Posted on 12/03/2022 5:59:10 PM PST by ransomnote
ransomnote: below are my notes on the following New York Times article.
Dec 2. 2022
New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/us/politics/biden-state-dinner-macron-party.html
ransomnote: I was puzzled to learn that Biden held his administration's first state dinner in a tent on the south lawn of the White House at night, when temperatures were about 37 degrees. I decided to find out more about the event.
In general it seems to have been a long, drawn out affair starting of with a "marathon cocktail hour" (no start time specified. 5 pm perhaps?) with dinner not being served until 10:30 pm, entertainment beginning at 11:30 pm and the dinner ending at 12:30 am. I believe the food was served late so cocktail hour extended on 'forever', so then entertainment began late at 11:30, and then they may have felt the need to stay at for at least an hour of entertainment. In the middle of all that, guests were unable to obtain beverages from the bar. This sounds like a poorly planned high school prom.The article repeatedly stresses that the dinner concluded late, at 12:30 am leaving me to wonder if either Biden's never been seen outside that late before or it was hoped that readers would assume it went on so long because guests were having such a good time they didn't want it to end. The writer notes the end time of the event is late for DC culture.
At the conclusion of the event, attendees without sercurity details were directed to a nearby street to hail a cab.
There were 300 guests. Some of the attendees are mentioned in the article:
Mr/Mrs Macron
Mr/Mrs Biden
Hunter Biden
Nancy Pelosi
Alexandra Pelosi
Terry McAuliffe
Chris Coons
Mike Barnicle
Mika Brzezinski
Stephen Colbert
Joe Scarborough
Steve Scalise
Ambassador Rufus Gifford (chief of protocol for the United States)
Rep. Steny Hoyer
Patrick Dillon (White House Chief of Staff)
Jennifer O’Malley Dillon
Biden's Secret Service detail
John Batiste (event's entertainment)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy and his mother
An unnamed State Department official
An anonymouse senior White House official
"the White House Press Secretary"
The New York Times used the subtitle of the article to note that the bartenders ran out of glassware and later refers to the venue as a 'croweded white tent'. Later in the article, attendee Terry McAuliffe is praised as a veteran experienced in events like these and he advises that standing in line waiting for a drink is a good opportunity to watch the goings on and to enjoy the wait.
The photograph of the event featuring the presidents and their wives is awkward. Biden has, in my opinion, an unrecognizable smile on his face, Macron appears to have one eye completely closed, and his wife is not on the carpet with the others but is instead almost at arms reach. It's possible she's not on the carpet because she has a male guest beside her (I should know his name but I can't recall it now) and didn't want to exclude him, but the photo caption doesn't identify the guest.
Other groups of photographs show guests arriving in the White House entry hall. So they arrive in the entry hall and are taken out to a tent on the lawn. I wonder if they thought because it was 37 degrees outside, and the White House is an auspicious location, that they would be dinning inside the White House?
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/12/02/multimedia/02dc-MEMO-1-4c7a/02dc-MEMO-1-4c7a-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp
Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra Pelosi, sat next to Biden at the head table with the Macrons, which seems to support Nancy's intentions for her daughter to take over her House seat.
The article describes Joe Biden as a man of uncomplicated tastes. Alexandra Pelosi asked President Biden what foods America is best known for.
"“He said: ‘Hot dogs, ice cream and spaghetti,’” according to the younger Ms. Pelosi, who was seated next to Mr. Macron. Then her mother chimed in, telling the (somewhat puzzled) French president that she eats a hot dog every day in the cloakroom."
Later in the article, Biden had more to say on the subject of food, "The revelry led to a late evening for the president, who stayed out chatting about topics that included sausages with Mr. Macron, according to several observers. "
Items on the menu included American cheeses and triple cooked butter potatoes. Rufus Gifford paid special attention to ensure the Macrons were enjoying the food. He said that plates and glasses were empty, as proof the meal had been well received.
The given reason for the state visit is the urgent need for Mr. Biden and Mr. Macron to project a united front against the Russian invasion.
Given the low powered crowed-tent-on-a-lawn-without-glassware at night in freezing conditions, I don't understand how the writer could include the following:
"But for Mr. Biden and Dr. Biden — whose adherence to coronavirus protocols meant that they did not have an inauguration celebration, an Easter egg roll, or a long slate of holiday parties their first year — guests said their interactions had the element of making up for lost time."
Nor do I understand why Biden's discomfort at being 'hemmed in' by his SS detail can be logically attributed to Coronavirus concerns. However, he's described as enjoying the fun part of being a statesman at the event, "slinging his arm around guests" and chatting with Macron.
Ambassador Guifford described the event's focus on the relationship between Biden and Macron as a full display of America's magnificent soft power.
The sight of Colbert dancing with the Press Secretary was described as one of the perks of staying to the end of the event at 12:30.
The objective media swoons in ecstasy.
Blithering idiots eating with a French moron....
Complete nausea. Too bad a 2nd hand did not appear to write on the wall of the White House.
I’ll bet Nanzi choked a hot dog in the cloak room...
it’s how she got where she is today.
Kamala ate her’s in California.
Weird.
Interesting that Nanzi brought her daughter... Lends credence to the idea that she wants her to take over ‘her seat’.
And McCarthy’s date was his mother. Well, I guess if he had taken Luntz, it would have been too much of a ‘clue’.
Insane.
37° is way too cold for an outdoor, evening event.
I know a lot of people who organize parties like this and larger for mega multinational corporations, and have been to a few.
If they had really good appetizers and other food stuffs before dinner it may not have been that extremely bad.
but I am pretty certain with open bars and expensive wine there were a lot of people who should not have driven anywhere afterwards.
I believe that reports of wiener talk were accurate
“I’ll bet Nanzi choked a hot dog in the cloak room...”
Just like her husband.
Interesting guest list.
I sorta kinda wonder if maybe this is the first step in the rehabilitation of Hunter Biden into the royals upper echelon
Afraid of covid? Or not enough room in the White House? So they had to have it outside to accommodate all the guests?
Holdover from Obama era.
This is a bizarre story.
“37° is way too cold for an outdoor, evening event.”
Noo. Not to worry, there probably were 25 or more gas heaters burning Venezuelan gas paid for by... Guess who
I don’t buy either one.
That’s the only way I could see people staying warm outdoors at 37°.
What was McCarthy doing there?
Sucking up to the left?
Hunter shouldn’t have been there
Since when? State dinners have been held inside always
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