Friday, April 10, 2009
The bow that wasn't
I didn't get too worked up about President Obama's respectful or overly deferential greeting when meeting Saudi King Abdullah. I did not believe that it was some kind of genetically ingrained response, given the long and dark history that Arabs have had with the slave trade in East Africa, West Africa and North Africa over the past millennium-plus. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with a little cultural sensitivity and awareness, provided that it is reciprocated.
What is most bothersome is the White House saying, "who you gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes," and claiming that the president did not bow, attributing the bending to a height differential. The cover-up was much worse than the crime.
Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air has been on top of this from the start, and feels a bit of love from CNN for his efforts. Jeanne Moos of CNN does a series of "Man in the Street" interviews, prompting one citizen to notice his president's "butt."
Next up, various heads of state redo the "Baby Got Back" video by Sir Mix-A-Lot?
CWCID: Hot Air
12 Comments:
By 
, at
Fri Apr 10, 01:44:00 PM:
I watched the video. From the angle of the shot, Obama's head went lower than the King's.
It was a bow. Why lie?
By 
D.E. Cloutier, at
Fri Apr 10, 01:58:00 PM:
What the hell. Obama thinks like a peasant, not a samurai. In Japan I never bow as low as the other guy.
By davemartin7777, at
Fri Apr 10, 02:44:00 PM:
What hypocrisy... ex-President Bush kissed that Abdullah guy on the lips.
But that's OK with the rightwingnuts... as long as Bush didn't tongue him.
By Andrew X, at
Fri Apr 10, 02:50:00 PM:
This whole "it never happened' thing is more disconcerting than the bow itself.
Let's look at the only possibilities on the table...
A) It "wasn't a bow", in that it was protocol error number 2,541 for The One in the past 90 days, just another (yawn) example of a guy in over his head with the job, and doesn't know what the hell he is doing, and the ramifications of every act and word.
B) It WAS a bow, by man who knew exactly what he was doing and why. And that all he had to say after was that "it wasn't", and the American MSM would swallow that whole, while the ARAB media would send far and wide the image of the President of the United States bowing before the Saudi King and Caretaker of the Holy Cities, etc. Americans would be lied to, and lie to themselves about it, Arabs would see the truth and all the significance of same. Goals met on two fronts, courtesy of a pathetic US media.
So, which is it?
I don't know. Occam's Razor does not work, as I find them both equally plausible.
Which is singularly appalling.
By Andrew X, at
Fri Apr 10, 03:02:00 PM:
Dave, the left wing nut...
A) I dunno about any lip action, but a bow is a singular act of protocol the world over, and its symbolism cannot be ignored, nor is it, around the world.
B) The comparison with the Queen of England here is hugely significant. A President ought not to bow to the QoE, especially what with our revolutionary heritage. But Obama's personal choice of just WHO he decides to respect and who not to, and to advertise that to the world, can only be ignored by a fool or an idiot, or a rabid Obamanist Red Guard.
If you use the UN's own gauge of "free countries", based on press freedom, stability, property rights, etc, the current and former colonies (regardless of how they separated) of the British empire make up something like 80% of the top 20 in the world. THIS is what we celebrate in our century-old alliance with Great Britian, not to mention our legal and political philosophies. THIS is what Obama chooses to dismiss airily, while bowing before the highest authority of Mecca and Medina, and gosh, think of all the glories of liberty exented to the world by those two cities.
Dave, do YOU think Obama is proud of this country, its heritage, what it has brought to this world? Do you? Of what, exactly? Specifically?
It's an enormously serious question, because, other than mentioning his own election, I cannot imagine how he would answer that question with any sincerity whatsoever. I seriously, very seriously, wonder if he is proud of us at all.
By , at
Fri Apr 10, 03:14:00 PM:
The nod to Queen Elizabeth II and the bow to the Saudi King have made me loathe Obama. He is not an American in his heart. No American would bow to any king. He eagerly threw himself down before a king.
And "Sniffy" Gibb's attempt to poo-poo CNN's question shows that he is also one sick puppy.
By , at
Fri Apr 10, 03:27:00 PM:
Tigerhawk.....come on.
It was a bow and it likely is because B. Hussein Obambi (the wimp) was raised as a mooooslim boy. His father was a mooooslim and his step-father was a mooooslim.
Futhermore, you need to better understand US history. American presidents and even American CITIZENS are not supposed to bow to foreign kings. A simple head nod or better still, a handshake is appropriate for Americans.
We have a wimp in the White House....Jimmy Carter's 2nd term. Even worse since Carter was at least an American.
By davod, at
Fri Apr 10, 05:07:00 PM:
Did he bow. Where are the two hands?
Oops
Review a video and see how those around the king responded when Obama did what he did.
By Dawnfire82, at
Fri Apr 10, 07:08:00 PM:
First time I'd seen that second picture, Davod.
No question.
How long before Mr. Obama is visited by the wrathful ghosts of revolutionary forefathers?
Especially Jefferson, who #1 has a special loathing for monarchism above and beyond the American instance and #2 had experience with Muslim atrocities and intransigence.
By , at
Fri Apr 10, 08:46:00 PM:
This is OT, and CC will need a third Advil after reading it (so I apologize in advance to him) but I know the rest of you folks will enjoy the link as much as I did: Obama gets called a "surrender monkey" and a "pantywaist" by the Telegraph. I wish I could buy this newspaper! I wonder if the kiosk on Palmer Square has it?
By davod, at
Fri Apr 10, 10:57:00 PM:
, at Fri Apr 10, 07:08:00 PM:
First time I'd seen that second picture, Davod.
Dawnfire - send the link to your friends, and some Democrats.
By davod, at
Sat Apr 11, 07:44:00 AM:
One of the few was to attack the Obama machine and its accolytes in the media is to show proof positive that they lied.
While the bow may seem trivial to some it is a heck of a lot easier for someone to look at a picture and believe the machine lied, than to quote a lot of figures to show they lied about sonething far more serious. However, if you tie the two together (And similar incidents, and say it often enough, the message will start to stick about the serious issues.
