# Should Obama salute military people? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 11, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362 "2009-02-11T14:26:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/101 "2013-01-29T04:03:22Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > That makes sense, and is a comfortable compromise. Sure, for me, the guy who is not the president or anything. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/102 "2013-01-29T14:23:36Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > So, what you’re now saying is that you misspoke in an earlier post? No, just wasn’t precise enough. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/103 "2013-01-29T19:25:51Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > No, just wasn’t precise enough. This is no time for imprecision! We’re talking about _presidential hand gestures!!_ What if Obama reads on the internet that lance strongarm is okay with imprecision and gets careless?! He could reach out to shake the Bulgarian ambassador’s hand, miss, and push the button that starts World War III! And you’ll be all like “oh no, why did I say it was okay to be imprecise?!” but it’s too late because you and everyone you care about is a radioactive puddle of goo! _STOP GAMBLING WITH OUR FREEDOM!_ ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/104 "2013-01-29T19:39:19Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > This is no time for imprecision! We’re talking about _presidential hand gestures!!_ What if Obama reads on the internet that lance strongarm is okay with imprecision and gets careless?! He could reach out to shake the Bulgarian ambassador’s hand, miss, and push the button that starts World War III! And you’ll be all like “oh no, why did I say it was okay to be imprecise?!” but it’s too late because you and everyone you care about is a radioactive puddle of goo! > _STOP GAMBLING WITH OUR FREEDOM!_ You really need to get a better hobby than this. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/105 "2013-01-29T19:48:57Z")
Hey, I answered the question seriously when the thread was opened four years ago. Now I’m on vacation. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/106 "2013-01-30T03:54:27Z")
Send us a postcard! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/107 "2013-01-30T05:15:42Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Sure, for me, the guy who is not the president or anything. That was as far as I was taking it. I figure there isn’t any right answer for the President. People who don’t like him won’t like whatever he does. If he salutes, he’s violating strict military protocol; if he doesn’t salute, he’s showing disrespect for the troops. (It reminds me of the primary election season, when Herman Cain wouldn’t answer a question, because he didn’t know what Obama was going to say on the same issue, and he didn’t dare take the chance that Obama might say the same thing he said!) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/108 "2013-01-30T05:30:52Z")
Has an actual member of the U.S. military who was in a position to throw the prez a salute and possibly get one back ever weighed in on this? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/109 "2013-01-30T14:24:23Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Has an actual member of the U.S. military who was in a position to throw the prez a salute and possibly get one back ever weighed in on this? Not in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/110 "2013-01-30T14:28:20Z")
Okay… then, _ever_, that can be cited in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/111 "2013-01-30T16:14:44Z")
A lot of you don’t know this, but I’m actually former US President Jimmy Carter… ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/112 "2013-01-30T16:15:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > A lot of you don’t know this, but I’m actually former US President Jimmy Carter… I wasn’t sure, but I was really really suspicious… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/113 "2013-01-30T16:18:16Z")
Yeah. **Liberal** was actually Gerald Ford. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/114 "2013-01-30T17:22:12Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > A lot of you don’t know this, but I’m actually former US President Jimmy Carter… > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Yeah. **Liberal** was actually Gerald Ford. Aha! I _knew_ it! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/115 "2013-01-30T22:06:51Z")
Has James Buchanan been taken yet? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362.md?page=5)