Here's the thing: only "punches above its weight in the international arena" is enclosed in quotation marks. There are no quotation marks around the Philippines is a small country. That may well be the reporter's paraphrase. To know exactly what Obama said, we'd have to look at the videotape.
Gaffe or No gaffe: As yet undetermined.
Honestly, if it is true, this man has become the walking confirmation of the notion that the handmaiden of idiocy is often hubris.
No way does he not have people on staff who are perfectly capable of prepping him correctly for this stuff. But he's just so damn arrogant he doesn't realize just how over his head is & he actually believes he can wing it without doing his homework.
It's bizarre - like he has NO concept of his limitations whatsoever.
Knowing the Idiot in Chief it is another gaffe
regardless, a leader and an ally should not be using images like this. In general, it is an attempt to build one’s self up at the expense of the other.
The best known Filipino at the moment is Manny Pacquiao and he has better popularity numbers than Obama/Soetoro has ever had. The nation loves him. My wife is a fan.
If Obama/Soetoro thinks a boxer is all there is to the Philippines then perhaps it is a gaffe.