Reading too much into it
Some bloggers (who shall remain nameless) have been crowing that the Marines in Hawaii snubbed Barack Obama when he showed up for chow at their messhall Christmas Day based on this account from ABC’s Jake Tapper;
As Obama entered the room, it was absent of the regular fanfare of cheering and clapping. The diners were polite, staying seated at their respective tables and waited for the president-elect to come to them to stand up.
I guess this why there are milbloggers – to keep everyone else straight. Military courtesy extends to every aspect of military life including what you do when a ranking officer enters the dining facility. You quietly put down your silverware and turn towards the VIP when “At Ease” is called by the first person to see the VIP entering the building. Then you continue eating when that VIP or his military escort calls out “Carry On”.
No one snubbed Obama, and I find it hard to believe any would. I suppose we’re going to see a lot of stories like this in the coming months, and most of them will be untrue. I worked for a lot of people I didn’t like in the Army, but they all got my respect and courtesy.
Everyone knows how I feel about Obama, but I’d be offended if any group of troops from any branch of service ever showed him any disrespect while he’s in office. It’s not their place to express political opinions.
Category: Politics
he’s not the CINC yet
Jonn wrote: Regardless…
A military snub is a subtle one. Being a Marine under Clinton I know how it works. It is not the “snub” but the lack of embrace. The muted politeness given to a civilian that is not particularly liked. Was Obama embraced in the same way Bush would have been? Not a chance. Will he ever be? Probably not.
respect is still earned. I still will not get over this future CINC calling our troops indiscriminate murderers….never will
Hussein O is not a senator (resigned) and not the CIC yet. He’s a nobody/nothing who bothered the troops while they were eating a meal with their family, a rare thing these days.
He got the same respect he showed them while in Congress in return. He deserves none.
I have to disagree. I think the polite disinterest, was indeed a snub. Anyone who has been in the military knows that sickly sweet respect has been used forever as a form of disrespect. Happens all the time. As noted above, now that he is not a senator, and not yet the President, he is not really entitled to the kind of respect that the he entitled to as a senator or as the President.
I don’t think anybody snubbed the One, or was disrespectful. But after eight years of a CINC that the troops love to meet in person, ‘polite and respectful’ seems like a snub.
Actually, you could make the argument the other way that the One was snubbing the Marines. He stopped by the base three days running to use the gym before he stopped in to the DFAC. And somehow I have a sneaking suspicion that when the One is using the gym, nobody else is.
Jonn: I’ll accept your analysis, but I wonder how Obama perceived it? He’s used to adulation, I think.
I’ll settle for the thought that he was a bit miffed at the lack of cheers.
Dave, you’d be right. I have a source stationed at MCB Hawaii, my son. I asked the gunny about it on Christmas day when we talked, he said, in a perfectly dead pan way, “yeah, he’s been here”. That was it. And the Obamunist couldn’t be bothered to actually eat with the troops, he just dropped by to “say hi”. He probably got more respect than he’s shown the troops over the years.
Trust me- it WAS a snub. Had that been POTUS walking in, there would have been a melee. AND, as UpNorth intoned, he would have been inclined to actually sit down and have a bite for a while.
Don’t see any pics of BO working out with troops in the gym, eh? Totally bet that POTUS would have. The safest place on the planet for him is in a gym full of soldiers.
Wolf
First off, Obama has to stop saluting like Benny Hill. Hell, I’ll even be willing to teach him how to salute.
Yeah, I guess my twenty years of eating in the messhall through the Carter and Clinton transitions don’t mean much. I’d just prefer to believe that the troops have more class than the IVAW.
That’s OK, BHO can get all the pre-inaugural ass-kissing he can tolerate by visiting the Bush State Department.
Jonn- The troops DO have FAR more class than their CinC-to-be. He has PUBLICLY derided military service; what do you expect the troops to do, shrug it off and love him in the same way Bush does? Not damn hardly. Read the blogworld in how Bush goes FAR out of his way to embrace those in the military- I’ve posited in other blog entries that the FIRST thing BO should do is something that shows he even cares or appreciates the sacrifices; so far, he’s not been willing to show that. His Christmas message was a nice gesture, but it doesn’t go far enough.
Will we see BO visiting WRAMC anytime soon? I hope so- but I’m not holding my breath. BO has HUGE shoes to fill as far as CinC leadership goes. Bush has set a standard that will be very difficult to match. Of particular note will be how MO performs in this realm. Don’t expect her to be having teas at any base.
BTW, had this been IVAW/Bush, the reception would have been TOTALLY different. IVAW types would not have even stood nor clapped- far from it. So comparing it to how the IVAW ‘respects’ anyone is hardly fair.
Wolf
This Old Retire Petty Office does believe he was snubbed. Those of us who spent time in Service To The Nation would realize it.
The man is not a sitting senator or yet the CINC. He is, basically, a private citizen enroute to be CINC. The ordinary civilia does not receive any courtesy other than yes sir/maam, no sir/maam. He was being regarded as no one particulary special. He had to know that he would not get the cheers and adulation he thinks he deserves/rates. Not yet.
I was told when I was a young recruit at RTC San Diego some 36 years ago…”you serve the Office, not the man….” by one MMC(SS) Carlson.
BHO does not yet hold that Office. When he does take that Office, he will be accorded all courtesies and respect due to the Office.
I don’t think this was a snub. The troops respected the rank, if not the man, and were polite.
I use the analogy of a Broadway show that’s been getting standing ovations every night for eight years-then they switch to a new lead actor. If he gets anything less than a standing ovation, it seems like a snub. But it’s not.
Wolf is right that had W walked in that DFAC the reaction would have been different. Like the last time he went to Iraq-
http://tinyurl.com/9pbcof
Even the One’s ego isn’t big enough to fill W’s shoes.
If anyone can inspire a military coup, it’s Obama.
My source lives a mile and a half from Zero’s vacation hide away. They were a little non-plussed to have him using “their” gym and Starbucks.
Weren’t really impressed that he’s around. “Yeah I’ve se the morotcade around” even though they had Chrsitmas dinner a block away.
Mister Softee getting a new ice cream truck would have been more news worthy.
Glenn Cassel is right. The Marines didn’t necessarily disrespect BHO, they just gave him the same courtesy/respect they’d give any other high-profile CIVILIAN (which is what BHO is).
Which is probably about as much as he’ll get as POTUS.
Our future CinC made the statement during his campaign, regarding himself and his military duty; that he saw no good reason to join at the time, (or some such statement, meaning the same thing). John Kennedy was inaugurated 2 months before I enlisted. He made caused me to leave both Catholicism and the Democrat party. Never once did I disparage the CinC, nor did I fake any admiration of him. Troops in a messhall, with or without their family have a proscribed behavior, and it seemed that these followed it well. Good post Jonn.
nuf sed
“At ease” is nearly always followed with; “Carry on” whenever a high rank enters any room. Carry on all you to cheer and wave and greet a welcome visitor….
…..which obviously was not the result of BHO’s visit to the place where real men eat.
‘No one snubbed Obama, and I find it hard to believe any would’
Well Jonn, let’s just say that his reception by the troops will be similar to the way we viewed Clinton. There’s no AR that says you gotta love the sonofabitch or for that matter, show enthusiasm for their presence. Personally, I wouldn’t have even acknowleged the turd.
Typo: …his presence