This you should know without using a teleprompter.
There comes a time in everyone’s high school (or junior high school) experience when one of your classmates drops a reference to Africa as a country in casual conversation. Usually it comes out something like, “Oh I totally want to go to Africa some day—it’s supposed to be a beautiful country.”
The kid who makes this remark might come from a wide variety of high-school social strata: they might be a jock, a cheerleader, an over-sheltered silver-spoon type, or just a general dumbass. But whoever they are, they were probably not voted “most likely to become president of the United States” in their senior yearbook.
It seems only fair the same rules should apply to the Republican primaries.
Last night in the GOP debate Michele Bachmann said she’d consider cutting everything from the federal budget—including some modest cuts to defense spending—if she were elected. Railing against what she apparently considers costly military adventurism abroad on the part of the Obama Administration, she said, “The president, he put us in Libya. He is now putting us in Africa.”
New Zealand Herald clarified: “Bachmann was referring to Obama’s recent announcement that he will be sending 100 U.S. troops to Uganda to help battle rebels from the Lord’s Resistance Army, implying that Libya – a North African state – was not in that continent.” (We had to go halfway around the world to make sense of that one.)
Bachmann has a colorful, gaffe-riddled short history as a presidential candidate, wishing Elvis a happy birthday on the anniversary date of his death, and confusing her birthplace of Waterloo, Iowa as the birthplace of John Wayne when it’s actually the birthplace of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
But not knowing that Libya is in Africa? Come on.
Bachmann has said that geography is not her strong suit. If you’re running for president, an acceptable threshold of being bad at geography means sometimes forgetting whether Paraguay of Uruguay is the one that’s further north. But not knowing that Libya is in Africa?
No doubt the Bachmann camp will try to spin this (if they acknowledge it at all) that she of course knows Libya is in Africa—she didn’t explicitly say that Libya was in the middle east, after all.
But watch the clip from the debate yourself and decide what you think of the context. For my money, no way is she placing Libya in the right continent.
October 19, 2011 at 5:29 pm, Fedup said:
You guys are idiots. How can you criticize Bachmann for getting facts wrong when you report false facts in your own article. Waterloo was not the birthplace of John Wayne Gacy, he was born in Chicago. He moved to Waterloo for a time when he was an adult.
Furthermore, its obvious that Bachmann knows that Libya is in the continent of Africa, but most people associate Libya with the Middle East. She was clearly referring to Uganda where Obama has recently committed troops. Most people associate Africa with countries that have jungles like Uganda.
Your bias is crystal clear. Do your own fact checking before you report.
October 19, 2011 at 5:45 pm, Kcorn86 said:
Hey Fedup,
Most people I know have an education and know that Libya is in Africa. Most people you know probably do not, and therein lies the problem. Associating Africa with jungles has a hint of American-styled bastardized racism.
October 19, 2011 at 10:42 pm, Guest said:
Uh guys…. Africa doesn’t have jungles…. They have a lot of other terrain but jungles isn’t one of them….
October 19, 2011 at 11:16 pm, Haney72003 said:
Africa doesn’t have jungles? Ever heard of the African rain forest?
Fedup hit the nail on the freaking head. Most people DO associate Libya with the middle east, since it’s a largely Arab country. They speak Arabic as their language, just like, well I’ll be durned, pretty much all of the rest of the middle east. So try again, dumbasses. You just got schooled by one of those dumb country hick republican types who clings to his Bible and guns….. Idiots.
October 19, 2011 at 11:47 pm, Disputo ErgoSum said:
Right. Racists like you and all your friends (which you of course refer to as “most people”) are ignorant uneducated idiots who think that Libya is part of the Middle East (aka not Africa), and think that Africa is all jungle. We all get that. You idiot racists can stop posting this “explanation” over and over again as if it wasn’t already blindingly obvious.
October 20, 2011 at 12:52 am, Proud Libyan and AFRICAN said:
Guess what, I’m from Libya. Which means I’m from Africa. Just because someone speaks Arabic doesn’t mean they are from the middle east. And just so you know, the people of Libya are not Arabs, they are Libyans.
October 20, 2011 at 11:59 am, m.ridealgh said:
Here, here. I aquiet agree. It is frightening to think that the US would consider allowing a Bachmann, Palin or Perry into a position where thay can influence the future of a country whose whareabouts they are unsure and certainly don’t know the culture or history. But I bet they think they know what Lybians want!
Let’s hope Lybians get to decide their future and Good save us all from the US.
We are All Africans.
October 21, 2011 at 8:19 am, Kevin Brooks said:
Haney72003 you and Fedup are two examples of what is wrong with the educational system in the United States. Being dumb must be comfortable for you guys.
October 21, 2011 at 8:16 am, Kevin Brooks said:
Hey Fedup,
She is an idiot and you apparently an idiot for supporting her.
October 20, 2011 at 11:51 am, m.ridealgh said:
“Most people associate Africa with countries that have jungles like Uganda.”
When did schools start using Tarzan films to teach geography?
That’s like saying that most people associate the US with check shirted pickup truck drivers voting for dangerously uneducated theocrates.
I would have hoped that “most people” would associate Africa as the birthplace of humanity rather than using Disney style stereotyping.
October 21, 2011 at 11:11 am, Rich said:
SPIN SPIN SPIN
October 24, 2011 at 11:41 am, jem said:
And America has no jungles? Oh my God, no wonder the American economy is falling. The amount of ignorance exhibited by Americans when dealing with the rest of the world is appalling.
October 24, 2011 at 11:44 am, ekwi said:
How does this sound?
“he put us in USA and now he is putting us in America (Read Brazil)”
and Bachman people would say, “You see USA is considered differently from this country with the amazon jungle in America. HMM
October 24, 2011 at 12:44 pm, Karlhastings said:
Its obvious? I’ll bet you were at the top of your English class. You clearly excelled in Logic too.
October 20, 2011 at 9:52 am, Tomautry said:
unfortunately stupidity has not precluded people from powerful positions in the past. Dubya was stupid, but this reminds me more of Dan Quayle.
October 21, 2011 at 10:23 pm, Beninabox said:
I think Bachmann has no idea about many things and loves passing on rumor without factual basis.
BUT I think it’s clear that she said Africa as a way to underline Libya to her constituents. ie “Obama took us to Libya, that’s in Africa for God’s sake, that deep dark mysterious continent where they don’t even look like us white people”
October 21, 2011 at 10:23 pm, Beninabox said:
I think Bachmann has no idea about many things and loves passing on rumor without factual basis.
BUT I think it’s clear that she said Africa as a way to underline Libya to her constituents. ie “Obama took us to Libya, that’s in Africa for God’s sake, that deep dark mysterious continent where they don’t even look like us white people”
October 22, 2011 at 7:39 am, Lonestar said:
I am Egyptian myself and I am telling you that this lady does not seem stupid. She didn’t say ”he has put us in Libya and now in Africa”. It didn’t sound like she’s stupid and that she doesn’t know that Libya is in Africa. I would expect this from someone like Sarah Pallin, or even GB, but not her. Anyways, good luck to all!
October 22, 2011 at 7:50 am, Lonestar said:
Oh, I would also like to add that Egypt and Libya are countries in Africa and we HATE to be called Middle Easterners! We are Egyptians and Libyans. And I am not defending this lady Michele cause I care about her or think she’s good, but I am just saying that whatever she said didn’t sound like it was a unknowledgeable. I believe she just said it the wrong way.
October 22, 2011 at 9:11 am, Redwoods said:
Agree with Fedup …..Not even close to Obama saying we’ve been to 57 states & have 3 more to go , mispelling early , seeing dead heroes in the crowd at a speech in front of Veterns , and much more……If that’s all you got on Bachmann I think she would make a fine President. I can’t believe that we have a President that doesn’t know how many states are in the Union. Talk about dumbass !
October 22, 2011 at 10:46 am, Redwoods said:
Alex, they need to pull your journalism card. This is all you got ? This article makes you look like the idiot ! Bet you didn’t report all the Obama gaffe’s. Wich were much more and plenty worse.
October 23, 2011 at 7:59 am, Jimdrey said:
She is as DUMB as Palin
October 24, 2011 at 3:12 am, Anonymous said:
Well, Libya is part of the “Greater Middle East” as defined by the Bush administration.
October 24, 2011 at 10:10 am, Anonymous said:
Funny and interesting post, but …… you might not want to poke too much fun at the mistake of others when you have a sentence in your piece that reads, “…forgetting whether Paraguay of Uruguay is the one that’s further north.” I assume you meant to say “or” and not “of”.