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Smart Power: Obama Repeatedly Botches Dignitaries' Names on Foreign Trip
Townhall.com ^ | November 19, 2012 | Guy Benson

Posted on 11/19/2012 7:53:06 PM PST by Kaslin

President "Smart Power" at work.  Oops:
 

As Obama stood next to the world's most recognized democracy icon, he mispronounced her name repeatedly. Ever gracious, Suu Kyi did not correct her American guest for calling her Aung YAN Suu Kyi multiple times during his statement to reporters after their meeting. Proper pronunciation for the Nobel laureate's name is Ahng Sahn Soo Chee. The meeting came after Obama met with Myanmar's reformist new President Thein Sein - a name he also botched. As the two addressed the media, Obama called his counterpart "President Sein," an awkward, slightly affectionate reference that would make most Burmese cringe. Note to presidential advisers: For future rounds of diplomacy, the president of Myanmar is President Thein Sein - on first and second reference.  


These foibles were mentioned in the 20th paragraph of an Associated Press story entitled, "Obama Draws Crowd in Yangon."   Many of the preceding grafs were devoted to quoting adoring comments from Burmese citizens.  I wonder if these "cringe" worthy gaffes would have been relegated to afterthought status had they been committed by Obama's predecessor -- who, as we've all been endlessly informed, was "stupid."  By the way, these name snafus weren't Obama's only errors in his public appearances today.  The Weekly Standard notes that he identified the host nation as "Myanmar," which is the designation preferred by the nation's military junta (which has since ceded power to a "nominally civilian government"):
 

Obama used the word "Myanmar," the preferred terminology of the former military government and currently nominally civilian government, in a spray following the bilat, rather than use "Burma," the former name of the country, and the one preferred by Aung San Suu Kyi as well as the name the U.S. uses. "I've shared with him the fact that I recognize this is just the first steps on what will be a long journey," Obama told reporters, with Thein Sein at his side. "But we think a process of democratic and economic reform here in Myanmar that has been begun by the president is one that can lead to incredible development opportunities.  


The White House says Obama bucked US policy and employed the military junta's preferred term as a "diplomatic courtesy."  Obama extended a similar courtesy to another undeserving actor in the recent past, angering our closest ally while he was at it.  Here's video of today's authoritarian accommodation, via Allahpundit:
 

Obama: Myanmar Visit About Sustaining Momentum

I wonder what Suu Kyi was thinking as she heard the president mispronounce her name and hail her nation by the name imposed by the illegitimate government that imprisoned her


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: burma; obama; obamagaffes; obamateur; theuglyamerican
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To: Kaslin
Obama Repeatedly Botches Dignitaries' Names on Foreign Trip

He's a moron along with the 60 million that allegedly voted for him.

21 posted on 11/19/2012 9:55:15 PM PST by Alaska Wolf (USA!)
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To: Kaslin
Idiot savant
22 posted on 11/19/2012 10:24:23 PM PST by funfan
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To: Kaslin

Maobama doesn’t pronounce ‘Navy Corpsman’ right — he didn’t have a hope in hell of getting her name right. And what an ass for calling it “Myanmar.”


23 posted on 11/19/2012 10:44:45 PM PST by gemoftheocean (...geez, this all seems so straight forward and logical to me...)
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To: Kaslin

What a complete dumbass.


24 posted on 11/20/2012 4:06:59 AM PST by dinodino
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To: dinodino

Well, what do you expect.


25 posted on 11/20/2012 4:16:31 AM PST by Kaslin ( One Big Ass Mistake America (Make that Two))
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To: Kaslin
Don't hate Obama because he's inept.

Blame the US news media for lying to us about his incompetence. I hate the m^%@#f&*^$rs.

26 posted on 11/20/2012 6:04:27 AM PST by skeeter
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To: Tainan

I am not sure that Joe knows where Joe is.


27 posted on 11/20/2012 6:07:20 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: lonestar
Obama is as stupid as Biden.

Yeah, but he's much more malevolent. Kewl.

28 posted on 11/20/2012 4:47:02 PM PST by lentulusgracchus
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To: xjcsa
Eh, I don't think he's that stupid. It was on purpose. Who knows why.

I agree with you, it's deliberate. He's waaaaay into personal nastiness. Remember his giving McCain the not-so-subtle bird during the debates? His nasty sniling at Romney during the second debate this year? The frequent displays of open contempt?

When Biden did that with Paul Ryan, I had an impression it was coached, that Joe's handlers asked him to do that. ("Go to the body, Joe, go to the ribs!")

When Obama does it, it's character.

Julius Caesar did it a lot, too, sneering and putting people down -- you can see these guys coming, if you know what to look for. Human nature wasn't invented last week.

29 posted on 11/20/2012 4:56:36 PM PST by lentulusgracchus
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To: Kaslin
[Art.] Ever gracious, Suu Kyi did not correct her American guest for calling her Aung YAN Suu Kyi multiple times during his statement to reporters after their meeting. ...The meeting came after Obama met with Myanmar's reformist new President Thein Sein - a name he also botched.

Just his way of letting her know, "Look, it's nice that you earned a Nobel Prize, honey, but don't let it go to your head. There's only one superstar around here."

30 posted on 11/20/2012 5:17:21 PM PST by lentulusgracchus
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To: Fred Nerks
....she then had to turn around and go back to the car and welcome Hillary, whom he had left behind as if he had forgotten she was there.

Same message for Hillary: "Get over yourself, Blondie. I'm The Won. Now stay in the car, b*tch!"

31 posted on 11/20/2012 5:26:45 PM PST by lentulusgracchus
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