In Attempt at Humor, Obama Conflates ‘Sanford and Son’ and ‘The Jeffersons’
EmailBefore a largely African-American crowd in Raleigh, N.C., this afternoon, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said, "If Senator McCain is elected, we’ll have another president who wants to privatize part of your Social Security."
The crowd jeered.
"That ain’t right," Obama said. "Can you imagine? If Social Security funds had been invested in the stock market, Americans wouldn’t even need Social Security!
"You would be having ‘Sanford and Son,’" the senator said, referring to the 70s sitcom featuring Redd Foxx as the proprietor of a junkyard.
"I’m comin’, Weezie," he said, laughing, botching one of the signature lines from the show, in which Foxx clutched his chest in a mock heart attack and prepared to meet his late wife in heaven.
The actual line is, "I’m coming, Elizabeth."
"Weezie" was the nickname George Jefferson called his wife Louise on "The Jeffersons," an altogether different 70s sitcom with a largely African-American cast.
– Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller
Santorum: Money Will Not Defeat Obama, Ideas Will 
Rick Santorum's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Obama was eight years old when those shows ran.
Posted by: TNeedle | October 29, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
What a gaffe!
If you cannot trust a man to remember his ’70s sitcoms… do you really want him answering the red phone at 3am?
At least with McCain, you know he is stuck in the 1970s… so if Kim Jong Il attacks the United States with a barrage of challenging questions about Abba….
McCain is going to nail him to the wall.
Posted by: Blip | October 29, 2008, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
Great. Now the theme songs for both those shows are stuck in my head. At least they’re some of the good ones. He could have misquoted a Petticoat Junction catch phrase and I would’ve gone insane. ;)
Posted by: Jen B. | October 29, 2008, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Yes, I want him to answer the phone at 3 am …..Can you see Palin doing this ?????? ….They are champaigning HATE and setting this country back years. I hope it jumps up and bites them in the rear,.God bless this country if the republican get elected….
Posted by: NH voter | October 29, 2008, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
lol
Posted by: dl | October 29, 2008, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
Obama’s not a very good comedian although he will make an excellent US President. Maybe he should stick to the issues and his magnificent political one liners rather than a poorly timed sense of humor.
Posted by: buzziea | October 29, 2008, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Im the same age as Obama and I recall those sitcoms too…they were hillarious! Whether he botched the lines or not, Im sure folks got the jest of it! Lets stop being so picky over silly things folks! Good grief, arent there bigger concerns then whether or not he botched a line making a joke…get real!!!
Posted by: Dee | October 29, 2008, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
OH SNAP!!
this is the October surprise McCain has been waiting for.
Posted by: watching | October 29, 2008, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
Obama would spread George Jefferson’s self-earned wealth so Jefferson’s cleaners would go out of business.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
Interesting data from Gallup today.
Voters express a clear preference, 57% to 38%, for divided party control of Congress and the presidency if John McCain wins the presidential election, but are evenly divided, 48% to 47%, in their preferences for the party that should control Congress if Barack Obama is elected president.
Seems the public wants protection from McCain, but support for Obama.
Posted by: Thinking | October 29, 2008, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
George Jefferson would still live next to Archie Bunker because Obama would take his piece of the pie away. No Deluxe East Side Apartment for George and Weezie.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
Oh No! Obama has gone and done it now. It’s the break the Palin/McCain ticket have been waiting for. Here comes the ad… Obama, can’t tell the difference betweein Weezie and Elizabeth, how can he tell the difference between bin-Laden and Putin?
The gaffe that loses the election and it didn’t come from Biden.
Posted by: Bob Lees | October 29, 2008, 1:11 pm 1:11 pm
Obama would take self-made small businessman George “The dry cleaner” Jefferson’s pie of the pie and give it to lazy Fred Sanford sitting around the junkyard with Grady and Rollo.
That’s the real gaffe.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
See, all of those who thought that Obama may be “too black” have nothing to fear. A “militant” Black person would never confuse their Sanford & Son references with the Jeffersons. Would never happen.
Posted by: KM | October 29, 2008, 1:14 pm 1:14 pm
geevil: “Obama would spread George Jefferson’s self-earned wealth so Jefferson’s cleaners would go out of business.”
Oh do tell. I am awaiting your analysis of George Jefferson’s taxes with baited breathe. The last episode aired in 1985 – was that caused by Reagan’s ’86 hike in the capital gains tax rate to 28% (a bit higher than Obama is now proposing we return to)?
Posted by: jhw539 | October 29, 2008, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm
Obama is like Mr. Haney from Green Acres.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm
Obama always identifies with the lazy unmotivated Fred Sanfords instead of the hard working people like George Jefferson.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm
geevil: “That’s the real gaffe. ”
No, the McCain/Palin ticket has so little good in it the best campaign approach is to sieze on the opponent fumbling an off-the-cuff joke’s punchline is the real gaffe.
Oh wait, that’s a pathetic tragedy. My mistake.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 29, 2008, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm
No, the McCain/Palin ticket has so little good in it the best campaign approach is to sieze on the opponent fumbling an off-the-cuff joke’s punchline is the real gaffe.
Hey Obamabot this is a Jake Tapper blog. He wrote the story.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 1:19 pm 1:19 pm
LOL, Give the guy a break, he’s half white and went to Harvard. But his message is correct on McNutjob is a nightmare.
Ex Republican
Posted by: RGeier | October 29, 2008, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
If we are going to make disparaging comparisons between Presidential candidates and sitcom characters….
I would have to say that McCain reminds me of Archie Bunker…. and Palin reminds me of the post that they tied Mr. Ed to.
Posted by: Blip | October 29, 2008, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
I think Obama would detest George Jefferson – I mean a capitalistic pig who ran a business. Under Obama, George would have to pay for Fred Sanford.
Posted by: jamescbuilder | October 29, 2008, 1:23 pm 1:23 pm
E_DAY – 6: ELECTORAL COLLEGE EV POLLS
2008
Obama 364
McCain 157
Tie 17
2004
Bush 281
Kerry 236
Tie 21
State-by-State Polls Are What Matters And Always Predict The Winer.
IT’S OVER…….
Posted by: Steve_NJ | October 29, 2008, 1:23 pm 1:23 pm
More evidence that Obama is a phony, trying to use a line that someone else wrote who is also a phony (Axelrod)
Even a white boy like myself knows the difference between Sanford & Son and the Jeffersons….i watched both as a kid, Obama watched neither
Posted by: JG | October 29, 2008, 1:24 pm 1:24 pm
Race and class warfare….nice Obama (D-ACORN)
Posted by: Captain America | October 29, 2008, 1:25 pm 1:25 pm
“and Palin reminds me of the post that they tied Mr. Ed to.”
TOO FUNNY!!!
Posted by: Ed from MA | October 29, 2008, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
“George Jefferson is not an advisor to this campaign, he will not have a role in my administration. He is just some guy who moved on to a deluxe apartment in the sky.”
- Obama throwing the Jeffersons under the bus.
Posted by: RJ | October 29, 2008, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
Geevill is like Mr. Haney from Green Acres.
Posted by: obamamama | October 29, 2008, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm
“Obama is like Mr. Haney from Green Acres.”
Palin is like Arnold the Pig (with lipstick).
LOL
Posted by: Ed from MA | October 29, 2008, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
I also grew up watching those shows, Fred worked he had a junk yard, just because he liked to drink Ripple, LOL, doesn’t mean he was lazy.
Ex Republican
Posted by: RGeier | October 29, 2008, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
When I pick a president, I look for someone who watches a lot of sitcoms.
You don’t want some kind of smartypants overachiever.
Posted by: Blip | October 29, 2008, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
Is there an unwritten liberal law which demands no-one ever use a repub’s actual name?
Posted by: Stever | October 29, 2008, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
Great job Obama! sitcom humor is the best!
Obama/Biden 2008!!!
Posted by: richard | October 29, 2008, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
“Obama was eight years old when those shows ran.”
Actually, the Jeffersons ran all the way until Obama was 24.
If Obama is this out of touch with AFRICAN AMERICAN culture, think how out of touch he is with the other 89% of Americans.
Posted by: Homocrats are Dumbocrats | October 29, 2008, 2:06 pm 2:06 pm
George Jefferson was a conservative if there ever was one. Unlike Archie Bunker, George actually became successful, and ‘Moved on Up’ out of the left-wing plantation.
Posted by: Liberals are Dumb | October 29, 2008, 2:09 pm 2:09 pm
Now, I could understand him confusing Alice with One Day at a Time …. Kiss my grits, Schneider!
Posted by: Wayne | October 29, 2008, 2:10 pm 2:10 pm
I don’t mind him getting the joke a little wrong. I mind his infantile position that its bad to allow Americans to OPTIONALLY invest part of their Social Security in something that, as long as risk is adjusted for time-to-retirement factors, would give people a higher standard of living after retirement.
You want to talk about fear-mongering? That is exactly what this is.
On the issues, Obama is a complete zero.
Posted by: Dave | October 29, 2008, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm
He should know Sanford and Son. After all, his wife is the modern-day Aunt Esther.
Posted by: JWF | October 29, 2008, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm
Talk about the speck in your friends eye, ignore the log in your own! Don’t the democrats plan on opting another 5% of your income by “nationalizing” my 401K? Then if I croak they get half of what’s left? That’s in addition to Social Security to use I’m sure from the same insecure”Lock Box” that those funds are in. AT LEAST THE REPUBLICANS DID NOT PROPOSEC USING MORE FUNDS!
Posted by: L Elion | October 29, 2008, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
George Jefferson and Fred Sanford were small businessmen who did not get government handouts. Obama never cared or understood them.
Posted by: jjv | October 29, 2008, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
It’s not the George Jefferson he knew. . .
Posted by: Suzy | October 29, 2008, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm
“ou don’t want some kind of smartypants overachiever.”
That is something that Obama will never be accused of unless you consider kissing arse and being a pimp boy for a group of anti-America marxists who need a front as a success.
Actually improving the lot of anybody he has ever representated is beyond Obama paygrade, apparently!
Attorney…Failed
Community Organizer…failed
State Senator…failed
Congressman….failed
Presidential candidate….FAILED
Posted by: LogicalSC | October 29, 2008, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
How insensitive to make jokes about people with heart conditions.
The fish-eyed fool!
Posted by: roger h | October 29, 2008, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
I guess all blacks look alike to Obama.
Posted by: Jay Guevara | October 29, 2008, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
At least this shows that he is writing his own lines and speaking about what he wants to say. Most politicians just give the talking points written by staff. If some speech writer would have written this, they would have checked it out first.
Posted by: froggyprager | October 29, 2008, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
Obama actually reminds me of the ex-girlfriend that took George Jefferson hostage because her life turned to crap after he broke up with her.
But when he got the gun out, George reminded her that SHE left HIM – while George was busy working trying to make something of herself, she couldn’t wait, so she went with the boys with the cars and fancy clothes. She had no one to blame but herself for her position.
Posted by: Mary the liberal | October 29, 2008, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
correction – HIMSELF
Posted by: Mary the liberal | October 29, 2008, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
227- George’s Old Girl Friend
Posted by: Mary the liberal | October 29, 2008, 2:55 pm 2:55 pm
Obama is not the first to make this mistake, the Beastie Boys song Shazam! includes the same pop culture mistake.
coincidence?!
Posted by: froggyprager | October 29, 2008, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
“State-by-State Polls Are What Matters And Always Predict The Winer.
IT’S OVER…….”
I guess you’re right.
Obama supporters… no need to go vote. It’s over already.
And just think… in Obama’s world, Goerge Jefferson might have been able to do okay for himself with the one dry-cleaning store, but he’d be penalized more and more for trying to expand his business too much. So, instead of “moving on up to the East Side”, Obama would have kept the Jeffersons as neighbors of Archie Bunker.
Posted by: malclave | October 29, 2008, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
Okay, Senator. I can “imagine,” as you invited me to do. I can even do the math. I just did. Clearly, you didn’t and/or can’t and/or don’t want to.
Sanford & Son aired from January 1972 through March 1977. Minimum wage was $1.60 in ’72 & rose in steps to $2.30 by 1974. I would be at least 1 1/2 times better off if my social security taxes from that era had been placed in the market instead of letting Uncle Sam have its way. Your rhetoric is pretty Senator, but you’ve proven yourself to be a charlatan once again.
Posted by: Daniel | October 29, 2008, 3:14 pm 3:14 pm
This is what happens when Obama ad-libs and doesn’t parrot his speech-writers and the teleprompter.
No wonder his litigation record sucks.
In the 9 years he practiced law, he only handled 10 cases, in team efforts, where Obama himself stood aside and other lawyers drew up briefs and argued the case.
“57 states, above my pay grade”?
Posted by: Donoke9_10 | October 29, 2008, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
After Obama got done taxing Jerffeson’s dry cleaners out of business. Florence the maid would of lost her job and been on welfare.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm
Fred would say Obama is a “Big Dummy”
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
Elitist Obama reacting to his crashing poll numbers by wearing blue jeans and trying to recite blue collar sitcom catch phrases.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
Does Obamaknow that George Jefferson was a Republican? he ran for city council once.
Posted by: geevill | October 29, 2008, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
Awww, c’mon people, he was only eight years old when this stuff ayered. Whaaaaaaat?
Posted by: Normal Near | October 29, 2008, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
If memory serves both leads were somewhat bigoted against whites (well against nearly everyone). At least he didn’t slip a Dynomite! into the phrase and try for a triple shot.
Posted by: rjschwarz | October 29, 2008, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
geevil you are too funny!
Posted by: maria | October 29, 2008, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
DOH!!!!
Not that its going to make me change my vote for him, but it does speak to him being a bit out of touch to mix up those two shows.
Then again I don’t think I know too many presidents that were all that up to speed on pop culture, let alone 70s pop-culture. Do you think Bush or Clinton watched Nick at Nite?
Posted by: Larryv | October 29, 2008, 4:41 pm 4:41 pm
You guys are killing me! LMAO.
Posted by: Peg | October 29, 2008, 4:56 pm 4:56 pm
“Maybe he should stick to the issues and his magnificent political one liners rather than a poorly timed sense of humor.”
Yeah. Those “one liners” are totally unrehearsed.
They weren’t polled or focus group tested or anything.
Posted by: Dood | October 29, 2008, 5:15 pm 5:15 pm
Mr. Obama is one of those highly educated persons who thinks that he already knows everything he needs to know, and that anything he doesn’t already know is not worth knowing. This is why he goes around saying stuff like this and not caring a bit that it might be incorrect.
Posted by: vvp39 | October 29, 2008, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
It really doesn’t matter that Obama got the two shows mixed up, HE’S STILL GOING TO WIN AND I CAN’T WAIT TO CELEBRATE!!!!
GO OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: LadiLuck | October 29, 2008, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm
Well, if he doesn’t get his comedy shows straight, then how can he run the country? JK Is this news?
Posted by: SUSIE | October 29, 2008, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
You know, I think I’d prefer my presidential candidates *didn’t* know all the characters from 70s sitcoms by heart.
Posted by: Andrew A. Gill | October 29, 2008, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
Not that it’s relevant to your posting, but the crowd was not “largely” African-American. I was there. I would say that perhaps 1/4-1/3 of the people present were African-American.
Why does it matter? Precisely.
Posted by: thisniss | October 29, 2008, 11:29 pm 11:29 pm
In January of 1970 the Dow was 744. It is now near 9000. Social Security average rate of return is 1.5%. If the Dow increased at that rate it would be at about 1350 today. Can you imagine if Social Security WAS invested in the stock market?
Posted by: Gregg | October 30, 2008, 12:14 am 12:14 am
“That ain’t right,” Obama said.
Don’t you just love it when he lowers himself to speak on the level of the crowd .
Seriously, imagine if Palin told a joke mistaking one black man for another.
Posted by: MRSB | October 30, 2008, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm
Mary the Liberal’s Oct 29, 2008 comment on “George’s old girlfriend” ep. of The Jeffersons was right on target except the phrase “George was trying to make something of *him*self” was what should’ve been said when referring to
what George did since SHE (his ex flame) dumped HIM for a guy with a flashy car and clothes at the moment
and how over the years HER life went to heck (hubby turned out to be a boozy numbers runner who dumped HER, her kids turned out as criminals, druggies and a runaway…).
Posted by: Kenneth Karpinski | November 6, 2010, 10:08 pm 10:08 pm