Obama Flip-Flops: Does He Know Who Snooki Is, Or Not?

Barack Obama has been caught in a contradiction. Asked about Jersey Shore star Snooki on The View today, the President replied, "I don't know who that is." But two months ago he knew who she was! Nitpicky video analysis ahead.

Asked for his opinion on Snooki (who voted for John McCain) the president claimed ignorance. But two months ago he dropped Snooki's name in a White House Press Correspondents Dinner punchline about a health care provision named in honor of the hit MTV show. "It [the provision] reads, 'The following individuals shall be excluded from the indoor tanning tax within this bill: Snooki, JWOWW, The Situation and House minority leader John Boehner.'" So which is it, Obama? Do you know Snooki, or don't you? Clearly, this is the Watergate of our time, and America demands an answer.

We believe there are three possible explanations for Snooki-gate:

• 1. He forgot Snooki. (Which is odd, because she's the kind of person who tends to get seared into your mind forever.)
• 2. He is as ashamed of partaking in television's guiltiest pleasure as you are. His ignorance on The View was feigned.
• 3. Obama's famously hip speechwriters got ahead of him and dropped a cultural reference he didn't understand for the sake of Beltway chuckles. He recited the joke without getting it, and promptly forgot its context as soon as it was over.

Send an email to Maureen O'Connor, the author of this post, at maureen@gawker.com.

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