Is Michelle Obama Smarter than a 5th Grader?

Barack Obama's wife Michelle sat down to talk with ABC's Robin Roberts. The interview will air in two parts on Good Morning America, beginning on Tuesday.

ABC is hyping the interview on its website:

Despite questions about the country's readiness for a black president, Barack Obama will win the race for the 2008 White House if he connects with Americans, his wife Michelle Obama told "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts in her first major morning television interview.

"I think that the American people ... are ready to have somebody that they can believe in and that they can connect to," Obama said in an interview that begins Tuesday. "And I think that if Barack does what he's supposed to do and this campaign is ... run well, and he can be clear and articulate in his message, ... he'll be the next president of the United States and ... we will be swearing him in in '08."

That makes me wince.

I'm surprised that ABC chose to highlight that quote.

It makes Michelle Obama look, well, not too bright.

The next president of the United States will be sworn in on January 20, 2009.

I don't know what she means when she says "we will be swearing him in in '08."

Surely, she knows that the president-elect doesn't assume office until the January after the November election.

She's a Harvard Law School graduate. They're usually pretty smart people. She has to know when a president is sworn in.

I hope she simply misspoke.

I suppose it's possible that Barack will be testifying in a court case or giving a deposition in 2008; but I really think she was talking about him putting his hand on the Bible and taking the oath of office to become president.

So why would ABC promote the Michelle Obama interview with a quote that includes such an obvious gaffe?

It's probably because the people at ABC don't know when U.S. presidents are inaugurated. That must be it. It's really the only explanation that makes sense.
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Here's the screen cap:


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UPDATE:

I'm glad I saved the original page.

ABC has done some editing since I first read the article.

The "in 'o8" has disappeared from Michelle Obama's quote.

Check it out:



Assuming that Michelle Obama's remark was transcribed correctly originally, it will be interesting to see if ABC edits the interview as well, so viewers don't hear her screw up.

I wonder if the Obama campaign requested the Mulligan.

If so, it must be nice to have ABC willing to oblige.

Bias in the media? What liberal bias?