Posted on 09/28/2014 11:42:40 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
By now, everyone has seen the pictures of President Obamas latte salute, where he walked off Air Force One and couldnt even be bothered to switch his cup to his other hand while lazily saluting the Marines at the bottom of the airplane stairs. The Obama apologists are dismissing the criticism, calling it ridiculousness.
Perhaps the president meant it as an insult; perhaps not. But we know the president is vain after all, he has already written two books about himself and hes also very stage-aware. He knew what he was doing. President Obama was striking a pose.
While the usual suspects want to make apologies for him and of course, immediately blame President Bush this has hit a nerve. If we were still under a traditional liberal media monopoly, this might have been swept under the rug. But in the age of social media, this short clip has taken on a life of its own, and the timing could not be worse for the president from a policy or political standpoint.
The reason this is so bad for President Obama is because he just broke the cardinal rule of not playing to his negative stereotypes....
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
you know, the first thought that popped into my head when I saw it was not that he planned it as an insult, but, already having the coffee in his hand, thought it was a “cool” gesture and the new “informal” norm that we now live with.
somewhat akin to bill Clinton drinking from a can of diet coke during his monica Lewinsky testimony. to show he was an “every man”.
of course, I could be wrong and he really is the devil.
Negative stereotypes?
Wha?
This writer could get a clue and go over to
Andrews and speak with any first sergeant and find out that it was not Air Force One and that the author’s not knowing that puts him and his audience in a stereotypical little bubble outside of any contact with the military.
what he could also find out is that this was highly insulting, and for the public, for whom the military works, to not do anything bout this, not say anything about it, is disgusting
I thought it was an insult, simply because I remember he had that other Marine hold an umbrella for him. To me, that was an insult, that had me seething, so he has priors.
Of course it was an insult.
In saluting, Bush (43) switched his position to carry the dog on his left hand. It is also easier to switch a styrofoam cup to the left hand than to switch a dog the size of Barney to the left arm. In this time of war, I think it is significant in showing Obama’s lack of respect of the military who is now doing his bidding in bombing Isis’s empty buildings.
It was a deliberate show of contempt, not a “gaffe”.
I've got to think that that may well have been true of those young Marines - even more so, given that I was saluting an Admiral and they were saluting their Commander-In-Chief. I don't know their exact position - it may be that for them it's not that uncommon a thing to have to do, but what is worrying me is the idea that it may have been something they only get the opportunity to do once - and to have it treated like this if that is the case, could seriously sour what might have been a very special moment for them.
It is disrespectful - President Obama must know that he can expect to be saluted leaving Marine One. He should have made sure he was ready to return such a salute properly. If he can't understand that, he should have aides who make sure he gets it right (I've worked as a protocol officer, and part of my job was to make sure any VIPs I was working with were prewarned of anything they might be expected to do, if I had any reason to think they might not know.)
Eventually, he may write another book: “Me and The Latte Salute”, published by the Khorosan Group! :/
I wonder how many times a few of those Marines pissed on Marine one or better yet.. made some “real” coffee for the usurper.
A mere contrivance.
Negative? I thought being a classless clown was one of Obama's least unappealing characteristics.
Excellent story and personal observation about the salute, natural man.
Furthermore, BO knew there would be cameras as well, and therefore knew the “optics” of his actions to the public and the world (during a military campaign overseas, no less). A wartime CINC?!? Pfffft.
Obama will say it was bad ‘optics’ just like his playing golf. It was not bad it just looked bad in his mind.
Well, after the polling data came out, THEN it became “bad optics” ... Before, he didn’t care. To him, it DID mean “nothing” - just like ordering a Marine to hold his umbrella meant “nothing” to Obama.
And “the best use of the military while cutting their budget during a war against terror” is ordering the Army to go to Africa and build isolation huts for the Ebola epidemic . They mean “nothing” to Obama. Or anybody else in the White House.
Just as bad as Klinton when he had the marines serving as waiters at his little prom.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.