Obama Not Met With Cheering or Applause from Marines During Christmas Dinner

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977545999&grpId=3659174697243103&nav=Groupspace ^

[chessplayer]

President-elect Obama stopped by the Marine Corps base in Hawaii Kaneche Bay where servicemen and -women were eating Christmas dinner in Kailua Thursday evening.

"Just wanted to say hi, hey guys," Obama said as he walked into the Anderson dining hall which was decked out in Christmas decorations.

The diners represented seven military units—Marine and Navy—some of whom were joined by their families for Christmas dinner.

As Obama entered the room, it was absent of the regular fanfare of cheering and clapping. The diners were polite, staying seated at their respective tables and waited for the president-elect to come to them to stand up.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

In my experience most troops were apolitical.

In my experience most troops are intensely political, but more along the lines of a populist statism. Most are also intensely nationalistic, which comes of, you know, actually living in foreign countries and getting to understand the world at the retail level rather than merely in dormitory bull sessions.

That being said, the principle of civilian control of the military is drummed into officers at every level constantly. Americans don't appreciate how lucky they are to have the military we do. The Clintons and Obama are more typical in this respect than most Americans. The military culture is not something that one should tamper with lightly, it is amazing resilent and successful so far, but it can be broken. My generation has effectively destroyed the academy, the press, the church, the economy, and the family. They've left the military alone because they don't understand it and don't care about it, except in a negative sense.

[oh8eleven]

As much as I dislike him, I don't think we want to go down that road.
The US will eventually experience all the socio-economic/political events just like other countries have throughout history.
I've always believed a military coup would take place sometime in the distant future to restore the original Constitution.
That "distant future" may not be that far away - especially if the Libs get a few more states to agree to a Constitutional Convention.
Semper Fi ...

[gov_bean_ counter]

Did he honestly think that putting on a USMC tee shirt and shooting some hoops actually made him one of them????

If so this man is dangerously delusional beyond belief.

Even as a DA Civilian of 19 years I would never ever put on an Army tee shirt. I refuse to purchase even so much as coffee cup that may imply I was something I am not.

If he had spent any significant time with our war fighters he would understand. But alas...

[ExpatGator]

Chances are slim to none. Our military is made up of professionals, not banana republicans.

It would have to be beyond bad for them to move against a constitutionally elected president.

[LiberConservative]

This is why I love our troops. W gets standing O’s and 0bama gets “get the f-— out of here, loser.”

[Alia]

They have every right to be worried. The Democrats have openly been against them, called them murderers, ad nauseum. Yes, Obama, your party has done this; and made things ever so much more difficult for you.

[Allegra]

Now we get to have the soupy, salivating reporting over Obama .. every move he makes will be on the news. No bad press at all.

Yes, and it's nauseating to watch them slobbering all over Obama. Especially after what they've done to Bush, Palin and anyone else who doesn't match their nasty, Marxist agenda.

[Alia]

Brilliant post. And yours is my experience with military, too.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Hey there. I have orders...

BOG 01/09/09.

See ya soon.

[TET1968]

The Military must be racist.
No ,Wait !, Half the military is composed of people of color.
Gee...what a puzzlement!

Wait, I know, the military hates their new Commander in Chief ?

[SandRat]

..and he's too dumb to know, that they all told him in a UCMJ Safe, eloquent, and gentlemanly fashion, how low their level of respect is for him.

[Riley]

Well said, Lonesome.

[ops33]

You’re right. No matter what you cannot fool the enlisted troops.

[tioga]

Is it really a surprise that our brainwashed military aren't quick to be excited about a pragmatic Democrat who is the exact opposite from the gung-ho, America-will-put a boot in your ass type of leader that we have had for the past eight years? It is that level of consciousness that needs to change. I know it will be hard, especially for the military personnel who have been bred to kill and not to care. But we must all come around to the levels of understanding,tolerance, and inclusiveness that Mr. Obama has if we hope to have a place in this world. There can be no military superpower without a functional economy. They should have given him a standing O. I know one day they will.
Jim Bess, Dec 27, 2008, 8:18am EST

you have got to read some of the comments after the article - what a hoot

[Old Retired Army Guy]

We made it through 8 years of Clinton and 4 years of Carter. We’ll still be there when this guy leaves.

[Riley]

Did he honestly think that putting on a USMC tee shirt and shooting some hoops actually made him one of them????

I found it irritating.

[RaceBannon]

Hawaii Kaneche Bay

LOL!!!!

BWAHAAAAAAAA

[stockstrader]

Why would they welcome someone who gave encouragement to our enemies during time of war,,,

and "AID-AND-COMFORT" to our enemies during time of war with his incessant calls for a pull-out before the job was done??

That very encouragement to our enemies helped prolong the war--and likely cost many more American lives

[RaceBannon]

Those weren’t soldiers, they were Marines.

[metesky]

There were no "soldiers" there.