I’ll be making an appearance on the Mike Gallagher Show this morning at around 10:30 am ET.  Mike wants to talk about Barack Obama’s bow to Saudi King Abdullah, among other topics.  We’ll talk about protocol among heads of state, and how symbolism works in diplomacy.  We may also talk about the Austrian language and other Obamateurisms in general.  Be sure to tune in or catch us on the stream!

Just to continue the update I made on an earlier thread, LGF claims they have a clip of Bush bowing to Abdullah, but he’s actually bending down to receive a medal from the Saudi king.  Bush is much taller than Abdullah, which would have made it impossible for Abdullah to get the medal around his neck otherwise.  We can question whether Bush should have accepted a medal from the Saudis, but he wasn’t greeting Abdullah with a bow.

Claiming this to be a bow would mean that recipients of the Medal of Honor have a requirement to show submission to the person who gives it to them, when in reality it’s the only way to get the ribbon over the head.  The same thing is true for Olympic athletes who win medals. They’re not “bowing” and showing submission to the judges; they’re bending to allow the ribbon to go around their neck.