Posted on 04/11/2009 12:15:10 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
President Obama definitely bowed down when he shook the hand of Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at the G-20 in London last week. Despite the continuing outrage of conservatives and Arab-bashers, what Obama did was entirely appropriate, too. Here's my guide to Arabian royal protocol and American common sense.
In the videotape zapping around the Internet, Obama looks slightly awkward, as if he wasn't quite sure whether to bow, shake hands or do both. It turned out to be a deep bow- cum-handshake, it was certainly more than the nod-handshake he gave Queen Elizabeth II, but it was not quite a formal diplomatic bow from the waist. Maybe that's why the White House is, unofficially, denying the Obama bow.
A simple handshake would have sufficed. Obama certainly did not need to bow at all, as far as Saudi royal protocol is concerned. I have attended Abdullah's majlis in Riyadh a few times and witnessed his own personal distaste for obsequious shows of respect. In the context of a tribal society, Abdullah is a sheikh, indeed the sheikh of sheikhs, and as such his subjects would typically greet him at his Saudi-style town meetings with a kiss on the shoulder and a kiss on the hand.
-snip-
The Saudi leads a society that is steeped in custom, even if he himself is trying to loosen tradition a bit. As a much younger man, even if he is president of the world's most powerful country, Obama is entirely proper in showing pointed respect for an elder counterpart. Moreover, Abdullah holds a variety of positions that deserve and require recognition-king; custodian of the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina; elder statesman of the Arab world; son of the founder of his country.
(Excerpt) Read more at mideast.blogs.time.com ...
When I heard (twice) that Gibbs ‘denied’ (we call it LIED)the bow was because it would be something the conservatives would jump on if he admitted it was a bow.
IOW, Conservative made him do it. LMAO.
The spin on this bow beats anything Clinton did.
The MSM can no longer successfully cover up such gaffes with the videos circulating on the Internet and now must rely on the spin from the White House. This incident plus the gaffes on gifts to PM Brown and the Queen show Obama as an utter rookie in foreign affairs. Certainly there are professionals somewhere in Washington who can advise the President on protocol and it is apparent Obama is ignoring their advice or more likely doe not seek it because he thinks he knows it all.
If Odumba would lie about something as simple as a bow, what else will he lie about? What has he lied about? If he lies rather than admit to a simple breech in protocol, what about the big issues?
IMHO, that is where this story should go next.
TIME Magazine’s line of defense in their below quoted statement seems to have a major flaw. As Head of State there is no protocol for “a formal diplomatic bow from the waist”.
I love it when liberals keep digging their self-made hole even deeper!!!!!
“””In the videotape zapping around the Internet, Obama looks slightly awkward, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether to bow, shake hands or do both. It turned out to be a deep bow- cum-handshake, it was certainly more than the nod-handshake he gave Queen Elizabeth II, but it was not quite a formal diplomatic bow from the waist. Maybe that’s why the White House is, unofficially, denying the Obama bow”””
All Obama did was bow in respect to his benefactor. Anyone want to bet that Obama’s tuition was paid by this guy?
It looked to me like he was snorting a line.
What does Saudi Royal protocol have to do with it anyway. There is international diplomatic protocol. Period. Heads of state don't bow to other heads of state. Period.
SUBMISSION ACCOMPLISHED is the PERFECT TITLE for the BOW!!
It's quite a gawd-awful change from President Bush's "Mission Accomplished," isn't it?
To bowdlerize a comment I saw elsewhere,
"The French Commandos are making us look like Wagyu-eating surrender monkeys..."
How come nobody else there bowed and why did they all laugh.?
I figured it was a hale rant at first...8^}
What a wonderful resource Time magazine is. Now I fully understand it. BO’s only mistake was that he failed to kiss Abdullah on the shoulder.
or 'My fly is open?"
EXACTLY!!! This shows them what he IS and what he'll do for them.
Oh yeah! :-)
The media continue to show they are as inept as their Precious. And they show their desperation to try to perpetuate the myth and are going to crack when it starts to get ugly with the public finally coming to terms with the reality of what 0bama is and what he is doing to this country.
He was looking for his original birth certificate.
BTW, what is a “cum” handshake???
on second thought, don’t answer that.
Ewwww
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