# Did Obama snub Gordon Brown? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 9, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866 "2009-03-09T19:51:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/1 "2009-03-09T19:51:54Z")
There has been a lot of press regarding Obama’s snub of Gordon Brown. Has anyone been following this? It’s a very unfortunate incident at least in terms of PR in my opinion. Here is Michael Totten on the subject: > **[Totten’s “The Truth About Russia in Georgia.”](https://www.commentary.org/abe-greenwald/tottens-the-truth-about-russia-in-georgia/)** > > I urge everyone to go read CONTENTIONS contributor Michael J. Totten's 'The Truth About Russia in Georgia.' Totten went to Georgia for the indispensable details -- and it shows. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/2 "2009-03-09T20:08:48Z")
I’m skeptical that the Telegraph has much of an insight into a Labor government leader’s personal feelings. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/3 "2009-03-09T20:11:35Z")
Gordon Brown can [suck it](http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/iain_martin/blog/2009/03/09/gordon_brown_thinks_everyone_else_is_deluded). I would be surprised if his little tantrum on the way over did not affect his reception here. Because real estate prices in Britan are America’s fault. Tell me another one, Gordo. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/4 "2009-03-09T20:12:52Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > Gordon Brown can [suck it](http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/iain_martin/blog/2009/03/09/gordon_brown_thinks_everyone_else_is_deluded). I would be surprised if his little tantrum on the way over did not affect his reception here. Because real estate prices in Britan are America’s fault. Tell me another one, Gordo. What tantrum are you referring to? I hadn’t heard about that. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/5 "2009-03-09T20:16:39Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > What tantrum are you referring to? I hadn’t heard about that. This tantrum. > [@](#): > > "What is it you think I should be apologising for?’ he (Brown) demanded. ‘I have nothing to apologise for. You guys just don’t get it do you?’ > > When one reporter asked why he had let banks get out of control, Mr Brown leaned towards him and said: 'You’re saying I got it wrong? But I didn’t. The same problems have happened all over the world and our regulations have been better than anyone else’s. > > 'Get in the real world. People are saying it is my fault and that I caused the recession. They are wrong. It is not my fault. > > ‘It did not start in Britain, it started in America. We have had low interest rates and low inflation. Every other recession in Britain has been created by high interest rates and high inflation. That has not happened under me.’ > > Asked why he had not stopped the housing bubble, Mr Brown retorted: ‘House prices were high because of a lack of supply.’ > > Pressed to admit he had made mistakes, he said: ‘No, it was supply. If inflation is low, people are going to borrow money to buy houses. You can’t stop that. You don’t understand it.’ > > At one point the man from the Labour-supporting Guardian threw him a lifeline saying: ‘Can I just make it clear we aren’t all saying that?’ > > When another journalist tried to defuse the situation, Mr Brown refused to be diverted. ‘No, let’s sort this out now, let’s have it out now,’ he said, jabbing his finger. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/6 "2009-03-09T20:17:32Z")
Ahh, I found an article about it. Why would that have anything to do with his reception in America? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/7 "2009-03-09T20:21:14Z")
This is a great bit from the Torygraph: > [@](#): > > But Washington figures with access to Mr Obama’s inner circle explained the slight by saying that those high up in the administration have had little time to deal with international matters, let alone the diplomatic niceties of the special relationship. Yes, aside from increasing troop presence in Afghanistan, creating a withdrawal strategy from Iraq, writing personal letters to the president of Russia, visiting Ottowa, and protesting the harassment of a US Navy ship in the South China Sea, Obama hasn’t spent any time on foreign affairs matters in the seven weeks since he’s become president. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/8 "2009-03-09T20:29:49Z")
LOL ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/9 "2009-03-09T20:33:20Z")
Doesn’t the President have protocol advisers to take care of all this stuff and be sure all the little niceties are observed? I mean DVD’s? C’mon… ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/10 "2009-03-09T20:37:23Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Ahh, I found an article about it. > > Why would that have anything to do with his reception in America? Essentially blaming America for his failures over the past decade. He can return the DVDs when he is no longer PM next year. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/11 "2009-03-09T20:47:10Z")
Definitely low rent gifts. I think I saw that movie basket on sale at Target over the holidays. It came with a few things of microwave popcorn too. I’m not exactly thrilled with this either from the State Dept. : > [@](#): > > “There’s nothing special about Britain,” he reportedly said. “You’re just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn’t expect special treatment.” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/12 "2009-03-09T20:52:49Z")
Either some junior staffer needs to be fired, or Mrs. Obama needs to quit shopping at Wal-Mart. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/13 "2009-03-09T20:54:34Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > Definitely low rent gifts. I think I saw that movie basket on sale at Target over the holidays. It came with a few things of microwave popcorn too. > > I’m not exactly thrilled with this either from the State Dept. : > > > [@](#): > > > > “There’s nothing special about Britain,” he reportedly said. “You’re just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn’t expect special treatment.” Well, IF someone in the State Department said that, he would be contradicting his boss: “This notion that somehow there is any lessening of that special relationship is misguided… The relationship is not only special and strong but will only get stronger as time goes on.” > **[BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Obama hails special relationship](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7918345.stm)** > > US President Barack Obama says there is a bond between the US and UK "that will not break", after talks with Gordon Brown. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/14 "2009-03-09T21:00:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Either some junior staffer needs to be fired, or Mrs. Obama needs to quit shopping at Wal-Mart. > > Regards, > Shodan Possibly both. To be fair, Topshop isn’t all that much better. At Topshop you pay Banana Republic prices for Target merchandise. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/15 "2009-03-09T21:03:46Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > Essentially blaming America for his failures over the past decade. Obama got elected blaming America for the global meltdown. What a great excuse to highlight his ‘change’ message. Of course you don’t want to get TOO close to the guy that’s on his way out. Obama can do better with the next Prime Minister. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/16 "2009-03-09T21:06:23Z")
Having read the whole _Telegraph_ story that the Commentary piece was based on, I don’t believe a word of it. 1. I’ve dealt with State Department spokespeople. They don’t say “boo” without permission from a superior. They certainly don’t rant about countries not being important. That’s a basic principal in diplomacy. These people are career diplomats, not green folks that Obama has brought aboard. 2. The unnamed American source seems to be talking out of his ass with no factual basis for his conjecture. 3. I doubt that the _Telegraph_ has access to sources close to Brown. 4. Since when does a government official even pay attention to the gifts that are exchanged? They don’t get to keep them. I find it hard to believe that they would find the time or energy to actually complain about them. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/17 "2009-03-09T21:25:57Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Obama got elected blaming America for the global meltdown. What a great excuse to highlight his ‘change’ message. Of course you don’t want to get TOO close to the guy that’s on his way out. Obama can do better with the next Prime Minister. Brown is taking a lot of crap back home and has been publically pressured to apologize for his numerous policy blunders that have led Britain down the road to its current predicament. So he blames America in a heated conversation and makes several arguments that are prima facie nonsensical. Should Obama show his support for the people of Britain by showering thoughtful gifts on the man whom the people clearly loathe? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/18 "2009-03-09T21:31:36Z")
Well it goes two ways, one he’s a man, the other he’s the Chair. You show respect to the Chair regardless of what the man sitting in it does. I have a hard time parsing this one. I would never have given a visiting dignitary something so crass. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/19 "2009-03-09T21:35:20Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > Possibly both. > > To be fair, Topshop isn’t all that much better. At Topshop you pay Banana Republic prices for Target merchandise. Meh, it’s not the Cuban Missile Crisis but I don’t understand the gift gaff at all. They employ people to take care of this stuff and the newest and lowest of aids should have been able to do better than a DVD collection. It’s as if we sent Charley Brown home with a rock. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866/20 "2009-03-09T21:36:35Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Well it goes two ways, one he’s a man, the other he’s the Chair. You show respect to the Chair regardless of what the man sitting in it does. I have a hard time parsing this one. I would never have given a visiting dignitary something so crass. You’re right, you would have given the visiting dignitary the clap instead. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-snub-gordon-brown/488866.md?page=2)