America goes to the polls

Whatever one's politics may be, it's impossible NOT to see the difference in stature of the men. China would never have done that to Reagan, or indeed any other US president, not even Jimmy Carter. Indeed, Carter is admired worldwide now as a statesman of some standing, due to his charity and other work.

But Obama? What's he for? There's no point including him in the grown-up talks, he can't function without someone writing his script for him, and all the other world leaders know he CANNOT be trusted. Not to keep his mouth shut, his word, nothing.

A statesman, he is not.

He sure isn't. This may explain why he was sent to stand with the wives....

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/10/obama-gum-chewing-riles-some-chinese/18801757/

BEIJING — Ahead of an economic summit in Beijing, billed as the biggest international event in the Chinese capital since the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, authorities demanded that residents brush up their typically brusque manners. The Communist Party launched a six-month campaign to make Beijingers behave in a more civilized fashion to welcome the world.

Turns out the rude one, in the eyes of some Chinese Internet users, was the most prominent guest.

Live television coverage on China's top state-run channel Monday night showed the leaders of the 21 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member states arriving in iconic socialist limousines, along red-lit avenues, at the Water Cube, the Olympic swimming venue.

Obama eschewed the Red Flag limousine service that ferried other leaders one by one from a nearby building to a banquet, cultural show and fireworks at the aquatic venue. Some Chinese went online to criticize his preference for the familiar security of a U.S.-supplied vehicle, while others understood his choice, but what happened next surprised many here.

Obama emerged from his car chewing gum; he's a well-known user of Nicorette, the smoking-cessation gum. But Chinese Internet users, accustomed to the highly formal standards of their stiff party leadership, quickly characterized the leader of the world's most powerful nation as an impolite "idler," or careless "rapper."

"We made this meeting so luxurious, with singing and dancing, but see Obama, stepping out of his car chewing gum like an idler," wrote Yin Hong, a professor of journalism at Beijing's Tsinghua University, on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo micro-blog service. Twitter, like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, is banned in China, whose censors fear such services could aid political protest.


Either he's too ignorant to know how offensive his gum-chewing is, or he's too arrogant to care. Neither makes a good impression on foreign nations.

I think he is both, actually, Bonny.  Ignorant and arrogant....

I think the Chinese would regard it as a huge insult that he first didn't regard their limo as good enough, unlike everyone else, then turned up for their lavish get-together chewing gum. It simply is NOT the way you behave anywhere, let alone in places like China that wrote the book on diplomatic protocol centuries ago.

Didn't he also chew gum at the D-Day ceremony?

Yes, he did, much to the fury of the French. I shudder to think what De Gaulle would have done to Obama for that....He doesn't seem to have much respect for anyone, does he?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/11/11/obamacare-architect-lack-transparency-was-key-because-stupidity-american/

ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber said that lack of transparency was a major part of getting ObamaCare passed, and that it was written in such a way as to take advantage of "the stupidity of the American voter.

There are many of those about but there are also many who will be outraged by that remark.  

Just goes to show you how the people are being fooled.  

In the name.....

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-12/more-humiliation-china-furious-disrespectful-nicorette-chewing-obama

bb1 wrote:In the name.....

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-12/more-humiliation-china-furious-disrespectful-nicorette-chewing-obama

Wasn't that up on mainstream papers at least 2 days ago? LL

It was here two days ago, LL, with some material from USA Today? Also about him not using the Chinese limo? That's certainly the first time I have seen the sheer horror of Obama spitting out his gum at one of the meetings......

He has no diplomatic skills at all let alone class.

A very good point in the comments:

It's not the gum or the patch that's the issue. It's the display of weakness.

Strong people wake up one day and cold turkey the cigs. Bam, done, never again.

Weak people not so much.

Obama, weak, hesitant, uncertain, frail, controlled by tobacco.

Get off the porch, it's for "BIG" dogs.

If he really is as addicted as that, couldn't he at least stick a patch on his backside or something for big public occasions when he is supposed to be DIGNIFIED? Instead of turning up at state occasions chewing Nicorette?

Of course I have no idea what goes through his mind but it does seem strange that it appears he does not listen to people briefing him on protocol - unless that person is just as tacky.

They're either making him look foolish on purpose - Go on, chew Nicorette at a Chinese state dinner, they'll be impressed with how cool you are - or he's ignoring them, IMO.

Apparently he ignores many things he is advised to do so maybe the same is true here.

Thing is, if he'd really gone for it and lit a damned great (non-Cuban) cigar, he would have raised eyebrows but gained respect for being totally un-PC. And a good few of the men would probably have joined him.

But gum-chewing? It's just tacky and low-life.

That's him.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-14/king-denial



Pity the artist didn't have room to squeeze in, American voters are stupid....

True.  What a guy!  

OMG, there's two of him!

http://news.sky.com/story/1373838/whos-who-obama-decoy-snapped-at-g20

Who's Who? Obama Decoy Snapped At G20
The leader of the free world and his decoy are photographed in separate Beasts as the US president rolls into town for the summit.




Which one is the real Obama? Pics: Adam Smith/Courier-Mail

Has anyone thought of making the decoy Prez? It might be a vast improvement, a bit like the Man in the Iron Mask...

I think the real one is on the left.  OMG I made a joke.  

http://rt.com/news/206207-gorbachev-obama-lame-duck/


"Obama is a lame duck. One must not finish the job in such a mediocre way. He just decided to throw accusations around. He will be of no avail any more, unfortunately. I've thought better of him," the former leader of the USSR told Rusnovosti radio.

I'm really glad Gorbachev is still around, he's rather like a Russian version of Jimmy Carter. Now, if Gorbachev and Carter could just be left to sit down together and sort the current mess out in peace........

Almost anyone discussing this is an improvement over Obama.  

There were some really good videos on the link.

I cannot think of one single thing Obama has done to improve the world since he took office, Lily. International relations are at an all-time low, with EVERYTHING that was achieved since the fall of the Soviet Union undone.

And he's got Americans at each others' throats too. I see he thought it was a good idea to shove his oar into the Ferguson mess by having secret meetings with the rioters, sorry, protestors:

http://www.infowars.com/obama-met-with-ferguson-activists-said-hes-concerned-they-stay-on-course/

OBAMA MET WITH FERGUSON ACTIVISTS – SAID HE’S CONCERNED THEY “STAY ON COURSE”
President Obama met with Ferguson protest leaders on November 5th, the day after the midterm elections