President Obama’s Gaffe on the “Tonight Show”

You know how it is when you unconsciously say something, then afterwards you realize the implications of what you have just said. There’s no way to retract an uttered word right? Well, President Obama had the misfortune of doing that at “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Thursday night. Asked by Leno if he had been practicing bowling at the Washington office, Obama said that his highest score was the extremely low total of 129. Leno complimented Mr. Obama on the score, the President in turn joked: “It was like the Special Olympics or something,” which prompted laughter from the audience.

It was nothing compared to former President Reagan’s gaffe wayback 1984 though. While preparing for a radio address, unaware that his microphone is on, Mr. Reagan jokingly said, “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” That’s what you call a bad joke gone worse.

Anyway, Mr. Obama’s remark, according to Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton, was not meant to disparage the Special Olympics, but only to poke some fun at the commander-in-chief’s bowling skills. Burton also added, “He thinks the Special Olympics is a wonderful program that gives an opportunity for people with disabilities around the world.

Before the show even aired on Thursday, Mr. Obama called Tim Shriver, the head of the Special Olympics, to apologize.

“He expressed his disappointment and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population,” Shriver said Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

It only goes to show, of course, that Mr. President is only human..