Is it still 2008 in Ireland?

[Rolfe]

What to call the Republic of Ireland is a long standing problem. Since it doesn't fill the whole of Ireland "Ireland" is unclear. Republic of Ireland or ROI is a bit clumsy and Eire has been largely given up on.

I take Darat's point, but as you say "the Republic of Ireland" is clumsy and generally only used where there may be ambiguity. And "Eire" has been largely given up on. Most people will understand "Ireland" to mean the Republic unless there is a particular reason to assume otherwise.

In this case, as Obama hadn't been anywhere near NI and as far as I know has no intention of going there in the near future, but on the contrary he had only just left the Republic after a high-profile and widely-publicised visit to his "ancestral village", the reading of the thread title to denote the Republic of Ireland is inescapable.

Or just Sinn Feinn I suppose....

Rolfe.

 

[Rolfe]

Well at least it's giving you an excuse to not go defend Obama and the democrats on all the other threads ...

Like this one: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209793&page=3

Or this: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168256&page=33

Or: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167653&page=39

What's your excuse for not addressing the fact that you don't seem to have the remotest idea where either England or Ireland are, or of the difference between them?

Rolfe.

 

[Nova Land]

I would not give another thought to the implications of that date on the guest book until it is established that Obama actually wrote the date on the page.

Good point, and one worth verifying. Even though Obama did not dispute he had written the erroneous date, and Obama's spokespeople confirmed he was the one who wrote it, it's good to check things like this out (rather than simply take someone's word for it) if it's something that can be checked.

Fortunately, a number of samples of Barack Obama's handwriting are available online. I looked up several, and this is the one which seems most useful.

In the date in the guidebook which is the heart of the current controversy, the letter Y (in May) and the number 2 (in 24 and in 2008) appear somewhat distinctive. The handwriting sample analyzed during the 2008 campaign features both the letter Y (in July) and the number 2 (in 23 and in 2008).

To my eye, the Ys and the 2s appear very similar in both handwriting samples. After looking at and comparing the samples, I have no problem accepting that both dates were written by the same person.

For one thing, it is written in the normal BRITISH fashion, rather than American. Very few Americans without military experience write day/month/year. Got proof that Obama does so?

Yes. The date written in the handwriting sample I linked to is written in precisely that format: 23 July 2008.

 

[brodski]

When are we going to get the thread about how beastly Obama was to the Queen?

 

[Ladewig]

Who am I to question Obama? If he says it's 2008 in England, then it must be. After all, we've been told over and over and over he's the smartest guy to ever sit in the Oval Office.

We have?

I am a liberal and I have never heard my liberal friends describe him in terms anywhere close to that. I have also never read a news story saying that.

If any respectable news source has said that, could you cite it? If disrespectable news sources are saying that, then I suggest you simply ignore them.

In any case you starting a thread about this topic says much much more about you than it says about President Obama or it says about the JREF message board.

 

[Fishstick]

I'm confused where Non-USA politics come in in this thread.

 

[brodski]

I'm confused where Non-USA politics come in in this thread.

It was an international event which Obama made a mistake at.

I would say that this only goes to prove that he's human- but until I see a certified report from David Ike (long form) I'm not going to believe he is anything other than a shape shifting repotiod.

 

[Nova Land]

... we've been told over and over and over [Barack Obama's] the smartest guy to ever sit in the Oval Office.

We have?

I am a liberal and I have never heard my liberal friends describe him in terms anywhere close to that. I have also never read a news story saying that.

If any respectable news source has said that, could you cite it?

I think Ladewig had raised a very good question.

Since a discussion of whether there actually are numerous people who have called Barack Obama 'the smartest guy to ever sit in the Oval Office' (and if so who these people are) would be off-topic in this thread, I have opened a new thread over in Politics where BAC or others can provide any examples they are aware of in which people have said this.

 

[leftysergeant]

To my eye, the Ys and the 2s appear very similar in both handwriting samples. After looking at and comparing the samples, I have no problem accepting that both dates were written by the same person.

Actually, I find the "0s" and "8s" more useful. He stacks zeros to write an eight and his zeros have a suggestion of a seam at the top edge.

The date written in the handwriting sample I linked to is written in precisely that format: 23 July 2008.

Which is a little strange. Still does not mean that he is a moron. He may have been thinking when the last time was that he was in England, or when he had the best time there.

 

[Thunder]

..we've been told over and over and over he's the smartest guy to ever sit in the Oval Office.

evidence please.

 

[Seismosaurus]

Hmmm, I once wrote 1910 instead of 2010 on a piece of paper.

I guess that means I genuinely must have thought I was back in the twentieth century. Which means I must believe that I can travel in time... and since the Earth would have been in a different place then, I must be able to travel in both space and time.

Wow... I must think I'm the Doctor.

Cool!

What's funny is that since this is the kind of thing his biggest critics choose to concentrate on, Obama really must be doing a pretty incredible job over there. Gitmo and Afghanistan and unemployment, pshaw! He once wrote the date wrong!!!!!

 

[gnome]

And since he doesn't even know how many states there are in the country, the terrorists are going to invade us while he's trying to send the national guard asking directions to states that don't exist!

 

[bikerdruid]

And since he doesn't even know how many states there are in the country, the terrorists are going to invade us while he's trying to send the national guard asking directions to states that don't exist!

relevance?
how many states are in ireland?
did obama have to ask for directions in ireland?