Remember: When it's done by a bumbling Texan who can't pronounce "nuclear", it's a national embarrassment on which pundits can feed for a week. When it's done by a suave Chicagoan who can't pronounce "corpsman", it's just cute and I have to go to BBC.com to find out exactly what happened in the first place.
At this rate, "Obama" is going to become British slang for one who cannot comport themselves properly at formal functions. "Oh, we can't have Nancy at the reception! She is such an Obama! Remember at the garden party last summer when she tried to 'fist-bump' your grandmother and we spent thirty minutes on our hands and knees under the topiary trying to find her dentures?"
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37 comments:
I love how the Queen just stares out ahead, maintaining an air of decorum. It may as well been Mr. Bean giving the toast.
You see the thing with W, He was just being W. O on the hand is, well... um (scratches head). Strike that, He's just being O.
:)
Do you wonder if the band started just to shut him up like on the Oscars?
And the Queen is a lady and has probably dealt with worse clods over the course of her reign.
Is quoting a play about a historical succession crisis, that was seen in Shakespeare's own day as an implicit argument in favour of the Queen's replacement really that good an idea in front of the current monarch?
I mean, I'm rather appalled that any nation could still have hereditary nobility at all... but there's no call for our head of state to go `round insulting them over dinner.
WV: "abiltes," something W. and O. lack as speechmakerers.
You'd think that this clown would have spent a wee bit of time on learning the customs of England, after his "fox passes" during his first encounters.
I dunno. We once had presidencies. Now? Sitcoms.
That's not a real gaffe. I mean.. decorum and all. Sure, diplomatically it's a disaster..
I've once totally broken the ice while dining with my aunt's family by asking her.. "so how's your multiple sclerosis? So far so good?".. while her children had no idea she had the disease.
Hey, at least I saved her some effort. She's still alive, ten years on and not doing that bad either...
Well.. yeah. My paternal family has a history of putting their feet firmly in their mouths and of others trying to shoot them in their heads.
One of my great-grandfathers avoided execution by bolsheviks not once, but four times. Two of his brothers weren't so canny though.
The great pitfall of overselling something... Reality eventually catches up, and the crash is just that much worse when it does.
Captain Bullsh*t was sold to us as an intellectual titan, an urbane, polished man of letters whose unique life history gave him a deep understanding of peoples all around the world, a man who would so gracefully, tactfully, and intelligently conduct himself as to make our country respected and beloved in all corners of the world.
Sort of a disappointment to find that he can't even remember what year it is, and screws up something so conceptually simple as toasting the head of state of our (used to be) closest ally. Did anybody at State or the embassy try to tell him how to do it? Did he just not pay attention? Was he drunk? Did he not give a sh*t?
And, let's face it: this is Queen Elizabeth. I'm not a fan of hereditary monarchy (her kids take care of that!), but the woman's pic is in the dictionary next to the entries for "class" and "dignity". I would go out of my way to be extra mannerly and polite just because of who she is; Captain Bullsh*t, on the other hand, seems to go out of his way to be a boor, a jerk, and a doofus.
Apparently, he also signed the guestbook with a date of May 2008.
I guess he really is living in the past....
The national embarassment did it again eh?
Could have been worse.
Had a rough night with nightmares of him rapping gangsta style to God save the Queen, I'll spare you the details. Suffice it to say, after that I got up.
The Queen was in a horse drawn carriage with a particular diplomat, being driven down the street in a formal procession. One of the horses broke wind. The Queen was embarrassed, and said "Excuse me."
The diplomat said "Oh, think nothing of it. If you hadn't said anything, I would have thought it was the horse!"
That's what happens when he doesn't take the teleprompter to a dinner.
Hey, I don't like Barry any more than the rest of you... but honestly this seems more like the band jumped the gun. How is this his fault? I think there are plenty of things that are REALLY his fault to blame on him, rather than point fingers every time he happens to be in the same room as something mildly screwed up.
genedunn... you are absolutely right. And the next time the MSM, or Liberals in general, give Bush (I or II) a pass or even something approaching a fair shake I'll be sure to do the same for the "Lightbringer"
Also not a gaffe:
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/24/the-obligatory-obama-thinks-its-still-2008-post/
*What if Bush did it?
The point of separating the Head of State and Chief Executive jobs (Queen/Prime Minister, or whatever) is to have someone who can behave in public to do the diplomatic chores, and a competent politician to do the heavy lifting. We have combined the two, and now have a President who can do neither.
Truly, we live in interesting times.
Personally, I find the funniest part to be Obama's joke that he thought the band was playing like a soundtrack to make his words more impressive. He said it as a joke, but I think there's something more to that. He's actually self absorbed enough that when music begins playing, he thinks heaven has opened rather than having the normal reaction of looking around and wondering if he has messed up.
I think John Stephens nailed it.
Jim
At least he didn't say "C'mon, Liz! Drink up!!"
May 2008... so... he's signing the guestbook like he wasn't president yet?
Great. Now he's going to come back over here with the brilliant idea that he needs his own soundtrack/theme song playing in the background because, you know, it's got so much gravitas and stuff.
Now I can't get the theme to Super Fly out of my head.
And we make fun of Biden?
Everyone here has made better and more concise points than I ever could; in fact, I'm only posting because the word-verification is so appropriate to the conversation (see below).
gvi
WV: ackiest. I couldn't agree more.
"The great pitfall of overselling something... Reality eventually catches up, and the crash is just that much worse when it does."
Heh..... just wait till the stark light of day falls on ObamaCare, or any the other tripe they'll push through by regulation..... you ain't seen NOTHIN' yet.....
As for social gaffes, I doubt if anything can top the original "Bushashuru": Bush the Elder vomiting on the Japanese PM's lap back in '92 ......
And yet one STILL cannot call him what he really is lest one's post be deleted...
What, "Clod with delusions of adequacy?" Any more, it seems to be a prerequisite for the job.
Y'know, MM, if'n you are fixin' to light that cross, you're gonna hafta push my mixed-race self outta the way to do it and I take a very dime view of the hazards of open flame.
"Y'know, MM, if'n you are fixin' to light that cross, you're gonna hafta push my mixed-race self outta the way to do it and I take a very dim view of the hazards of open flame."
My zebra grandchildren and I approve of this message.
I'm confused. The linked article says the Queen thanked "the leader." So who else was there besides Obama?
What he is has NOTHING to do with race. It is a character issue. And if you have THAT character, then it applies to you as well. Regardless of your race.
"What he is has NOTHING to do with race. It is a character issue."
Then I'm sure you won't be censured. Do tell.
"She is such an Obama!"
Now that's racist.
AT
Gennedun, the band's timing was spot on.
There is a protocol in place for toasts on State occasions.
Obama isn't aware of the protocol, possibly because nobody from the State Department briefed him on the correct procedure.
On the other hand, he may well be just an uncultured oaf who doesn't care about diplomatic niceties, especially towards the British.
Obama theme song . . .
Always thought it would be teh funny to find out where his next speech would be, sneak in and set up a huge loudspeaker system, and play the Russian National Anthem on his arrival. Then when he starts his speech, play it softly in the background so you can hear it while he's speaking.
Bet he wouldn't know what it was.
BoxStockRacer
Think of him as a 4 year long penance for screwing up the 2008 election. The Queen would understand. She's had to deal with more than her fair share of twits, both from here and there.
Ulises from CA
I shouldn't comment do to my own incompetence with the English, written and spoken, language.
;-)
Josh
I'm a Brit, and not the slightest bit offended by 'His Majesty's' gaff. No really, I am just thanking my lucky stars that he didn't try to do the accent like he did in Ireland last week.
'Hallooo Hallooo, is dat de son comin' out, begorah, begorah.' Because everybody knows that the Irish just love it when somebody puts on that 'Father O'Mally' accent.
I was expecting him to pop up dressed as a bloody leprachaun. B'Jesus.
Rusty
"Gennedun, the band's timing was spot on.
There is a protocol in place for toasts on State occasions."
Just out of curiosity (since I don't know it myself), what is that protocol, and how did he get it wrong?
He had to read his toast.
Let me repeat that -
HE
HAD
TO
READ
HIS
TOAST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess they wouldn't let him bring the First Teleprompter into the dinner.
What a freakin' wanker!!!
State Protocol (briefly)
Guest: "Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for as toast to Her Majesty" (pause)
All stand, band plays several bars of the anthem.
Guest: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Queen" (raises glass)
All reply with raised glass: "The Queen", all take a sip of the drink.
The Queen then takes her seat, then all others then sit.
There are variations for different circumstances, but that is the version for Heads of State formal dinner.
Speeches or embellishments to the toast are not acceptable. (That comes later).
At this point, I think he should have his own theme song. Yakety Sax by Benny Hill.
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