Althouse: Obama shakes hands with Raul Castro.

December 10, 2013

Obama shakes hands with Raul Castro.

At the Mandela memorial.

44 comments:

madAsHell said...: Of course, Obama's been D-listed.; 12/10/13, 8:22 AM
Mr. Forward said...: What, no bow?; 12/10/13, 8:26 AM
Anonymous said...: Obama is perpetually Nixon in China.

In his mind, anyway.; 12/10/13, 8:26 AM
Tom said...: Well, one used firing squads and the other uses drones. Otherwise, not that different. So shake hands.; 12/10/13, 8:30 AM
lemondog said...: Never pass up a photo op. Time mag, are you paying attention?

2nd photo interesting.... Clinton first, then Bush but where is Carter?

Chelsea hitched a ride but no Bush twins. Must be a slow day at the office.; 12/10/13, 8:34 AM
pm317 said...: Obama didn't know who he was.; 12/10/13, 8:35 AM
Amexpat said...: It was the correct thing to do. A funeral is not the place to make a political point. Also, if US presidents can have state visits with Chinese leaders, they don't have to avoid shaking Castro's hand at such an occasion.; 12/10/13, 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...: Shaking hands with bastards is part of the President's job. As long as he's not bowing to the sonofabitch, it's fine.; 12/10/13, 8:38 AM
pm317 said...: Chelsea was with dad in Brazil and they arrived separately from the Bushes and the Obamas -- keep up with the story, will ya?; 12/10/13, 8:41 AM
Renee said...: I don't understand the outrage. It's a funeral. Not shaking hands is rude.; 12/10/13, 8:44 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Recently Glenn Reynolds linked to a long essay by ??? (the fellow who has reported from Afghanistan) about what a monstrous place Cuba is. Constant electronic and human surveillance everywhere, rotting infrastructure, total absence of human rights. Horror story.; 12/10/13, 8:45 AM
Unknown said...: Just a wannabe dictator saying hi to a real-life dictator.; 12/10/13, 8:47 AM
garage mahal said...: Romney would have spit in Castro's
face, like any good statesman would do.; 12/10/13, 8:49 AM
ajs said...: It would have been very simple for him to have avoided being near Castro. No one is required to shake hands with every single person at a funeral. You only do this as president, in public, if you intend to make a point. I don't like the point he was trying to make.; 12/10/13, 9:06 AM
MayBee said...: He probably did it to irritate Ted Cruz.; 12/10/13, 9:12 AM
John henry said...: I agree with AJS. I do think that it is just politeness for Obie to shake hands with Castro if put into the position.

Seems like his handlers could have done a better job keeping them apart so he didn't have to shake hands.

I don't like him doing it as it can be used to legitimize the brothers Castro.

John Henry; 12/10/13, 9:17 AM
Jason said...: It's not a funeral for castro's mother. It's an affair of state. These people are representing their governments. The handshake was a symbolic slap in the face to the Cuban people. Obama should have snubbed him. The oppressed people of the world would have rejoiced. The only people who would have been dismayed are tyrants and libtards.; 12/10/13, 9:18 AM
Robert Cook said...: "Recently Glenn Reynolds linked to a long essay by ??? (the fellow who has reported from Afghanistan) about what a monstrous place Cuba is. Constant electronic and human surveillance everywhere, rotting infrastructure, total absence of human rights. Horror story."

I assume you're making a sly comparison with present-day America. If so, good on ya. If not, you should have been.; 12/10/13, 9:20 AM
ErnieG said...: Renee said...

I don't understand the outrage. It's a funeral. Not shaking hands is rude.

There are times when diplomatic rudeness is called for.; 12/10/13, 9:21 AM
Anonymous said...: Chelsea hitched a ride but no Bush twins

I suspect that neither of the Twins wants to be President...; 12/10/13, 9:26 AM
MayBee said...: I suspect Obama had no idea who he was.; 12/10/13, 9:39 AM
Drago said...: RC: "I assume you're making a sly comparison with present-day America. If so, good on ya. If not, you should have been."

LOL

Thou shalt not make fun of repressive totalitarian communist thugocracies when Cookie is present.

It get's him very upset.

Don't you know that Cuba is a shining example of what leftists could do if only the rest of your troglodytes would get out of the way?; 12/10/13, 9:40 AM
the wolf said...: Just a wannabe dictator saying hi to a real-life dictator.

Yes, but which is which?; 12/10/13, 9:41 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Can you ban dictators from attending your funeral? If so, why didn't the Mandelas tell Castro to stay away?; 12/10/13, 9:46 AM
Tank said...: ErnieG said...
Renee said...

I don't understand the outrage. It's a funeral. Not shaking hands is rude.

There are times when diplomatic rudeness is called for.

Mandela's funeral was not that time. Having said that, he did not have to look so happy and friendly while doing it. Either way it's not a big deal (and I bow to no one in my contempt for Zero).; 12/10/13, 9:58 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Robert Cook,
You should read the article. Then come back and cop to the absurdity of your inference.; 12/10/13, 10:29 AM
Mark said...: I don't see the outrage either.

It's something for the people with Obama Derangement Syndrome, but everyone else realizes it's a formal funeral and it would be rude.; 12/10/13, 10:53 AM
damikesc said...: In his defense, it'd have been difficult to avoid with how Raul was positioning himself. Even Reagan would've shaken hands in a similar situation.

And, AJ, Castro provided substantial help to the ANC during apartheid. They still provide professional support now thanks to the insane affirmative action laws they have.; 12/10/13, 10:55 AM
mccullough said...: Since the Cold War ended who cares about Cuba one way or the other. We have a military base there. That's the only national interest to the US at this time in Cuba. And their cigars.; 12/10/13, 10:58 AM
Robert Cook said...: Broomhandle,

I would like to read the article but no one has provided a link that I can find. I even look at Glenn Reynolds' site and could not find the apparent link.

BTW, I'm not making any inferences about Cuba at all. I'm only pointing out the obvious, that "...Constant electronic and human surveillance everywhere, rotting infrastructure" and with a change of "total absence of human rights" to "rapidly being ignored, trampled on and rescinded human rights" you've also got America!; 12/10/13, 11:10 AM
Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...: And I spent a day as Raul Castro's personal translator back in 1977 when he was Cuba's Ag Minister shopping for good dairy bull semen.

What does that make me? You deal decently with the people you encounter, and to bloody hell with all the diplomatic posturing.; 12/10/13, 11:21 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: RC,
I understood your original comment. While your point about the surveillance state may have some validity I doubt many Cubans have to worry about having their emails read.

http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/welcome-cuba

Other than that your attempt to compare the state of the two nations is ludicrous.; 12/10/13, 11:25 AM
Jason said...: Bart… I don't think you were President of the United States at the time.; 12/10/13, 11:55 AM
Jason said...: http://www.thejewishweek.com/blogs/route_17/sharanskys_beautiful_moment_something_reagan_said_obama_never_would

Quoting at length from this piece:

Sharansky was asked, were there any particular Reagan moments that you can recall being sources of strength or encouragement...
"I have to laugh," said Sharansky. "People who take freedom for granted, Ronald Reagan for granted, always ask such questions. Of course! It was the great brilliant moment when we learned that Ronald Reagan had proclaimed the Soviet Union an Evil Empire before the entire world. There was a long list of all the Western leaders who had lined up to condemn the evil Reagan for daring to call the great Soviet Union an evil empire right next to the front-page story about this dangerous, terrible man who wanted to take the world back to the dark days of the Cold War.
"This was the moment. It was the brightest, most glorious day. Finally a spade had been called a spade. Finally, Orwell's Newspeak was dead. President Reagan had from that moment made it impossible for anyone in the West to continue closing their eyes to the real nature of the Soviet Union.
"It was one of the most important, freedom-affirming declarations, and we all instantly knew it. For us, that was the moment that really marked the end for them, and the beginning for us. The lie had been exposed and could never, ever be untold now. This was the end of Lenin's 'Great October Bolshevik Revolution' and the beginning of a new revolution, a freedom revolution--Reagan's Revolution.

…

Where did it come from, Reagan's uncompromising opposition to evil, that was yet so optimistic?
Sharansky: "It came from him. From inside Ronald Reagan. He had two things all of us need but few of us seem to have. Ronald Reagan had both moral clarity and courage. He had the moral clarity to understand the truth, and the courage both to speak the truth and to do what needed to be done to support it.

Obama could have struck a mighty rhetorical blow for freedom, simply by being seen to snub Raoul Castro, and then saying something about being more receptive to him when Cuba's people have freedom again.

But he was too busy kissing tyranny's ass to pull his head out of his own.; 12/10/13, 12:06 PM
Rusty said...: Except, Bob, we have better internet . Hell. We have internet.; 12/10/13, 12:22 PM
Robert Cook said...: "Except, Bob, we have better internet. Hell. We have internet."

Yep...we have invited the spies into our own homes and offices with the most intrusive spying technology ever devised!; 12/10/13, 1:13 PM
Rusty said...: Except, Bob, we have better internet . Hell. We have internet.; 12/10/13, 1:31 PM
The Roller said...: Noting the videos and photos of this, not only did he shake brother commie Castro's hand, didn't he clearly bow?; 12/10/13, 1:55 PM
cubanbob said...: What else is new? Obama never misses an opportunity to snub our friends and embrace our enemies.; 12/10/13, 2:47 PM
Unknown said...: Was this before or after Obama got himself in hot water with Michelle for flirting with the Danish PM? He mat have desperately sought another controversial photo op just to change the subject.; 12/10/13, 2:55 PM
Rusty said...: " Hi ya Raul. Boy, I really admire the way you guys govern. I can't jail and kill the people that disagree with me."; 12/10/13, 3:24 PM
pm317 said...: @Rusty, he did say that it would be easier here if things were like they are in China.; 12/10/13, 5:13 PM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: But was it the secret fellow traveller handshake or the I won't be coming to your brother's funeral handshake? Neither, it was the watch me light up the internet with a bunch of nonsense handshake.

Well played, President Obama, well played.; 12/10/13, 11:31 PM
Robert Cook said...: "@Rusty, he did say that it would be easier here if things were like they are in China."

Did he? If so, I guess he's now on par with GWBush, who made the comment that "(Running the country) would be a lot easier if I was dictator."; 12/11/13, 6:54 AM