This was gratuitously harmful politically to the president, and it reflects a thoughtlessness, I think, that belies his image as a sensitive egalitarian. President Obama has compared his poor bowling skills to the Special Olympics. From the story:
Towards the end of his approximately 40-minute appearance, the president talked about how he’s gotten better at bowling and has been practicing in the White House bowling alley.
He bowled a 129, the president said.
“That’s very good, Mr. President,” Leno said sarcastically.
It’s “like the Special Olympics or something,” the president said.
Not to make too big a deal out of this, but all I can say is that if President Bush ever said something like that, the howling about how the remark reflected his inner anti-disability attitudes would never end.
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