TheAgitator.com
Ridiculous Obama Criticism of the Week
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
Larry KudlowAm I the only one who saw weakness when President Obama and his departing chief of staff Rahm Emanuel gave each other big, fat, full-bore hug following their speeches at the resignation event in the White House’s East Room on Friday?
Remember, this is on global television. And it has to do with the very top of the United States government. Our friends and enemies were all watching.
I think the hug lacked dignity. It did not send a message of American power and forcefulness. So I fret about the reaction around the world to this kind of fraternity-like emotionalism in full public view.
Why not just a dignified, stand-up, serious handshake? That’s what Reagan would have done. A strong handshake shows friendship, respect, and even affection. But a big fat hug seems to go over the line.
Perhaps I’m overreacting to this. But when it comes to the presidency and the behavior of our top leaders, I think the image we want to send at home and abroad is one of serious strength of purpose. Not some kind of collegiate squeeze. Somehow the Obama-Emanuel embrace seemed demeaning — to the presidency, to our officialdom, and to our strength of purpose.
Let’s cross ‘em off: Barely-veiled homophobia? Check. Vague, imperialistic prattle about “projecting strength”? Check. Ridiculous attempt to make political hay of Obama’s personal actions and mannerisms? Check. Rhetorical rogering of Ronald Reagan’s corpse? Check! Strong, strong showing, Mr. Kudlow!
Up next, does Obama’s embrace of the pedestrian four-in-hand tie knot—as opposed to the aristocratic Windsor favored by his predecessors—signal his secret Marxism? BigGovernment.com investigates!
Homophobia? Do you think he’s afraid of gays? Like, he checks his closet and under the bed for the homos that are surely waiting to sodomize him in his sleep?
But yeah, ridiculous.
This is just one of those side-effects of having so many 24-hour news networks. There’s only so much real news to report on (that people will care about anyway), so to fill the time we get filler. There’s plenty of vapid celebrity “news”, but even that can’t fill the time that CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and all the rest have. Fortunately for the networks, these moronic bobble-heads are incredibly popular – especially when they descend into pure lunacy like Kudlow has on this occasion.
irony- a cable talk show or radio talk show guy complaining that something ‘lacks dignity’.
They could of had sexual relations on stage, who cares ,just as long as hes gone!
“Am I the only one who saw weakness when President Obama and his departing chief of staff Rahm Emanuel gave each other big, fat, full-bore hug…? ”
lol, wow. And to think, I could say stupid shit like and nobody pays me to just sit in front of a camera and say stupid shit. Damn, I missed my calling.
Maybe Kudlow’s on blow again. Such a buffoon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Kudlow#Personal_life
You’re not overreacting, Radley. And I don’t think I’m picking on the president, because all this hugging has pervaded our society.
Look, if you and I fought a war together — I mean really fought one, with actual bullets flying our way — then I don’t think it’s inappropriate to hug, presuming we haven’t seen each other in a long time, or won’t be seeing one another for a long time. Apart from that, WTF? I think it’s effete and unmanly.
And I’m serious.
I’m looking forward to Kudlow’s next column, when he offers his views on parenting:
“And fathers, for the love of God, DON’T HUG YOUR SONS! You don’t want them to turn gay, do you?”
(From a 2019 documentary on the East Asian War)
“So, Mr. Kim, what convinced you to launch a preemptive strike against South Korea, Japan, and the US Seventh Fleet? What had you thinking that this could possibly result in anything but a bloody struggle culminating with the collapse of your regime?”
“It was The Hug. Seriously, I thought he’d fold.”
“Perhaps I’m overreacting to this.”
Yes
@ Mario,
Seriously, are you 5? How can you consider yourself an adult with a “hugging is for fags” mentality. Grow up.
larry also told Obama to get off his lawn.
Remember, Kudlow commenting on crap like this is easier than addressing the real Obama failures…because his side shares in them.
Mario#7
Radley didn’t ask if he was overheating, that was Kudlow. It was part of the quote. Thanks for the non sequitur, though.
Shame on me for wasting a second of my time commenting on this.
“I think the hug lacked dignity. It did not send a message of American power and forcefulness.” — L. Kudlow
Well, props to Mr. Kudlow for speaking the truth, in this one brief instance!
the innominate one @ #13
I realize I misread it. Sorry for that. I stand by what I said, but not by what Mattocracy said.
Mattocracy @ #11
You should not take “effete and unmanly” and jump to the conclusion that I’m talking about “fags,” as you say (ironically, I’m sure.) I’m for some modicum of formality in public. Among family, the men in my family shake and give a kiss on the cheek. (Perhaps that’s more a European thing than an American thing.) But I just don’t see what all the hugging is about or why it’s necessary.
And as to the office of the president — whoever the president happens to be — perhaps he can pat his buddies on the behind as do the baseball players. Why not?
I typed overreacting, but I guess my phone thinks it knows better than I do what I meant to type. Now I’m proofreading for two.
“Look, if you and I fought a war together — I mean really fought one, with actual bullets flying our way — then I don’t think it’s inappropriate to hug, presuming we haven’t seen each other in a long time, or won’t be seeing one another for a long time.”
http://www.whereistheoutrage.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/1-mccain_bush_hug.jpg
Win! I’m stealing that.
Mario, did you react similarly when Bush was walking around holding hands with the Saudi prince?
Mario, so you are ok if they kissed each other and patted each other’s asses, but the _hug_ is effete??
Mario — It’s a reverse scale on this question. You win with HUGE negative numbers. I voted you down as well. Fully agree with your position. Wow, are we in the super minority with this crowd. Time to move on to a way more conservative web site now.
What about public sack-tapping among government officials? Good or bad?
For the record, public officials should only be shaking hands. Bush walking with the Saudi Arabian prince hand-in-hand is a special case, like sitting on the floor on a cushion at dinner in Japan. I see no problem with these things when you’re “in Rome,” so to speak.
Mario “I see no problem with these things when you’re “in Rome,” so to speak.”
What about if you’re in San Francisco?
What if you find yourself in a BDSM club? Is being pegged acceptable in that situation?
Am I responsible for the puerile turn this thread has taken. If so, I’m ashamed.
Homophobia? Do you think he’s afraid of gays?
He doesn’t have to be. Is he REALLY homophobic or is he just saying the words a homophobe would say (or listen to)? Doesn’t matter.
Then what does my refusal to wear a necktie signal? (Aside from a wish to avoid hanging?)
[...] Balko, we learn that Barack Obama is just too huggy: Am I the only one who saw weakness when President [...]
I wonder what Kudlow wrote about the Bush/McCain hug?
http://tinyurl.com/32s4ltq
Aresen: that depends. Are you wearing a cravat instead?
I’m afraid that you are.
tio: Cravats don’t go with T-shirts either.
Wow, I really need to change my wardrobe then.
Because there is no defense for one’s own activities more logical and ironclad than “Look what you made me do!”
So, I guess “personal responsibility” is too gay for (most of) this crowd.
That was for Someone #32.
Thank you Larry Kudlow for hammering another nail into the coffin of the Republican Right in the United States! Now if people just catch on to the Democrats and their complete lack of original ideas (Proposing a sequel to the New Deal is NOT original! Continuing to apologize for empire is Not original! Not speaking out against the Drug War and calling it what it is is NOT original!) we could really be in business.
By the way, does Kudlow look a little prissy in that photo or is it me. Is that a pink shirt. Hmm, Kudlow may just have a little sugar in HIS tank ;)
If hugging is unmanly, then I guess all the sports figures who hug each other after they win the super bowl, world series, and world cup are just a bunch of girls. I guess all the sons who hug their dads when they get married are wimps too.
Sorry, seeing grown men hugging as an unmanly act is childish.
Not sure about the Superbowl and World Series, but seeing the way World Cup soccer players take dives, I would have to say “yes” in that case.
Depends if they are marrying their dads.
;)
Since when was Obama’s marxism ever a secret?
right. because all cultures are the same and will view the hug exactly like our host.
The vast majority of people in the world would not interpret a hug as unmanly or a sign of weakness (or even as much of a sign of emotional attachment). So even if we were supposed to, like, give a shit if Obama is manly, or whatever (I doubt his right-wing critics really want him to be a Real Man and have the National Guard bomb their neighborhoods back to the stone age, like, you know, a Real Man(TM) would do), this only makes him look unmanly to doughy American white boys who mostly already have their minds made up whether they’ll vote for or against him.
I just realized something: Mario wants a hug. That’s the real issue at hand. He’s jealous that Obama hugged Rahm and not him. Gentlemen of the Agitatori, I leave it to you. Help Mario to love himself. Give him a hug.
I’ll be at the nudie bar.