Barack and King Ralph

So I’m wondering if our newly elected Commander and Spender, errrr Chief, maybe ought to spend a little more time brushing up on his international etiquette.  After the gift exchange debacle last month with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Nobama, well, Mrs. Nobama, took to the international stage yet again and clearly hadn’t been briefed on the do’s and don’ts of hangin’ with Lizzie.

It’s apparently a faux pas for anyone to touch the Queen.  This ban may have taken effect as a direct reaction to the birth of Prince Charles, I don’t know.  Anyway, Michelle must’ve forgotten the company she was in when she leaned into Her Majesty for a hug.  Never mind that Mrs. Nobama and Lizzie standing next to each other was reminescient of Gandalf looming over Bilbo.  She must’ve nearly wrecked her back leaning over that far.  This was not your Grandma, Michelle, it was the Queen of freaking England.  Someone in the Prez’s posse probably should have reviewed the checklist of do’s and don’ts with the first family on the trip over.  There is a respect factor in play here that is way bigger and way older than any of us, and as stupid as it may seem, as harmless as it may seem, it still exsists and should be honored as long as the host country hasn’t indicated otherwise.  We all know this meeting was nothing more than a dog and pony show for the press, but the Nobamas didn’t place in the Best in Show category.

Now this would barely be a blip on the landscape in life if it hadn’t been for the even bigger gaffe that took place at the White House last month, this time courtesy of Mr. Nobama himself.  Quick reset, the P.M. of Britain was over for some tea and crumpets, chatting it up with the Prez. when the time came for gift exchange.  Apparently the gift exchange is quite the longstanding tradition between the two countries.  See the protocol under “bigger and older” that I mentioned above.  It’s usually assumed that each party will offer gifts of symbolic and national significance to the other.  Mr. Brown gave Nobama something very old and historically significant.  Essentially, either he or one of his minions at least did his homework on the tradition.  Then came time for Nobama to present his gift.  It was a DVD collection of American movies.  (insert cricket chirps here)  Yep, nothing says I respect that traditions of this relationship like a quick stop off at Blockbuster on the way home.  Did this guy get his family presents at Midnight Christmas Eve at 7-11?  Hell, he should have just gotten him a Target gift card so he at least could’ve picked out the flicks he wanted.  Allthough the P.M. has said nothing about the incident, word is that many of the Brits are quite insulted.

Now, in the overall scheme of things, not a big deal.  Certainly a small blip on the overall world doings, but I’m a tradition guy.  I love all of the pomp and circumstance of US and world history.  I find it sort of tragic that the Nobamas don’t seem to share the same respect levels for those same traditions.  I guess it could have been worse.  Michelle didn’t fist bump the Queen, and I don’t think the Prez. included The Patriot in that movie anthology, but still, please be mindful of the significance of these events going forward.  Maybe he needs to appoint Peter O’Toole to his cabinet to help him with these things, like he did to John Goodman in King Ralph.

I wonder why the P.M.wasn’t around for the meeting with the Queen?  Maybe he was in another room watching Rocky.