saying Paree, too. Still, what a sign of desperation if that’s all the Republicans can fling our way.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:24 pmwell schneider if he is a muslim he would not get elected president. that of course would be a deal breaker. but after he is elected,[and if he is a muslim] and admits to being a muslim wait and see what happens then. he was a muslim as a young boy, he does not dispute that, and the way i understand it [the religion] you can’t stop being a muslim. if you do, you do so under peril. either way, no matter who we elect, we are screwed. check back in 4 years, you will see i am right. usually a mans’ religion means nothing to me, but the content of their character does. i don’t think either obama or mccain has any character. in fact, i can’t name 1 national political leader that does have character. now, that is what really concerns me. by the way, we have been getting screwed for many years, you may not know that, but the mark of a great politician is to screw us and we don’t know it. reminds me of the many stories about condemned people in russia, who often went to the gallows saying ‘if only joe stalin knew about this’.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:39 pmWhen Bush was in Pakistan last year, he said it was a fine example of an Arab democracy. It was neither Arab nor a democracy.
Palin mispronounces Iraq as EYE-rak. It is eh-RAK.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:41 pmReferring to “flyover states” is NOT elitist?????!!!!!!
October 8th, 2008 at 8:19 pmHi thinking,
October 8th, 2008 at 8:24 pmMight you inform me of a few people who you feel have “character” since you seem to have dubbed yourself the fine master of character. I think it would be easier to figure out what the hell sort of rubric you employ to make these decisions if we had a few individuals to compare. Thanks
in my opinion christ was a man of character[i have no idea if he was the son of god]churchill, lincoln, teddy roosevelt, ghandi, martin luther king, if you want i can provide more, but this list is a pretty good start, don’t you think dbadass? or are you insulted i left you off? oh by the way, since you probably don’t know a thing about any of these men, feel free to look them up on wikipedia.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:38 pmAssuming I was too ignorant to be versed in basic knowledge why would I use such a unreliable source as wikipedia? So about that rubric?
October 8th, 2008 at 8:46 pmuse whatever source you wish. the ‘rubric’ must be a new word for you, do you not see it in these men?
October 8th, 2008 at 8:56 pmthey all cared more about their fellow men then they did about themselves. that is the standard. also, if you want to be taken seriously, change your screen name, or at least stop using ebonics.
thinking Says:
As a complete moron with the IQ of a piece of lint no one cares what you think. Keep spewing the sewage you have been brainwashed to believe and instructed to repeat it just makes YOU look ignorant it doesnt do any harm to Obama. No one but a moron of YOUR gigantic proportions could take such a stupid claim seriously.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:57 pmthinking:
October 8th, 2008 at 9:01 pmyou seem to have some weird agression issues and you make odd asumptions which seem to be routed in a false sense of self. The screen name is rooted in a perfectly logical and dare I say honored tradition. You mistake as to eubonics seems to suggest that you suffer the character flaw of racism. It also seems you do not know the meaning of the word “rubric”
thinking Says: 114
Well you have demonstated what an ignorant piece of garbage you are and you are a liar. Obama was NEVER a Muslim not that I would care in the least. He lived in Muslim parts of the world and was exposed to the religion at a young age. When I was young my mother was Lutheran and I was exposed to the Lutheran religion but I am not a Lutheran. On the other hand you ARE a moron and most likely have been a moron your entire life. I encourage you to keep telling these lies and repeating this ignorance as it only shows how abjectly stupid you are.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:01 pmsorry about the typos. I was on the phone…
October 8th, 2008 at 9:02 pmhard to fly with eagles when i’m arguing with turkeys.as to eugene debs, i remind you that once you start name calling you are admitting that you are the ignorant one. by the way , the real debs would not do that.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:24 pmWhat is with this warped sense of self? Arrogance and pomposity are such strong signs of lack of true character
October 8th, 2008 at 9:29 pmI am curious about that whole ebonics thing though.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:32 pmwow, nuk-yu-lar, like omg! that’s so tubular!
October 8th, 2008 at 9:40 pmfinished with this, i will go tweek a conservative site now, but i must say, you liberals are easier to tweek, harder to reason with, and i really hope you get your wish of an obama presidency. the humor factor alone watching obama screw this country up even more then it already is will be worth it.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:54 pmThinking, what makes you think you tweaked anyone or thing. I smell the smell of that bullshit site that never has any comments. Does Daryll still whoop your ass with some amusing stuff now and again? Run along my self deluded friend…
October 8th, 2008 at 9:57 pmThanks, db. I enjoyed all that. I really wish people would stop believing what Limbaugh (both of them), Savage, Hannity, O’Reilly, and the rest of the Republican Noise Machine spew about Obama. It’s mostly lies, designed to play on their worst fears. My guess is that it’s because someone very different from themselves will be the next president. And that scares the crap out of them.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:24 pmstinking says:
he was a muslim as a young boy, he does not dispute that
This demonstrates how completely ignorant you are and how ignorant your sources of information are. His school in Indonesia was not Muslim. Only some of the students were Muslim and the teachings were not religious. He has, of course, always disputed this.
BTW, Teddy Roosevelt’s domestic policies were so progressive that he could not win the Republican nomination and had to start his own party. Lincoln was so far to the left that 13 states left the union after his election. These 13 form the base of the Republican Party today. They flipped because they so strongly opposed the equal treatment for Blacks.
Men of character today include Nadar and Kucinich.
Dbadass, you are right, it could well be Mr. Pee.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:55 pmSince when did being educated become such a bad thing. OH MY GOD, HE DIDNT PRONOUNCE IT LIKE THE REST OF THE YOKELS… HE MUST BE A MUOOOSLUMM TERRRROST.
If this is how a majority of our country thinks… god help us all. Oh wait, they believe he is on their side too.
Funny & Smart Political T’s and Such -
October 8th, 2008 at 11:09 pmhttp://www.showyourthoughts.com
the use of all lowercase doesn’t seem to fit and the spelling is better but still the reference to “tweeking” a conservative site points strongly in that direction based on some lame ass explainations posted at the afore mentioned bullshit location.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:09 pmReal Americans, regular folks, need to ignore and tune these conservative dorks out.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:14 amdipshittv Says:
The way Obama pronounces Pakistan annoys me too. I don’t think it’s incorrect necessarily, just kind of affected. Are you saying “pack-is-tan” is incorrect, because I beg to differ. Of course, I don’t think it means anything or matters in any way; it’s just annoying, just like Tollybahn.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
______
Good point, dipshittv! I mean, why should we even bother to say the correct names for things? If I want to pronounce your name “dipshittv” that’s my right as an American! Who gets to decide what’s “right” and “wrong?” That’s so ELITIST!
October 9th, 2008 at 12:40 ami am back; keith, i do not disagree that nader and kucinich are men of character!!! good examples. but you are wrong on the 13 states. only 11 left the union, virginia,north carolina,south carolina, georgia, tennesee, arkansas,texas, alabama, mississippi, louisiana and kentucky. missouri,maryland,delaware,new jersey and kansas all held elections where the proposition to leave the union was defeated. teddy roosevelt started the ‘bull moose’party AFTER he was president,because he did not like the job that william howard taft did as a republican president and tried to get the nomination from a sitting president. both taft and roosevelt were defeated by woodrow wilson in the 1912 election, roosevelt was president from 1901-1909,he became president upon mckinley’s death and won the presidency on his own in 1904.taft was elected in 1908 and served from 1909-to 1913. wilson won easily in 1912,against both roosevelt and taft. also, the ELEVEN states that did leave were bastions of the democrats until 100 years after the civil war.they were called the solid south.the black people that did vote [or could vote]always voted republican, until franklin roosevelt became president, LBJ solidified the black vote for democrats by signing the civil rights bill in 1964. the bill was passed because republican senators from the north voted for it. the democratic senators from the south voted against this bill.in the civil war west virginia became a state, it was made up of counties from virginia that did not want to leave the union.however, missouri, delaware and maryland had many men who fought for the south [as did men from other states that did not leave the union] but their states did not leave the union. many southern men left their states and fought for the north, including general john buford, who on the first day at gettysburg was responsible for saving the ‘high ground’ thus insuring a northern victory, and saving the union from defeat. he was from kentucky, and had a brother who was a confederate general.as a side note, i probably agree with nader on lots of issues, kucinich on some, but they indeed believe in what they do, although neither can be considered national leaders. as for me being mr.pee, i’m not. as for my lower case typing, i have found that on both conservative and liberal sites it is made fun of only when i don’t agree with the points of others. it is never brought up if i agree. i am a liberal,in fact very liberal, on some issues,and conservative on others. i never voted for anyone with the last name of bush, i think the iraq war was a mistake from the begining and said so at the time. i served in vietnam but can’t stand mccain,and will not vote for him just because we are both veterans, that is not enough reason for me.it does not bother me that some make fun of my typing skills, it says more about them then it does me.i am wary of all politicians, and don’t trust any of them, be they democrat or republican.i have found that most are spineless little wimps whose views ahift like the wind. neither party has a done a good job in quite some time. i hope if obama is elected president he wins by a landslide, and i hope he earns my trust by becoming a great president. i hope i am wrong about some of my concerns about him. i hate partisanship, and want a united country, not one where we are all yelling at each other about everything. honest and good men can disagree with civility. i will close by saying this, we have to become more united, we have to stop the name calling,its easy to do that on the internet, a little harder to do in person. it is the mark of a coward. good day.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:54 amdbadass, turns out i did mis-spell ‘tweek’ your spelling is correct. so, i must be ignorant and stupid because i sometimes mis-spell a word and always type in the lower case. you are superior to me, because, unlike me, you have never made a mistake,and,apparently always type properly.i bow to your ability. it always amazes me how some people have to point out the errors of others in order to make themselves feel better.they are knaves, look it up.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:17 amI wondered how long before Obama got ridiculed for pronouncing the BAA with ALIF correctly in the word Pakistan, which is more correctly pronounced BAHkistahn if you go by the Arabic spelling of:
???????
Reading the above word from right to left.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:17 amBAA-ALIF-KAA-SIN-TAA-ALIF-NUN
Great to use correct pronunciation and annoy republicans at the same time. Two birds with one stone.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:02 amdigtriad.com | Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
——————————————————————————–
Palin Drops The “N” Bomb With A Little Pronunciation Help
Nuclear, nukular or new-clear….either way, Sarah Palin was able to pronounce the word correctly, with a little help from the teleprompter.
With so many hard-lined moments in the political world, it’s rare to see an unconventional moment as researched by CNN’s Jeanne Moos.
‘Nuclear’ has had political figures tripping over their tongues for many years. George Bush has often pronounced ‘nuclear’ as ‘nukular’, but Sarah Palin planned ahead.
Some eagle eyes spotted her teleprompter reading ‘new-clear’ as a pronunciation crunch [sic]. The RNC publishers also inadvertently left the speech-helper in the pamphlet!
Even though she nailed it during her RNC speech, she wasn’t so lucky in her first national appearance. At that time she followed Bush’s use of ‘nukular’.
Video Jeanne Moos’s coverage of the light-hearted discovery
Source: CNN
Copyright: 2008 digtriad.com
http://www.digtriad.com/includes/tools/print.aspx?storyid=110262
October 9th, 2008 at 8:31 amEducation
Exotic and annoying
October 9th, 2008 at 9:55 amI hate to have to point out thinkings mistake… No one was critiquing the post just pointed out that it didn’t really fit the style of our other whack job friend.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:26 pmWhat’s annoying is ignorance!
October 11th, 2008 at 8:28 amLearning is easy and free….you just have to be open and willing….
most people i know who say nuke-u-ler also have trouble with a-loo-nim-mum. god help sarah mascara or lonesome george if someone comes up with an aluminium nuclear weapon!
October 11th, 2008 at 12:13 pmLet me guess….”Thinking” knows “everything” about Sarah Palin, you know, the woman he ‘just met’ a month ago and would never admit that she was funded by right wing evangelical militiamen in Alaska?
October 12th, 2008 at 8:53 pmhussein toasterhead:
You disagree with me, so I am a dipshit? Did you wander over from Fox News? Are ad hominem attacks just more fun than valid arguments, or what? My point was that I don’t think Obama’s pronunciation is the “correct” one as so many are asserting. That’s not to say it’s incorrect either, but it implies that the more standard American pronunciation is somehow incorrect, and I simply don’t agree. I just find it interesting from a linguistic perspective is all; it has absolutely no bearing on my liberal politics, and my vanishingly minor annoyance at Obama’s choice of pronunciation doesn’t diminish my affection for him or his ideas one whit.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:31 pmI wondered how long before Obama got ridiculed for pronouncing the BAA with ALIF correctly in the word Pakistan, which is more correctly pronounced BAHkistahn if you go by the Arabic spelling of:
???????
Reading the above word from right to left.
BAA-ALIF-KAA-SIN-TAA-ALIF-NUN
Actually the language of Pakistan is Urdu, and like Persian it has the p sound missing in Arabic. it also has the hard d and t, which Arabic doesn’t.
October 14th, 2008 at 2:18 amObama’s pronunciation is very close, I would however say it’s better pronounced like Park-is-taan
dipshit Says:
hussein toasterhead:
You disagree with me, so I am a dipshit? Did you wander over from Fox News? Are ad hominem attacks just more fun than valid arguments, or what? My point was that I don’t think Obama’s pronunciation is the “correct” one as so many are asserting. That’s not to say it’s incorrect either, but it implies that the more standard American pronunciation is somehow incorrect, and I simply don’t agree.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
________
Wow. Talk about a double standard.
What’s wrong with my calling you a dipshit? I mean, just because you’re not the standard American definition of dipshit doesn’t make you any less of a dipshit, or me wrong for labeling you as such. If you feel that there’s no reason to pronounce words correctly, then I feel that there’s no reason to spell words correctly. Hence, your name is dipshit, dipshit.
October 14th, 2008 at 2:40 pm