Video: Troops cheer Obama in Baghdad
posted at 3:55 pm on April 7, 2009 by Allahpundit
People seemed interested in the way he was received at Camp Lejeune in February so I thought they’d be interested in this. Sorry for needing three clips to show it; the first is the only one that has the entrance, the second is the only one that has decipherable audio, and the third has the most extensive footage of his interaction with the troops afterwards. (And a cameo from noted Democratic shill/White House correspondent Jennifer Loven.) For reasons stated in my post two months ago, The One’s morale boosters on Iraq will forever retain an element of the surreal. But I give him credit for making the effort here. It was the commander-in-chief-ly thing to do.
As for the cheers, Andy Levy snarks, “It’s almost like they don’t want him to fail. Or something.” I’d call him a RINO if he was a Republican! Click the first image to watch.
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“I’m happy to see you all. Uh, I’m gonna need a check for your healthcare before I leave.”
marklmail on April 7, 2009 at 4:39 PM
I bet they were cheering for his attempt to get them to cover their own medical expenses.
TheBigOldDog on April 7, 2009 at 4:39 PM
capitulus:
What are you talking about? I have a lot of family members in the military. They are not the Borg. They don’t all think alike and they don’t all vote alike. Most of them are conservatives and none of them are baby killers. For years your side of the aisle has treated the military like they were babies or baby killers and treated Bush like a war monger because he was popular with the military.
Now your guy gets cheered by some of the people you spent years spitting on and somehow we are the ones doing the spinning?
I think you have been had. You just are not smart enough to know it.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 4:40 PM
TheBigOldDog:
Yeah, that might have been a bit of a downer with the troops.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 4:41 PM
I know you have a quote ready. You just accidentally forgot to link to it.
radiofreevillage on April 7, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Obama basically told the troops that, now that HE’s President, they need to focus and concentrate on winning this… ummm, whatever-not-war thing this is.
And to Iraq, he said- stop being lazy moochers! I can’t stand anybody who’s on the dole. And you people need to try get past your petty bickering! Don’t let partisan squabbles deter you from progress. Just shut the losers out and run over them.
At least Obama didn’t sound like getting out was more important than finishing the job. Except he sorta did sound like that.
hawksruleva on April 7, 2009 at 4:42 PM
He must have been autographing Chia pets.
Hurry, They’re going fast!
DamnYankee on April 7, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Romeo13, I guess writing this in a CHU in Iraq on my third tour here is trumped by your Bob Hope experience. Sorry I tried to pull a fast one, but my CO just told me to write a post backing the President or he was going to give me a bad NCOER!
You guys realize that this “It doesn’t mean anything!” stuff is unbecoming, right? Quick, somebody find the plastic turkey he held at the chow hall! That will negate EVERYTHING.
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 4:43 PM
“I’m happy to see you all. Uh, I’m gonna need a check for your healthcare before I leave.”
marklmail on April 7, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Heh, “and uh, those anti-mine vehicles which are being developed, you’re uh just going to uh have to do without them. Unproven uhhhh technology and all that.”
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Forget the anti-mine vehicles I just nixed. Inflate your tires!
marklmail on April 7, 2009 at 4:45 PM
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 4:43 PM
You’re not the only veteran on the site; different people have had different experiences. There is no moral or absolute authority in that respect. Something to think about before you pop a bolt.
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 4:46 PM
radiofreevillage:
A quote?? Are you kidding? If I had a dollar for every time I had to listen to some moron on the internet yammering about the whole Abu Ghraib, lancet report, all we are doing is bombing villages and killing civilians crap I have heard over the last 5 years I could quit working.
And you want a quote?
This is the thing, if Obama and his fan club had their way Saddam would still be filling mass graves. They had nothing to do with a successful mission in Iraq. Now that Obama is president, they want to milk the situation for their own purposes. Now all of a sudden, what the troops think matters.
Please. There are a lot of people in the military I am sure a few of them are Democrats and even the ones who are not are going to think a visiting president is a big deal.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Those black things over your shoulders look suspiciously like assault rifles…and with bayonet lugs!
Axelrod? Axelrod! Confiscate those guns immediately!
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Bishop, thanks for being the voice of reason. I honestly thought I was the only vet posting on the web. Well, me and Romeo13, who I was replying to. But you can play too!
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 4:49 PM
I’ll give the media a pass on that. 1)Everything is breaking news now.
2)Obama diverted from his published itinerary. They know when he adjusts his tie, goes to lunch, and what he ate there. When the Prez does something off the schedule, it’s a big deal.
hawksruleva on April 7, 2009 at 4:50 PM
OBAMA IS A SWINE who isn’t fit to lick their boots, and here they are…TROTTED OUT AND FORCED—YES MOST ALL ARE FORCED TO ATTEND THIS DOG AND PONY SHOW–- to put on big happy grins and look grateful for the gift of his presence.
*****vomiting******
seejanemom on April 7, 2009 at 4:51 PM
Given their positive reaction to him, set aside how Obama affected the troops for a moment.
Let’s just hope these brave troops affected Obama positively enough that he’ll pack away his white flag.
Cuffy Meigs on April 7, 2009 at 4:53 PM
So, no quote. OK.
radiofreevillage on April 7, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Bishop, thanks for being the voice of reason. I honestly thought I was the only vet posting on the web. Well, me and Romeo13, who I was replying to. But you can play too!
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 4:49 PM
No problem as it seems you might have actually thought that way. But hey, you’re “writing from a CHU in Iraq” right now which automatically means you have seen it all, past and present, every branch of the service. Romeo13, well he doesn’t count because he isn’t right there next to you.
Let me know when you’re able to tell me about my own military stint, I can’t wait to see what adventures I experienced.
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Interesting that Presidential Candidate Obama said that the surge had failed. I think that was about one year ago.
Now President Obama said that the troops are doing great work and without their effort, Iraq would not have been a success and not in a position to govern themselves.
How does a Communist spin these responses?
PappaMac on April 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM
pmm, it is sorta striking that conservatives, who by and large support the military, seem to discount their ability to think independently, and play up the fact that they might be “just obeying orders”.
I think soldiers would by and large show respect for any visitors, especially the Commander in Chief. And they generally applaud the end of the need for combat missions, and the successful accomplishment of a mission.
That doesn’t necessarily indicate they agree with Obama, or believe his characterization of current/past events in Iraq.
hawksruleva on April 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Real soldiers don’t like Obama. I was in LRSC and came across only two people the entire time I was in that voted for Democrats. Percent of total soldiers who vote Republican is in the 80′s. The small percent that like Obama are the pogues anyway. When I was at Bragg, they were all in COSCOM and worked support jobs.
davenp35 on April 7, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Radiofreevillage:
Oh please, it was just recently that Maher made a crack about our military being rapists.
Then of course there was the whole Scott Beauchamp nonsense in which the whole point of his writing was to make it plain that American soldiers are happy go lucky dog killers.
Durbin comparing American soldiers at Gitmo to Nazis…
And then there is the Abu Ghraib/torture motif.
Not to mention the fact that all you have to do is google Bush Nazi, US military Nazi and look at the number of hits you get.
maybe you have been under a rock for the last 5 years or so, but the left in this country started their anti war marches and such shortly after the invasion of Afghanistan. They might not get the numbers they once had, but you do not need a quote to recognize the years of evidence.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Isn’t it strange that the party of real baby killers (the democraps) are the ones who hurl that charge at the military, which does everything in its power to avoid such killings?
eaglewingz08 on April 7, 2009 at 5:00 PM
daven:
Even if the voting for Republicans is in the 80′s that does not mean Obama would not get a crowd.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Hmmmmm…
Conveniently and uncomfortably positioned minority troops in background…check
Index cards in place of TOTUS…check
Corpo wear instead of desert street clothes…check
Ornate hall complete with pillars, rather than the standard barracks or tent-like military backdrop…check
selias on April 7, 2009 at 5:01 PM
This is so impossibly tired, AP. The President is not the nation. Obviously. The people pretending this is the case called for Bush to fail all the bloody time. But by all means keep giving them ammo.
TheUnrepentantGeek on April 7, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Load up on guns and ammo. The freaks are comin for your rights.
marklmail on April 7, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Look, I’m sure there were some genuine Obama supporters in that crowd – just because someone joins the military doesn’t mean he or she signs over the right to be liberal, or conservative, or none of the above. But – trust me, every one of those troops got the same lecture before The One’s arrival. “Smiles, everyone, smiles!”
uncivilized on April 7, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Bishop, I didn’t realize the rules: since you’re saying that I can’t refute Romeo13′s personal anecdote with my own personal anecdote, I guess I will have to stop employing the appeal to authority fallacy here. But since Romeo13 took the opportunity in relating his war story to assess the sincerity and honesty of the soldiers, I feel pretty good about citing my war story in an effort to attest to my assessment of their sincerity & genuine excitement at meeting the President.
That being said, I’m always up for a good war story, if you want to share.
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 5:05 PM
I live in North San Diego County, roughly 15 miles from Pendleton. Meeting and interacting with military personnel is naturally a daily and frequent occurrence. Not a single one I’ve met has any respect for the man himself, nor his policies. But the office and the Constitution they’ll willingly die defending.
selias on April 7, 2009 at 5:06 PM
They weren’t forced seejanemom. I noticed the large amount of high pitched hoowaas. The crowd had many a female admirer. The front row was populated with grinning idiots that happened to be black females? They are part of the cult of personality that happens to be in the military. The papparazi presidency continues.
Theworldisnotenough on April 7, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Irony Alert
MSNBC (Shuster on Hardball) making the case for leaving troops in Iraq *rolls eyes* Also citing bogus polls of 66% approval in US bringing that to the troops.
msmveritas on April 7, 2009 at 5:07 PM
And Bishop, just hit refesh on this thread to see the number of people hinting at threats from above, mentioning all the minorities in uniform, analyzing their smiles and body language, and otherwise coming off as insane. I guess I’m supposed to point out that they’re employing circular logic and call it a day, right?
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Wow, musta touched a nerve there…
Lets see… clapped for two Presidents I didn’t like (including Reagen)… a couple of Admirals… many many retirement ceremonys… a whole bunch Award Ceremonys for people who didn’t deserve squat…
I was not there, never said I was, never said this didn’t mean a thing…
But did point out that appearances at military events can be deceiving… and you for some reason took it personaly…
Thanks for your service…
And even though there are a lot of things going on in my brain…. about respect… I’ll leave it at that…
/Salute!
Romeo13 on April 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
I know when I was in the Navy, white males made up the overwhelming majority of both officers and enlisted. Apparently things have changed a lot in the last few years.
Oh, wait; white males still make up the vast majority. Interesting… Maybe they are all out on patrol making sure Obama’s photo-op isn’t interrupted by anything.
pannw on April 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
By “striking” you probably mean that you’ve never seen a decorated veteran being accused of self-inflicting his own wounds simply because the accuser disagreed with his politics.
radiofreevillage on April 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
What is really happening here is the usual revision of history.
After all when Clinton was president, Saddam was a bad guy with wmd and ties to terrorists. No one doubted it. Clinton spent years rattling that saber.
And then when it turned out the war was hard and the intel was bad the Democrats rewrote history. It was Bush who had a problem with Saddam…not them…no, they kind of liked the guy in fact.
When the UN was getting kicked around by Saddam they wanted the US to lean on him..now of course..they think the leaning was the other way around.
Once again, they need to rewrite history. Who us?? Want American troops to fail? Compare them to cold blooded murderers and Nazis and baby killers? Perish the thought.
Now, the same President who would have given Saddam a pass goes to Baghdad like some conquering hero as if the whole thing was his idea in the first place.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:10 PM
And to be clear, I know that isn’t Navy, but I’m talking military makeup in general.
pannw on April 7, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Sarah Palin would have recieved a warmer welcome.
Trolls start flinging feces in 5..4..3..2..
Mike Honcho on April 7, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Troops cheer President! News at 11! Also, nudists don’t wear clothes!
Speedwagon82 on April 7, 2009 at 5:11 PM
*Reading from his card* “Multi-National Forces-Iraq, Multi-National Corps-Iraq…lemme just say….”
I wonder if he pondered those words at any point in the day and thought to himself, “Gee, I thought we did that whole Iraq thing all by ourselves.”
And the MSM slobbering love affair….I don’t remember them commenting on how the “troops cheered wildly” EVERY time Bush visited…or even Don Rumsfeld. They did, I was there in 2004…cheering.
I cringed when I heard him say “Hooah”
Youngs98 on April 7, 2009 at 5:11 PM
They love their Commander in Chief.
Try it cons.
getalife on April 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Isn’t that well-known that the blacks are mostly hiding behind the whites’ backs letting the white soldiers die while they are hanging out with “their” guy?
radiofreevillage on April 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM
radiofeevillage:
You wanted a quote from some Democrat who compared our troops to Nazis. Well, Kerry did not compare them to Nazis, he compared them to the raping pillaging army of Genghis Khan.
I am old enough to remember Kerry coming back and talking about our troops routinely murdering people. He made these comments while our soldiers were still in the field. I know a lot of guys who never forgave him for that. It has nothing to do with his politics, it was his honor…or lack thereof they were thinking about.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:13 PM
So true, the courtesy is always the same. Even the lamest of politicians is shown courtesy forced or otherwise. I’m sure there are some people that genuienly support Obama. Like I said there were quite a few black females in the crowd I KNOW they support Obama. My cousin shreiked “HE’s married to a real black woman!” when we were discussing him in the primaries so rest assured the vast majority of black women in the military just adore him and the validation they get vis-a-vis Michelle Obama.
Theworldisnotenough on April 7, 2009 at 5:13 PM
I know how this works. I’ve been through it a few times myself.
“Who wants a 3 day pass?”
“I do! I do!”
“Go over to the President receiving area and suck up. I catch any of you Mudder frakkers not smiling I’ll take it back.”
Oh the memories…..
Guardian on April 7, 2009 at 5:14 PM
getalife:
They loved Bush more. Deal with it commie.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM
And why should I try to love Obama?
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:16 PM
radiofreevillage, please don’t make the mistake of thinking that I am anything approaching liberal in my politics, or that I in any way am on your side regarding that supposed ‘scandal’ you have referenced and linked.
I just don’t like to see DU-type arguments employed by folks in an otherwise interesting and right-thinking community.
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 5:16 PM
OK, I was gonna let this go…but…
Your use of all those impressive acronyms really doesn’t make you sound like you know what the hell you’re talking about. Many HA members are veterans, like myself. Many are not. None of us are particularly taken with your mastery of the peculiar alphabet that is the jargon of the military. Say what you mean. The rest is just a bunch of arrogant bluster.
uncivilized on April 7, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Speedwagon82 on April 7, 2009 at 5:19 PM
You said that, not me. Interestingly enough, it was the disproportionate number of WOMEN in that audience that struck me.
pannw on April 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I forgot that since the President is a Democrat, the military is respected in libland again.
Speedwagon82 on April 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Huh, and here I thought you were using the moral authority of “writing from a CHU in Iraq” while Romeo only had his “USO story” to work with, my bad.
Not fighting his battles for him, but just because your experiences don’t mirror his doesn’t make you right no matter where you’re writing from, it only makes you different.
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 5:22 PM
Here’s how this played out. The Battalion Sergeant Major or one of the company First Sergeant’s held a formation, and gave a speach along these lines:
“You will clap and be gracious. No booing or insults, or there will be hell to pay”.
But I’m sure there were a few Obama supporters there, about 17% according to the last Military Times poll I read about the subject. Probably a few more thrilled at the prospect of meeting the POTUS, regardless of who he is.
The rest, they remember how Obama described them as failures and won’t soon forget it.
Hog Wild on April 7, 2009 at 5:23 PM
Hog Wild:
There are tens of thousands of American soldiers in Iraq, even if the number of military supporters was only 17%, that is a lot of people.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Several of us kicked crappy’s getalife on this subject last week, when she was silly enough to claim that the US military was as she called it “an irregular society”.
When we correctly pointed out that her allegation was as false as getalife’s claim to be an Independent, and then backed it up with facts, she threw some feces at us and skulked away.
Del Dolemonte on April 7, 2009 at 5:25 PM
They love their Commander in Chief.
Try it cons.
getalife on April 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Wait, what? Did you try “loving” Bush ever? These soldiers seemed truly excited to see the POTUS, that doesn’t mean every one of them over there would automatically be too.
Do you try to be dumb?
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 5:25 PM
If the President visits your town you don’t have to attend the event or you can even express disapproval if you do attend. In military if the President visits your unit you have neither of these choices. Obama has been groveling before dubious leaders all week I am sure it helps his ego to go where your bettors have to grovel to you.
rsl775 on April 7, 2009 at 5:27 PM
By “striking” you probably mean that you’ve never seen a decorated veteran being accused of self-inflicting his own wounds simply because the accuser disagreed with his politics.
radiofreevillage on April 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
General “BetrayUS”.
‘Nuff said.
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 5:28 PM
I’m waiting to hear from my source in Baghdad, who’s an officer who’s been there for 6 months. If I hear anything I’ll pass it along.
Del Dolemonte on April 7, 2009 at 5:28 PM
I know this will come as a shock to Democrats, but it IS possible to be polite to and even like someone whose political views you disagree with.
Speedwagon82 on April 7, 2009 at 5:29 PM
DelDolemonte:
Well, when it works to love the military..they love it..when it works to hate, they hate it.
It is just like radiofreevillage demanding a quote when I made the remark that the left had treated Bush and the military like nazis. A quote. After years of this crap.
You see, so many of these people have the attention span of house flies that they just assume the rest of us don’t remember anything either.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:31 PM
uncivilized,
Let me give this a shot, minus acronyms:
1. Servicemembers can both serve in Iraq and be avid supporters of the President.
2. If a servicemember exhibits excitement or support for the President, it remains to be proven that the servicemember was coherced by their superiors, or bribed.
3. Efforts made again and again in this thread to de-legitimize the President’s welcome at the expense of the servicemembers are wrong, illogical, and inappropriate.
4. The arguments in this thread that claim to debunk the story are pathetic. It’s identical to arguments made in previous years about how Pres. Bush wasn’t “really” supported by his troops. His Thanksgiving trip was called fake due to a “plastic turkey”, and a Q&A with joes via a Video conference line was called fake because the questions were discussed in advance.
5. I cite my military experience because I am literally hundreds of meters from where all this went down, and there are plenty of commenters here who knowingly nod and cite how they KNOW how it went down based on THEIR military experience. Your problem is with appeals to authority in general.
6. I find it awesome that you guys are coming after me when there’s several commenters who like to talk about all the minorities in the crowd. I guess those commenters are all right because they didn’t cite their military experience.
Now, that I did it without all the scary acronyms do you get it?
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 5:31 PM
I wouldn’t salute so fast. Others have pretended and this guy (or gal) doesn’t sound real.
Real troops don’t call attention themselves.
DamnYankee on April 7, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Nice try. My Airman son does not like (nor does he luuuuv) the CiC, but his military duty requires that he defend and respect the office and the man. My son doesn’t have to agree with ObaME, he doesn’t have to life ObaME, nor does he have to vote for ObaME. He does, however, have to respect the office.
But then again, my son is respectful to everyone, including those who, unlike him, can’t think for themselves.
ladyingray on April 7, 2009 at 5:32 PM
LOL! You mean that empty suit from Boston? She was accused of that by fellow service members who served with her in Vietnam.
Tell us again how she was “qualified” to be President.
BTW, Kerri’s political mentor threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park this afternoon, and did even better than Jeanne-Claude did when she threw out a first pitch in 2004.
Considering her mentor is battling a brain tumer, that’s pretty impressive.
Del Dolemonte on April 7, 2009 at 5:33 PM
I smell another troll!
DamnYankee on April 7, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Agreed. My husband is a Navy veteran and my son is currently in the Air Force.
You seriously can’t impress anyone around here with your acronyms.
ladyingray on April 7, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Thanks Bishop… its not worth getting into a Mine (DD214) is longer than yours (DD214)….
But its amusing that my anecdote got such a vehement response, when others on this thread have said things MUCH worse…
Romeo13 on April 7, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Oops, tumor, my bad.
Del Dolemonte on April 7, 2009 at 5:35 PM
I’ll need to see it with my own eyes. The cuts that are already being experienced are not pleasant for the troops,.
eaglesdontflock on April 7, 2009 at 5:36 PM
I agree with uncivilized. I hate when military members, past or present, play the “I was here when this happened or I am here right now card” So what. What are you better than everyone else? As far as the crowd goes. Just like any where else, there are supporters of both parties. Also, like everywhere else, there are stupid people. Personally, I take an extremely humble approach to my veteran status. I do not tell people unless they ask. And I certainly do not go around saying “I ran 3 daily patrols in and out of Sadr City for 4 months straight” or some other crap that has no impact on anything. So what.
What matters, what REALLY matters. is how we make our marks in life during our short stay on this planet. You can do this in several ways. You can do it through being a business leader, a member of an organization, serving in the military, charity….blah blah blah. As long as you make your MARK ON LIFE!
vsunited on April 7, 2009 at 5:37 PM
I don’t think pmm is a troll. The US military is big folks, lots of people, of all races and creeds. Barack Obama is the President. I don’t doubt that they there would have been people excited to see him. There would have been people excited to see McCain and or Palin too. More in fact.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Military family here. Haven’t met an Obama fan yet. Multiple deployments, still none. Across the board.
eaglesdontflock on April 7, 2009 at 5:40 PM
Ahhhh, the beloved DD214. When my husband and I started dating almost 30 years ago, he tried to impress on me just how important that acronym-riddled piece of paper is…LOL
But it really came in handy when we bought our house! Who knew?
ladyingray on April 7, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Romeo13 on April 7, 2009 at 5:35 PM
No prob, though if pmm really is in Iraq and “literally only hundreds of meters” away from Ogabe’s visit, he could have said that upfront and saved a lot of hassle.
I meet very few fellow veterans who feel it necessary to qualify their experience as being greater or more important than someone else’s; it cheapens the similar experiences and makes them a braggart.
Bishop on April 7, 2009 at 5:41 PM
eaglesdontflock:
I doubt if those young people are really that aware of those cuts. For instance the whole making the soldiers pay for their own treatment thing did not last long and most of the rest of the cuts are not something they would have felt yet anyway. All of that is politics.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Yes, that was my point. About 20,000 U.S. troops are Obama supporters in Iraq.
Hog Wild on April 7, 2009 at 5:45 PM
Yeah, its part of that “secret” language the military has…
Like the pretty colored ribbons they wear… doesn’t mean a thing to most… and yet if you know how to read them they can tell you a whollleeee bunch about the person…
Romeo13 on April 7, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Hog Wild:
yeah and that is a bunch of people when it comes to a get together like this.
Terrye on April 7, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Will they cheer when they get sent to Afghanistan and defense spending is slashed to the bone?
joedoe on April 7, 2009 at 5:50 PM
I love how when troops cheer a Democratic President it was 100% without a doubt “staged” and forced — (after all, brave troops have no free will), but if they cheer a Republican it’s because they are engrossed in ecstasy for such a patriot. Give me a break. The Cons are worried and desperataly trying to spin..spin..spin!
dcwvu on April 7, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Yeah…all I know about ribbons is that quantity might look more impressive, but that ain’t necessarily so.
Thanks for your service.
ladyingray on April 7, 2009 at 5:52 PM
LOL… you’ve obviously never been at the closest bar to the base on a Friday night. Or in a port city after a couple months at sea. God love ‘em, they can be something to see.
Hog Wild on April 7, 2009 at 5:54 PM
Romeo13–I didn’t think the response was that vehement, I just thought your comment about knowing how it goes based on rehearsals for a Bob Hope show was a little…dated.
I’m not sure how I’m supposed to refute some of the crap said on this thread if I can’t appeal to personal experience. The number of folks who “know” how these soldiers were made to do this is staggering. But I suppose that’s what I get for even wading into a blog comment thread.
Bishop, I never said my experiences were better, but given that the entire milblog concept exists in part to give voice to veterans specifically as vets–I think it’s pretty sketchy for everyone to huff and claim that veteran status doesn’t matter. I’m not trying to pick a fight with Romeo13, but I don’t think he picked that handle due to his numerous lady loves.
The weirdest thing is people are incredibly eager to refute the idea that a Presidential appearance somehow equates to support overall in the militiary. Eaglesdontflock mentions anecdotally that they’ve not met an Obama fan. I can say that I have at least a few in my unit. And while I don’t agree with their politics, I don’t think it’s nearly as crazy as some of the 1000 pushups/white people on patrols/3 day pass bribe comments have been. That being said, nobody has to worry–the military remains easily 80%+ conservative.
Again, I want to commend everyone who directed fire on me while ignoring the guy who mentioned all the white people on patrol keeping the President safe. Glad to see that your priorities are straight.
pmm on April 7, 2009 at 5:55 PM
We are talking in circles Terrye, again that was my point.
I obviously need to get better at making my point… ;)
Hog Wild on April 7, 2009 at 5:55 PM
+1
I’ll leave it at what you said. I came damn close to putting my size 10 in my size 5 mouth again.
Limerick on April 7, 2009 at 5:56 PM
To be fair to Ogabe, he only needed the index cards to get the proper names of the forces present right.
After that, he seemed to be speaking ex temperore, i.e. without a teleprompter.
I’m not worried about his reception by the troops: they’re trained to respect the C-i-C and I’m sure some of them voted for him and they seemed to like him fine (No comparison with President Bush or explanations necessary.)
No matter, because he’s president now and we all have to accept it, especially those who must obey his orders.
The one I hope this visit made an impression on is Ogabe;
after all the groveling he did for the EUropeans & Turks and the apologizing for America, I hope seeing the faces of our soldiers brings home not only how good, honorable and decent they all are but also how much good the USA has accomplished overseas, much of it with the judicious use of our armed forces.
Jenfidel on April 7, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Stop taking everything so darned personally, just post more often and let people get to know you. These are good folks, they will more than give you a chance.
Cindy Munford on April 7, 2009 at 6:00 PM
HA!
getalife on April 7, 2009 at 6:02 PM
LOL… yeah… cause the military has changes soooooo much…
Guess I’ll go get my walker and head down to the VFW….
/walks out muttering somthing about respect, and whippersnappers…
Romeo13 on April 7, 2009 at 6:03 PM
uh oh … how is this going to sit with Rushbo and his plans for Obama to fail to know that those bastards troops are cheering him on?
Monkei on April 7, 2009 at 6:05 PM
Your still here aren’t you? And you are treated pretty well considering you reflexively disagree with almost everything said.
Cindy Munford on April 7, 2009 at 6:07 PM
They are cheering because they know better now. I think there is a reason…only some of the people who were supposed to show up…actually did. Believe this.
tomas on April 7, 2009 at 6:08 PM
Maybe I would if someone could translate this into somthing that made sense?
Romeo13 on April 7, 2009 at 6:12 PM
Sorry, kid, but Hillary Clinton told me in 2003 that questioning my President was patriotic. She’s the World’s Smartest Woman, so she must know what she’s talking about.
Del Dolemonte on April 7, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Great pic at Drudge:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UQPUzwdX51o/SdvQRAKnyqI/AAAAAAAAALU/tG2PxkbskRI/s1600-h/capt_33a4e931f7fe4e68b2153ee5bd618213_obama_us_iraq_irqd128.jpg
getalife on April 7, 2009 at 6:16 PM
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