President Obama bows to the Saudi King – complete with palate cleanser
Posted by Lissa on April 3, 2009
Fleh.
Why, no, I’m not terribly fond of Saudi Arabia. I’m sure it’s a perfectly lovely country with wonderful people, but I’m not really diggin’ on a place where women aren’t allowed to drive, Jews can’t live, Christians can’t bring Bibles, “honor killings” are tacitly allowed, men can’t wear shorts, and folks can’t drink alcohol. (I throw those last two in for fun, but seriously, what a bummer.)
No, I don’t think Obama should have decked him, or spat at his feet, or anything ridiculous — but why bow like that? He didn’t do that for the Queen of England, and it’s proscribed by general etiquette (link, like picture, from American Thinker).
Don’t worry, I’m not brooding about this or anything. In fact, the only reason I posted on it at all was to offer the following palate-cleanser. Enjoy!
P.S. Mike writes, “Seriously, I guess it doesn’t bother me because I don’t know the customs for such things in Arab lands. I’m assuming it’s a show of respect there and doesn’t mean he’s denigrating himself to do so. If he did the same on meeting Japanese dignitaries, for instance, I wouldn’t think anything of it because I think that would be common in Japan (even if it’s not, I THINK it is). I didn’t like it when the left interpreted everything Bush said or did in the worst way possible, so I think it’d be just as bad to do so to Obama now.” Very good point! I was just thinking I needed to update-and-bump my post celebrating the indictment of Ted Stevens, now that the scumbag got away. There’s a lot to criticize about President Obama, but there’s an awful lot of Republican scum out there too . . .
(h/t to Michelle for the tip on Obama and the Saudi king, and to LawDog for that video)
UPDATE: Going by the most rudimentary Google search, it appears that Bush didn’t bow to the Saudi king, but he did kiss him. Mwah!
UPDATE UPDATE: Mike again – “The real question is whether Obama and his protocol advisers would respect the precedent of vomiting on the Japanese prime minister.”
Lissa: “Only if the prime minister vomits back!!”
lookingforlissa 
georgeh said
A big part of Obama’s problem with foreign dignitaries is that the Whitehouse has not yet appointed even an acting Chief of Protocol to brief him on these things, and no one on his staff realized the State Department has specialists in protocol. They are making Jimmy Carter look sophisticated.
Joe Allen said
Here’s the deal. I didn’t vote for the guy, I don’t like him and I’ll be glad when he’s gone. But… he is the President. Of the United States of America.
Respecting local custom is fine, but the dude in the dress isn’t bowing back, so he can go straight to hell.
Mike said
Obama should definitely do a better job of mastering protocol. Like I said, I have no idea what the protocol is for the President meeting a Saudi king, so bowing could be appropriate. I don’t know if that’s what Bush, Clinton, etc. used to do because the context is missing. I do, however, expect the President to handle it the right way.
OrangeNeckInNY said
Obama didn’t have a teleprompter telling him what protocol to use.
Martha said
Our president does not bow to any king. He is our president, there is NO protocol for him to bow anyone. In fact, we got that right thanks to the revolution. I am ashamed of this picture, truly ashamed for America. Seeing him bowing to an Arab king makes it worse.
DirtCrashr said
He’s not even a real king – we pretty much bought him his kingdom with money – before that about all’s he had was a sandy trailer park and some animals.
Albert said
I think that president Obama is still Muslim and did not convert really to Christianity because of the following:
1. During his campaign he did not use his middle name “Husein” at all, but in the inauguration he used it.
2. How many Muslims he appointed in the White House?
3. His flirting with the Islamic world and the message that he will give to the Muslims from Egypt, the country that has exported terrorists to the whole world.
4. His decision to close Guantanamo.
I think Liz Cheney was right when she said that he is siding terrorists.