# 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:** 4
**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 12, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/61 "2015-01-12T16:12:42Z")
Why did the OP mention “Democracy?” The demonstrators are exhibiting solidarity against a horrible crime & for Freedom of the Press. Or Speech, or something. (Some of them have a touch of xenophobia, but that’s rude to mention.) A form of government–Democracy versus Monarchy or Dictatorship or whatever–is not the issue. Did Fox drop the word into the screed that inspired the OP? As the Red White & Blue waved in the virtual background & an eagle did a fly-by? (Darn, I miss Colbert.) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/62 "2015-01-12T16:18:54Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Why did the OP mention “Democracy?” … I’ll take a stab at this. The OP mentioned democracy because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/63 "2015-01-12T16:26:45Z")
If he had gone, there would have been outraged cries about the millions of dollars spent to go support a bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys who had the effrontery to once deny us entry into their sovereign air space. The OP is a gibbering ass clown, no different than the rest of the ass clowns that represent his points of view, and who would not-so-secretly celebrate the assassination of our President, were it to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/64 "2015-01-12T17:23:18Z")
The Canadian PM did not go. It was too short notice to arrange travel. The leaders of Australia and New Zealand did not go. It was too short notice to arrange travel. Most of the leaders were from European countries or from the middle east. But Obama is somehow supposed to transcend space and time, and do the impossible. At least if you’re a right-wing moron. ETA: I award the OP 1.5 Adahers ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/65 "2015-01-12T17:29:11Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Why did the OP mention “Democracy?” The demonstrators are exhibiting solidarity against a horrible crime & for Freedom of the Press. Or Speech, or something. (Some of them have a touch of xenophobia, but that’s rude to mention.) A form of government–Democracy versus Monarchy or Dictatorship or whatever–is not the issue. > > Did Fox drop the word into the screed that inspired the OP? As the Red White & Blue waved in the virtual background & an eagle did a fly-by? (Darn, I miss Colbert.) Democracy has nothing to do with the Charlie Hebdo issues. There are lots of democracies where what they did would be against the law. ---
**Author:** ![BOOM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@BOOM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BOOM)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/66 "2015-01-12T17:34:03Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Democracy has nothing to do with the Charlie Hebdo issues. > > There are lots of democracies where what they did would be against the law. Kind of. Blasphemy laws are usually a limited exception to freedom of speech principles. Also pretty difficult to imagine a successful (read: jury) prosecution in first world societies. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/67 "2015-01-12T17:37:29Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > If he’d gone, the same people would blame him for spending millions of dollars of jet fuel, security overtime, etc., for nothing more than a symbolic gesture. > [@Chefguy](#): > > If he had gone, there would have been outraged cries about the millions of dollars spent to go support a bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys who had the effrontery to once deny us entry into their sovereign air space. You’re invoking a hypothetical as your argument against this stupid OP? Jesus Fucking Christ, you’re almost as bad as he is. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/68 "2015-01-12T17:38:17Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > US President Barack Obama was personally represented by Attorney-General Eric Holder. Eric Holder was not there. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/69 "2015-01-12T17:40:45Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Did you see Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Haroer there? > > I didn’t think so. That’s because he is the leader of a nation and has a busy schedule AND the security, for such an event would take more time than available, to manage. > > You do understand that this one of the reasons leaders have ministers and underlings, right? Yes. And Eric Holder, the “minister”, was in France. But he didn’t attend. This administration is the most tone-deaf in history, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/70 "2015-01-12T17:46:50Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > This administration is the most tone-deaf in history, it seems. The French don’t care, and are quite happy with Obama. The Americans don’t care, as it was a _big football weekend_. People who like our President will not think less of him, people who don’t like him could not think less of him. This will all be forgotten within 72 hours. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/71 "2015-01-12T17:47:39Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The French don’t care, and are quite happy with Obama. The Americans don’t care, as it was a _big football weekend_. People who like our President will not think less of him, people who don’t like him could not think less of him. This will all be forgotten within 72 hours. What will all be forgotten in 72 hours? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/72 "2015-01-12T17:51:38Z")
> [@Waymore](#): > > If he’s so clearly a moron, shouldn’t be hard to point out. We hold these truths to be self evident… ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/73 "2015-01-12T17:56:18Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > What will all be forgotten in 72 hours? Whether or not Obama attended the event. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/74 "2015-01-12T17:59:18Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > You are an idiot. Wow! What a sterling response. Never mind the fact that what he posted was correct. It makes Obama look bad, so let’s cut straight to the namecalling, because as we all know, that trumps everything. Just…wow. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/75 "2015-01-12T18:00:15Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Whether or not Obama attended the event. Sorry, I forgot. But I’ll surely remember the next time there’s a terrorist action in some European country. If only Obama had attended that rally in France, it all could have been prevented. Blood on his hands, man, blood on his hands. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/76 "2015-01-12T18:00:53Z")
I’m fine with the President escaping serious criticism for not even sending a high ranking official. This is a guy who has found time to pal around with Al Sharpton and inject himself into a controversy involving a Harvard professor and a cop. So I simply do not want to hear it if a Republican President’s priorities for where he shows up and when irritate you in the future. The fact is, the President committed a diplomatic faux pas, not his first, and pretty amazing given how much criticism Bush got. Bush would have been there. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/77 "2015-01-12T18:03:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The fact is, the President committed a diplomatic faux pas, not his first, and pretty amazing given how much criticism Bush got. Bush would have been there. Told you himself, did he? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/78 "2015-01-12T18:03:30Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You’re invoking a hypothetical as your argument against this stupid OP? Jesus Fucking Christ, you’re almost as bad as he is. Oh? Well, OK. lets hypothesize a bit. You and I are standing at the bar when we hear that Obama will attend. I offer you a bet that within a matter of hours some talking knob on Fox will renounce, denounce and condemn Obama for squandering good tax money on a pointless political stunt. I’m just guessing here, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t take it. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/79 "2015-01-12T18:05:21Z")
There might be some idiot who would say that, but if world leaders from poorer countries can attend, we can at least send Lurch. It should be noted that the administration is also hearing it from the French press, not exactly a bastion of the right-wing conspiracy, and supposedly a group we should have been more solicitious to back in the Bush days. Guess that, like many other criticisms of Bush, were never sincere. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597/80 "2015-01-12T18:09:03Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The fact is, the President committed a diplomatic faux pas, not his first, and pretty amazing given how much criticism Bush got. Bush would have been there. No he didn’t. Other far-away world leaders didn’t attend – presidential travel is very difficult and expensive to arrange, especially on short notice. This is a very stupid thing to criticize him for. You should make an effort, before you post something critical about Obama, to determine if there is actually something reasonable to criticize or if this is just your admitted personal bias taking over. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-was-barack-obama-to-stand-for-democracy/709597.md?page=5)