Mr and Mrs Z were talking about whether we'd shake Mr. Obama's hand were we to meet him. He is the American president and I believe ALL of us respect that position. Most of us are not too nuts for the guy, let's face it (to put it mildly)...So.......would that be a dilemma for you? Would you shake his hand, this man who is president of these great United States of America, if you were suddenly confronted with that situation?
Just curious.............oh, this struck me as appropriate..I don't know.......
"[O]f those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 1
z
36 comments:
Yes. Not with enthusiasm, but out of social decorum.
Now, if i were getting an award for, say, the promotion of free speech, and he was the presenter I'd think hard about how to comment on the incongruity of that since he leans to repression of speech.
I think I would do it. I would regret it later if I didn't. I'd smile and say, "You're ruining our country."
However, if Bill Clinton were to extend his hand? nah...
Oh my, what a dilemma. If he offered his hand I would. I couldn't not do it and be that rude or disrespectful to the office.
But, I'd sneakily cross the fingers on my other hand.
Pris
No handshake for Obama. Not after all the lies, the world apology tours, the slights, the insults, the arrogance, the snobbery...
i've put aside most of my childish ways, therefore, yes, i would shake hands with barry. it would be out of respect for the office of the president.
good question!
I am with Jen aka Pinky. Would be nice to shove it in his smarmy face in front of the cameras.
No. Absolutely not. One has to have principles - he does not deserve to be President and uses the office for shameful purposes. I would even refuse an invitation to the WH.
Mr.Z
I think I would do what many sailors on my brother's old aircraft carrier did when Co-President Bill Clinton visited for a photo op.
I would shake his hand, but I'd pick a huge, snotty booger out of my nose and palm it first.
I'd be polite but also find a polite way to let him know that I do not now and never will support him.
Not to worry, we little peons will never get the chance to even get close enough to Teh Oen!
No, and I wouldn't take a treat from Obama either ;-)
Z, you've got to see this video to know what I mean.
It's short & funny.
In the spirit in which the handshake was invented... to keep an adversary from drawing his weapon in close proximity.
I certainly would but I can understand those who wouldn't. I would have turned my back on Bush.
Yes, I'd shake his hand.
And I'd also give him "the look."
"The look" I'm referring to is the withering one teachers use when they want to communicate "You've gone too far. Back off."
LOL to Beamish's plan.
I'd shake his hands but I would crush it. Like I did to an election opponent of my dad when I was young. The guy remembers the handshake.
Why wouldn't you shake his hand? It gives a person that one chance to make an impact, speak something profound, and possibly make the man think about your point.
I think conservatives need to be careful not to hate the man. What does that accomplish? It only gives opponents more fuel to call conservatives hate mongers and label them as an angry mob.
Is he helping in destroying this country, yes. Is that something to fight against? Yes! But hating him accomplishes nothing but a negative reflection of conservatives.
"Shake hands with Obama?"
Naw, I think I'll pass on that one.
Anonymous..I'm sure some of us 'hate' him, but it's not the man we hate as much as his plans, his demeanor and his lies.
Who can not hate someone appointing czars who are communists, someone who's grown our deficit so large he knows very well we can't recover, who won't read a bill he supports, who won't listen to two sides of the global change debate, who champions killing babies if they survive an abortion, who'd go to a church which hates America...
too much to cite here again, of course; we've all been around that block a million times already.
How do you shake the hand of a man who's basically made you mistrust your own country?
Bush's hand I'd grab and probably I'd give him a hug (though I didn't agree with him in some cases) because he so clearly loves America, supported us, put our safety first, etc...
Having said that, if Obama did reach his hand out to me, I believe, as an America, I'd have to shake it limply and very, very quickly and probably give him a look he'd understand, loud and clear.
LOVE this post. How interesting to read these responses.
Yes I would shake his hand.
I probably would say no, but for what I witnessed 8 1/2 yrs ago.
Shortly after his inauguration on a cold January day in 2001, President Bush visited our city and addressed a large crowd in a public coliseum.
The band from a predominantly African American local university had been asked to play the national anthem and other music and they did an excellent job.
When the President entered, and at all other appropriate moments, all the band members, every single one - at the leadership of a Democrat House memeber, refused to stand and applaud. They sat, stony faced, arms crossed throughout the entire event.
At that moment I made a vow to myself that no matter how much I disagree with an elected official, his policies or the methods used to be elected, I will not stoop to being disrespectful. If I felt I couldn't be respectful I would just avoid the situation.
(If I couldn't avoid the situation, then I guess the booger thing would have to do!)
Sandy, imagine a Democrat House member encouraging our kids to diss a president? Especially one who didn't believe those Black kids couldn't survive without Democrat welfare, freebies, etc? Then imagine a Republican doing the same thing to someone the press liked ( a lib, of COURSE!)...we'd have never heard the end of it.
I just found out Cindy Sheehan was at Martha's Vineyard but the media didn't pick it up.....remember, everybody, the HUGE news she got for DAYS when she camped outside Bush's Crawford ranch?
I don't know, there just seems to be a tie-in with Sandy's story......if it's Bush, it's evil, if it's a Democrat, it's perfectly understandable to be rude, or for the media to cover the truth like Sheehan holding this new president's feet to the fire, too.
What a sad America...
I would use the opportunity.
I would grab his hand out of courtesy, (after all I'm a civilized Conservative Southern lady)...
...but I would HOLD ON with both hands as I told him exactly what I think of his destruction of my beloved country.
The secret service might have to pry his hand out of mine before I was finished ...
heh How's that for making the best of a bad situation.
Deborah F. Hamilton
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
I'd shake his hand with a big grin and say "I never liked you one bit."
Off topic, z, but interesting:
PARIS – Sunday’s local German elections favoring left parties were variously described as “a wake up call,” a “shock,” and a “setback” for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
But while the results may affect her plans for Germany’s next governing coalition, few analysts expect the popular German leader will lose national elections scheduled for Sept. 27.
Nevertheless, the former Communist Party of East Germany, now known as the Left Party, made startling gains in the three states where elections were held. Die Linke, as the Left Party is called, moved from the low single digits in the last election to more than 20 percent in all three states.
I guess I would. I wouldn't mind having an hour conference with him in order to discuss my viewpoints too. I wouldn't mind being able to be a fly on the wall in the oval office to see what is really going on in the obama agenda either...
What everyone needs to realize is the fact that to shake hands or not, every action a person takes has an effect not only in the moment, but also in your own mind for the remainder of life... what opportunities have we missed, what ones do we wish we would have missed...
So, interesting question. A person's answer reveals much.
yes, I would not want people to think I am racist...
But beleive me he would KNOW I did not approve !
Yes Ducky, Europeans tends to be leftists. Are you discovering that?
They don't know what they want. They want full employment, low taxes and all the welfare programs they can get.
When you cut those programs or there's a bit of a crisis, they go left. When you increase taxes, they go a little right.
Weak peoeple. That's what you get with a socialist system: you weaken the minds and the civilization by buying votes.
In short, it doesn't make you right.
Debbie and Steve, I'm with you on that!
Ducky, Mr Z knows the nuances you'd never understand about Germany and the way their politics go;
These are local races and it was a big surprise because polls have shown for months how much farther Right the Germans are finally moving. They still prefer Merkel in spite of the little races that got lost to the smarter, less 'big government' Germans.
This does not affect Merkel, no.
Leslie, I'm not at all sure I agree. Much to think about, for sure.
JM....racist isn't even in this equation!
FB....don't even bother.
Consider this:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
-Matthew 5:43-48
I love Debbie's and Steve's responses.
I would take his hand enthusiastically and tell him I'm one of the few registered Democrats that didn't vote for him and has no intention of voting for him or anyone else who disrespects the Constitution and the People of the USA. And then I would ask him how it feels to be shaking a hand that clings to guns and religion??? Then I'd tell him I was praying for him, and let him wonder "what" exactly I was praying for.
But like several have said, none of us will ever get that close.
thank you, Bryan. A good reminder.
I do believe 'hate' for Obama isn't as paramount the emotion as dislike and regret for his actions.
Most of us, I believe, love this country enough that we feel we must be stewards and protect her.
And, yes, pray for our enemies. And even her enemies.
But work like the dickens to fix things.
Hoosier Mom, you're Second Runner UP..that's the GOOD NEWS!
The Bad news is no, there is no prize!! :-)
I'd never get that close, his minions and slaves would never let anyone who isn't willing to polish his ass near him.
It really depends on the situation. There are situations when "decorum" is the right thing to do, and other situations where you can take a meaningful stand. If you refuse to shake hands in some situations, you'll come off looking like the redneck racist they try to portray us all as.
I'd take the opportunity not to shake his hand but to hand him a sack filled with 30 pieces of silver.
Why not? I'd shake hands with any famous (or unfamous, I'm friendly)
that offered. Like John F. Kennedy when he spoke on our campus back in 1960 when running for prez. Gives one a personal memory of history....
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