Obama, bowing low, breaks with US Presidential tradition

by smkovalinsky | November 15, 2009 at 09:19 am

726 views | 48 Recommendations | 46 comments

President Barack Obama, bowing low and long before Japan's emperor on his tour of Asia, broke decisively with a long standing American Presidential tradition of showing no deference to foreign leaders.

Indeed, as revealed below, it is most frowned on by US officials, and dates back even to George Washington.

That said, times change: After 8 years of haste and hubris at the hands of the likes of W Bush and Dick Cheney, this is the right and beautiful thing to do. In my humble opinion, it is very Christian: Obama's delicate gesture says, "For the son of man came not to be served, but to serve. "

It wasn't what George Washington would have done, but President Obama had no problem breaking with tradition and bowing low before the Japanese emperor yesterday during a visit.

The president greeted Emperor Akihito at the front door of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo by bending at the waist and dropping his head in a deep bow -- a sign of respect and deference to the diminutive leader.

The gesture is likely to be well received in Japan, where bowing is part of the culture.

But it's sure to stir controversy at home, where, by longstanding tradition, American presidents don't bow to foreign leaders.

Then-President Bill Clinton caused a ruckus when he slightly dropped his head before the same Japanese emperor in 1994.

White House protocol experts had rushed to defend Clinton's token head bob to Akihito -- which wouldn't even register next to Obama's nearly 90-degree bend.

The State Department doesn't have an official policy that prohibits American presidents from acts of obeisance before foreign leaders, but for more than 200 years, those types of formalities have been avoided.

Ronald Reagan's chief of protocol, Lenore Annenberg, sparked outrage by merely dipping her knees upon greeting England's Prince Charles.

First Lady Nancy Reagan was also forced to admit to bowing her head when she privately met with Queen Elizabeth II, but her press secretary hastened to tell reporters that "it was definitely not a curtsy."

Obama found himself in a similarly defensive position last April, when he bent at the waist before King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at the G-20 meetings in London.

The White House said at the time that Obama had simply dipped low to shake the king's hand -- although Arab newspapers hailed it as a deferential bow.

There was no mistaking yesterday's greeting.

The president, who grew up among Asian traditions in Hawaii and Indonesia, first shook hands with Akihito -- whose father, Hirohito, OK'd the attack on Pearl Harbor -- before offering his sweeping bow.

Obama, on an eight-day tour through Asia to strengthen US ties, had delivered a 40-minute speech earlier that day to about 1,500 prominent Japanese in Tokyo. He later flew to Singapore to attend a summit of Asian-Pacific leaders.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Add a comment

Barry Artiste

at 09:36 on November 15th, 2009

At least Bush senior threw up at one japanese shin dig

QueensHart

at 09:39 on November 15th, 2009

Lovely comment SMK but there is a but..... O has already proved he is an 'actor"

smkovalinsky

at 09:42 on November 15th, 2009

Yes, actor, but he has the sort of narcissism that also includes a genuine humility: He is archetypal enough to identify with Christ. Or so I see him. ;)

Barry Artiste

at 09:46 on November 15th, 2009

One wonders how low he bows or goes on his knees when greeting another leader who will remain nameless, but I am sure you all know who I speak of.

rng

at 16:46 on November 15th, 2009

Netanyahu?

Roy C

at 09:43 on November 15th, 2009

As a private citizen, Obama can bow. As a head of state, he cannot. "F".lush the gestures. We need reality.

I don't judge O's intent badly, but this kind of crap is strictly "Amateurville" when it comes politics, protocol and relations between nations.

As prez, the Boy Wonder is saying that the United States bows to the Emperor of Japan. Not OK.

rng

at 16:40 on November 15th, 2009

That is not the intent of a greeting bow such as this in Japanese protocol. The fact you see this as a subservient act is just a xenophobic world view. This stuff matters in the broader world

aurealeus

at 05:42 on November 16th, 2009

"As a private citizen, Obama can bow. As a head of state, he cannot."

I agree with this distinction and I believe this is what is upsetting Americans because it goes against protocol as practiced by heads-of-state throughout American History.

Comparatively speaking, I wonder how citizens of other nations would feel if their leaders "saluted" a U.S. President in deference of acknowledging the American Commander-in-Chief?

rng

at 07:05 on November 16th, 2009

They shake his hand which is appropriate and respectful to our culture. It may not be to theirs, I doubt their populations get so emotive about showing respect for another's culture

smkovalinsky

at 09:52 on November 15th, 2009

It sits well with me, though, very well. I cannot deny it.

Roy C

at 10:32 on November 15th, 2009

Because why? You think or feel, more likely, that he is willing to serve?

Obama does this because he wants to be royalty. His narcissism demands it. He also seeks validation from archetypal figures without.

Having no real religion, having no real sense of the soul, the psyche, he is prey to the outer forms of the inner forms of the stuff he lacks.

Lacking a father figure in his life as a kid, and lacking a sense of identity and firm roots, he had fantasies about being president as a kid.

That "incoronation" of himself is designed to solve all problems of an environment where nothing of the esoteric, religious or psychological side of life was introduced to him to help him cope with a depression that was the result of no father and a bizarre mother with a poor choice of men and a fantasized take on non-white people that disgusted Obama himself.

So, Obama has to bow. That is how impressed he is with royalty. His bow has nothing to do with Christianity, a religion whose most mediocre take, Rev Wright's, he "followed" until it was inconvenient to being "crowned" president of the US.

nanute

at 13:51 on November 15th, 2009

Having no real religion, having no sense of the soul.... What religion should he have, if any? Is one required? Must it be a certain denomination if Christian? You are very good at making value judgments.

smkovalinsky

at 09:59 on November 15th, 2009

I think I like the theatrics, the solemn majesty , the formality of it. It just bodes well, even his narcissism is right on target, all the way. I hear you brother, but I still like it.

Roy C

at 10:05 on November 15th, 2009

Narcissism is never on target. This isn't about what he can do for the US. It is about what he can do for himself.

By bowing, he shows what little respect he has for the American people and their political culture. Under that respect is his contempt for what we are.

Roy C

at 10:23 on November 15th, 2009

The entity that Obama needs to "bow to" is the American people, the American Constitution, and our will and sovereignty.

That he doesn't bow to. There he wants us to bow to internationalism, socialism, disarmament, redistribution of wealth under the UN's Climate Control Panel and under UNESCO's Codex Alimentarius.

Yeah, he want us to bow. It ain't gonna happen.

marianmo

at 10:58 on November 15th, 2009

who cares

smkovalinsky

at 11:43 on November 15th, 2009

Roy, It was a poetic gesture, an Obama gesture. Just part of his theater and "camp", if you will.

albertacowpoke

at 11:46 on November 15th, 2009

Oh well it gives Hannity, Limbaugh and O'Reilly something to talk about. I agree with marianmo who cares?

Remember the important things, the economy, unemployment and security.

Hugh Askew

at 12:00 on November 15th, 2009

Bowing signifies deference. I would think that would be inimical to American values. However, if he isn't a native son, perhaps he was taught differently.

If George Washington and Tom Jefferson refused to bow, i think i'll take my cue from them. At least i know what their idea of American was.

smkovalinsky

at 12:05 on November 15th, 2009

But Washington and Jefferson were not living with Walmarts and McDonald's and celebrity news and lock-up raw, and had a much more pristine America to defend. Do you think Jefferson would really be zipping around to malls and discount stores and chatting on his cell phone and surfing the Internet? Jefferson said he stood for "a nation of gentleman farmers, rugged and free." He would vomit if he were to take a tour of this country now, and would see it as a big global and pharmaceutical conglomerate - he would say, "This is not my America, take me away".

Roy C

at 13:48 on November 15th, 2009

That is a really good comment, SMK. Brava.

smkovalinsky

at 15:42 on November 15th, 2009

Thank you, Roy. *bows very low to Roy*

Hugh Askew

at 16:23 on November 15th, 2009

That is all quite speculative, and loverly regarding TJ's thought on society. Have no clue how he would see those things.

Regarding the Federal Gummit, from his writings, it isn't difficult to speculate on his feelings about the paternal government, out of control spending, or the realization of his worst nightmare with the Supreme Court. In fact, we don't have to speculate.

"The great object of my fear is the federal judiciary. That body, like Gravity, ever acting, with noiseless foot, & unalarming advance, gaining ground step by step, and holding what it gains, is ingulphing insidiuously the special governments [i.e, the states] into the jaws of that which feeds them."

That isn't projecting, that is what Tom Jefferson said. He foresaw the power grab by the Court. Called it to a 't'.

This is the same man that tried to save a dime by building gunboats to defend the nation, because frigates were too expensive. Never mind that he was wrong. But he was a tightwad with tax money.

Rory Cripps

at 12:06 on November 15th, 2009

Mr. Lo! HA!

smkovalinsky

at 12:08 on November 15th, 2009

Yes, cute, ain't he?

aurealeus

at 12:27 on November 15th, 2009

In international relations, all national leaders should be viewed on an equal level and there might ought to be a standard protocol amongst leaders whereby there would be an understanding to dispense with formalities that are usually reserved for Subjects or cultural similarities and as stated by Hugh Askew, that which can be perceived to be "inimical to American values."

I'm of the opinion and agree with most Americans that the President of the United States should not bow to any world leader whether it is deference out of Respect or Obedience.

Roy C

at 12:45 on November 15th, 2009

The bow, especially as I interpreted it, as it reveals itself to those capable of such an analysis, is important.

THIS IS NOT EVEN HIS FIRST BOW, GODAMMIT..

He bowed to the Saudi king and then denied it. Gee, now, why would he deny it? I scratch my frigging head.

Gee, maybe, maybe, it was too frigging revealing of an act. How about that?

Our one-term prez stepped into "it" once again.

Babel-Fish

at 14:47 on November 15th, 2009

I was actual glad to see someone respect a local custom, lets not have all this arrogance when in Rome you do as the Romans do. Talking about that how many US presidents have kissed the Pope's ring.

Not knowing customs and not observing them has been the way of Americans for many a year to some cultures it show arrogance. I myself bow when its the custom too here in the Philippines one takes off your shoes before entering the house. I give blessing to children all though I am an atheist. Local custom is very important and its polite to observe what I see is an American gentleman being polite and respecting cultural custom. It's like a handshake or rubbing noses with an Eskimo or give me five on an American street.