I'm So Embarrassed (campaign, Barack Obama, Kennedy, Americans)
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I know why ...
BECAUSE
HE
DOESN'T
SPEAK
ANOTHER
LANGUAGE
Goose, meet gander ...
At least he didn't proclaim that he was a jelly donut, like Kennedy did.
It's funny how even 45 years later people think he said it incorrectly.
No one in Berlin calls the jelly doughnuts Berliners. They're Pfannkuchen. If he HAD said "Ich bin Berliner" it would've meant that he was a literal citizen of Berlin, which WOULD be wrong. From context it's perfectly clear that he meant he was a Berliner in spirit.
It's funny how even 45 years later people think he said it incorrectly.
No one in Berlin calls the jelly doughnuts Berliners. They're Pfannkuchen. If he HAD said "Ich bin Berliner" it would've meant that he was a literal citizen of Berlin, which WOULD be wrong. From context it's perfectly clear that he meant he was a Berliner in spirit.
Tomato, tomahto .. it's an interesting urban legend that has been debated. I ask my German mother. She's not of Berlin, she's of Wallerstein. Ok, she just said that yes, indeed, a berliner is a jelly donut where she grew up, but everyone knew what he meant (as do I .. ). Then she quipped that it would have been better if he would have given the speech in Frankfurt ... ich bin ein Frankfurter ... German humor.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.): “Indonesian and a little Spanish.”
TheHill.com - Q What languages do you speak (http://thehill.com/q/q-what-languages-do-you-speak-2006-03-22.html - broken link)
Oh wait I found this one too! Imagine it contradicts the previous....
July 11, 2008, 4:53 PM
Obama: “I don't speak a foreign language. It's embarrassing!"
Posted by Maria Gavrilovic
(DAYTON, OHIO) “I don't speak a foreign language. It's embarrassing!” Barack Obama exclaimed today at town hall meeting here. Obama, who often touts his time growing up overseas, made the confession while speaking about the importance of teaching foreign languages in schools.
The speech was watched by people worldwide and probably also watched by more Americans than any other speech in this campaign. Since it was being watched by such an international audience, English was a better choice.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.): “Indonesian and a little Spanish.”
TheHill.com - Q What languages do you speak (http://thehill.com/q/q-what-languages-do-you-speak-2006-03-22.html - broken link)
A little? Well that is nice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by normie
The speech was watched by people worldwide and probably also watched by more Americans than any other speech in this campaign. Since it was being watched by such an international audience, English was a better choice.
Oh you don't think it should have been done in Indonesian?
Funny English the common language around the world what a concept.
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