The President Bows . . .

[Damocles]

My post needed no translation. It's nice to see you cozying up to the right-wing fringe as opposed to your typical "some people" schtick. Just be yourself, man. There's no shame in it.

And the idea that Obama bowing to the Emperor of Japan needs "defending" is funny stuff. What is there to defend? Anyone that makes an issue of it is quite obviously the type that will criticize Obama for anything he does. My bet is that if you took a poll of those that thought Obama did something wrong here you would find a very high percentage are birthers or birther-curious (like you).

Yet here you are, defending rather than chalking it up to a learning experience.

And I again submit that had Bush done this you'd have creamed him all over this site for it. Me, I just hope this guy learns to just quit it. Stop bowing to every Tom, Dick and Harry. That's pretty much it.

 

[Damocles]

Strange response, Damo. Earlier in the thread, it seemed like you kind of saw this as the false outrage that it is (though you tried to be light about it, lest you offend your conservative masters). Now, Obama has "made a fool of himself"....

He did. Saying it isn't all that important doesn't change that he made a fool of himself.

Much like Bush made a fool of himself rubbing Merkle's shoulders. It was bad protocol, that is all. We have a little over three more years with this guy, I'd prefer he learn to quit supplicating himself before equals. And I would prefer a bit if introspection from those same people who found it missing among others.

It is astounding how much people who thought Bush's supporters were willfully blind are willing to do exactly what they disliked about others now that it is their guy.

 

[Onceler]

He did. Saying it isn't all that important doesn't change that he made a fool of himself.

Much like Bush made a fool of himself rubbing Merkle's shoulders. It was bad protocol, that is all. We have a little over three more years with this guy, I'd prefer he learn to quit supplicating himself before equals. And I would prefer a bit if introspection from those same people who found it missing among others.

It is astounding how much people who thought Bush's supporters were willfully blind are willing to do exactly what they disliked about others now that it is their guy.

This stuff is BS to me, for either President.

Bush's policies bothered me. The fact that he started an unnecessary war that still has us stuck in Iraq and has cost so many lives, his incompetence on domestic issues and the fact that he was just in general asleep at the wheel on many domestic issues, for a full 8 years.

So far, Obama has done some things I like, and some things I disagree with; on the whole, it's like friggin' paradise compared to the Bush years, though. Most of the major policy decisions I have agreed with, and the shift in national priorities is a much-welcomed change after a full 8 years of Bush.

So, if the fact that I'm not outraged about a bow means I'm "willfully blind," guilty as charged...

 

[Damocles]

This stuff is BS to me, for either President. You won't see me starting threads about it or commenting seriously about it, for either Bush or Obama.

Bush's policies bothered me. The fact that he started an unnecessary war that still has us stuck in Iraq and has cost so many lives, his incompetence on domestic issues and the fact that he was just in general asleep at the wheel on many domestic issues, for a full 8 years.

So far, Obama has done some things I like, and some things I disagree with; on the whole, it's like friggin' paradise compared to the Bush years, though. Most of the major policy decisions I have agreed with, and the shift in national priorities is a much-welcomed change after a full 8 years of Bush.

So, if the fact that I'm not outraged about a bow means I'm "willfully blind," guilty as charged...

You also wouldn't see me starting a thread about this but clearly we will both post in one.

Nobody expects you to be "outraged" any more than I am "outraged", that is hyperbole you are using in an attempt to mock because you are working to defend it by attempting to get everybody to dismiss the importance of protocol in a President.

It isn't that difficult to see he gaffed here, simply saying, "Yup, and I hope he doesn't do it again." (What I have said.) isn't a form of "hackery". And being incapable of recognizing the simplest of errors is a form of willful blindness.

 

[Onceler]

You also wouldn't see me starting a thread about this but clearly we will both post in one.

Nobody expects you to be "outraged" any more than I am "outraged", that is hyperbole you are using in an attempt to mock because you are working to defend it by attempting to get everybody to dismiss the importance of protocol in a President.

It isn't that difficult to see he gaffed here, simply saying, "Yup, and I hope he doesn't do it again." (What I have said.) isn't a form of "hackery". And being incapable of recognizing the simplest of errors is a form of willful blindness.

Okay; but if you're on a thread where people are very clearly overreacting to this, and making it a very big issue - to the point of suggesting that his action now makes America subservient to Japan - is your 1st reaction one of passive agreement on a lesser scale (your suggested comment of "yup, and I hope he doesn't do it again"), or is it more along the lines of "for the love of Christ, it was a friggin' bow".

Trying to be reasonable here. I have gone to great lengths to avoid saying "yer a hack."

 

[Bonestorm]

Yet here you are, defending rather than chalking it up to a learning experience.

And I again submit that had Bush done this you'd have creamed him all over this site for it. Me, I just hope this guy learns to just quit it. Stop bowing to every Tom, Dick and Harry. That's pretty much it.

That's a fun game, isn't it? "If Bush . . ." It ranks right up there with "But Clinton . . ."

 

[Jarod]

Wahhh, the president bowed to low... All the Republicans are whiners.....

Can you not tell that the Emperor is a very short man and Obama is a very tall man, you have your panties in a wad over a matter of camera perspective.

 

[Damocles]

Okay; but if you're on a thread where people are very clearly overreacting to this, and making it a very big issue - to the point of suggesting that his action now makes America subservient to Japan - is your 1st reaction one of passive agreement on a lesser scale (your suggested comment of "yup, and I hope he doesn't do it again"), or is it more along the lines of "for the love of Christ, it was a friggin' bow".

Trying to be reasonable here. I have gone to great lengths to avoid saying "yer a hack."

My first reaction is (and was) it really isn't all that important in the big scheme of things, but it is a protocol gaffe and hopefully he'll learn (although this repetition of the same gaffe doesn't give me much hope).

Later posts are just attempting to point out the deliberate blindness of people on the other side and pointing out that it is exactly the same as they saw in people who were willfully blind about Bush. This isn't one of the big ones, simply noting it and hoping for a correction wouldn't kill anybody on the left and would do much to (hopefully) get him to learn the protocol.

 

[Canceled2]

This is a long thread. Have the Liberals here admitted that their messiah fucked up big time? He embarrassed the civilized world.

Apparently the Japanese were embarrassed by his gaff and did not allow Japanese papers to print photos..,

I say BFD~~~ Now everyone knows what a kow-towing groveling weak buffoon he is.

 

[Onceler]

My first reaction is (and was) it really isn't all that important in the big scheme of things, but it is a protocol gaffe and hopefully he'll learn (although this repetition of the same gaffe doesn't give me much hope).

And it doesn't really bother you that other posters suggested this would make us subservient to Japan and cede American authority on the world stage to that country?

 

[Jarod]

The Foxnews crybabey Republicans have become the largest group of whiners Ive seen in a long time!

Ohhhh, how upset can you get.... Wahhhh wahhhh, is your pussy all inflamed?

 

[Damocles]

That's a fun game, isn't it? "If Bush . . ." It ranks right up there with "But Clinton . . ."

That might make sense if I hadn't posted an article about Clinton almost making this same gaffe and the stir it caused, as well as comment on the gaffes of Bush. Instead, the only person who cannot recognize a simple gaffe are the willfully blind on your side.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

The Prime Minister is the "head of state" in Japan. The Emperor is the current decendent of the Japanese Royal Family as is Queen Elisabeth the latest of her Royal Family. The Emperor is also the head of the Shinto Religion as is the Pope the head of Catholicism.
As does the Pope, a descendent in a line of Popes since Peter, he gets special deference from political foreign dignitaries such as presidents and prime ministers. What would take place in a meeting of the Pope and Emperor, I don't know but until then, the Emperor bows to no ordinary man.

I'll repeat, the concept of this thread from the start is based on stupidity and ignorance.

The Queen of England and the Emperor of Japan are BOTH seen as heads of state. Yes, both are simply figureheads, but they are treated the same as the Prime Ministers of their countries when it comes to protocol.

Obama bowing was an attempt to honor their traditions, but he should not have done it if he knew the Emperor would not return the gesture.

Side note... the Emperor IS an ordinary man.

 

[Damocles]

And it doesn't really bother you that other posters suggested this would make us subservient to Japan and cede American authority on the world stage to that country?

That's silly and it is WHY I posted that it wasn't all that important in the big scheme of things.

You are again willfully attempting to find fault in me, rather than in what I have said. And I thank you for working so hard to not just call me a "hack"... (LOL. Just a way to do it while showing what a martyr you are for not.)

Again, while we don't need the hyperbole about how the world is now expecting us to bow and scrape everywhere we go and we are now subjects of Japan, we also don't need the willful blindness of those unwilling to see even the slightest obvious error when it is made by Obama.

 

[Jarod]

The Queen of England and the Emperor of Japan are BOTH seen as heads of state. Yes, both are simply figureheads, but they are treated the same as the Prime Ministers of their countries when it comes to protocol.

Obama bowing was an attempt to honor their traditions, but he should not have done it if he knew the Emperor would not return the gesture.

Side note... the Emperor IS an ordinary man.

Come on, 214 posts on Obama bowing too low, while the economy is just starting to recover and we have two wars raging in the middle east, just days after a crazed islamic extreemist shot up a military base....

All you guys have to whine about is how low Obama bowed... Id say that means he is doing a very good job.

 

[Damocles]

Come on, 214 posts on Obama bowing too low, while the economy is just starting to recover and we have two wars raging in the middle east, just days after a crazed islamic extreemist shot up a military base....

All you guys have to whine about is how low Obama bowed... Id say that means he is doing a very good job.

Are you saying that you are incapable of simple multi-tasking, that either this will fill your head entirely and all those important things will slip out because of this, or we'll fail at all those other things because we are "focusing" on this (evidently because of the number of posts in this thread)?

This, Onceler, is what I am talking about. Willful blindness. Willing to say or do anything at all. Now, apparently, the world will fall apart because we talk about protocol issues on this site and are therefore incapable of doing anything important anymore.

Woe is us! We should never point out protocol errors made by a President! We're now dooooomed!

 

[USFREEDOM911]

And the defense mounts. Somebody said something about your messiah so you have to come in here and slope your forehead all over us. If Bush had done this you and your pals would have been all over him like stink at a pig farm, instead he has a "D" we should defend it at all costs! The only people who will be "impressed" by this in the US are the people who already would vote for him even if he slaughtered the Thanksgiving turkey instead of giving it a pardon. There is nothing it can do to help him.

"A sin"? That's just more of your silly fantasy like all those supposed people that thought Bush was a God for rubbing Merkle's shoulders.

Nobody thinks it is a "sin" that's just inanity flowing from the fingers of a partisan protecting his party interests, it simply shows a lack of protocol comprehension that has been apparent in this Administration. Once excoriated in a previous President now lauded in this one.


The pictures of over 45 world leaders meeting the Emperor and not bowing juxtaposed with Obama's behind sticking in the air are pretty much the tell. World leaders do not bow to Emperors.

The reality is, this Administration simply doesn't know enough to do this job well at this time, and it becomes apparent with DVDs (incorrectly formatted) as gifts, iPods to Queens, Bows to tyrants and Emperors...

It burns you all that we have two Presidents in a row who make fools of themselves on the International stage, and one of them is your messiah. I get that. But it is what it is, no matter how much lipstick you try to slap on it.

From a lot of the Liberal responses, I've drawn the conclusion that they're basing their entire defense on the idea of "I'm not saying anything negative about Obama, until one of you says something negative about Bush".

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

..........and in the #173 opinion piece, who is the author, what is his authority, and why nothing newer than 15 years ago to include the dim cowboy?
There are other photos in this thread with other Presidents since Ike, have you reached any conclusions?




(this is going to be good)

its the NYT silly....did you actually click the link...did you actually read it, did you actually note how clintons "almost" bow broke 200 years of state department admonishment against bowing?

also, clinton admin officials stated that presidents do not bow

no surprise you ignore the fact there was outrage over clinton's almost bow, while you complain about outrage over obama, now twice, bows....

i've already addressed those photos more than once....i would be interested to see you actually respond to the controversy surrounding another democrat president who almost bowed....hey, maybe i could use the leftie tactic of crying racism over the disparity in treatment, clinton is white

(yawn)

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

Who among those railing about the bow even acknowledged the bush stupidity? And bowing to an Emperor also seems funny to you, and a sin.

If I have any foreign experience at all, my most extensive experience has been in the Orient having spent years there. I can tell you without equivocation that Obama has gained nothing but admiration for his knowledge and the respect shown for the Emperor and thus the Japanese people while a guest in their country. Isn't that what is most important? It is the stupidity of this argument that will make them wonder about us, but that, to some, is far less important than attacking Obama.

I saw it first on Hannity(and 2nd) and will say once again it is stupidity bred from ignorance. I cannot but feel sorry for those whose insecurities Obama has offended by showing knowledge and respect for a country important to us as friends.

yet is amazing how you and your cohorts ignore the outrage over clinton's almost bow....even the liberal NYT called it subservient....yet you falsely claim its only republicans and fox who have issues with a president bowing

liberals have a delusional stance to obama....somebody yesterday called it the "obama derangement syndrome".....i think it fits liberals best

 

[USFREEDOM911]

Yet here you are, defending rather than chalking it up to a learning experience.

And I again submit that had Bush done this you'd have creamed him all over this site for it. Me, I just hope this guy learns to just quit it. Stop bowing to every Tom, Dick and Harry. That's pretty much it.

I hope he continues; because not only does it provide entertainment, watching them rush forward in defense, but it also will provide numerous photo-ops for all future elections.