# Where was Barack Obama, to stand for Democracy? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 12, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597 "2015-01-12T03:49:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/561 "2015-01-21T01:25:07Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What’s precious is the idea of this lawsuit. How would the City of Paris even have standing to sue? Hopefully they’ll challenge them to a duel. I’d pay to see Hannity bleeding from a dozen epee wounds. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/562 "2015-01-21T01:32:55Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > It’s about incompetency, tone-deafness and cluelesness. No, it’s a tawdry attempt by one political group in America to use an atrocity in Europe as an opportunity to score points over the the leader of another group. To call it distasteful is frankly an understatement. Please could you grow the fuck up, or at least just stick to your own outrages for the gamesmanship. I’m sure there’ll be a school shooting along soon that you can try to spin. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/563 "2015-01-21T01:47:17Z")
> [@Gary\_Kumquat](#): > > No, it’s a tawdry attempt by one political group in America to use an atrocity in Europe as an opportunity to score points over the the leader of another group. [http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/media-slam-obamas-paris-snub-200928.html](http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/media-slam-obamas-paris-snub-200928.html) chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell called the snub “stunning,” Jake Tapper said he was “ashamed by U.S. leaders’ absence in Paris.” Media figures like Mitchell and Tapper joined a chorus of frustrated current and former U.S. officials, including Aaron David Miller, who served in the State Department under both Republican and Democratic administrations. “It’s stunning, truly stunning,” Miller told Dovere. “It’s a poster child for tone deafness.” Can you explain, to which “political group” do you think Andrea Mitchell, Jake Tapper and Aaron David Miller belong? Oh, and did you find that cite you promised yet? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/564 "2015-01-21T01:51:00Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > [http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/media-slam-obamas-paris-snub-200928.html](http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/media-slam-obamas-paris-snub-200928.html) > chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell called the snub “stunning,” > > Jake Tapper said he was “ashamed by U.S. leaders’ absence in Paris.” > > Media figures like Mitchell and Tapper joined a chorus of frustrated current and former U.S. officials, including Aaron David Miller, who served in the State Department under both Republican and Democratic administrations. > > “It’s stunning, truly stunning,” Miller told Dovere. “It’s a poster child for tone deafness.” > Can you explain, to which “political group” do you think Andrea Mitchell, Jake Tapper and Aaron David Miller belong? Individuals will have differing opinions. Empty partisan whores will have the only opinion possible to them. The one they are spoon-fed. In other words, some people will honestly disagree. Others, like adaher, have their position pre-determined. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/565 "2015-01-21T02:06:57Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Individuals will have differing opinions. Empty partisan whores will have the only opinion possible to them. The one they are spoon-fed. > > In other words, some people will honestly disagree. Others, like adaher, have their position pre-determined. The State of the Union speech is about to start. Once the Right Wing Pundits have instructed them how to think\*\*, adaher \*\*_et al._ will have a new subject… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/566 "2015-01-21T02:30:53Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Oh, and did you find that cite you promised yet? Which of the two memorial events held would you like: The church service the cathedral: [Tributes paid to July 7 victims | UK news | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/nov/01/july7.politics1) Or the candle vigil: ['The world in one city' | UK news | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jul/15/july7.uksecurity9) I’ll leave you to find the widespread condemnation that Bush got for not attending personally. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/567 "2015-01-21T04:31:14Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > [http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/media-slam-obamas-paris-snub-200928.html](http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/media-slam-obamas-paris-snub-200928.html) > chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell called the snub “stunning,” > > Jake Tapper said he was “ashamed by U.S. leaders’ absence in Paris.” > > Media figures like Mitchell and Tapper joined a chorus of frustrated current and former U.S. officials, including Aaron David Miller, who served in the State Department under both Republican and Democratic administrations. > > “It’s stunning, truly stunning,” Miller told Dovere. “It’s a poster child for tone deafness.” > Can you explain, to which “political group” do you think Andrea Mitchell, Jake Tapper and Aaron David Miller belong? > > Oh, and did you find that cite you promised yet? Why do you assume someone like Andrea Mitchell is some wild-eyed liberal? She plays it as straight down the middle as anyone. And she’s married to Alan Greenspan, certainly no liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/568 "2015-01-21T04:44:41Z")
> [@Gary\_Kumquat](#): > > Which of the two memorial events held would you like: > > The church service the cathedral: [Tributes paid to July 7 victims | UK news | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/nov/01/july7.politics1) > > Or the candle vigil: ['The world in one city' | UK news | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jul/15/july7.uksecurity9) You claimed that this was attended by “a large number of world political types”. Can you point out the names? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/569 "2015-01-21T04:45:41Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Why do you assume someone like Andrea Mitchell is some wild-eyed liberal? Can you point out where I made that assumption? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/570 "2015-01-21T04:52:36Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Can you point out where I made that assumption? Oh please. You clearly implied it. Don’t hide behind plausible deniability. Man up. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/571 "2015-01-21T04:57:18Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Oh please. You clearly implied it. Don’t hide behind plausible deniability. Man up. Never implied it. Just pointed out, at the start, that she is no wild partisan. And the second time, since Kumquat was claiming some nefarious “political group” was persecuting Obama with this, I asked to which political group she belonged. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/572 "2015-01-21T05:08:52Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Never implied it. Just pointed out, at the start, that she is no wild partisan. And the second time, since Kumquat was claiming some nefarious “political group” was persecuting Obama with this, I asked to which political group she belonged. If you weren’t a blind partisan, you might understand that _a group can do something, and someone outside that group can do it too_. If the local KKK wants to shut down a certain restaurant, someone who isn’t in the KKK can want that restaurant shut down as well. But you’re so partisan that you’re effectively stupid. Since possibilities that are contrary to your preferred narrative can’t exist for you. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/573 "2015-01-21T05:45:52Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > No scandal. Screwup, yes. Otherwise they wouldn’t have admitted they made the wrong call. This is Viagra for you, isn’t it? The notion that Obama (who you were _so sure_ would lose to Romney’s fabulous haircut in 2012, and yet didn’t, adding yet another spoonful of dirt to your Everest of wrong) has messed up real, real bad this time? That he’s standing on the world stage covered in pig blood wondering what just happened, as everyone laughs? Of course it isn’t true, but there’s nothing wrong with fantasy. Whatever it takes to make your little button bulge. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/574 "2015-01-21T11:29:13Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What’s precious is the idea of this lawsuit. How would the City of Paris even have standing to sue? How? It is very easy, under the French law they have standing, and they bring the lawsuit in the French and European framework, and the News Co. has assets to attach in the european jurisdictions. Your law framework is not the one of concern. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/575 "2015-01-21T11:49:03Z")
> [@Gary\_Kumquat](#): > > No, it’s a tawdry attempt by one political group in America to use an atrocity in Europe as an opportunity to score points over the the leader of another group. To call it distasteful is frankly an understatement. > > Please could you grow the fuck up, or at least just stick to your own outrages for the gamesmanship. I’m sure there’ll be a school shooting along soon that you can try to spin. Yes this is 100% accurate. In particular “No, it’s a tawdry attempt by one political group in America to use an atrocity in Europe as an opportunity to score points over the the leader of another group. To call it distasteful is frankly an understatement.” And now after a couple of weeks we can see very clearly what has damaged the American reputation and what did not - in spite of the faked concern of the extreme ideololgical here. And that which has damaged the American reputation was not what they are complain about, but in fact the false statements and lies about Europe that were told and are being told by their compatriots. They pretend to a screw up, but there was not one, since no one in the French politics was offended and it was not something anyone cared about (except to make remarks about how strange it was for the Americans of to be chattering about this), but what people did and do care about are the lies. it does not escape anyone the sources of these two come principally from the same source of a certain political tendency in the usa. this can not be seen as anthing but as Kumquat says, the fake outrage for the cheap political point scoring around a real tragedy, which makes it more offensive contre only just pitible and amusing. eta: if they were actually concerned, they would be making equal condemnation about the lies. but we do not see this. so it is easy to see it is fake and only about their domestic politics. ---
**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 21, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/576 "2015-01-21T14:33:39Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What’s precious is the idea of this lawsuit. How would the City of Paris even have standing to sue? It’s been defamed. It’s a proper plaintiff, even under US law. Proving _harm_ is a much more difficult proposition. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/577 "2015-01-21T14:49:25Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > How? It is very easy, under the French law they have standing, and they bring the lawsuit in the French and European framework, and the News Co. has assets to attach in the european jurisdictions. Yeah, good luck with that. I’m sure you’ll be back with an update when the lawsuit goes nowhere. ---
**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 21, 2015, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/578 "2015-01-21T14:52:31Z")
I’m pretty sure they’re just trying to make a point. And you never now, Fox might start fact-checking. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/579 "2015-01-21T14:58:48Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > And you never now, Fox might start fact-checking. The day they start limiting themselves to facts is the day they become just another part of the mainstream media. Not going to happen, there’s too much money in scaring old people. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/580 "2015-01-21T16:18:08Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > In 50 or 100 years, Obama will be judged to have been one of the greatest presidents in American history, right up there with Lincoln, Washington and FDR. In what alternate universe? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597.md?page=30)