Just thinking about it over the past few days, I don’t think I could bring myself to touch the man.
D. “I’m sorry, George. I can’t do it, and by God I wish I could.”
I asked my father this question – my thirty-year-veteran dad. “Dad, what would you do if you were presented with the opportunity to shake President Bush’s hand?”
“Probably get myself arrested.”
He went on to say that of all the presidents in the past couple of decades, he’d shake Carter’s hand. Maybe Clinton’s, too.
Perfect! That would prove my point to my students in a way even they would understand! Plus, I’d have the makings of a dandy lawsuit, further embarassing the Chimp-In-Chief. I don’t think you can harrass a public “servant” any more than you can disturb the peace of a cop.
If the story is factual, it is just one more reason to hate and despise the evil that is known as Cheney. BTW: The op did not ask, but Cheney I would not trust myself to be close enough to possibly shake his hands. He is everything I hate most about morally corrupt politicians and morally corrupt CEOs.
I was invited to a gathering where [former] Australian PM Paul Keating spoke.
He blatantly lied in his speech.
Later on after the speech, he mingled in the crowd and before you know it, he was there in front of me with his hand extended. I did not extend my hand. Instead, I looked at him straight in the eye and asked him one question.
“Why did you lie in your speech about …?”
Bush would be a cakewalk.
E. I abhor hand-shaking in general and even more so when I dislike someone. I would find it repulsive to have him touch me in any way, especially my hands. If I were ever in a position where shaking his hand would be expected, I would probably (because of so many members of my family being military, not wanting backlash on them due to my actions) I would most likely politely decline with “I am sorry, but I have a cold and I don’t want you to catch it.” It usually works. It didn’t work with Ricky Martin, FWIW…ick…
How is it that some people still haven’t figured out that this bunch seriously jonesed for dictatorship? The ‘Patriot’ Act, vilifying people who called them out, actively going after Valerie Plame’s career to get back at her husband, having a protestor (and Og only knows how many more) arrested merely for disagreeing?
I am grateful to every Power that Is today that they are finally being stopped but you folks let that bunch rule the roost way, way too long. Scared the stuffing out of me and then some.
The reason I decided not to go into the Foreign Service is that I would not be able to make nicey-nicey with people who have done awful things. I could not compromise my integrity that way. The very best you’ll get from me is cold civility; but it wouldn’t extend to shaking hands with anybody who has presided over the horrific mess that is Iraq and all it stands for, no matter if he were Pope or Emperor of the Universe.
I remember once about 10 years ago, my husband and I were at the Gay Pride parade in Chicago, and the politician who is now the Governor of this great state of Illinois came down the crowd, shaking hands with everyone. My husband, harboring an intense dislike of this person, looked him right in the eye and did NOT extend his hand out. I was impressed that my husband had the nerve to deliberately snub the guy, but I am not sure how badly I would have to despise a person to do so. Confronted by such a situation, I would probably just shake quickly without comment and move on.
E?
I did. I somewhat liked him at the time but was definitely not flattered to meet him. Something about giving politicians a big smile and yell like they’re rockstars rubs me the wrong way. He seems to expect it.
I also shook John Kerry’s hand early in his campaign for 2004. He was shaky, somewhat weak with his handshake and just looked exhausted too early in the game.
I once walked up to Satan himself and asked for a light*.
I’m not afraid to shake hands with GWB. In fact, I would relish it. I probably couldn’t get away with looking at my own hand afterwards and saying, “Checking for blood…” but I’d like to look in his eyes and see what, if anything, is there.
*They were performing at a small club. Between sets, I expressed admiration for their music, bought a CD, then asked Satan to light my cigarette so I could say I’d done that. He thought it was hilarious.
