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I’m 38—born in the same decade as Obama, the 60s—and graduated at the top of my class in high school, and I have a MA from Georgetown University, but I still didn’t just *know* right away last week that it was Russia who liberated Auschwitz and not the U.S.

And I majored in political science! I should have known that. . .and certainly the President of the U.S. should know that kind of history as well.

Well, I know it now! (Thanks to the Freepers here who educated me.)

I suspect that people born in the 60s might not know WWII history as well as those born earlier.

I didn’t even learn about Jonestown until this year! Fascinating stuff, the 1970s.

Well, I was born the day before Obsama (honest) and I know enough to know If I’m giving a speech, my facts better be right.
I also know, lying is not an option.

Obsama has no excuse.

Um .... care for some grape Kool-Aid? ;^)

The point is not that the President of the United States should know everything about anything, it’s that he should have the humility to know when he does not know and seek the appropriate advice.

Obama should have taken the time to educate himself about his (great)uncle and his exploits before he tossed off that quote.

McCain suffers from a similar arrogance when he embraces the cause of illegal aliens and global warming. He just knows what’s right. Don’t try to confuse him with facts.

but I still didn’t just *know* right away last week that it was Russia who liberated Auschwitz and not the U.S.

I knew it but "re remembered" it when it was pointed out by others. I would not have caught the gaffe on my own.

I'll be 63 next month and my theory is that my old brain has reached it's capacity and when new information is presented to it, some of the old stuff has to go.

What was the subject again?

Nor I, however I did not say my uncle (when Obama’s mother didn't have any brothers) liberated the camp. That is what is at issue.

As well as the fact the guy gave a Veteran's Day speech for Memorial Day, which leads me to believe that he will surround himself with idiots (and it was a terrible speech at that).

We don't require our presidents to be intellectual giants, but I don't think it is too much to ask of them to have an understanding of solemn occasions, the number of states in the union, and not stretch a story to the point it breaks.

but I still didn’t just *know* right away last week that it was Russia who liberated Auschwitz and not the U.S.

But that reveals the understory. You didn't know it right away, but you could learn it. So if you were telling some story, and wanted to include a death camp, you may have well used Auschwitz because of your ignorance.

But SUPPOSEDLY, Barack Obama wasn't making up a story. He was SUPPOSED to be repeating a narrative that he had heard from his parents. It was a true-life story of something his great-uncle had done.

Wouldn't the family tell the story correctly? Why would he have been TOLD the wrong death camp? Surely the Uncle knew what death camp it was, and surely the Grandfather knew what camps his fellow soldiers had liberated.

When Barack got those details wrong, it makes it look like he was NOT repeating a factual story, but was spinning a yarn, telling a tale, and that's why his ignorance showed up in the stories.

Just as his Memorial Day gaffe about the "fallen heroes" being in his audience was not about accidentally mixing up fallen heroes with veterans, but was about the implication that he thought Memorial Day was a day to honor veterans.