IDIOT

DBacks · Post by **DBacks** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:52 am

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politi ... e.pool.cnn

How is this guy not shot by the secret service? He should have had a bullet in his head before he ever got that close.

Dodgers · Post by **Dodgers** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:57 am

They're shoes Gabe, not bombs. I'm sure he was screened for explosives before he got in the room.

DBacks · Post by **DBacks** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:01 am

I could care less. You come running and screaming at the president with objects in your hands....you get put down, IMO. And the only thing that got between him and Bush in time was another reporter. He could have tackled him right to the ground, had a knife, whatever. I'm disappointed that this was allowed to happen. I hope they at least took him out back and beat him.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:17 am

Not really an idiot - a guy that was fed up with Bush's 'victory lap,' and had first hand knowledge of what a disaster Bush has helped orchestrate on/in his country.

The man who threw the shoe was a reporter who had been kidnapped by Shiite militiamen last year. It seems odd to us, but shoe throwing is an actual pseudo-normal show of contempt in Iraq. When the statue of Saddam fell, if you remember, many people threw shoes at it - or just outright slapped their shoes against Saddam's face.

Either way, I laughed my ass off...

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:33 am

Royals wrote:Not really an idiot - a guy that was fed up with Bush's 'victory lap,' and had first hand knowledge of what a disaster Bush has helped orchestrate on/in his country.

The man who threw the shoe was a reporter who had been kidnapped by Shiite militiamen last year. It seems odd to us, but shoe throwing is an actual pseudo-normal show of contempt in Iraq. When the statue of Saddam fell, if you remember, many people threw shoes at it - or just outright slapped their shoes against Saddam's face.

Either way, I laughed my ass off...

Yep. I just about fell off the couch laughing at that video when I first saw it. Still floors me. Can you imagine if it had hit him? Holy crap, that might have been the funniest thing ever.

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:35 am

RedSox wrote:
Royals wrote:Not really an idiot - a guy that was fed up with Bush's 'victory lap,' and had first hand knowledge of what a disaster Bush has helped orchestrate on/in his country.

The man who threw the shoe was a reporter who had been kidnapped by Shiite militiamen last year. It seems odd to us, but shoe throwing is an actual pseudo-normal show of contempt in Iraq. When the statue of Saddam fell, if you remember, many people threw shoes at it - or just outright slapped their shoes against Saddam's face.

Either way, I laughed my ass off...
Yep. I just about fell off the couch laughing at that video when I first saw it. Still floors me. Can you imagine if it had hit him? Holy crap, that might have been the funniest thing ever.

OK, second funniest after Bush Sr vomiting on the Chinese minister.

DBacks · Post by **DBacks** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:25 am

Being half arab myself, I understand the custom of throwing shoes and I understand the travesties President Bush has caused, but either way, you don't get to try to physically assault him, whether it be with a shoe, a gun, a knife, or a bag of cotton balls. You just don't get to do it. And if you try to do it, it is my opinion (and I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me, that's fine) that the secret service should shoot first and ask questions later. He got too close to Bush for my comfort and although I am sure he was checked for weapons beforehand, you just never know what could have happened if it had been a man with more sinister intentions.

Given how much I have invested in our next President, I would hope the protection would be a little bit better, especially given the number of Aarons out there who would just as soon shoot him than give him a chance to lead.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:51 am

I don't think Obama is taking quick trips to any foreign countries he demolished, and then do a Q&A with their press. Seems unlikely at this point.

Plus, it's a shoe. I'm sure they were screened before they got in - hell, if I read correctly, it was a hand-selected group. Either way it was a curious decision by Bush to begin with. It's apparent he still thinks he's a hero there - it's pretty unbelievable.

Dodgers · Post by **Dodgers** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:03 am

Gabe, did you see the video? The guy was at least 20 feet away, so it's not like he was bumrushing Bush.

I also found it hilarious and was a little surprised at Bush's reflexes.

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:09 pm

So if Obama has a little rally in some small town and someone throws, lets say, a paperweight at his head that weighs a pound and just misses, will that be hilarious? Or is this just funny because it happened to Bush. I agree 100% with Gabe, put a bullet in him, he tried to harm the president

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:23 pm

Calling George Bush the "President" right now is a VERY strong statement. A man who is finding any way possible to avoid addressing the economic climate to retain some semblance of his office's credibility is not being "Presidential." Not that "Presidential" and "George Bush" have collided much in the same sentence since 9/11.

If Obama decimated a country, had a horrifying approval rating, was the laughingstock of the free world, and then went on what amounts to a photo op PR tour of said decimated country, set up a FUCKING PRESS CONFERENCE (not a speech with a couple questions, this was a press conference - like a minor league baseball team revealing new uniforms), and then Neo-like dodged flying shoes - Yes, I'd laugh.

I'm going to give Barack the benefit of the doubt for the moment - but who knows what another 8 years might bring?

Giants · Post by **Giants** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:28 pm

You know, one thing I'm not going to miss about the Bush Administration is the open disrespect people seem to have developed for the Office of the Presidency. Bush was a lousy President, I never voted for him and never would, but honestly, after 8 years and the election of Obama continuing the Bush-bashing is just beating a dead horse. Move on already, you don't want to be like Dick Cheney trying to undo the New Deal 70 years later.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:40 pm

The first paragraph is pure, unadulterated Bush bashing - but about what he's doing right now.

The last two paragraphs - aren't they true? Has Bush become this much of a caricature? Isn't it amazing how much shit you have to do wrong to get a shoe thrown at you at a press conference in a foreign country? It's literally mind-blowing...

So, no. Criticizing Bush for being a pansy for running away and letting the shot clock expire on his current Presidency amidst this current economic crisis and running away to Iraq of all fucking places to go feel good about himself - and then getting a shoe thrown at him - is justified bashing. Because it's fucking hilarious.

Giants · Post by **Giants** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:09 pm

That's really only true if you think about throwing a shoe in the context of Austin Powers. But as you yourself pointed out, being touched by someone's shoe is a very serious sign of shame and disrespect in their culture, and by turning this reporter's attempted political statement into a joke, you are ignoring that he tried to shame not just Bush but our entire country (I know you don't think of Bush as your President, but you can be damn sure that guy did), and even more bizarrely, you are disrespecting their culture and what they take seriously.

Bren, there's nothing funny about food poisoning. Besides, the funniest thing a President did that was ever caught on tape was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlz0he9rtKw

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:18 pm

I have no delusions about what the Iraqii's think of us. Bush does.

And if we can't laugh at George Bush dodging a shoe then I'm afraid we've completely lost our sense of humor as a country.

The man who threw the shoe had a very good reason for throwing the shoe. He was furious that he was tortured because of what he perceived Bush and America did in his country. I can't change his perception - but having an Uncle who was a POW - I can tell you that the anger never leaves. And his was fresh in his mind.

I'm not laughing to be disrespectful - I'm laughing because there's video of our President dodging a shoe on the internet. I think it's a blight on our country why it did happen - and why Bush thinks he's done something great in Iraq - despite an insane amount of evidence to the contrary - is funny to me for just how unbelievably ignorant it is. And that that ignoramus was a 2-term President is even funnier/sadder.

Giants · Post by **Giants** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:23 pm

Humor requires context to be funny. If it were some drunken moron in Alabama it would be funny. If it represents a very real and meaningful symbol to the person who threw it, and to everyone who knows that person, and to that person's entire culture, then to trivialize it with humor ignores the entire situation. In this context it's only funny if you choose to be dismissive of Iraqi culture and ignore the entire background of the situation.

Trying to turn this into a joke is the equivalent of laughing at a disoriented half naked girl at a party saying stupid things who's in shock from just having been drugged and raped. Maybe the things she's saying are funny, but in the context of that situation they just aren't.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:32 pm

That's fine. Do I think a person from Iraq showing contempt towards our country? No, I think it's sad. I think it's sad how far our country has fallen in the eyes of the world in the past 8 years. I have hope that Barack Obama will right this ship.

Am I upset that my initial reaction, not even knowing that Bush had LEFT THE COUNTRY, to watching our "President" dodge a shoe was laughter? Hell no. The video out of context is funny because it's a ritual that is completely foreign to our country.

Since learning the significance of this gesture have I changed my mind? Maybe a little. But in no way, shape, or form did I think someone throwing a shoe at Bush was meant positively.

Maybe I think it's funny because I'm upset at him for destroying our country's reputation, and watching him become such a disgrace that he holds what he thinks is an freedom filled press conference and has to dodge a goddamn shoe is the height of embarassment and shame for this man? That's probably a little closer to the truth.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:35 pm

And, yes, that is Bush-bashing.

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:36 pm

The best part is Bush later commenting that he does a lot of ducking, alluding to all the questions he never even tries to answer.

Bush made a joke of the presidency and of our nation, it's only appropriate that he leave with folks last memory of him being something funny.