Japanese Mortified By Obama’s bow? Uhh…..no.
November 18th, 2009 by James
Leave it to a clown like Sean Hannity to take a single quote by an American and interpret it to mean that the Japanese are “mortified” by Obama’s bowing before Emperor Akihito.
In the real world (a place far away from the planet Hannity resides on), few in the Japanese media said anything about Obama’s bow until they discovered Fox and other American media sources had made it into a big story. What we now have on our hands is a strange story about how many Americans have overreacted to simple bow and handshake. Unlike the bow itself, which drew little attention, this story actually does make America look stupid in the eyes of many Japanese viewers.
Related Colbert Report clip:
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Obama Bows to Japanese Emperor | ||||
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so what is the proper way to do it then? (I’m assuming what he did was incorrect, but not terribly embarrassing)
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But, another animosity circulated because he performed the gesture. A margin of conservative political analysts were belittled because Obama ’succumbed’ to Emperor Akihito with a bow. They want the President of the United States to represent America abroad without any contextual conceding.
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Again with the anonymous “scholar of traditional Japan” crap. As a real scholar of traditional Japan, Jonathan Dresner, makes clear, any foreign head of state meeting the Emperor is following a tradition not even two centuries old.
http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2009/11/the-bow/
How I think he should have done it? Lose the handshake as well – it looks awkward. Probably a gesture by the Emperor of a more equal relationship (tradionally, NO ONE touched the Emperor), but it is inelegant. Obama also begins bowing while while towards the Emperor, making it look less formal: walk up and then bow would be more elegant. Also keeping his back straight and all that.
None of these are major faux-pas, just a bit inelegant. I get the impression that, despite the bow’s depth, it was a fairly casual greeting.
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“If you want to look strong, you do not bow to a foreign leader. You kiss him on the cheek and hold his hand.”-Stephen Colbert
If the President had kissed the Emperor, every Japanese would have been severely upset. A kiss is a sign of romantic love here.
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What a strange culture Japan has…In America, we kiss each other as a way of saying “hello,” “goodbye,” “Congratulations on your improved golf game,” “I’m sorry I ran over your cat,” “You’ve got something on your cheek,” and a few other things–just the natural stuff.
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strange, where I lived in America, kissing in public is not done, let alone to friends, saying hello or goodbye. . a hug, maybe, only if close . . .but not kissing. I have never kissed any of my American friends nor would I do so in the future.. . .it is not natural. even kissing my own parents. . . don’t over generalize America.
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Some people just don’t recognise sarcasm I think….
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In the US a HUG, yes, a kiss, well that depends on who you are, and where you live. Personally, kissing is a way of spreading germs and heaven knows what the other person may be carrying this day in time. My husband and son don’t go around kissing anyone other than family and neither does my son-in-law or brother-in-law and this is a really wide range of personalities.
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Colbert is making a reference to Bush kissing and holding the hand of a Saudi prince that came to his ranch for a visit. Colbert is poking fun at the fact that right wing Obama bashers are willing to ignore their own past faux pas to launch an attack on Obama. Do not take it literally.
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Really? I hated when Bush did it and I hate it when Obama did it, TWICE. Leftists are so threatened by free speech that they seek to stifle any discussion. One of their favorite recent tactics is “you loved Bush so you can’t criticize anything Obama does.” BS propaganda!
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Maybe Obama should have done a fist bump. I don’t want to belabor the point again, but this is getting a bit out of hand. Personally, I hated that Obama bowed, but be that as it may, now to hear the Japanese complaining that he didn’t bow properly just goes to show as to why he shouldn’t have done it in the first place!
This way NO ONE can complain. I mean, should Obama have taken a crash course in “bowing” before he came to Japan? I’m not trying to defend the man, but you have to admit this is so over the top ridiculous especially hearing it from the Japanese Press. For Christ’s sake, the Emperor is a man, NOT a GOD!
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Hannity is known for being a big damn liar. He is such an idiot.
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Really? Or are you mistaken for the lying douchebag at MSDNC at 8pm..?
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…or Both? Biased media commentators are up for free scrutiny. Honestly, as some people already posted, it seemed odd to some Japanese, but for the most part it was understandable as the “oh, he didn’t do that right, but that’s okay because he is gaijin/obama.” part though.
In general, bowing was received as a form of respect in many nations, but as much of the west won independence or overthrew their royal heads of state, it seems this custom has some people up in arms nowadays. No one questions when a president bows to the pope in this way because the pope is considered a religious head of state that has a huge amount of people in the US that respect him/the position the pope holds in the church. But, god forbid a president practices that tradition towards a figure head that I wouldn’t be surprised if many Americans either didn’t care about or all they could remember is that we defeated Japan and the emperor in WWII and to see a president bow in front of him would somehow be a sign of weakness.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, I say. He just miffed the execution angle of his bow, that’s all.
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I think so too. What he meant was that Keith Olbermann and his trusty side kick Rachel Maddow are THE biggest liars in TV history. For that matter the whole of NBC. (National Barack Channel)
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Thank you Colbert Report, thats how you deal with these right wing nuts.
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what bigots. american presidents always bow to the pope; why is it such a big deal when they do it for the emperor?
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That’s a good point.
The Japanese Emperor is called the Emperor, but in contrast to back in the day when he at least had some say in politics and the nation’s dealings, nowadays he’s basically the Japanese Shinto’s version of the pope in the Vatican.
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“nowadays he’s basically the Japanese Shinto’s version of the pope in the Vatican”
At least the Pope has some say in how the religion is run, the Emperor doesn’t even have that. Even Prince Charles would look at him and think “figurehead…”
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Good point. I think it is more of a sign of religious or more specifically a spiritual show of respect, rather than a state, symbolic or royalty one.
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bowing to an elderly gentelman in Japan is normal. Bowing to the Emperor, who is head of the religion, Shinto, is also a sign of respect, and is normal. There is no loss of face. Why are good manners reviled in this country? Shaking the hand of the Emperor is a newer innovation, since his person is sacrosanct, but I assume he offered his hand in defference to his Western guest. As Americans, we could learn more about the rext of the world, it’s customs, history, culture, and beauty. But it’s difficult to see anything when you have your head up your a##. Fox news is not..it’s just entertainment for the right wing lemmings of our country who revel in willfull ignorance.
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46 world leaders only shook hands with the Emperor and had they bowed their citizens would object as well. Yet you would give a special label to Americans for disliking Obama’s breach of protocol?
Maybe you would better understand how we feel about it if your country had fought a vicious war for independence from a country with royalty. That might be difficult though because Japan has traditionally been the one on the war path against others.
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We give Korea and China a hard time for keeping the hatred alive from a war 60 years ago, but 233 years? That’s hardcore, dude.
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We should demand that all Americans kowtow to our Emperor. Remember the era of unequal treaties and extraterritoriality, sneak attack on Uraga Harbor, and the opium wars!
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The Opium Wars?
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Isn’t Japan a part of China?
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But to the American that confuses Japan and China, the Opium Wars are like, what is that dude, the War on Drugs?
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The War on Drugs = a CIA Conspiracy!
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Yea I don’t by the whole war for independence from royalty thing. That sounds kind of far fetched. If the president visit foreign countries I expect him to abide by the local customs out of respect. I mean he can always just not visit if the local customs are too controversial.
Personally I’m just tired of having presidents who look like idiots every time they leave the country. I mean I’ve gotten used to them looking like idiots inside the US but when they have to represent us to the world I’d like them to give the illusion of some sort of refinement or dignity.
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If we’re going to go back to the 1770’s, let us not forget that Benjamin Franklin was quite willing to bow before the absolutist French king when asking for French aid in the war for independence:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/217331/92064/Louis-XVI-receiving-Benjamin-Franklin-the-American-commissioner-to-France
It is very likely the rebellion would have failed without the aid of a European tyrant.
Oh, there you go introducing actual, true facts into the equation….
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Nice try James, that’s clearly photoshopped.
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Yeah, I mean, it’s so obvious with the shadows being all wrong!
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Not at all – it’s simply mislabeling – that is Ben on the chairn, and the King bowing to him….
“It is very likely the rebellion would have failed without the aid of a European tyrant.”
Which is why I always think the modern American attitude towards the French as Cheese-Eatin Surrender Monkeys, purveyors of Freedom Fries, as so, well, ungrateful.
“We saved your butt in Dubya-Dubya-Two!”
“Well if it wasn’t for us you’d still be singing God Save The Queen!”
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Benjamin Franklin wasn’t a President. Is that an inconvenient fact you are leaving out of your analysis?
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So the American Revolution that did away with bowing to kings and made all men equal…actually only made Presidents and Kings equal? The rest of us serfs still gotta bow down?
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I can assure you that if an English figurehead bowed low to the J-Emporer it wouldn’t raise so much as an eyebrow back in the UK.
Why?
Because this is an American obsession alone.
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Why? Because the UK PM is NOT the most powerful influential free leader of the world for one. And the other, the US President is screwing up on a major level. This is why Americans are obsessed!
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Why? Because the UK PM is NOT the most powerful influential free leader of the world for one.
Isn’t it time you guys got off the American Excellence trip? Pay your debts to China and we’ll start listening to you again here in Europe. Untill then, you come off as whiny petulant children.
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Trufux wrote:
“46 world leaders only shook hands with the Emperor and had they bowed their citizens would object as well.”
I bow to you. You are a singular greatness amongst men! To have the anthropological and socio-historical insight to be able to tell how the citizens of 46 nations would react to this hypothetical and the magnamity of spirit to share these TRUTHS with us, the unwashed hoi poloi, magnificent! It is a good thing that the PM of Denmark met up with Obama in Singapore and didn’t go to Japan to meet the emperor, in which case you would have to say “47 world leaders only shook hands with the Emperor and had they bowed the citizens of 46 of the nations would object as well.” which would have you forced to explain this caveat. I am truely glad that didn’t happen.
From Denmark with love.
Rune
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It’s funny, all of my Japanese friends (who follow news) noticed the odd bow. So I’m curious, according to this post the error was no big deal. Was this simply because Obama is a gaijin? Would it have been more scandalous if it had been a Japanese politician botching a public appearance with the Emperor?
I guess the impression I am getting is it’s like “oh he is just an American, we don’t expect him to know protocol”. Which maybe it is fine if the Japanese don’t care in that case. But I’d still rather see a head of state make an effort to know exactly how to behave as a guest in foreign nations. I mean this is the guy we hired to represent us to the world, he could have taken 30 seconds to google it.
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pixel_bomber
Why would any person bow to, shake hands with, kiss, or hug another person?
It is irrelevant wether the guy is an emperor, president, American or Japanese, gaijin, or Martian for that matter.
Humans use these gestures to communicate good intentions. To convey “I won’t punch you so let’s try to be friends.” When two heads of a sovereign nation greet each other, following protocol is secondary. Because protocol is defined by sovereignty. What matters is intension and basic sensibility. That is why they did a mix of handshake and bow, which might seem awkward to you, but this awkwardness is exactly what makes it natural.
In Japan, U.S. or wherever, I am sure that decent and sensible people understand just this and see nothing wrong.
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Exactly. My wife is a Japanese national and I heard nothing about this, I just knew he was here in Japan for a bit. I totally agree with you that this really wasn’t as big as a deal as most seem to make it. I’ve screwed up couple of times doing traditions, but it was never a big deal with her family. They know I try and they greatly appreciate that. They accept the fact that these traditions are foreign to me and I’m sure the majority of Japan feels the same way. It’s just funny how I see other Americans think they know everything about the world, yet most haven’t even been outside of the country.
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Then, you should ask your Japanese friends if they care it, before jumping into gaijin whatever assumption. Don’t forget that Japanese media reports it as a dispute ongoing in the U.S., as James indicated.
Scandalous to whom? You seem to be completely missing the point.
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Ajapa: Sorry I didn’t have a handy Japanese friend to ask and I was curious.
My question was, if the same thing happened but it was Yukio Hatoyama meeting the emperor and he did bow handshake to him would it show up on the evening news as a WTF was he doing kind of thing? It’s not a question about this story, just a question related to the topic.
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I think it would. If you look at videos of, for example, Imperial poetry readings, everyone is very stiff.*
*That doesn’t mean what you think it means, smutty people….
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The topic is an American’s dispute over Obama’s attitude. If Yukio Hatoyama had behaved such, only Japanese anti-DPJ and right-wing media might have treated it.
… would it show up on the evening news as a WTF was he doing kind of thing?
So, “the evening news” means an American evening news and “he” denotes Barack Obama here? Or do you mean that a Japanese evening news reports it as a WTF was American media (he) doing kind of thing?
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Yes I understand this post is saying that the Japanese media did not care at all about the Obama bowing incident.
I was trying to figure out if that was based on the fact that the person was not Japanese and is therefore not expected to know what to in this particular situation. Or is it more like the Japanese people don’t care if anyone bows correctly (even their own leaders) during public appearances? I just assumed that if a Japanese leader did exactly the same thing the Japanese media would question it.
Sorry for the confusion.
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Or is it more like the Japanese people don’t care if anyone bows correctly (even their own leaders) during public appearances?
I’m not certain but I think it is usually not important if she/he can bow correctly unless intentional disrespectful behaviour is observed. The situation might be slightly different if it were an arrogant person known to have anti-Japanese sentiment, in that right-wing media must have raged.
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i have started thinking president obama shouldn’t have bowed before the king of saudi and the JP emperor. he may possibly has to lick every western (and other?) royal families’s shoes whenever he meets them to balance the needs of some people in US. he will suffer backache.
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Please do not pay attention to Fox News.
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You mean, do not pay attention to the 99% biased US Leftist liberal media, that includes MSNBC. There. I fixed it for you!
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“do not pay attention to the biased US Leftist liberal media, that only exists in the minds of me and a large number of people with tinfoil hats.”
There, fixed it for you.
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Why, in a free market, would the media be 99% left-wing? Surely any media station that does not cater to the masses will fail. Ergo, the greater number of left wing media indicates a greater number of people who want left wing media. Of course the figure is nowhere near 99%, and claiming it is just weakens the argument. There’s also the issue of what left wing really is – to a radical right-winger, pretty much everything is left, event that which to a more moderate person would seem right wing.
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Seen from the perspective of a Scandinavian wellfare state, you do not HAVE a left wing in US politics, just far right and moderate right.
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@ Rune – actually I believe the more apt description is “Fundamentalist Christian Right Wing” and “Right Wing”.
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http://www.daylife.com/photo/0aLQcApcfJafR
i guess lee myung bak also made the ‘mortifying’ mistake of bowing and shaking hands with the emperor at the same time
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How can this bow be such a big issue ? President is polite to leaders of the counties to which US owns money.
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I would just do the exact same thing as Obama. I don’t understand why people talk about that, its not bad, wrong or weird, its normal.
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I though it was a bit odd when I first saw a photo of president Obama bowing. However, as far as I see the actual video clip, he did it well, fine, maybe far better than me.
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the media here in america is a big fat joke. i can’t stand any of the news stations…it’s all about sensationalism and opinion, not news.
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A senior administration official said President Barack Obama was simply observing protocol when he bowed to Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko upon arriving at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday.
“I think that those who try to politicize those things are just way, way, way off base,” the official said. “He observes protocol. But I don’t think anybody who was in Japan – who saw his speech and the reaction to it, certainly those who witnesses his bilateral meetings there – would say anything other than that he enhanced both the position and the status of the U.S., relative to Japan. It was a good, positive visit at an important time, because there’s a lot going on in Japan.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29529.html
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I like this website, not the least because due to its subject material the rancor of American politic philosophy is not usually on display. However, in this case you are showing your rear end.
The American president is the representative of the most powerful economic and military force in the history of mankind. Whichever well-heeled partisan holds the office is irrelevant to how they should represent American citizens when greeting a head of state. This is a popular story in the United States because the majority of the citizenry believes that our elected president should never concede our dignity when greeting representatives of foreign powers.
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The basis for the disagreement here is whether bowing should be perceived as conceding one’s dignity.
I’d previously thought it was pretty obvious it wasn’t, but I guess a lot of people (at least in the United States) disagrees with that assertion. Or is pretending to disagree just to carp on Obama.
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Bowing more deeply than the other person is conceding one’s dignity: that’s Japanese culture 101. If the President did not understand that aspect of bowing he should not have attempted it and should have satisfied protocol with a Western handshake, if the Emperor was agreeable, or a simple nod, smile, and a side-by-side photo opportunity which would satisfy both cultures without imposing one over the other.
Does the President misunderstand bowing–an oversight of protocol which trivializes our relations with Japan–or is he not aware of the gravity of his position? I don’t know but the outcome is the same: the bow was uncalled for.
In any event, the tone of both posts on this subject on this blog is that the story is big in the U.S. because evil Fox News and the right-wing rednecks are at it again. My point is that you’re wrong and there’s a reasonable, non-partisan reason for expecting better representation from whomever is the President.
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“Bowing more deeply than the other person is conceding one’s dignity: that’s Japanese culture 101.”
If I was marking you in Japanese Culture 101 and you wrote that, it would be a fail. Bowing lower in Japan means you are conceding a higher rank to the other person. It has NOTHING to do with dignity. Surely if you know “Japanese Culture 101″ you should also know that dignity is very important, no matter what your rank.
Now, Obama’s bow was not that dignified, but that has nothing to with the fact he did bow or even the angle. It was rather clumsy, especially with that handshake, but if you read the comments here from Japanese, you’ll see they felt it showed great respect. And people respect those who show them respect.
“The American president is the representative of the most powerful economic and military force in the history of mankind.”
Sounds like you’d like everyone else to grovel before the President….
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Well, if that’s what they tell you in 101, 102 should need to clarify that that is a gross simplification, even a misrepresentation of the matter.
In terms of Japanese (East Asian) customs, bowing is used for a range of things from a simple gretting, apologies, expressing gratitude, etc. Though wikipedia writes about it in greter detail, it’s basically showing respect, and the depth of the bow means how much you want to show respect the other person.
I don’t think showing respect for others means giving up your own dignity. Saying “you’re cool” to someone doesn’t automatically imply you mean “I’m not cool”.
Now, I agree with the opinion that it was an awkward moment and it could have been planned or rehearsed a lot better. It was unusually deep, and manner how-to texts say that simultaneously bowing and hand-shaking is awkward and should be considered a faux pas. In that sense, yes Obama bungled it.
But what I don’t agree with are the other reasons given for why bowing was a mistake for Obama, that bowing is automatically equivalent to obeisance. That’s the angle that a lot of critics in the media are focusing on, which certainly has more shock-value, but isn’t necessarily accurate.
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“If I was marking you in Japanese Culture 101 and you wrote that, it would be a fail. Bowing lower in Japan means you are conceding a higher rank to the other person. It has NOTHING to do with dignity. Surely if you know “Japanese Culture 101″ you should also know that dignity is very important, no matter what your rank.”
Which is it? Bowing doesn’t reflect dignity and status, or it does only when President Obama isn’t the one doing it? Your attack is a classic straw man argument. Rank confers dignity. Your class grade would be as worthwhile as taking a Nova course.
“Sounds like you’d like everyone else to grovel before the President….”
I don’t expect anyone to grovel before the President. Ideally, the President would observe a protocol that treated our allies as respected equals. Instead, either through ignorance or disrespect of his own borrowed status conferred by election, he chose to bow lower to a foreign dignitary. At least you weren’t so stupid as to challenge the fact, though. Now, in 20 years, China will be the greatest power and we’ll all get to kiss our shoetops.
“. . .if you read the comments here from Japanese, you’ll see they felt it showed great respect. And people respect those who show them respect.”
I have nothing but respect for our Japanese allies, but this is not a subject that requires their input. Obama the person can greet people however he sees fit, but Obama the 44th President of the United States should do so with the dignity of the citizenry that he represents in mind at all times.
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Pay attention in class then. Bowing is not undignified. Obama’s bow was not executed all that well though. Do you see the difference? And would you even admit it if you did?
“Your attack is a classic straw man argument.”
What’s the straw man? Oh, and I love the way you snuck “status” into your argument, when it was orginally just about dignity.
“Rank confers dignity.”
Crap. Rank merely commands dignity. Dignity can exist irrespective of rank.
“I have nothing but respect for our Japanese allies, but this is not a subject that requires their input.”
Well, aren’t you patronizing…. Obama was following Japanese custom, not American. Japanese customs were not designed based on American ideals. So seeing how the Japanese see his bow gives it that cultural context you so obviously lack.
“At least you weren’t so stupid as to challenge the fact, though.”
Thank you for the generous concession and blatant implication that I was stupid in the rest of my post.
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My comments are now being moderated so I will offer no further argument here. The site owner has every right to filter out comments that disagree with his worldview.
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Dave:
The only comment of yours that I have moderated and removed is one that was nothing but childish insults to other users. If that’s your idea of proper argument, I suggest you go leave comments on other sites that better mold with your amazing worldview.
Dave, I don’t think James is really trying to censor you. You’re just breaching the discussion policy.
^^Stop that and I’m sure your comments’ll get through.
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James, I am going to have to agree in part with Dave Hamilton here – let’s go back to the youtube vids or something, anything else but Obama. Not because the topic to hand is not important, it is, but because topics like this seem to simply serve as a giant retard magnet and cause the sludge at the bottom of the gene pool to feel it has to come up and make its presence known.
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Weirdo:
Too late. I gave him a chance by telling him I deleted one comment because it contained childish insults. He responded with two more comments that contained nothing but childish insults.
[His first comment about being "censored" may have been a reaction to one of his comments got rejected by the automatic spam filter plugin, which he likely interpreted to be some amazingly efficient way in which I "filter reality" to prevent anti-Obama comments.]
I have a pretty high tolerance for mean spirited comments, but kindergarten level insults are absolutely worthless.
LB:
Unless Obama does anything Japan-related any time soon, there probably won’t be any political posts about him.
As a Japanese, I’m strongly believe that our people were not mortified by Obama’s bow to the Emperor at all. Neither do I think that the bow made Obama (or the US) look weaker in any sense.
I personally feel that President Obama just tried his best to respect our traditional way of greeting (and it worked very well). Look at the Emperor’s face. He smiled at President Obama’s bow, which I interpret the Emperor wholeheartedly welcomed his visit to Japan. Some American media’s overreaction is simply ridiculous.
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( ﾟ∀ﾟ)o彡°スキャンダル！スキャンダル！
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Hi should have continued on his bow to reach Akihito’s crotch and give him a blowjob
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Obama bowed before the EMPEROR of Japan IN JAPAN.
He was merely showing respect.
Besides, surely ever knows that Emperor is a higher position than President?
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GUYS, Guys, guys…
The answer to everything is CHEESE.
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Typical bit of Orientalism. The Americans assume that the Japanese are going to be totally up themselves about etiquette, and the Japanese couldn’t give a damn.
Sums up Japanology in a nutshell, really.
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Nobama tells us the economy’s recovering with rising unemployment and you call Hannity a clown? Get it right!
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Obama could pin a tail on his butt and shout “hee-haw” and Hannity would still be the ass.
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Overthinker, with all due respect, you usually are the voice of reason and most of the time you bring wisdom and thoughtful insight to the issues usually, this NOT being one of them.
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You do realize Obama being a clown and Hannity being an ass are in no ways mutually exclusive, right?
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Which was my point. No matter how stupid Obama might get, people like Hannity, who make their living from being controversial, are even worse. Like Rush Limbaugh. Bill O’Reilly and his“I don’t care about the Constitution!”outburst. To say nothing of the venom that drips from Ann Coulter. This level of sheer spite and invective, coupled with a conservative religious viewpoint, is why I can never support the right-wing commentators even when I think the left is nuts.
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I totally disagree with your view on Hannity and FOX in general, but I seriously respect your opinion (even on this issue) personally, I think both parties suck, that is why I became an Independent a few years ago. It was the best choice I ever made. But On the other hand, coming from California and living in San Francisco for a couple of years and seeing how radical the far leftist can be, scares the crap out of me.
I just don’t want to see the US go down that road. Has nothing to do with having conservative values, not to be confused with being a traditionalist.
But again, that is just my opinion, just like you have yours. No problem here.
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The one thing I can never forgive the (religious) right for is their support for Creationism.
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well said. Fox news is just entertainment for the redneck element in our country. And rednecks come in all shapes, sizes, socio-economic backgrounds. Sometimes even education doesn’t help. My grandparents, from the Deep South, had a saying…Ignorance can be cured with education, STUPID will stay with you!
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Great comment! People in the USA get too bent out of shape about the smallest things. More of them need to travel and learn about other cultures and customs before they open their mouths about stuff like this because the rest of the world is laughing at their stupidity!! (not all Americans of course, some are actually tolerable) People who believe everything Fox News and all the mainstream media stations tell them show how ignorance and stupidity reign supreme in this country. Just look at how many people supported that ignoramus Sarah Palin!!!
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Well for one, liking Palin or not is a personal issue, but it doesn’t change the fact that she is popular, is polarizing and a lot and I do mean, a lot of people like her. She most certainly is a threat to the liberal base, no doubt about it. But at least the woman doesn’t need a teleprompter to make a point.
She was a Mayor, governor of Alaska and before any whiny loons jump on me, yes-she did leave early, but it was a gamble that paid off for her so far.
But at least FOX news brings something that most of the adoring, loving Nobama won’t…and that is opposing views. Some people fail to realize there is a segment of Americans that ARE NOT happy with the out of control spending this President is putting the country through. He can’t blame Bush, Bush is out of office, retired. This is all Obama and he needs to take responsibility for it. His approval numbers are in the tank.
I think without FOX, all the media would lead the country like wild Sheep.
Being able to voice ones opinion is good and needed to have balance in debates, conversations etc. America is not perfect, no country is, but Obama is taking the country in a direction that many people don’t like and that’s a fact.
And please don’t even talk about Americans getting bent out of shape over the littlest things. I have been living in Japan for 11 years, if there is ANY country that can quickly get bent out of shape its Japan, hands down, no competition there!
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“if there is ANY country that can quickly get bent out of shape its Japan, hands down, no competition there!”
You mean aside from Korea and China, to take only the two closest examples?
“…the fact that she is popular, is polarizing and a lot and I do mean, a lot of people like her.”
Likewise, this has no bearing on her intelligence and knowledge. In fact there is often an inverse relationship.
Regarding Obama’s drop to below 50%, there are a few facts that need adding:
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“Obama now is the fourth fastest to drop below the majority approval level, doing so in his 10th month on the job. Gerald Ford dropped below 50% approval during his third month in office, and Bill Clinton did so in his fourth month. Ronald Reagan, like Obama, also dropped below 50% in his 10th month in office, though Reagan’s drop occurred a few days sooner in that month.”
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http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/11/gallup_obamas_approval_rating_1.html
So is Obama then a slightly better President than Ron?
It goes on to say,
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Gallup has been doing presidential approval polling since the Truman administration, and it says “all presidents except John Kennedy dropped below the majority approval level at some point in their presidencies, and all recovered after the first time below this mark to go back above 50% approval.”
———-
So Obama is in no way an outlier. People are fickle, impatient, and time will tell.
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(I think my comment here is stuck in the spam filter – as it had an URL in it, perhaps….)
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Its just fucking a bow. Why is this such big issue?
“Byron” I hardly fit the profile of Redneck. But for you to say that someone or anyone that is a Conservative of a Traditionalist or believes in those tenants are “Rednecks” I think one could take it that YOU are the racist or biased one. For you to label everyone that believes in Conservatism is basically a “NUT” goes to show how immature you are. If you want to label a certain individual or many, I understand, but ALL-is kinda taking it a stretch, don’t you think?
I have many liberal friends, on most issues I think they’re off base, but I don’t think that they’re uneducated. Not well thought out perhaps, but uneducated….
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Congratualtions, Obama!
I’m proud of you for breaking the mould and doing what you feel!
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….Even if it means making a total ass of yourself!
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“The Fox News poll said that 67 percent of Americans thought [the bow] was a good thing for him to have done,
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/23/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5749826.shtml
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