The Bow
You may be aware of the little (or big, depending on your perspective) controversy over Obama bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia.
Most everyone on the left chose to ignore our President bowing to a theocratic oppressor because the right-wing made a huge issue of of it and, well, that means we can't. That binary mentality is understandable. (After all, who wants lumped in with Glenn Beck?) What I don't understand, however, is people with functioning eyeballs denying the bow took place at all.
Juan Cole, writing over at Salon, nails the right for all their insanity lately. Of the bow, he says: "The outrage began when Obama greeted Saudi King Abdullah by leaning into a double-handed handshake." It was quite a lean--what kind of handshake does Juan Cole give?
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, consciously lying, said he bent to "shake with both hands" even though he only used one. Donna Brazile said on CNN that it may have actually been "a nod." I guess Obama nods by bending the top half of his body 90˚.
Look, I assume The Bow was a mistake and won't happen again. But it's sad and pathetic to see intelligent people stoop to such rancid dishonesty to bat back a right-wing attack. Obama bowed. Clearly. This kind of denial of reality that is two inches from your face is how the despicable Bush apologists started.
Most everyone on the left chose to ignore our President bowing to a theocratic oppressor because the right-wing made a huge issue of of it and, well, that means we can't. That binary mentality is understandable. (After all, who wants lumped in with Glenn Beck?) What I don't understand, however, is people with functioning eyeballs denying the bow took place at all.
Juan Cole, writing over at Salon, nails the right for all their insanity lately. Of the bow, he says: "The outrage began when Obama greeted Saudi King Abdullah by leaning into a double-handed handshake." It was quite a lean--what kind of handshake does Juan Cole give?
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, consciously lying, said he bent to "shake with both hands" even though he only used one. Donna Brazile said on CNN that it may have actually been "a nod." I guess Obama nods by bending the top half of his body 90˚.
Look, I assume The Bow was a mistake and won't happen again. But it's sad and pathetic to see intelligent people stoop to such rancid dishonesty to bat back a right-wing attack. Obama bowed. Clearly. This kind of denial of reality that is two inches from your face is how the despicable Bush apologists started.
posted by Matt Bors at
11:59 PM
1 Comments:
The honest answer is 'who cares'? Ooh, Obama bowed. Big deal.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home