"Most of us are familiar with the limbo, a Caribbean dance in which participants try to walk under a horizontal pole by bending backwards while the pole gets lowered with each successful attempt. It seems President Obama has brought the limbo to American diplomacy, only he’s bending forward in a bow to foreign leaders.
How low can he go? Obama’s infamous bow to the Saudi king is well known. Maybe Obama was just trying to make sure that we would still get Saudi Arabia’s oil, since he’s put a lot of ours off limits. The White House denied that Obama bowed to King Abdullah, but then Obama did it again when he met the emperor of Japan.
Yesterday, it was Hu Jintao’s turn. Who’s Hu? He’s the president of communist China. I know some folks today feel like they have to bow to their banker. Maybe Obama bowed to Hu because the debt we owe China is up 20% on his watch. But at least he didn’t hug Hu. Obama’s saved the hug for Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a fellow socialist who blamed the global credit crisis on “white people with blue eyes.”
Before someone accuses me of nitpicking, symbolism can have serious effects around the world. Osama bin Laden once said, “When the people see a strong horse and a weak horse, they naturally gravitate toward the strong horse.” Other than our liberal media elites, who is bowing to Obama?
An American president does not bow to foreign royalty, and certainly not to thugs. This president disrespects our allies, while showing deference to dictators. Some have suggested that the president is a narcissist. I’ll leave the psychoanalysis to the experts. But there’s no doubt that when it comes to America, which the president believes is in need of “fundamental transformation,” the posture Obama is most comfortable with is submission.
The Left routinely criticized George W. Bush for his cowboy swagger. But I’ll take a president who appreciates American strength any day over a president who apologizes for America’s “arrogance.” Obama’s bowing is a physical manifestation of his groveling speeches. With a bowing and apologetic president, how long will the world see America as a “strong horse”?"
Gary Bauer
Campaign for Working Families
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