Faux News and its low standards in journalism.

[Boris Godunov]

Without knowing more I give Palin a pass for that. Maybe there was an emergency at home.

She was in Indiana and only went to another town for book signing that was scheduled for the next day.

At any rate, it's not Palin that amuses me here, it's the fickle wingnuts who declare that they're no longer true believers in SARAH because she didn't sign their books.

[Boris Godunov]

When the president of the United States is traveling overseas, do you think
it is appropriate for him to bow to a foreign leader if that is the country’s
custom or is it never appropriate for the president to bow to another leader?

What a badly worded poll question; it implies that Obama's bow might have been an acceptable concession to Japanese custom...

Huh? That's the entire point of the question--to gauge those who think it is an acceptable concession to custom vs. those who don't...

[Wezil]

He should have gone with the joy buzzer handshake.

[Drake Tungsten]

It's not a custom in Japan for foreigners to bow to Japanese people (and certainly not for foreign heads of state) and it's not a custom for anyone to bow in such a laughably wrong fashion. The poll question reflects the complete lack of cultural understanding that one would expect from Faux News (and our President, for that matter).

[Dinner]

The bigger tell is when any Republican official does something wrong, Fox almost invariably mislabels him as a Democrat.

The first half dozen times I was willing to give them a pass but when EVERY FRICKIN' TIME they do it... Well, then it is obvious they're doing it on purpose.

[DinoDoc]

It's not a custom in Japan for foreigners to bow to Japanese people (and certainly not for foreign heads of state) and it's not a custom for anyone to bow in such a laughably wrong fashion. The poll question reflects the complete lack of cultural understanding that one would expect from Faux News (and our President, for that matter).

On President Obama's Bow to the Japanese Emperor, An Academic Friend Writes That Both the Left and the Right Are Wrong

An old friend -- an academic with expertise about the Japanese Empire, and in general a supporter of President Obama -- sends me the following note, relating to photographs of President Obama bowing to Emperor Akihito of Japan.

"This picture shows two things," my friend writes.

"1) The 'right' is wrong about Obama's bow.

"2) The 'left' is wrong about Obama's bow.

"His bow is neither (1) unprecedented nor (2) a sign of cultural understanding.

"At their 1971 meeting in Alaska, the first visit of a Japanese Emperor to America, President Nixon bowed and referred to Emperor Hirohito and his wife repeatedly as 'Your Imperial Majesties.'"

(See that picture HERE.)

"Yet, (and?) Nixon gets the bow right. Slight arch from the waist hands at his side.

"Obama's handshake/forward lurch was so jarring and inappropriate it recalls Bush's back-rub of Merkel.

"Kyodo News is running his appropriate and reciprocated nod and shake with the Empress, certainly to show the president as dignified, and not in the form of a first year English teacher trying to impress with Karate Kid-level knowledge of Japanese customs.

"The bow as he performed did not just display weakness in Red State terms, but evoked weakness in Japanese terms....The last thing the Japanese want or need is a weak looking American president and, again, in all ways, he unintentionally played that part.

"BTW, Obama's bow at Suntory Hall was much better. Correct angle, slight bow. His hands were wrong but the physical tone was correct and appropriate.

"But if Obama can get the dollar to stop bowing to the Yen I take it all back."

-jpt

[MrFun]

OK, we have a new word I do like: Palienated!

Word!!

[Drake Tungsten]

Obama really is clueless about Japanese culture...

"Obama's attitude was, this is an elderly gentleman in a country where this kind of greeting is customary," said the official. "It does not seem extraordinary to show this kind of gesture to him."

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/23/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5749826.shtml

[loinburger]

He should have done what any responsible President would have done and vomited on him.

[Drake Tungsten]

At least Bush Senior wasn't clueless enough to claim his breach of etiquette was really an example of respecting local customs.

[loinburger]

True, but at least Obama didn't vomit on anybody.

[Drake Tungsten]

True, but at least vomiting is an involuntary response rather than a premeditated show of cultural ignorance.

[loinburger]

A likely story. "Mr President it's time to meet the Prime Minster." "Hold on let me chug some ipecac."

[Drake Tungsten]

I was hoping you'd continue the "true, but..." battle.

[loinburger]

Pretend I said "True, but at least Obama doesn't freebase ipecac before meeting foreign leaders."