I was driving today, listening to XM Radio, when Andrew Wilkow said that Barack Obama gave the Queen of England an iPod for a gift. After reading earlier that he had ordered Chevrolet and Dodge out of NASCAR (Car & Driver’s April Fools Joke), I doubted the veracity of the story. So did Wilkow.
Barack Obama met the Queen at Buckingham Palace today and gave her a gift of an iPod loaded with video footage and photographs of her 2007 United States visit to Richmond, Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia. In return, the Queen gave the President a silver framed signed photograph of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh – apparently a standard present for visiting dignitaries.
It is believed the Queen already has an iPod, a 6GB silver Mini version she is said to have bought in 2005 at the suggestion of Prince Andrew.
And really, the next question has to be, "What did he put on the iPod?" I was guessing Ludacris, but it turns out, Barry put a little bit of himself on it:
Uploaded onto the iPod:
- Photos from the Queen’s 2007 White House State Visit
- Photos from the Queen’s 2007 Jamestown, Va., Visit
- Photos from the Queen’s 2007 Richmond, Va., Visit
- Video from the Queen’s 1957 Jamestown Visit
- Video from the Queen’s 2007 Jamestown Visit
- Video from the Queen’s 2007 Richmond Visit
- Photos from President Obama’s Inauguration
- Audio of then-state senator Obama’s speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and
- Audio of President Obama 2009 Inauguration Address
Before I get into what I think about this, allow me to share a few of my favorite comments from around the Internet. From the CSM blog:
- "It’s an April Fools joke? If it were anybody else, I’d know it was a joke, but with Obama…"
- "Fools. This a great gift. His point is populist. You are just another person, why should you receive a gift more princely than would be given to Ralph down the hall? The point is, give it up. Obama is damn smart, and he is making a point."
- "This is yet another clumsy attempt by the world’s “smartest man” to be hip, and yet again he is so far out of step with anything “CLASS!”"
From ABC’s Political Punch:
- "Remember, Sarah Palin winked and everyone thought she would represent America in a tacky way."
- "NARCISSIST ALERT!
The obamas are SO EMBARASSING!"
- "Anything but an ipod..something that represents all we stand for, for instance tastefully framed signed lithograph, by all living presidents, of our Constitution…Anything that shows effort…I am REALLY embarrassed for our Country. I believe most of us have better taste…"
And finally, as found on the Telegraph:
- "The Obamas are tasteless and uncouth in manners. The gift to the Queen could have been special if Michelle’s staff had spoken with the Queen’s staff. But typical of the know everything Obama world, the two of them managed to appear ignorant and are. What a sorry excuse for a President and Wife [First Ladies have taste]."
- "I was hoping Obama would give Massachusetts back to the Queen."
- "To our friends around the world, please bear with us, as we suffer the king who apparently thinks he’s dressed.."
About the populist comment, I think you give the Obamas a little too much credit. It’s a good look at how far the Obamatons will go to excuse the classlessness of this head of state. That’s why I included it.
This really is embarrassing. One really has to wonder how much thought went into this gift. I mean, this is something an intern could put together.
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