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Audacity of Truth
Yes, liberals – it IS wrong for the POTUS to bow at 90 degrees to other heads of state
It never fails that any criticism of President Obama from conservatives is met with the usual “they’re overblowing it/they’re being stupid” cry from some on the left, and this weekend is no different. In response to the legitimate outcry over the President bowing at a clear 90 degree angle to Japanese Emperor Akihito, liberals at blogs like “The Moderate Voice” (does that place even have any moderates posting there anymore?), Alan Colmes’ blog, and others are blasting conservatives for getting upset at our President allegedly “observing a cultural custom.”
Think again. Both Ed Morrissey and Allahpundit dug up a 1994 New York Times piece back when the first Obama bow controversy emerged, and Ed reposted the link to the article again today. In it, the liberal NYT talks about a tradition among American Presidents that does not involve bowing:
It wasn’t a bow, exactly. But Mr. Clinton came close. He inclined his head and shoulders forward, he pressed his hands together. It lasted no longer than a snapshot, but the image on the South Lawn was indelible: an obsequent President, and the Emperor of Japan.
Canadians still bow to England’s Queen; so do Australians. Americans shake hands. If not to stand eye-to-eye with royalty, what else were 1776 and all that about?
[...]
Guests invited to a white-tie state dinner at the White House (a Clinton Administration first) were instructed to address the Emperor as “Your Majesty,” not “Your Highness” or, worse, “King.” And in what one Administration aide called “some emperor thing,” an Army general was cautioned that he should not address the Emperor Akihito at all as he escorted him to the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
But the “thou need not bow” commandment from the State Department’s protocol office maintained a constancy of more than 200 years. Administration officials scurried to insist that the eager-to-please President had not really done the unthinkable.
To emphasize, it is NOT a “cultural custom” of any kind for any POTUS to bow as Obama did to a head of state. But apparently this State Department – and this President – think differently.
So, “Moderate” Voice’s Kathy Kattenburg, does this make the NYT a group of “yokels” as well? Newsflash: When even the nation’s most liberal newspaper backs up a point conservatives are making, that usually means the left is flat out wrong. Sometimes, lefties, President Obama does make mistakes, and clearly this was one of those times -as was the outrageous bow he made to the Saudi King.
If you’re ok with American Presidents bowing like he has to other heads of state, then perhaps you were disappointed with the outcome of the Revolutionary War, too.
Next?
Update – 12:17 PM: Check out these photos of other world leaders meeting with the Emperor of Japan. How culturally insensitive of them not to bow. Yokels!
(via ST reader 2Hotel9)
Cross-posted to Right Wing News, where I am helping guestblog for John Hawkins on Sundays.
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Sis? Did you see Gateway Pundits post on this? Jeff has a pic compilation showing world leaders NOT bowing to HIM.
Barri, what a putz!
And never forget his admission of subservience to the monarch of the House of Saud!
Didn’t see ia at GP’s, but I did see them at the Hot Air Pundit site, and just linked to them.
I haven’t visited TMV in a while, but they used to do a pretty good job striking a middle-of-the-road balance there. A shame if they’ve gone downhill.
I’ve been to Japan and my wife is Japanese. They don’t get their panties in a wad when Americans don’t bow to them in Japan. In fact, they think its kinda of “not normal” for Americans to be bowing. They are incredibly flexible and forgiving people.
My advice to Obama is to be American….don’t try to pretend you are Japanese….you only make yourself look foolish. They like Americans who are American.
When in Rome, kiss Caesars ass.
President Obama ranks equally with the Emperor of Japan: both ate Heads of State. In a practical sense, he outranks the Emperor, because the President is both the Head of State and Chief of State, while the Prime Minister is the Chief of State in Japan.
The State Department regulations don’t mean anything: the President of the United States is the source of all federal government regulations, and he can change them as he wishes. But, in this case, I’d suggest that it was a matter of him acknowledging that the Emperor just has more class than he does.
Obviously, the bow is suppose to “mean” something from the Obama or he wouldn’t do it.
This is not just a show of respect to another World leader as we see from all of the other leaders shaking hands, this is an intentional act of submissiveness that Obama uses as a Worldwide message.
I am convinced that I know the exact meaning.
He lost a bet at the G8 summit where the loser had to grovel before all other leaders for photo ops if the time should present itself……At least he didn’t welch with them as he did on his own people…..Americans.
“My advice to Obama is to be American….don’t try to pretend you are Japanese….you only make yourself look foolish. They like Americans who are American.”
Problem is, Bill, by his actions (for decades now) he isn’t an American, hasn’t been an American, and probably never will be because where he’s taking this country is not America.
Are the US Olympic committee members learning how to dip our flag yet? The games in Canada aren’t that far off now.
It’s simple: Obama is a liberal loser who has been brainwashed to believe everything foreign is superior to the United States. His worship of “otherness” makes him look like an adolescent schoolboy.
I’m posting the “LoSER” sticker everywhere:
AntiObamaSticker . com
Unlike Michelle Obama, for the first time in my adult life, I am proud to be an American as always, but absolutely disgusted at her husband’s slavish sycophantic behavior abroad. An American President should bow to NO ONE!(Excepting us, the American people). George Washington would have slapped this wimp silly!
Still one more APOLOGY tour!!
He’s a shameful disgrace. And, exactly, he is not American:
LINK
True or parsed together/edited to promote falsehoods? Aren’t these his own words?
And yet these people get all upset, and make movies about GW holding the hands with a friend of the family who happened to be Saudi Arabian. LOL They are such ridiculous putzes, they no longer matter. – Lorica
I think Obama’s or should that be O-bow-ma’s bow to the Emperor of Japan was wrong, just as his bow to the King of Saudi Arabia was wrong. This is not political against a democrat. It was wrong for Pres W to hold hands and kiss the King of Saudi Arabia, ugh what a message. Just as it was wrong for Pres. Clinton to bow to Emperor of Japan. It was just as wrong, and probably worse for Pres. Nixon to bow to mass murderer Mao Tse Tung of Commie China. Each of these ‘policically correct’ salutations damaged our standing in the world.