DescentBB

...few in the Japanese media said anything about Obama’s bow until they discovered Fox and other American media sources had made it into a big story. What we now have on our hands is a strange story about how many Americans have overreacted to simple bow and handshake. Unlike the bow itself, which drew little attention, this story actually does make America look stupid in the eyes of many Japanese viewers.

Pandora wrote:heh.

dissent wrote:

Pandora wrote:heh.

another blog, and an obviously opinionated one at that.

few in the Japanese media said anything about Obama’s bow until they discovered Fox and other American media sources had made it into a big story. What we now have on our hands is a strange story about how many Americans have overreacted to simple bow and handshake.

Spidey wrote:I don’t care if he botched the stupid bow or not…no American president should bow to an emperor.

President Obama’s nine-day trip to Asia is worth a look back to fix two potent problems, past and future. First, the trip’s limited value per day of presidential effort suggests a disturbing amateurishness in managing America’s power. On top of the inexcusably clumsy review of Afghan policy and the fumbling of Mideast negotiations, the message for Mr. Obama should be clear: He should stare hard at the skills of his foreign-policy team and, more so, at his own dominant role in decision-making. Something is awry somewhere, and he’s got to fix it. ...

...Some analysts played fair and acknowledged that administration officials tried to tell reporters not to expect “deliverables” on the trip, and to see the journey more as a recognition of Asia’s new importance and America’s desire for a new co-operative spirit. That’s a commendable thought, but hardly justification for almost two weeks of the president’s time (when you consider preparations)— especially when he’s got a tanking economy, health-care reform woes, and decisions to make on Afghanistan. Presidents take trips like this one only when they need breakthroughs and accomplishments on certain issues that can’t be agreed on without the pressure of an impending presidential visit. ...

...Matters were made worse on the scene. It was not good optics for Obama to bow to Japan’s emperor. He seems to do this stuff spontaneously and inexplicably, as with his bow to the Saudi King some months ago. And it was truly unfortunate that Obama and his aides didn’t flatly insist that he be allowed to address the Chinese people directly on television and meet with non-stacked Chinese groups—as has been the case during previous presidential visits. Beijing’s leaders obviously didn’t feel confident enough of their own standing at home to give the popular Mr. Obama such access. But he and his team should have made it a precondition of the visit. Its absence left an unhappy taste.