July 2nd, 2008
07:19 AM ET
12 years ago
Obama over fist bumping?
Barack Obama and wife Michelle famously fist bumped when the Illinois senator captured the Democratic nomination.
(CNN) - Is Obama ditching his signature fist bump?
According to Tuesday's press pool report, the Illinois senator refused to bump fists with a boy as he was touring the Eastside Community Ministry in Zanesville, Ohio.
As the boy outstretched his first, Obama said no and added, "If I start that ..."
His voice then trailed off.
The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate popularized the move last month when he and his wife Michelle bumped fists on the night he formally captured the party's presidential nomination.
Watch: The famous fist bump
Video of the duo fist bumping became widely popular on the internet, leading the Washington Post to declare it “the first bump heard ‘round the world.'”
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I wish Obama wouldn't give in to right-wing jerks who think there's something insidious about a fist bump. Everyone does it, even little boys!
Speaking of right-wing jerks – hey clinton/McCain, anyone who would move from Clinton to McCain needs more than "handlers," they need a straightjacket!
I've been fist-bumping with scores of OBAMA supporters since that happened. We have a chance to elect a REAL PERSON for President! YES WE CAN!
Geez, enough of this shallow "journalism" CNN. When was the last time you actually ran a substantive story on the candidates that wasn't about personalities, polls or surrogate sniping???
Another Flip-Flop. What a loser. HAHAHA!
Oh, come ON! Does Obama need to draw so much attention to each time he tacks to the center for the general election?
Barack: You don't need to change your ways in response to each ludicrous rumor email on the Internet! Here, just because some idiot calls it the "terrorist fist bump" (or was it Jon Stewart saying it to make a point about the ridiculous nature of the life these rumors take on?) doesn't mean you have to react by running away from it.
These may seem like trivial things, but the way you suddenly started wearing flag lapel pins all the time after discounting (correctly) their importance, and now things like this, you aren't winning any points in the "strength of your convictions" and "being your own man" departments.
Anyone who wouldn't have voted for you because of your fist bumps, wasn't going to vote for you, anyways!
So sad that this was made such a big deal by people that the man can't give a fist bump ( or dap ) to a little boy, Because the media and crazy people have made it such a big deal, and totally would rather focus on things of this nature rather than real issues it is very sad indeed.
YES, THAT WAS A FAMOUS BUMP. IT WAS NOT SPONTANEOUS. NOTHING THE OBAMAS DO IS SPONTANEOUS. YOU COULD TELL BY WAY THAT MICHELLE LOOKED IT WAS REHEARSED AND PLANNED. JUST LIKE HIS PLANTED HECKLERS AT McCAIN'S SPEECH, JUST LIKE THE PLANT IN SC WHO AGITATED BILL CLINTON. HE HAS GOOD CAMPAIGN MANAGERS THEY KNOW BECAUSE BILL TAUGHT THEM. THERE IS NOTHING SO FAR OBAMA HAS DONE ALL BY HIMSELF. FOR ALL YOU ALPHA AND OMEGA SAYERS YOU SHOULD BOW YOU HEADS IN SHAME TO COMPARE THIS IDIOT TO GOD. OH MY. WHERE IS AMERICA HEADED.
Hey,
I just feel OBAMA campaign is becoming WAYYYY too accomodating for dominant cultural values. Isn't change about Shaking it up and opening up new forms of communication styles? I love Obama but he can't do this ANYMORE. (it may not be serious to some, but this is becoming a trend of this campaign, which can bleed over into other issues.)
1) I don't care if he does a back flip let alone a fist bump, he's not getting my vote.
2) Obama is a media spectacle and marketing package.
Don't dump the fist bump... nothin' wrong with it
Can you imagine Richard Nixon giving a high-5?
Probably not.
Can you imagine Dubya giving one?
Yes, you've seen it on the news.
I don't need to explain that further.
WHO CARES??
Still not voting for him unless he puts Hill on the ticket!
First, he flip flops on fist bumping. Second, he throws another thing under the bus. Third, he runs to the standard handshake middle leaving his stunned liberal fist bumpering base in the dust.
How rude of Obama to reject this poor boy! He was probably counseled by his advisors against fist-bumping and, as is his usual form, "ditched" the gesture in order to increase his electability. It's what he did with Rev. Wright and his church (and no black church for him in the future, he says because voters won't understand), because Rev. Wright called him what he is: a politician who will say anything to get votes.
Newsworthy?
Not!
Fist bumping became widely popular for WHO??? Because as far as I can remember fist bumping is nothing NEW!!! It's is OLD just like bushes chest bump! I mean come on get serious people!!!
How about "Obama Refuses Fist Bump with a Child"? Isn't that the kind of headline you used when Chelsea wouldn't give an interview.
The skewing of news and headlines by CNN is sickening.
shame one cnn. I can't believe that makes news. You don't have anything else to report
this fist bump saga itself says how useless the media is.
*sigh* I can't believe this. The right is so demonizing him...
The non story of them all.
And to the "Clinton" supporters that are going McCain....Wow you really missed her point.
I'm still waiting to hear a satisfactory explanation, based in truth and with actual evidence, of how a willingness to perform the fist bump serves as an indication of terrorist sympathies on one's part. Anyone who thinks he/she knows can also add an explanation of how Barack and Michelle Obama's fist bump is different than the fist bumps that professional athletes and ordinary people do every day. I'm sure I'll be waiting for a long, long time.
In Texas we call that "taters" or "biscuits."
Obama refused a young boy's attempt at the equivalent of a handshake?
Obama is so elitist, and without any interest in the people.
Can you imagine dissing a child?!
obama and michelle were so cute when they did that, it made them seem real