Barack the Coward
"The old, bold Obama is gone," writes Tunku Varadarajan at the Daily Beast. "He now governs in fear." Case in point: The president has nixed from his Indian itinerary next month a visit to the Golden Temple, the most revered Sikh shrine. A visit to the shrine in Amritsar, India would require Obama to wear a knotted kerchief head covering, which Obama's handlers believe would exacerbate his image as a Muslim. The New York Times reports:
Temple officials said that American advance teams had gone to Amritsar...to discuss a possible visit. But the plan appears to have foundered on the thorny question of how Mr. Obama would cover his head, as Sikh tradition requires, while visiting the temple.
“To come to golden temple he needs to cover his head,” said Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the committee that runs the temple. “That is our tradition.”
Mr. Obama, a Christian, has struggled to fend off persistent rumors that he is a Muslim, and Sikhs in the United States have often been mistaken for Muslims.
Not only does Obama's decision to steer clear of the shrine speak to his cowardice, but it also sheds light on what he thinks about the American people, explains Varadarajan.
Above all, what does this decision to avoid Amritsar tell us about how this White House feels about Americans? Does [he] feel that ordinary Americans will pillory their president for having associated himself with "ragheads" in Amritsar? Is this a variant of that elite condescension for ordinary folks who are "bitter," and who "cling to guns and religion"?
That Obama can't find a way to explain the symbolism of a little square of cloth on his head—placed there by enthusiastic, welcoming Indian hosts who wish him and America well—suggests that he has lost confidence in his own intellect, his own charisma, his own eloquence. A man once celebrated for his promise of change now allows a state visit to be shaped by his fear of the blogosphere—and by his fear of abuse that might come at him from an ignorant subset of the American population. Let's just call it the pygmification of a president, and lament the gutlessness of this White House.
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Jul '10
Re: Barack the Coward
In addition to gutlessness, this incident illustrates the White House's view of its detractors: that they are knee-jerk, image-driven conspiracy theorists. It's not that the people opposing the White House have disagreements on issues, or policies or the actual actions of the President. No, we're so far around the bend that we can be motivated by a single image. It's the same attitude that causes newspaper editors to pull cartoons and public television corporations to fire news analysts.
November 2: End the condescension!
Re: Barack the Coward
I hate to sound juvenile, but "They started it!"
How many times have you had to defend the Bush administration from the left about this photo, which they claimed was a self-evident truth that America owned everything Saddam Hussein ever did for the next 18 years after shaking Rumsfeld's hand.
Live by the stupid cheap shot, die by the stupid cheap shot.
Aug '10
Re: Barack the Coward
Thanks for that irksome photo Tommy. Good lesson here though.
Rumsfeld has one of the best resumes in the world, more accomplishments that any five guys alive. He shouldn't have to take abuse for trying to run the first asymmetric global op in modern times. Look at the Pentagon and the mess he inherited. That's well evidenced by the news that Alwaki was there right after 9/11. Remember that Clinton and Holbrooke did their level best to defang our strategic advantages and cozy up the Muslims for a number of years. Wm Cohen - Sandy Berger - Madeline Albright ??? How do I insert the picture of them playing 3 monkeys,see no evil - hear no evil - speak no evil ?
And Colin Powell made a large mistake not killing the other guy in the picture when he had the chance.
Edited on Oct 21, 2010 at 1:59pmMay '10
Re: Barack the Coward
This picture is why this story is stupid (Absolutely not photoshopped - despite my reputation)
Jul '10
Re: Barack the Coward
He's going on an official visit, representing the US, and as always, it is all about him. What do we think of him? How would he look with a head covering? Thank goodness there are no more serious problems for US president to tackle than what to wear.
Incidentally, couldn't one of his advisors tell him that the Prince of Wales, who is known to wear picturesque head gear from time to time, managed to don a panama and look both respectable and non-Muslim? Is Obama so utterly insecure? Is Ahmadenijad surprised?
Edited on Oct 21, 2010 at 3:10pmJul '10
Re: Barack the Coward
Obama is all about shiny surface and imagery. But let reality intrude and a knotted square of cloth is enough to make us forget the Greek columns.
May '10
Re: Barack the Coward
If only this were the case - more like, he's lost what shred of confidence he had in the intelligence of the American people, and now avoids anything "Muslim-looking" because he's sick of explaining himself.
Heaven forbid President Obama behave as if Israel and traditional American Christianity don't make him feel icky. No, it's far easier to send a PR team ahead of every trip and avoid photo-ops that support an inconvenient perception than it'd be to actually modify his attitude.
Aug '10
Re: Barack the Coward
Jason Hart
If only this were the case - more like, he's lost what shred of confidence he had in the intelligence of the American people, and now avoids anything "Muslim-looking" because he's sick of explaining himself.
Good point.
Furthermore, my impression is that Sikhs are natural allies in the struggle against radical Islam. To alienate Sikhs for the sake of at best a modest PR benefit (as Ragnarok mentioned it's OK to wear a hat) seems... unwise.
Jun '10
Re: Barack the Coward
Refusal to visit Amritsar is an opportunity lost on so many levels. For a start Sikhism is a blended religion that borrows from both Islam and Hinduism. It's a natural bridge between two cultures. In addition, the State of Punjab sits squarely on the Indo-Pakistani border making it a geographical bridge as well. A creative mind could make much symbolism from these facts. And finally, Amritsar was the site of a civilian massacre by British troops during Gandhi's campaign for Indian independence. But I doubt the president knows enough of history or culture to understand the significance of the place.
Re: Barack the Coward
I don't know, Diane. I might have to be contrary again just to stir things up. In some small way might some public pressure finally be getting to Obama and causing at least an feint toward a change in his behavior? It would be nice if he had truly been cowardly more often, or, at least more responsive to the people's will. I would have loved him having been a coward in not pressing forward against the people's will on Obamacare. Instead he flipped us the bird and now we have some cowardly Republicans announcing they don't intend to fully repeal it. Sickening. So here's to hoping Obama grows more cowardly in the other aspects of his governance, if cowardliness means finally responding to the will of the people. Of course I don't think he'll ever do that other than with symbolic gestures, but I can always wistfully "hope" for "change."
Re: Barack the Coward
First, he's an idiot: Amritsar is a beautiful place. Once again, the "worldly" and "sophisticated" president looks like a rube.
Second, notice how they're trying to make it somehow our fault again -- it's because the American people are stupid, is the explanation, as if somehow Americans haven't seen generations of presidents wearing all sorts of odd things on foreign trips.
Third, he wouldn't have to wear a turban. He'd have to cover his head, out of respect, but probably with a paper hat. At worst, he'd look like he's the guy manning the drive-through at the local McDonald's, which would at least imply to the American voter that he'd had some private sector experience.
Jul '10
Re: Barack the Coward
I agree with Rob.
This President of ours has a "tin ear" bordering on incomprehension. He just doesn't get the American mind, or gut. He bows to the wrong people at the wrong time, gets rightly busted for it, and takes away the lesson that he should never get multi-culti again.
Every aspect of his behavior says that he is not a proud leader of the American nation. His behavior on the international scene bespeaks of one who doesn't remotely understand what that means.
I hate to play the Reagan card, but one always knew - agree with him or not - that President Reagan was a proud and fearless leader of his people. And I can say the same about W.
President Obama acts exactly as a Windy City Community Organizer would when tossed into the deep end.
Jul '10
Re: Barack the Coward
The fist thing I'd note is the fact that Obama is and always has been a coward.
He's never had courage.
Oh, he had bravado when he was a candidate. It's easy to be brave when there are no consequences to your statements and decisions. But his lack of courage shows up in all of his Present votes when he was actually holding an office.
Nothing's gotten to him. It's still about image and how he perceives himself to look to other people.
May '10
Re: Barack the Coward
My guess is he will visit Amritsar and go to the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh. This is an opportunity for him to look good and show us he's above our plebeian prejudices.
Wait...
Plebeian prejudices precipitate president's punjab visit...
Jul '10
Re: Barack the Coward
This is all a sham.
Sikhs are a manly sect. Fact is that they saw the photo of Obama on a girl bike and rescinded their invitation.