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Obama's Nice Guy Act Gets Him Nowhere on the World Stage
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,662822,00.html ^

Posted on 11/23/2009 5:40:59 AM PST by cycle of discernment

11/23/2009

US Foreign Policy Obama's Nice Guy Act Gets Him Nowhere on the World Stage

By Gabor Steingart

AP US President Barack Obama is back in the US after an Asian trip that produced few results.

When he entered office, US President Barack Obama promised to inject US foreign policy with a new tone of respect and diplomacy. His recent trip to Asia, however, showed that it's not working. A shift to Bush-style bluntness may be coming.

There were only a few hours left before Air Force One was scheduled to depart for the flight home. US President Barack Obama trip through Asia had already seen him travel 24,000 kilometers, sit through a dozen state banquets, climb the Great Wall of China and shake hands with Korean children. It was high time to take stock of the trip.

Barack Obama looked tired on Thursday, as he stood in the Blue House in Seoul, the official residence of the South Korean president. He also seemed irritable and even slightly forlorn. The CNN cameras had already been set up. But then Obama decided not to play along, and not to answer the question he had already been asked several times on his trip: what did he plan to take home with him? Instead, he simply said "thank you, guys," and disappeared. David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, fielded the journalists' questions in the hallway of the Blue House instead, telling them that the public's expectations had been "too high." The mood in Obama's foreign policy team is tense following an extended Asia trip that produced no palpable results. The "first Pacific president," as Obama called himself, came as a friend and returned as a stranger. The Asians smiled but made no concessions.

(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: asia; asiantripfailure; china; nice; niceguy; niceguyact; nowhere; obama; sourcetitlenoturl; stage; world
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1 posted on 11/23/2009 5:41:01 AM PST by cycle of discernment
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To: cycle of discernment

The reason Obama travels so much overseas must be he feels safer there ;-)


2 posted on 11/23/2009 5:43:04 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (Support our troops, and vote out the RINO's!)
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To: cycle of discernment

Another “Well, DUH!” moment for the Appeaser in Chief.


3 posted on 11/23/2009 5:43:24 AM PST by WayneS (Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
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To: cycle of discernment
Obama looked like a wimp in Asia and people laugh at him back at home. This guy's resume doesn't spell political H-E-F-T. And we have clueless Republicans like Harley Barbour who say people like him so we need to respect him. Yeah sure, Harley. Tell it to Spiegel and SNL, you gutless coward!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

4 posted on 11/23/2009 5:45:10 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: cycle of discernment

I’d say he set us back 50 years...


5 posted on 11/23/2009 5:45:27 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: cycle of discernment

“The asians smiled, but made no concessions.” Why would anyone make any concessions to a weakling and fool?
I disagree with the author’s statement that the great zero didn’t lose any face in Japan or China. He lost all face with his kowtowing to the Japanese emperor, and had none to start with when he got to China.


6 posted on 11/23/2009 5:46:20 AM PST by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: cycle of discernment

A show of weakness is not diplomacy.


7 posted on 11/23/2009 5:54:49 AM PST by Vaduz
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To: Scotsman will be Free

The Chinese figured this guy out pretty quick. Back last summer, ozero’s treasury failure, timmy, went to China to reassure them of the strength of our ecomony. They laughed at him. By laughing/disrespecting timmy, they were doing the same to barry the boy king.


8 posted on 11/23/2009 5:56:49 AM PST by Texas resident ( Doing my part to piss off the heathen left.)
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To: goldstategop

Say its not sooo.. I thought better of Barbour. Huckabee was sounding just like him the other day... Not my kind of Republicans.


9 posted on 11/23/2009 6:08:35 AM PST by go-ken-go (i)
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To: cycle of discernment

Clearly, Obama’s a moron; however, the “race card” inhibits anyone in the US from saying so - since to say it would be much in defiance of the Doctrine of Political Correctness which states, in summary, “No one may criticize a Black person for any reason, at any time, without being ipso facto a racist.” Overseas, and particularly in Asia, no one gives a rat’s *ss about Political Correctness; ergo, they call ‘em like they see ‘em.


10 posted on 11/23/2009 6:13:57 AM PST by Jack Hammer
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To: cycle of discernment

Except for his trip to Africa, Obama’s foreign trips have been failures, if not disasters.


11 posted on 11/23/2009 6:14:22 AM PST by monocle
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To: cycle of discernment

Some might say he has not ‘gravitas’.


12 posted on 11/23/2009 6:15:13 AM PST by carmody
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To: goldstategop

No kidding...

The reason people say they like the Pres__ent is solely because they are fearful of being called a “racist”; that’s it, no other reason. The Demonrats set the standard that states that if you oppose Zero’s socialism and anti-American policies, it is only because of his race, and true to form pansy, gutless Repubicans line up and fall right in line with inane standard. In my view, with their outright refusal to loudly voice their opposition to these destructive policies, they are nothing more than enablers of this administration. Absolutely pathetic.


13 posted on 11/23/2009 6:18:56 AM PST by Common Sense 101
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To: carmody

You’re quite right.

Obama: a complete and total lack of gravitas.

Obiden: would be taken more seriously if he died his hair orange, wore a poka-dot jump suit and rubber nose.


14 posted on 11/23/2009 6:21:51 AM PST by sjmjax
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To: cycle of discernment

15 posted on 11/23/2009 6:23:32 AM PST by maggief
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To: cycle of discernment

Do you think barry will ever figure out that he was plucked from the pee wee league to start as QB in the NFL? He’s in the big leagues without the experience and skill that the other players have. Kind of like giving a 10 year old a bulldozer. But HEY, we have a clean articulate black guy in the white hut. How’s all that hope and change working out? Is the world proud of us now for having our first affirmative action President? Hell no, they are all are going to jocky for position to take advantage of the situation. And since 9/11 happened once.....


16 posted on 11/23/2009 6:25:36 AM PST by Texas resident ( Doing my part to piss off the heathen left.)
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To: cycle of discernment
David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, fielded the journalists' questions in the hallway of the Blue House instead, telling them that the public's expectations had been "too high."

Ah, so it's our fault. Nice.

17 posted on 11/23/2009 6:27:59 AM PST by Hoodat (For the weapons of our warfare are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.)
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To: cycle of discernment
kowtowing to our enemies, and snubbing our friends isn't working huh?

ROFL

shocking!

/sarc

18 posted on 11/23/2009 6:44:50 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied, the economy died)
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To: cycle of discernment

I’m more amused by the last sentence in the caption under the pic in the article. “A shift to Bush-style bluntness may be coming.” Yah, right. That kind of ‘bluntness’ would require Barry to grow a pair, and the way he kisses ass, that isn’t happening any time soon.


19 posted on 11/23/2009 6:54:01 AM PST by LoneStarGI (Vegetarian: Old Indian word for "BAD HUNTER.")
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To: cycle of discernment
A shift to Bush-style bluntness may be coming.

The only people dems can be "blunt" with are their fellow citizens who happen to be conservative... With the tough guys of the world, dems shirk...

20 posted on 11/23/2009 6:56:39 AM PST by GOPJ (ObamaCare - slush fund scam that would make Bernie Madoff blush.)
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