Obama and the 57 states

By: Jennifer Foster | Opelika Auburn News
Published: May 17, 2008 | 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Watch this clip of Barack Obama in Oregon last week:

Fifty-seven states?

Let's think about this: He specifically eliminated Alaska and Hawaii, and he said he had one more state to go. Fifty states, minus Alaska, Hawaii and one other state, equal 47 states.

Is it possible that Obama meant to say, "47 states?"

It seems like a pretty reasonable explanation, right?

Watch it again. What do you think?

Now, consider this: The conservative blogosphere is on fire about the 57 states remark. It seems that 57 states (countries) make up the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). From its web site:

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and project the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1398 Hijra (25 September 1969) as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

As if Obama didn't already have enough problems with rumors about his religion. Many conservative bloggers have taken to calling him by his entire name,"Barack Hussein Obama." (Yes, it is his name. But I haven't heard them start referring en masse to the GOP nominee as "John Sidney McCain.")

This whisper campaign has produced countless rumors that have been promulgated like a virus over e-mail. Obama's campaign set up this page on his campaign site in an effort to discredit and stamp out those rumors. There's no missing the meaning: The title is, "Obama has never been a Muslim."

What do you think? Honest mistake attributable to campaign fatigue meets unfortunate coincidence? Or, in the words of some conservative bloggers, "Freudian slip?"