No American President has ever bowed…really?
This isn’t local, but since so many of you enjoy injecting national politics into local threads, here’s your chance to chime in. The current “Obama scandal” of the moment is the accusation that President Obama bowed to Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko this past Saturday. That’s considered to be quite the “big no no” since the President of our nation is not supposed to bow to any other foreign power. It was stated that Obama got a free skate from the media, which appears to have been said a bit too early since this is becoming a media topic. Hence our seeking the answer to the question…”No American President has ever bowed….really?”
Let’s enter the time machine, thanks to the wonders of the internet. First a quick visit to 1971. When It was reported President Richard Nixon:
“At their 1971 meeting in Alaska, the first visit of a Japanese Emperor to America, President Nixon bowed and referred to Emperor Hirohito and his wife repeatedly as ‘Your Imperial Majesties.’”
Then let’s travel to 1994…The President’s Inclination: No, It Wasn’t a Bow-Bow:
It wasn’t a bow, exactly. But Mr. Clinton came close. He inclined his head and shoulders forward, he pressed his hands together. It lasted no longer than a snapshot, but the image on the South Lawn was indelible: an obsequent President, and the Emperor of Japan.Canadians still bow to England’s Queen; so do Australians. Americans shake hands. If not to stand eye-to-eye with royalty, what else were 1776 and all that about? But Mr. Clinton, alas, is not the only one since George Washington who has seemed not quite to know what to make of monarchs.
There was that curtsy, during the Reagan years, when Lenore Annenberg, herself the chief of protocol, forgot herself entirely and did a little dip to greet a visiting Prince Charles. That prompted a stern warning from Miss Manners against those who might mock the effort that “was once put into freeing Americans from the necessity of bending their knees.” Soon afterward, when Nancy Reagan greeted Queen Elizabeth II behind closed doors, her press secretary acknowledged that Mrs. Reagan had bowed her head but insisted, “It was definitely not a curtsy.”
With the imperial visit last week, official Washington was clearly determined to show that it knew well what courtesies should be showered on the 175th inheritor of the most formal throne on earth.
Guests invited to a white-tie state dinner at the White House (a Clinton Administration first) were instructed to address the Emperor as “Your Majesty,” not “Your Highness” or, worse, “King.” And in what one Administration aide called “some emperor thing,” an Army general was cautioned that he should not address the Emperor Akihito at all as he escorted him to the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
But the “thou need not bow” commandment from the State Department’s protocol office maintained a constancy of more than 200 years. Administration officials scurried to insist that the eager-to-please President had not really done the unthinkable.
“It was not a bow-bow, if you know what I mean,” said Ambassador Molly Raiser, the chief of protocol.
Then let’s return for a moment to the Bush years, 2002, where some took issue with President Bush worshiping in Japan and in a Mosque President Bush and Mrs. Bush worship at Shinto Shrine:
American Christians were both grieved and shocked when President Bush, professing Christian, went to a Mosque and joined in prayer with the Muslims to the “Universal God.” President Bush evidently assumes that all religions worship the same “Universal God” under different names. Thus any name of any deity will do. This is, of course, not acceptable to Bible-believing Christians because Allah and all other pagan deities are demon-gods according to I Cor. 10.
President Bush and his wife have now managed to alienate the Japanese and Korean Christian communities by going to a Shinto shrine and worshipping the demon spirit in the shrine. They both bowed to the demon and clapped their hands to awaken him. Then they signed the book of those who have worshipped the demon spirit who inhabits the Shrine –
Perhaps President Obama should have decided to Dance with Swords instead…Wait…that created controversy by some too!
Everyone knows you show respect in Japan by throwing up on them.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:03 pmhttp://www.moonbuggy.org/archive/2007/03/19/george-bush-sr-throws-up-on-japanese-prime-minister/
Why didn’t obama blow his grits when he kissed the hand of the saudi kingpin?
November 16th, 2009 at 8:17 pmThat could be considered a protocol scandal Sensor…
Maybe Not Again because he was afraid if he did that he’d have to do the Sword Dance too.
What’s funny is that when Clinton “bowed” few pointed out that Nixon “bowed” — the selective history used to make a President a target is always interesting to follow.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:22 pmHere it is. http://michellemalkin.com/2009/04/02/video-obamas-deep-bow-to-the-saudi-king/
November 16th, 2009 at 8:22 pmI bet RR never bowed to any one.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:24 pmYeah I know it’s the bow that was claimed to not really be a bow that pales in comparison to the controversy over the most recent bow that really was a bow.
Similar to Clinton’s “it’s not really a bow” moment as opposed to Nixon’s it was really a bow moment and Bush’s was it a bow or was it a bend to get a medal moment.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:25 pmI bet RR bowed to Nancy.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:26 pmWell, I guess he had to.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:29 pmActually RR had his own controversy, kneeling before the Queen and being knighted.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:31 pmWell at least he got something for it.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:35 pmTrue, but it was also considered a scandal by some because of this:
“No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State.”
He survived it…
November 16th, 2009 at 8:37 pmHe did indeed, and he brought that wall down, won the cold war! Awesome!
November 16th, 2009 at 8:40 pmJust Google “Bush Saudi kiss”.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1C1CHNG_en___US354&q=Bush%20Saudi%20kiss&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
Lots of picks of Bush kissing the Saudi prince and him walking around holding his hand…
I think I’d pick “bow” before “sword jumping” and “first date”… makes me think Obama is genius.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:23 pmWhile in the Military overseas we were expected to salute the officers of friendly nations. But we did the American salute. (Right hand, at brim of hat/eyebrow, showing the back of the hand)
We were showing the necessary respect to the other countries officer, but showing it in an American way.
I do not believe verbally showing respect to a foreign president/king/leader is bad, but the President of the US should not bow or kiss anyone’s hand. Period.
USAF
November 17th, 2009 at 3:24 amwell I’ve been crying for years that the U.S. was losing our relationships with other countries due solely to a lack of diplomatic corps.
Now we have a President who IS using diplomacy and extending the local greeting courtesy. If the Chinese sent delegates to the United States they would bow to us, their courtesy and then offer their hands to be shaken to show respect for our customs.
In a greeting, bowing the head is not a sign of subservience but a sign of respect.
Now if the President approached a delegate from a hostile country and bowed deeply in front of them when there were no greetings being exchanged, this would be a sign of weakness and inappropriate. And that did happen. Our President bowed to a sitting diplomat. This is what Ms. Manners was referring to.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:13 pmNews Flash…guy from Chicago doesn’t know to properly bow.
The pic I’m looking at shows both the emperor and emperoress standing. Of course you have to bow lower than the other person’s head when bowing, which is bit harder when your 6’1” and the emperor is 5 + change.
The Saudi prince that Obama bowed to was standing as well. What sitting diplomat did Obama bow to? What hostile country?
November 17th, 2009 at 12:33 pmI like this one…
Nixon bowing to Mao…
I wish Obama could do it, just to watch the heads explode.
http://static1.firedoglake.com/1/files/2009/11/Picture-5.png
November 17th, 2009 at 4:02 pmI think this fuss if all over nothing. Distraction.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:09 pmWhat’s that old saying? Oh yeah, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/6581748/US-President-Barack-Obama-bowing-to-the-Emperor-of-Japan-and-other-political-greetings.html
November 19th, 2009 at 3:41 pmThe Emperor and his wife are laughing at him, LOL.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:21 pmSG… um um but but, Nixon’s head is not lower than Mao’s – I mean, you know, according to your own rules, that’s not a real bow.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:52 pmI just re-read LR’s summary above, and need to comment in a more serious vein. Many who get all their info from tv “news” or even newspapers are likely not aware that there was a vigorous discussion ongoing throughout the Bush Jr. presidency as to whether he even was/is a Christian. The operative word above is “professing” Christian. I watched an interesting debate amongst evangelicals on Christian tv during that administration, and the majority of commentators on that show agreed that George W would not be “convicted on the existing evidence” of being a (Biblical) Christian.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pmAND, in my opinion, there is even less “evidence to convict of being a Christian” in the case of the current white house temp.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:04 pm