I know many of you came charging in here to rake me over the coals with attacks on my presumed advocacy of Bush policy. You’ll not find that here.
Just to preempt the rage, I used to drive around with a “Republican Against Bush” bumper sticker, and I consider him to be a horrible president and pretty much a horrible person.
What I would like to see out of Obama, even if I can’t agree with some of his policies, is being honest, and a change from the idea that politicians just say whatever is in their immediate interest. I’m not against changing his mind, but he was quite adamant about the timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and now he’s changed his mind. This combined with the next issue make me wonder if he’s really a substantial change from politician SOP.
What really bothers me is the claim that he didn’t bow to the king of Saudi Arabia. It’s not a big deal at all in itself, but I can’t stand liars. He clearly bowed, and his spokesman said he didn’t. If he’s going to bow, at least he can say, “It’s a different culture, step off”, or “I think I won’t do that any more.” Just don’t lie to me. It says volumes about your character to me when you have more of a commitment to yourself than the truth in such a small matter. Now I’m supposed to trust you with the big things? You wouldn’t even admit the tiny ones.
All I’m asking for at this point is for the president to be actually honest and not backfill and cover for his cronies. I’ve had quite enough of that lately.
So if you’re saying “obviously these are the Facts, and I require Obama acknowledge my version of the Facts,” and anything short of that is lying, I don’t think you can expect satisfaction.
I’ll tell you what I don’t want: another President who is incapable of changing his mind upon receiving new information. Sure, it’d be nice if I could hear something like, “Since taking office, I have been briefed on certain information by my advisers which suggests that the original timetable I had proposed during the campaign was optimistic, so here’s the compromise.”
But I don’t want to hear “let’s roll” or “bring it on” or “mission accomplished” from him.
So the platitudes really bug you, but the lying isn’t that big of a deal?
I agree with the OP. I’m a middle of the road Republican who voted for the President. I was hoping for much better than the last one, know that we wouldn’t be getting a saint. But this bowing think does bug me a bit. You clearly ficking bowed. Is it the end of the world? No. But to say that you didn’t, when it’s on YouTube and every where else is frustrating. What are you going to do when you could actually get away with a lie??
Has President Obama made a claim that he never bowed? Has he described his actions?
So far, we’ve got a third-hand, non-verbatim claim that a press flack claims he did not bow, (whatever that means). if we’re going to Pit the president, (and this thread looks to be on a fast track to the BBQ Pit), it would be nice to include some facts in the rant.
““It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,” said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”
Ok, this isn’t the type of spokesman I thought it was.
OTOH, this isn’t the kind of honesty I was hoping for. I’ve apologized publicly with no external pressures for things that were more embarrassing than bowing. Set a standard for openness and proactive honesty, and say one of the two quotes I gave above.
So: it’s not lying, but given the publicity this has gotten, it’s disappointing.
He’s changes his mind on withdrawing troops from Iraq promptly and he bowed to the Saudi King. He has press people who are not admitting either. I am deeply disappointed in the long term involvement in Iraq, I could not care less about the bowing incident other than the flack lying about it. So I agree with the OP.
I was initially quite pleased with Obama for the first month or two. Since then I am unimpressed.
The Politico reported (via an admittedly anonymous White House aid) that a white house “It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah.”
Tomndebb, the anonymous part might not cut it for 'ya, but the previous guy was convicted on lesser evidence.
In interest of bipartisanship, as an Obama supporter (still am) I’ll admit this irked me too. He bowed- he did it, there’s no questioning it- and personally I don’t have a problem with it, it’s a diplomatic gesture. (I’d have a problem with it if he bowed to him on American soil, but he was on the king’s own turf.) When in Rome, etc., but I too am irked by the “he’s just tall” line.
Luckily or unluckily we’re so deep in the cess pool that this isn’t worth worrying about and will blow over, but I do hope he and or his spokesteam learn a lesson in transparency from it. Don’t tell people that they didn’t see what they just saw.
I agree that he bowed, and that the quote seems to be a sort of half-hearted anonymous lie-spin about the bow.
Can you be more specific about Iraq? To my recollection, he changed the timeline by a few months and was honest about why he did so (and indeed was always careful during the campaign to say he would take the advice of the general into account).
And how does this add up to meaning that he’s not “really a substantial change from politician SOP.” At a minimum, would you need to evaluate other ways in which he has departed from the usual shenanigans? I mean, even stipulating that he is responsible for lies about bowing, wouldn’t that be easily outweighed by having the most stringent anti-lobbyist policies of any White House ever (to pick but one difference)?