Eagan versus Obama: the prequel

Published Nov 21 2007, 04:46 PM by Adam Reilly

Over at Blue Mass. Group, there's been much discussion of Herald columnist Margery Eagan's conflation of Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden yesterday.

Therein, my friend and ex-colleague Dan Kennedy says he's sure Eagan's gaffe was accidental, and that he's made a few such mistakes himself. Having made plenty of my own, I'm prepared to give Eagan the benefit of the doubt as well.

That said, it's interesting--in light of Eagan's Obama/Osama slip--to review this exchange from the Sept. 14 installement of WTKK's Eagan & Braude show. The subject of the day was this: what's being discussed more, the NFL's Sept. 13 penalizing of Bill Belichick and the Patriots for Videotapegate or President Bush's Sept. 13 speech on Iraq? Let's pick it up from the 9:15 mark (click here to listen yourself):

Eagan: No one really wants to talk about George Bush, would be my question. You know why? Because if you saw the speech, he was in a full-throttle, Mad Magazine look--

Braude: No, he was. He looked like Alfred E. Neumann.

Eagan: It was the eyes darting, the look of uncertainty, the look of 'Oh my God, can I get through this speech without goofing it up. It’s one of those--and actually, you know who makes me feel that way? Not to the same degree--

Braude: Who?

Eagan: But you know who also makes me feel that way?

Braude: No I don’t.

Eagan: Obama. He makes me very nervous. When he’s doing a speech he’s different; he’s very good--

Braude: He’s not great in debates--

Eagan: But when he’s giving these off the cuff remarks, or if he’s in a debate, it’s the same kind of thing. 'Oh, can you get through this'--

Braude: I can’t believe you could say that. While I agree he’s not good in debates, I think there’s an intellect differential that is about as big as the Grand Canyon. Are you kidding?

Eagan: Well, there may be an intellectual--there may be an intellect differential, but he does not inspire confidence in his words. He makes me very nervous.

Braude: What do you think--what’s the thought--

Eagan: He inspires, you know, wet behind the ear. He reminds me of a kid in 4th grade the same way George Bush reminds me of a kid in 4th grade--can you get through the spelling bee?

Braude: You are out of your mind.

Eagan: I’m not out of my mind. This guy is--I cannot believe--

Unidentified male: Osama Obama--

Braude: That’s the other guy.

Eagan: Very smart people support this man.