Use of Big Bird in The United States Presidential Election, 2012
During the first presidential debate on October 3, 2012, Mitt Romney used Big Bird as an example of spending cuts he would make to reduce the federal budget deficit. Romney told the moderator, Jim Lehrer, "I like PBS, I love Big Bird. Actually like you, too. But I'm not going to – I'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for. That's number one."
Barack Obama’s campaign later released a satirical advertisement which described Big Bird as an "evil genius" and "a menace to our economy", and depicted Romney as more concerned with cracking down on Big Bird than on white collar criminals such as Bernie Madoff and Ken Lay.
Sesame Workshop asked that both campaigns remove Sesame Street characters from campaign materials, stating on their website: “Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns.”
Read more about this topic: Big Bird
Famous quotes containing the words big, bird, united, states and/or presidential:
“When I say artist I dont mean in the narrow sense of the wordbut the man who is building thingscreating molding the earthwhether it be the plains of the westor the iron ore of Penn. Its all a big game of constructionsome with a brushsome with a shovelsome choose a pen.”
—Jackson Pollock (19121956)
“With a broad shoehorn
I am unstuffing a big bird in this dream
Msomebody elses holiday feast
and repacking the crop of my own,
knowing it will burst with such
onion, oyster, savory bread crust.”
—Maxine Kumin (b. 1925)
“Printer, philosopher, scientist, author and patriot, impeccable husband and citizen, why isnt he an archetype? Pioneers, Oh Pioneers! Benjamin was one of the greatest pioneers of the United States. Yet we just cant do with him. Whats wrong with him then? Or whats wrong with us?”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“Mr. Christian, it is about time for many people to begin to come to the White House to discuss different phases of the coal strike. When anybody comes, if his special problem concerns the state, refer him to the governor of Pennsylvania. If his problem has a national phase, refer him to the United States Coal Commission. In no event bring him to me.”
—Calvin Coolidge (18721933)
“Mr. Roosevelt, this is my principal requestit is almost the last request I shall ever make of anybody. Before you leave the presidential chair, recommend Congress to submit to the Legislatures a Constitutional Amendment which will enfranchise women, and thus take your place in history with Lincoln, the great emancipator. I beg of you not to close your term of office without doing this.”
—Susan B. Anthony (18201906)