political signal-boosting

[wavyarms]

Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew. President Bush sneaks up behind Chancellor Merkel and gives her a surprise backrub.

Ew. I feel dirty and I couldn't even bear to watch the video.

EDIT: Here's another link:

SFGate.com has an article with two quotes that caught my eye. One sad:

GOP commentator and Fox News political analyst Karen Hanretty said the outraged reaction shows how "President Bush just can't win."
"Aren't these the same women who have been angry about cowboy diplomacy?" she asked. "Do they want a kinder, more sensitive Bush -- or a cowboy? Once again, there's no pleasing women," she said."

and one, er, well, I thought it was pretty funny:

Whalen quipped: "There are those who say the President should be more Clintonesque ... maybe he misunderstood what they meant."

Comments

[sanj.livejournal.com]

Could he BE more sexist and offensive??

No, wait. Let's not let him answer that question.

Ewwwwwww.

[gaiaturtle.livejournal.com]

I wonder what was going through his head at the time.

"Man... I'm stressed... and you know what I like when I'm stressed: a neckrub! So... maybe if i gave someone a neckrub, it would show that the US is friendly! So, who to give a neckrub to... not Putin, he's got that funny growth by his ear... oh, I know! Angela Merkel! Yeah, she's a woman, and women like neckrubs even better than guys! And this will foster US-German relations!"

Or something equally inane.

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

You really should watch the video to get Merkel's reaction. What an idiotic thing to do....

[the-star-fish.livejournal.com]

I was in the kitchen when Jom Stewart showed the clip last night, but I heard the commentary ("using a move she learned at a date-rape seminar") and ... just ... ick. Gah.

::wiggins::

[mixedborder.livejournal.com]

There is more commentary at
http://www.docstrangelove.com/2006/07/17/president-bush-strikes-from-behind/

I found comments #1, 4, 5 and 31 most interesting.

[mixedborder.livejournal.com]

And here's a political site I just found that very neatly tabulates certain...parallels...that have been on my mind...

http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm