Obama's true colors

[punisher73]

Obama came to my home town this weekend and many members of the County Sheriff's Department, MSP, and other local agencies inside the county are working with Secret Service in the security of Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama's bus arrives in Battle Creek and pulls into the stadium area. Before Mr. Obama exits the bus, he has the Secret Service get off and tell all Law Enforcement personnel in uniform that they now have to stand behind the bus so Mr. Obama is not seen with anyone in a Law Enforcement uniform before he gets off or while in the public view. So, everyone from MSP, Sheriff's Dept., and other agencies looks at each other for a brief second, goes and stands behind the bus out of sight so Mr. Obama does not have to see, or been seen with, what to him is 'undesirables' since he refuses to been seen or even acknowledge Military or Law Enforcement.

I am VERY glad that I decided not to work the OT for this event and deal with this kind of crap. Here is another story VERY similiar that happened to one of our deputy's brothers who is in Iraq right now.

Obama came to visit where he was stationed and all of the officers were in full dress uniform saluting Obama when he arrived. Obama then proceeded to put his head down and stare at the ground while he quickly walked past all of them without acknowledging any of them.

This is crap, when it is the police and military that protect him on taxpayer money, yet he can't even show one iota of gratitude for the job we provide for him. I don't care if it is a republican or a democrate that would do this, they would not and shall not get my vote.

 

[Big Don]

Obama came to my home town this weekend and many members of the County Sheriff's Department, MSP, and other local agencies inside the county are working with Secret Service in the security of Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama's bus arrives in Battle Creek and pulls into the stadium area. Before Mr. Obama exits the bus, he has the Secret Service get off and tell all Law Enforcement personnel in uniform that they now have to stand behind the bus so Mr. Obama is not seen with anyone in a Law Enforcement uniform before he gets off or while in the public view. So, everyone from MSP, Sheriff's Dept., and other agencies looks at each other for a brief second, goes and stands behind the bus out of sight so Mr. Obama does not have to see, or been seen with, what to him is 'undesirables' since he refuses to been seen or even acknowledge Military or Law Enforcement.

I am VERY glad that I decided not to work the OT for this event and deal with this kind of crap. Here is another story VERY similiar that happened to one of our deputy's brothers who is in Iraq right now.

Obama came to visit where he was stationed and all of the officers were in full dress uniform saluting Obama when he arrived. Obama then proceeded to put his head down and stare at the ground while he quickly walked past all of them without acknowledging any of them.

This is crap, when it is the police and military that protect him on taxpayer money, yet he can't even show one iota of gratitude for the job we provide for him. I don't care if it is a republican or a democrate that would do this, they would not and shall not get my vote.

Kinda sounds like Clinton and his "respect" for the military...
Don't see the pattern?

 

[Lynne]

One word: Wow

 

[Tez3]

Not coming in on anyones side here but something I've noticed over the years of watching many many parades and guards of honour for civilians dignitaries from here and abroad is that civilians don't know how to behave on these occasions. Many do rush down a line not looking at the 'troops', as if embarrassed to be a civvie on a military occasion.. They simply don't know what to do.
The other thing is that the visitor rarely has any say in what they see, there's so many people who think they are in charge and want them to see just what they want, the poor visitor is the last to have his wishes even listened to. The PR people are the worse. They are a nightmare to deal with.

 

[jks9199]

Not coming in on anyones side here but something I've noticed over the years of watching many many parades and guards of honour for civilians dignitaries from here and abroad is that civilians don't know how to behave on these occasions. Many do rush down a line not looking at the 'troops', as if embarrassed to be a civvie on a military occasion.. They simply don't know what to do.
The other thing is that the visitor rarely has any say in what they see, there's so many people who think they are in charge and want them to see just what they want, the poor visitor is the last to have his wishes even listened to. The PR people are the worse. They are a nightmare to deal with.

Tez has a point. But I'd expect that issues like that should be covered in some of the etiquette and protocol instruction given to new senators, too. I suppose ducking your head is better than the sloppy "salute-wave" that some politicians do -- but not by much!

 

[jarrod]

tez23 does have a good point. i still remember being fresh out of boot & having little to no idea how to act around "real" military.

also, that fact is that the public perception is fickle & often unfair. it might just be a lose/lose p.r. move. i'd say that what's more important is whether he provides adequate medical care to vets, prevents unnessecary or avoidable deployments, properly supplies troops who are deployed, etc. in other words, that he provides real support instead of photo ops.

jf

 

[CanuckMA]

Obama came to my home town this weekend and many members of the County Sheriff's Department, MSP, and other local agencies inside the county are working with Secret Service in the security of Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama's bus arrives in Battle Creek and pulls into the stadium area. Before Mr. Obama exits the bus, he has the Secret Service get off and tell all Law Enforcement personnel in uniform that they now have to stand behind the bus so Mr. Obama is not seen with anyone in a Law Enforcement uniform before he gets off or while in the public view. So, everyone from MSP, Sheriff's Dept., and other agencies looks at each other for a brief second, goes and stands behind the bus out of sight so Mr. Obama does not have to see, or been seen with, what to him is 'undesirables' since he refuses to been seen or even acknowledge Military or Law Enforcement.

I am VERY glad that I decided not to work the OT for this event and deal with this kind of crap. Here is another story VERY similiar that happened to one of our deputy's brothers who is in Iraq right now.

Obama came to visit where he was stationed and all of the officers were in full dress uniform saluting Obama when he arrived. Obama then proceeded to put his head down and stare at the ground while he quickly walked past all of them without acknowledging any of them.

This is crap, when it is the police and military that protect him on taxpayer money, yet he can't even show one iota of gratitude for the job we provide for him. I don't care if it is a republican or a democrate that would do this, they would not and shall not get my vote.

The visit in Iraq may just have been him not having been properly briefed on what to do.

The town vists is entirely PR and optics. It's about not being percieved as needing a lot of protection.

 

[Empty Hands]

Kinda sounds like Clinton and his "respect" for the military...
Don't see the pattern?

Most, if not all, of those stories were urban legends that no one could substantiate. I'm sure we'll be hearing many similar "my cousin's son's roommate saw" stories about Obama.

 

[celtic_crippler]

Most, if not all, of those stories were urban legends that no one could substantiate. I'm sure we'll be hearing many similar "my cousin's son's roommate saw" stories about Obama.

You can check most of them through snopes. But yeah, there does seem to be more tall tales about Obama than anyone else. LOL

What I don't understand is why people are making up that crap. There's enough "true" things about him to validate anyone's decision NOT to vote for him. ROFL

 

[MA-Caver]

The visit in Iraq may just have been him not having been properly briefed on what to do.

The town vists is entirely PR and optics. It's about not being perceived as needing a lot of protection.

My thoughts along these lines too but it doesn't favor the law enforcement agencies when they're placed out of the picture.
As one running for office you would think that you'd want to "embrace" as many potential voters as possible. Each of those LEO's are eligible to vote so putting them out of sight/mind doesn't say you appreciate their efforts.

Could harbor resentments later that may make a difference between life and an assassin's bullet.
I'm not saying that they won't protect the potential president just saying that the eagerness, and willingness to do so could be minimized than say for one who glad-hands LEO's and welcomes them and their presence which psychologically boosts egos and a sense of pride in their work that sometimes includes protecting visiting dignitaries.
It also doesn't do the Secret Service any good either along those same lines. They've got a hellva job to do and the idea of putting themselves in harms way for a man who doesn't appreciate their counterparts (LEO's) could seat some resentment there as well. I mean what are SS people anyway? To me they're another branch of Law Enforcement.


Sounds like Obama's PR people (and Obama himself) could do with a reading of Peale's "How To Win Friends and Influence People".

 

[Sukerkin]

I'm a bit "all at sea" emotionally right now, so my reading could be way off but isn't it possible that what the PR department was trying to avoid was portraying a candidate who needed to be protected on American soil?

Because we don't have real rulers anymore, perception has become more important than substance and the 'image' more important than the reality.

 

[MBuzzy]

You know....I would honestly question the exact circumstances of these events. First of all, Obama's PR people are not stupid. They are professionals. If these things actually happened exactly how they did, it was probably the PR or security people who told the cops to do that....not Obama. In most VIP situations, the VIP himself has little to no say over his over security. Second, we, as observers really don't and can't know the whole story. When things like that happen, you don't know the exact circumstances behind them.

While I was deployed in Iraq a certain very high visibility VIP visited. A lot of things happened that the normal observer would think odd....such as NO ONE being told, except a few select invitees, the same behavior of moving quickly through crowds without acknowledging people, moving cops to different areas, etc. This was not his choice. All security concerns and I don't know the details surrounding them. I would just tend to give him the benefit of the doubt on stuff that just doesn't pass the common sense test.

 

[MA-Caver]

I'm a bit "all at sea" emotionally right now, so my reading could be way off but isn't it possible that what the PR department was trying to avoid was portraying a candidate who needed to be protected on American soil?

Because we don't have real rulers anymore, perception has become more important than substance and the 'image' more important than the reality.

You'd think that... but imagine how much more secure the AM people would feel knowing that a potential president was being protected in this day and age where anything can happen.
Still as Buzzy said... the benefit of the doubt needs to be given... but if I were a candidate, and unless I knew the initmate reasons of the whys and what for's I'd want visible protection and make a statement (should I be asked ) that it's not only for MY protection but for my constituents as well. Secret Service people aren't the only ones who can catch a stray bullet.

 

[SensibleManiac]

There is a story of how much good Obama was to someone in the military, and how he helped out this veteran when no one else would. But because it came through someone who heard it from someone else that I don't even know, I honestly can't say if it is true or not. It's just heresay.
So who am I to share the details of what I'm not 100% sure of?

 

[celtic_crippler]

You know....I would honestly question the exact circumstances of these events. First of all, Obama's PR people are not stupid. They are professionals. If these things actually happened exactly how they did, it was probably the PR or security people who told the cops to do that....not Obama. In most VIP situations, the VIP himself has little to no say over his over security. Second, we, as observers really don't and can't know the whole story. When things like that happen, you don't know the exact circumstances behind them.

While I was deployed in Iraq a certain very high visibility VIP visited. A lot of things happened that the normal observer would think odd....such as NO ONE being told, except a few select invitees, the same behavior of moving quickly through crowds without acknowledging people, moving cops to different areas, etc. This was not his choice. All security concerns and I don't know the details surrounding them. I would just tend to give him the benefit of the doubt on stuff that just doesn't pass the common sense test.

Are you sure they're not stupid? I mean....after 8 years of Bush you'd think the Dem's would have no trouble at all securing the White House yet he and Mcain are neck and neck....

Also...I don't doubt that Obama didn't make the decision....After all, when he was in the Illinois State Govermnet he voted "Present" instead of "yes" or "no' on the majority of issues he bothered to vote on...LOL

 

[MBuzzy]

Are you sure they're not stupid? I mean....after 8 years of Bush you'd think the Dem's would have no trouble at all securing the White House yet he and Mcain are neck and neck....

Also...I don't doubt that Obama didn't make the decision....After all, when he was in the Illinois State Govermnet he voted "Present" instead of "yes" or "no' on the majority of issues he bothered to vote on...LOL

Yes, I'm sure. I see no relation between security personnel and political opinions of who is/was doing well. It is a separate issue with no correllation.

As for stuff like that.....if someone followed me around with a camera all day long and took notes on everything that I did, they would catch some pretty silly mistakes throughout the course of a day. If the worst that he does is not wear a pin on his suit or say present instead of yes....I think we're ok. Seems like a kin dof trivial mistake that's pretty easy to fix. These guys are under a microscope....the current president included. When your every move is caught on tape and scrutinized by a pretty blood thirsty media, they are bound to find things and they are bound to find them for ANYONE.

 

[punisher73]

You can check most of them through snopes. But yeah, there does seem to be more tall tales about Obama than anyone else. LOL

What I don't understand is why people are making up that crap. There's enough "true" things about him to validate anyone's decision NOT to vote for him. ROFL

Granted, I can not verify the Iraq story. But, I can and have verified the Obama story of what was told to my friends at my department. Our dept. has provided security for many candidates and politicians as they have come into the area and this is the FIRST time (republican or democrat...it's a person issue not a party issue) LEOs have been treated this way.