Actually, they’re not. Seeing that this is what passes for “conservative humor” nowadays, is anyone surprised that “The Half Hour News Hour” was an abject failure? You don’t have to answer that.
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CNN:
During a speech before the National Rifle Association convention Friday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee — who has endorsed presumptive GOP nominee John McCain — joked that an unexpected offstage noise was Democrat Barack Obama looking to avoid a gunman.
“That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair, he’s getting ready to speak,” said the former Arkansas governor, to audience laughter. “Somebody aimed a gun at him and he dove for the floor.”
How is this even remotely funny? I know the Huckster is quick on his feet, but how did he think of this “joke” so quickly? That’s some serious improv skills right there.
UPDATE: Huckabee does the right thing and apologizes:
“During my speech at the N.R.A., a loud noise backstage, that sounded like a chair falling, distracted the crowd and interrupted my speech. I made an off hand remark that was in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama. I apologize that my comments were offensive. That was never my intention.”
Filed Under: Barack Obama, Campaigns/Elections
Tags: Gun Jokes, Mike Huckabee, NRA
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Screw him and his fat ass wife.
Come on, lighten up! Gun humor is the bomb! Just ask the audience in Columbine, not to mention those famous comedy lovers the Kennedys!
Why is it OK for the GOP to threaten Democratic candidates?
Someone needs to same-hole his wife. Now that would be hilarious.
Whoa. What’s the matter with the site?
Jesus Christ…
Be kind.
If those people were smart they would not be Republicans.
un real: what a scary red neck. notice how he does not even think a second before joking about shooting BHO!!!
gop = some sick fuckers!
The Cons are going to make the swift boating they gave Kerry look like a slap on the wrist compared to whats coming.
Their just warming up.
I don’t get the “joke.” Is Huckabee suggesting that an NRA member would point a gun at Obama? Shouldn’t that be offensive to the law-abiding, peace-loving members of the NRA? And isn’t it smart to hit the deck if someone pulls a gun?
If you’re shocked or surprised, then you obviously haven’t spent any time with these people.
Reminds me of the Curious Barack shirt story posted here
the other day.
Repubelicans : Never have been funny, aren’t funny, and never will
be.
Deal with it, Douches.
Did Hucksterbee say anything about Obama dropping his slice of watermelon, or that he shouted “Yassuh!!!!” while diving to the floor? Unfortunately this kind of “humor” appeals to certain idiots. Sheesh.
Huckabee is an idiot if he thought this was funny. If someone had said the same thing about bush, they would probably be in jail right now.
They are talking about this on Hardball right now.
This was obvously a set-up.
I hate to admit this… but the whole scenario reminds me of Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles.” Huckabee and the whole idiot, inbred team of rednecks trying to think of ways to defend the town when a bigger threat in the form of a black sheriff arrives. Then they want to string him up and then shoot him until Cleavon Little puts his gun against his own head and says “no body moves or the “***” gets it.” The idiot townspeople rally around the hostage and let him get to safety in the sheriff’s office. Classic un-PC comedy from Mel.
Sad that those stupid townspeople are still around.
correction obviously
This will probably become a regular thing - surrogates for McCain making cheap shots, calling Obama ‘Osama’, questioning his manhood (talking about his ‘pushy’, ‘uppity’ wife, etc), dissing his patriotism, calling him a Muslim, U name it.
It’s all been rehearsed on Fox already. As long as McCain doesn’t say it, it’s OK.
I bet anything there’ll be ads this fall smearing Obama as an admitted cocaine user and much worse. He’ll be turned into Senator Willie Osama Horton, the coke-snorting, gay-sympathizing, appeasing, half-breed carpetbagger. The GOP has nothing to lose whatsoever. The bottom of the barrel beckons.
That is sick and I hope the FBI gives “the Huckster” a stiff talking to. I still remember (even as a child) the collective heartbreak this country went through with the murders of John and then Bobby Kennedy and Dr. MLK. This is no joking matter. Perhaps Huckabee should be put on the terrorist watch list, seriously.
go to farmington missouri, a pub called sticks and steins, sit at the end of the bar next to john, and jay, a thompson, but not stevie, cause he died in iraq.
you will hear american racism at its most venomous
the aforementioned nascar dad rednecks are sitting there, downsized and drunk cussing the evil n______s for all of their problems!!
Huckabee is supposed to play the part of the jester of the Republican party I suppose. Well intelligent people and humane people are not his audience.
Don’t believe that this was any kind of spur of the moment comment. This was pre-arranged before he went on stage. It was carefully designed to dehumanize Obama but stop short of technically inciting violence against him. Someone backstage made the noise for setup and cHuckabee delivered the “joke”. Oh, and when he issues his non-apology apology, keep in mind that it was also written prior to cHuck going out on the stage today
Hate crimes and conspiracy to murder are not remotely humorous, to most of us.
Okay, wow… first off, this is a “gotcha” post if ever I saw one. We all (especially those of us with hearty senses of humor) try to make jokes sometimes and up saying something clumsy and unfunny, if not downright insensitive sounding- we just have the advantage of not being in front of a camera all the time, where our every bumbling remark can be exaggerated and expounded upon by witless pundits for weeks on end, just like this or just like Obama’s “guns and religion” quote. Second, in no way does this constitute any kind of a threat on Obama’s life by Huckabee, and no serious minded person could honestly believe that. He may be a theocrat, but pat robertson he ain’t. He’s always conducted himself with humility and honesty and fairness as far as I can see, and on several occasions I’ve heard make urgings to left-wing and right-wing audiences alike not to be scornful or judgmental of those with whom you differ (a rare breed of christian, indeed).
Third, part of the reason I’ve become increasingly dismayed about petty nitpickings like this appearing on this otherwise well-kept and informative site is that it draws out frothing zealots and vicious loons like those above. They come in every stripe and political affiliation, and they will only undermine our credibility and give ammunition to neocon propagandists.
JESUS WHO?
When it comes between Christian values and vulgar politicking, Republicans throw Jesus out the window every time.
One of the great things about an Obama candidacy is getting all the racists and biggots in this country to identify themselves.
Teh internets don’t forget.
The deeper they dig to throw dirt at Senator Obama, the more we know how desperate they feel. There are some people who will soak up all this shit like a sponge and spew it out anytime they get a chance. Is this the base of the Republican party? If it is they should be ashamed and not surprised that their party is going around the bowl for what could be the final swirl.
Nine times out of ten when someone says it was a slip of the tongue or just said in jest, it’s just a way to cover for saying something they thought would amuse their audience without thinking of the consequences.
Talk about dog whistles!
That’s one heck of a specific sequence of events for an off-the-cuff “joke.” The one thing that maintains my faith in humanity is that the laughter was fairly muted, and more nervous than hearty. Or maybe I’m just projecting.
You’ll notice that it got so silent you could hear a hammer cock after that joke.
I don’t think the people appreciated that comment.
Who would Mr. Huckabee’s personal Jesus shoot?
Uh oh! Did anyone tell Sen. Craig about this new push for a “hands-off of us” policy? Or perhaps that’s what Huckleberry is referring to.
:)
Yay, cheap-shots-and-old-chestnuts!
(wait, did I say “nuts”?? Oh, I jest cain’t he’p mahself!)
In this day and age you don’t joke around about pointing a gun at anyone. Thanks to the NRA, everyone and his brother owns a gun. So nothing about guns seems humorous to most of us.
Huckabee calls himself a minister yet yucks it up about things like this? Sick SOB if you ask me.
that’s pretty disgusting.
from a man who claims to be a christian.
imagine the outrage if those words were directed at bush and came out of the mouth of rev. wright.
J,
your concern trolling from Nutbagistan has been duly noted.
J @ 23:
ZzzxxXXxzzz…huh? wha?….zzzzxxxz….
All kidding aside for your concern, I think POP got it right @32. (though I don’t know how “sick” Huckabee is, down deep, but he go it wrong here)
J@23: nonsense. First of all, nobody else gets a pass in this campaign, so I’m not about to start with Huckabee. He hasn’t learned my personal motto yet, “Comedy is dangerous.”
Second, and more importantly, making jokes in public settings regarding shooting presidential candidates earns one a visit from the Secret Service. I know, because this happened to an acquaintance of mine (in the Seventies, granted). What Huckabee did as a joke, what Limbaugh does on a regular basis, is to issue incitements to violence that tippy-toe up to the line of criminal behavior.
This can’t be tolerated, particularly in light of the Right’s growing violent tendencies, from Cheney’s obscenties on the Senate floor, to ordering torture, to imprisoning Arkansas’ governor for political reason, further violence from this gang of thugs cannot be tolerated or excused.
No passes for Huckabee. He should apologize and renounce his stupid “joke,” and next time just keep his mouth shut.
I just watched for the second time and I believe the whole thing was planned. Even Huckabee couldn’t be that fast on his creative feet. He had the second line too well timed for it to be ad-lib.
“Petty Nitpickings”? Try saying just those words about Bush on television. Go ahead. Do you honestly think the Secret Service would just chuckle and say “You nut” or something similar?
Oh My Fucking God. That was utterly tasteless and unfunny.
I’m not surprised he said it.
I’m not surprised that they laughed.
They’re criminals. They think murder is funny.
Obama will soon have guns aimed at every American and the entire world, assuming he wins the election. Big deal.
pop,
I agree - first rule of public speaking: always have some “ice breakers” planned to get the audience on your side.
The real tell is the context.
1) Sanctimonious, self-righteous, all-knowing, christian preacher tone.
2) Racist attempt at humor.
3) Sanctimonious, self-righteous, all-knowing, christian preacher pose., all-knowing, christian preacher tone.
A psychotic degree of group-dishonesty.
I grew up with these people. You don’t want to waste your time with them. You just need to know who they are, and keep them out of your life — and out of your political party.
I am somewhat encouraged that it apparently only got a very muted response. It seems that even the gun zealots find that sort of thing tasteless these days. One more clue that the political climate is very different this year. The good news is that when our Republican bretheren notice that the joke failed, they will get even more hateful and tasteless rather than less so.
I don’t think Huckabee was joking about killing Obama.
But what he does think is kinda worse. He thinks it’s funny to pistol whip a black man. Deep down inside, that is what Huck thinks.
What do you expect from a man who spawned a dog torturer?
Mike @ 41:
I really have no idea why I see this kind of response on a few boards - where does this idea come from really? Guns aimed at every American and the entire world? Seriously? Personally if you want to believe that tripe - maybe you should open your eyes a bit and see that Bush basically has had that type of world going for the last eight years.
J@23 — Shouldn’t your personal motto be “I’m an asshole?”
#43 and out of the media.
#43 I mean out of the media as in not using the public airwaves for their fascism and racism.
TM @ 47:
Yes, and the police state and war machine that Bush, Clinton, Bush teh Furst!!! and Reagan created will be handed over to him.
You don’t *really* think he’ll hesitate to wield that power, now, do you?
Good Grief.. is that even a Joke? Dumbfu*kabee sounds more like a member of the Klan than a preacher.
That’s not improv. It’s his subconscious speaking. Not funny in the least, even his audience recognized it as idiotic.
Maybe it was Chuck Norris fal