Another American Diplomatic Disaster

[37jetson]

When your friends/allies are hurting you need to show a little genuine support.....

America snubs historic Paris rally: Holder was there but skipped out early, Kerry was in India, Obama and Biden just stayed home

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and British PM David Cameron were among dozens of world leaders there
• Neither President Obama or Vice President Joe Biden attended the historic event, though both of their public schedules were open
• Obama told the French on Friday that 'the United States stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow' – but he didn't stand with them in Paris
• US Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris for a terrorism summit on the march's sidelines, but was not seen at the march that followed
• No cabinet secretaries or other senior officials attended, leaving only US Ambassador to France Jane Hartley as the top US official there

[duane1969]

Because the current movement in Paris has a very "anti-Islam" slant to it and Obama & Co. do not want to be associated with that in any way. If they were asked to speak about how these people were not true Muslims or how we need to empathize with them then there would have been a stampede of Democrats to get there.

[jrawk1120]

Confused as to why he needed to be there? I'm always one to Bash Obama, but always confused when people get upset at him for not attending foreign affairs. Look at what happened when he went to Africa, bashed from the left and right. Maybe the dude felt like staying in?

[JustAlex]

And if he had been there....you better believe Fox News and the rest of the GOP/Conservatives would've found some way to blame him for something.

There is NOTHING he can do that won't receive criticism.

BTW, can someone remind me how Americans (mostly GOP and Conservatives) acted when the French didn't support the insane "Coalition" that Bush set up?

Oh yeah...they literally wanted to change French Fries (which aren't even French BTW) into the very stupidly name "Freedom Fries"....Many of them became very anti-French and believed one of their biggest allies had betrayed us.....but as history showed, the French were VERY WISE to stay out of the mess the U.S created.

Also, I'm sure some of you don't remember but....following the attacks of 9/11 and into the 2002 Winter Olympics which were here in America, France was one of the few nations that came into the "Parade of Nations" while their athletes had BOTH the French and American Flags in solidarity with the U.S...

They are still very much our allies...

However, everyone wants to get political points off each other as much as possible....it's never about the actual issue, it's always about promoting an agenda or trying to take jabs at the "other side"....

UGH....I freaking HATE American Politics....literally the worst!

[ajcorleone]

IN all honesty no matter who the president would be and what affiliate they are,they would get blame for something like this.

[habsheaven]

I'm not too sure Obama needed to be there, but definitely Biden or the Secretary of State should have been present. Eric Holder just doesn't cut it.

[Star_Cards]

I don't have a problem that Obama or Kerry didn't go. I'd assume he'd get flack from some people and outlets had he gone.

[duane1969]

When leaders from several other allies (France is our ally, by the way) show up and Obama doesn't, even when he had nothing on his schedule for the day, I see it as a diplomatic failure. If he is too thin skinned to risk a little criticism in exchange for showing support for our ally then he should just go ahead and resign now.

By the way, he wasn't too concerned about criticism over giving amnesty to 5 million illegals, publicly saying he would veto any KXL legislation or defending the horrible Obamacare rollout, so making the excuse that he was dodging criticism is just making a lame excuse for a pathetic failure of a president.

With that said, ole Oliver North explained it the best way that I have heard. He said that Obama, Biden and Kerry were not there because it was a gathering of world leaders. Bazinga!!

[beachbum]

I thought it was all about perceptions, I can't believe the U.S. wasn't represented, I don't care that Obama takes a black eye for it but it seems counter intuitive for the liberal agenda.

[GroundSupport]

If it were an African American rally in Paris, all would have been present.