What has Obama done well?

I used to use Snopes to confirm everything, but they dropped the ball on this one big time. They posted fake documentation, and then pulled it down. They did the same with a couple of disreputable quotes, and misrepresented the counter argument. Seeing how Snopes has been dealing with the birth certificate issue and jumping the gun on unsubstantiated claims has led me to believe that they have political bias, and I don't use them any more.

I think it's because they really don't understand what patriotism is all about, and so they take the smallest of trivialities and blow them up into the biggest issues. Because, if the President bows to anyone, he must hate America. No wonder these people idolized Bush -- he walked around like the toughest shit on the block, and these people just ate it up.

This is just silly.

I don't pay attention to current events, so I have no idea what Obama's done -- good or bad. Sorry, I can't contribute to this thread.

Is this serious, or are you just joking around?

On this note, what would the expectation be for a Catholic president meeting with the Pope? From a starting point, such a meeting would be a meeting of two heads of state (U.S. and Vatican). But, I suppose theoretically, there would be a level of meaning for that particular U.S. president that would transcend politics, and isn't it common for Catholics meeting the Pope to make a sort of gesture? (Kneeling maybe? I honestly don't know.) If it is common for a Catholic to do such a thing, and a president happened to be Catholic and did it, but claimed that it was in his/her "status" as a Catholic, how would people come down on that?

You just framed the argument that was used by the anti-Kennedy crowd in the 60's. People were hesitant about electing a Catholic for this very reason.

see Youtube, video (I can't post links): zP2C0dCUD3A

Is this serious, or are you just joking around?

No, I'm serious.

I used to read the news every morning, until I realized it basically ruined my day. As you can probably tell from my posts, I'm easily irritated when it comes to this kind of stuff. I discovered that I can't read the news without getting upset, so I just stopped. I also stopped voting and just stopped caring in general. It just seems like we're too far gone to get back on track -- not as a country, but as a race. Pretty cynical, I know. Just one of my many flaws. I'll probably lose all credibility with this statement, but I doubt I had much left with the other posters anyways.

All of this is not to say that I don't care to argue principle, I just don't know enough about what's going on to apply it to the issues.

Anyways, imagine a guy like me, who's totally ignorant about what's happening, to come here and see people arguing about the President bowing to another human being. Seems pretty ridiculous to me, and also validates my attitude.

Ha! What about when a flag is lowered to half-mast for the passing of a President? Just one of many examples of contradiction within our policies. Good job proving your point.

Lowering the flag in mourning isn't the same as dipping it.

No, I'm serious.

I used to read the news every morning, until I realized it basically ruined my day. As you can probably tell from my posts, I'm easily irritated when it comes to this kind of stuff. I discovered that I can't read the news without getting upset, so I just stopped. I also stopped voting and just stopped caring in general. It just seems like we're too far gone to get back on track -- not as a country, but as a race. Pretty cynical, I know. Just one of my many flaws. I'll probably lose all credibility with this statement, but I doubt I had much left with the other posters anyways.

All of this is not to say that I don't care to argue principle, I just don't know enough about what's going on to apply it to the issues.

Anyways, imagine a guy like me, who's totally ignorant about what's happening, to come here and see people arguing about the President bowing to another human being. Seems pretty ridiculous to me, and also validates my attitude.
What do you mean whenyou say not as a country , but as a race.

As far as UCMJ or punishment for a bow, I've never heard that. However the State Department Office of Protocol and Miss Manners know that the President and any U.S. citizen NEVER bow before a monarch or king.

You can say what you want, but in the Middle East the gesture is seen as making the U.S. sub-servient.

My warrant officer would've had my ass if I had bowed in the way the Japanese did.

From what I understand it really depends on the culture. Bowing in many cultures is a sign or respect or even that of an apology. In some cultures yes it is a sign of subservience. The key is to know your audience.

On a related note, was W out of line when he held hands and touched cheeks with a Saudi prince?

I don't think it was a breach of protocol but it made me want to vomit all the same.

What about when Jimmy Carter greeted Queen Elizabeth by kissing her...on the lips