Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Cultural Literacy Note: Buffenbarger on Obama

At Slate, Mimi Sheraton puzzles over Hillary's taste in food, but for raw meat, yesterday Hillary turned to the Buffenbarger--Tom of that Ilk, an Ohio union president who seems to enjoy his duties as an attack dog. Per MSNBC (link), Buffenbarger:
called Obama a “thespian,” and ... sarcastically referred to the junior senator from Illinois as a “wunderkind.”

Those unschooled in political history should be informed that he's recycling one of the oldest of campaign jokes: "in his youth my opponent was a thespian down at the university, where the boys and girls matriculate together.

No idea what they'll make of "wunderkind." Maybe they can repackage it as a lunch special.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of the line "My opponent indulges in philately and has been known to read photographic magazines!"

Anonymous said...

Over at Faculty Lounge, they're declaring "Buffenbarger" to be a new verb - as in "Hillary Clinton got Buffenbargered". There's also a new bumper sticker out: Latte drinking Prius driving Democrat for Obama.

Backfire city.

Buce said...

Re "photographic magazines," my friend Anon points out that there was a day when that meant exactly what you suggest it might mean.

Anonymous said...

Someone should ask Buffenbarger about the Cadillac he drives or the corporate jet he flies around in.