Obamateurism of the Day: OBAMA says he doesn't speak Austrian

hotair.com ^ | April 6, 2009 | Ed Morrissey

[Tolik]

George Bush’s critics rightly roasted him for his tortured syntax and waterboarded grammar, and used it to make the claim that the graduate of both Harvard and Yale was an idiot.  Well, perhaps, but I don’t recall him ever claiming that Austrian was a language.  It takes a highly-esteemed intellect, it seems, to miss the fact that Austrians mainly speak German:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr7zhnctF4c

 

Obama: It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There’s a lot of — I don’t know what the term is in Austrian — wheeling and dealing — and, you know, people are pursuing their interests, and everybody has their own particular issues and their own particular politics.

Austrians speak German and Italian primarily, as well as French — and I’m sure some Austrians speak languages ranging from Albanian to Swahili, being an intelligent and cultured people. However, none of the speak Austrian, because it doesn’t exist.

I got a deluge of e-mails on this, so thanks to all who sent the tip.  Other bloggers on this Obamateurism:

• American Thinker
• Jim Treacher’s Twitter message
• Josh Painter

Update: LGF claims they have a clip of Bush bowing to Abdullah, but he’s actually bending down to receive a medal from the Saudi king.  Bush is much taller than Abdullah, which would have made it impossible for Abdullah to get the medal around his neck otherwise.  We can question whether Bush should have accepted a medal from the Saudis, but he wasn’t greeting Abdullah with a bow.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day.

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Barcepundit: OBAMA SAYS he doesn't speak Austrian. It's unknown if he can speak Argentinean or Brazilian but, to his credit, his American is way better than his English.

[Zman516]

True, and Bostonians, New Yawkers and Alabamans all are distinctive but it’s still the same language, which is the point.

[ccmay]

I’m told the Deutschland Germans are rather bigoted against their Austrian and Swiss cousins. A rural Austrian is called a Schluctenscheißer, or “canyon sh*tter”.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[a real Sheila]

I have also heard several clips of his speeches in which he uses incorrect grammar and nary a word is said about it.
I recall a total ROASTING of GW and endless playing of
“Is your children learning?”

And yes, we heard the “POTATO” story endlessly.
Here is an interesting twist. I think he was set up.
http://www.capitalcentury.com/1992.html

[omega4179]

So this “scholar” is illiterate in Austrian in all 57 states?

[pabianice]

[nutmeg]

JFK called himself a Jelly doughnut, but did so in German. Obama pulled an “Ich bein ein Weiner” moment, in english.

LOL. That's right about JFK. But you rarely hear about that faux pas. JFK and Camelot live on to this day, unfortunately...

[Jonny foreigner]

Doesn’t Osterreich mean “Eastern Nation”, implying the eastern portion of the German-speaking peoples? In fact, if memory serves me, it was renamed Ostmark (Eastern Province) in the days of the Anschluss.

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no im sorry has nothing to do with it. Österreich doesn´t mean Eastern nation. it´s true that “ost” translated into english means “east” and “reich” can be translated into “empire,kingdom...”) But this is just “ coincidence” that this fits somehow with the english language.
Has nothing to do with the name of the country. i have to admit i just tried to take a crash course on the internet because i was interessted too where the name Österreich does come from. this even totally confused me (because it´s more than 1000 years of history and the name has changed a lot during this time). and my english is just to limited to only try to explain it :-) but you are correct about the “anschluß” it was named “ostmark” (because austria did no longer official “exist” during this time) and this can be translated into eastern providence. but again has nothing to do with the real name Österreich.
greetings

[Myrddin]

What a kartoffelkopf...

Potato Head. I was thinking scheisskopf was more applicable to Zero.

[aft_lizard]

Yes but there is a difference between local, regional and national dialects and a different language. I can tell a southerner from a Bostonian but they both speak English. Let’s not forget that in the Spanish world they all taught Castilian as the primary language.

[Jonny foreigner]

I’m told the Deutschland Germans are rather bigoted against their Austrian and Swiss cousins. A rural Austrian is called a Schluctenscheißer, or “canyon sh*tter”.

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*lol* oh you mean this little “private war” between some austrian, german and swiss people :-) yeah does exist, it´s pretty common here to make fun about each other... but shold not been take “too” serious. as long you do not make the grave mistake to say to an austrian you are somehow like a german *lol* you will be treated nice here even if you are one of those evil germans ;-)

[Jonny foreigner]

but shold not been take “too” serious

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jesus christ my english sucks today :-(
“should not be taken too serious” (i guess this is the correct form) :-)

[FreeSouthernAmerican]

You mean I don’t speak Texan?? I thought it was an official language.

[CholeraJoe]

I guess Redneck isn’t so bad after all.

[patton]

Ich glauga, am ende Karl Der Grosse, sie war am osten im Ersten Reich.

[longjack]

Österreich comes from the word Ostarrîchi. It would mean something similar to eastern territory.

That was the name given to that area of Bayern in 996. It comes from the latin Marchia Orientalis, (eastern mark). Ostarrîchi was the local vernacular and that term eventually was transformed into Österreich.

Also, mindestens seid Ihr Bayer und kein Piefke :>).

Wiki entries here and here.

[Jonny foreigner]

Also, mindestens seid Ihr Bayer und kein Piefke :>).

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Lach. Na auf jeden Fall sind wir keine Piefke!!!
Das is wichtig in Österreich ;-)

*lol* Of course we are no gemans ;-) this is very important in good old Austria. this reminds me on a “subway to sally” (geman Band) concert here in austria. the atmosphere was awesome it only totally stopped for one time. The singer did made the mistake and compared austrians too germans (even in a positive way). the silence was awesome too. just imagine tousands of people cheering seconds bevore to every world he said. then suddely totally silence :-) it was so silent that you could hear someone used his lighter to smoke a cigarette :-) was funny as hell.
greetings

[patton]

Piefke?

[patton]

Funny.

[longjack]

Piefke?

That's a slang term, along with Saupreiß, the southern Germans (Bavarians) use for the northern Germans (former Prussians).

I think the Austrians may use Piefke for all Germans. Saupreiß is used more by the Bavarians.