Is the gift that Obama gave Brown really an issue?

[WI_DEM]

because I've not heard anybody talking about it. For the record, I'd rather have received the movies than the pen holder. Look, maybe that is the kind of gift Brown gives, which is fine. Maybe movies are the kind of gifts Obama likes to give and reflects his personality. For myself, I could get more hours of enjoyment out of the movies than I could with the pen holder. Maybe I'm not an elitist. And I can't understand why this has become a big issue on DU! except that people who have never liked Obama have some other irrelevant item to attack him on.

[Schema Thing]

1. no

[Hanse]

2. No, it's a transparent RW hit piece.

[ClarkUSA]

3. It's a tempest in a teapot that Murdochian Tory British press outlets have stirred up...

[Captain Hilts]

4. They both nice gifts, just different. BHO's to Brown was useable. Brown's has historic significanc

It's not that big a deal.

But history is important to the English in a way it is not to us.

It also comes on the heels of the Churchill bust kerfuffle. Again, symbolism and different approaches to history. Obama should have sent the bust back via naval ship - perhaps the USS WINSTON CHURCHILL. That would have returned the bust and given a nod to the type of history the Brits like.

[Occam Bandage]

5. No. It is, however, an instance of staffers being inadequately prepared

to appropriately receive international dignitaries. It's like showing up to a wedding in a "I ♥ BEER" T-shirt, and giving the newlyweds a rumpled ten-dollar bill for a gift. Sure, it's not a meaningful problem, but it's very tacky.

[Cha]

12. No, it's not ..not at all.

It's a wonderful gift.

And, "tacky" is bitching about a "gift".

[Bread and Circus]

13. Occam, I always love your writings here on DU but I disagree with you on this one...

Film is extremely important to U.S. culture and the films in that set are representative of some of the most important works in the industry. Sure, Brown could go out and buy those 25 movies for $400 or so but that's not the point. The point is saying, "this is a piece of our culture and we'd like to share it with you".

Now, people can argue that the American movie industry is lame and all that. However, that's subjective. But for people to argue the films on the list as being lame is just downright laughable. You really have to have a big chip on your shoulder to shoot down most of those.

It's true, there's no history to the collection. It's just pressed plastic. I suppose if Obama gave original film reels, this would all be not at issue. But I doubt there's many original copies of Casablanca up for grabs just to be given away.

What boat could we have cut up and made into a curio would have satisfied those aghast at Obama's gift?

And is a pen holder all that great? Even if it's from an anti-slave ship?

And guess what, Obama's forebearers weren't brought here as slaves.

[NashVegas]

16. I Think You Have It Wrong. Really Wrong

Those movies may be great, but as DVDs they are symbolic of nothing more than good old, American mass-production and consumerism. Brown could buy those movies *anywhere*.

If we wanted to give a movie-themed gift, something like a pair of Charlie Chaplin's shoes, cane, or hat would have been a far more thoughtful choice.

[Bread and Circus]

18. Well, I guess it's fair to say earnest minded people disagree on this.

[NashVegas]

23. Overall

It's not that huge a thing, but a "what are you talking about, those movies are GREAT" defense just doesn't cut it.

Good essay here

http://blogs.news.sky.com/boultonsobama100/Post:26c9a3c9-7ee6-4488-b750-398c68de98ed

[Hippo_Tron]

20. It's only bad staff work in the sense that it got bad press

I don't think it really matters to US-Britain relations that he gave them the movies. The fact that he did it, though, meant that the MSM would certainly get ahold of it and talk about it. The staff screwed up in that instance.

[Mojorabbit]

31. I agree

Whoever was in charge of protocol for this type of thing needs to be replaced. Still, as a matter of importance in the real world it does not even register on my scale.

[Uzybone]

6. No, but its a sign at how fucked up things are

the world has many problems, no one seems to have credible answers, so instead we talk about rubbish.

[Starry Messenger]

7. I would not have known of this burning issue if not for DU.

[MADem]

8. The visit was poorly planned. WH protocol, not the President, let down the side.

Nothing wrong with the gift--there was just an apparent "lack of care and attention" that the "special relationship" normally merits.

There was also some sloppy gift giving to the kids--the Brit gifts were "better" than the lousy models of Marine One.

It's not Obama's fault--it's Protocol's.

[Hamlette]

9. did Obama's people screw up?

Have you ever been to a presidential "library"? They are chock full of entirely useless trinkets given to that prez by foreign dignitaries. 99% of them entirely unmemorable. Maybe Obama's people want to break that mold. Give something useful in difficult times but still not a box of Florida oranges. I have faith in Obama's team. My guess is they didn't just run to WalMart at the last minute and buy a sack full of movies.

If Protocol did it, was it a staffer out to set Obama up and make him look bad?

[MADem]

11. I have been to a bunch of Presidential libraries. Yes, I understand how useless the trinkets are.

The point wasn't just the gift of the films and the lousy helicopter toys for the kids. The gift in and of itself isn't the issue, though it didn't "match" the gift"S" Brown brought, and THAT was the problem. The gifts Brown brought were personally meaningful and reflective of the "Special Relationship" between US and UK. A lot of history, Winnie Churchill, and THOUGHT behind them. The personal gifts to the children from the Browns were "generous."

If you think these gifts are a surprise when they arrive, they aren't. OR...they shouldn't be. Protocol staffs that know what they are doing arrange this shit ahead of time. They even know what their opposite numbers are going to say after they get the toys. There's a schedule that is prepared for these events that is broken down BY THE MINUTE, and even includes "slop time" for pee breaks.

There also should have been a bit more formality, or at least CARE, than accompanied the visit, owing to the history of the relationship between the two nations . If they didn't want to do the big dinner, they could have done a high-powered lunch and a very, very, intimate residence dinner (those are sometimes possessed of more cachet than the big blowouts, because they're so rare) with a tableful of scintillating guests and maybe a little musical entertainment with a famous celebrity.

I have faith in Obama's team, but his WH protocol staff let down the side. There's just no way around that. You can try to pretty it up all you might like, but a fuckup happened here. Whether it was deliberate (doubtful) or sheer ignorance (more likely) we don't know. It isn't the end of the world--these things happen when you have greenhorn political appointees running aspects of the Presidential schedule and not fully knowing how it's done.

All I can tell you is this--I'll bet it doesn't happen again. Between Rahm and the Missus, I've a feeling they'll make damn sure of that.

[jxnmsdemguy65]

32. I agree with your post ...

the way the whole thing was handled was somewhat disastrous. I can see where the Obamas would not want to host an elaborate state dinner amid such difficult economic times - it sends the wrong message. I understand that Michelle Obama has instructed the White House chefs to keep food served at the White House simple, and I imagine that dictum would extend to entertainment as well. But, like you say, clearly more thought should have been given to the gifts given and the entertainment scheduled.

[kiva]

10. I don't think it's about being elitist,

but about diplomatic protocol. We've spent the last 8 years complaining about a president who was tone-deaf in his dealings with other countries; like it or not, these gifts are part of that diplomatic process and do have a broader meaning than just giving a present to a virtual stranger. Brown's gifts were well-chosen by his chooser-of-gift-for-heads-of-state; ours, not so much. Whoever was in charge of this selection screwed up, but Obama is smart and I suspect it won't happen again.

[MissDeeds]

15. Well said

To be honest, we all would have been screaming if Bush had offered such gifts. DU would have had a field day with the whole thing, and rightly so. This was an unfortunate mistake, and one that likely will not be repeated.

[fujiyama]

35. Well said

Gift giving is an age-old tradition of the diplomatic process.

In this case, no it's not a substantive issue, but gifts hold some symbolic value.

[KittyWampus]

14. No, it's not an "issue" except as far as WH staff screwed up and need to get on the ball

Other than that, it's making me laugh so hard tears are streaming down my face as people defend a gift that is barely above the level of the crap you order off late night tv and get a free ginsu knife with.

[ProSense]

17. Here is a quote from someone who doesn't agree with your POV:

Maybe I'm incredibly biased

because I'm a filmschool student... but I really don't appreciate all this elitism when it comes to motion pictures. Film is a unique American art form... we have claim to motion pictures in a way that no other country does... yes, you have simultaneous evolution of the motion picture camera in several countries around the end of the nineteenth century, but America defined the language of film and editing, particularly with the works of Porter and Griffith in the early twentieth century. Our motion picture industry remains the most powerful and influential in the world. "Citizen Kane" is the American equivalent of the Sistine Ceiling. Obama's gift is a gift of American art and culture (granted, it's a mass produced culture, but nevertheless, I'm offended that you're offended that Obama gave as a gift some of the greatest pieces of American artwork ever created).

Phew. Sorry about that. A button was pushed, triggering my rant response. I'll go back to ghosting now.

[amandabeech]

29. This collection was not picked specifically for PM Brown or for its

commentary or reflection of the special relationship between the US and the UK. The vice-minister of silly walks from Candoistan would get the same set. Nice set, but has nothing to do with PM Brown or the UK. Plus, the PM isn't a film buff. I thought that some letter from a prominent president musing positively about the UK or Scotland in particular, where Mr. Brown is from, might have been more suitable for the occasion.

The pen holder, on the other hand, had real historic and personal significance for Pres. Obama and the people of the U.S. and was one of a kind.

That's the difference. Personal and national connection of the selection. It's not about the quality of U.S. film, which I think is a cultural treasure.

[NashVegas]

19. No, It's Not a *Real* Issue, But

It does indicate that Obama needs to hire someone with more poetic vision for the protocol office.

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Protocol office is probably understaffed just like everywhere else

This sort of thing happens the first few months or so.

[NashVegas]

24. I'm Sure

Good essay here:

http://blogs.news.sky.com/boultonsobama100/Post:26c9a3c9-7ee6-4488-b750-398c68de98ed

[CakeGrrl]

22. I guess people need something to bitch about Obama or his admin over

I can't think of any other reason. Does anyone honestly believe this will make a rat-fart's worth of difference in our relations with Britain?

:crazy:

[cooolandrew]

25. I think it was a good gift in that if it wasn't for Hollywood America might have a very different >

image across the world but Hollywood has often portrayed an ideal of America in the likes of films like superman, and other action heroes. America the good guy, so it kept the dream alive in many peoples minds all across the world. Why not honor that in a gift I say. It also gives a acknowledgment to America's creative spirit and that is something that can potentially leverage America out of an eco and economic crisis on its own. So the gift does have many merits depending how a person might possibly look at it.

[firefox28]

26. In these troubled times

All the media cares is trying to criticise a gift. How about looking at the gifts GWB received at the end of his presidency?

[CJCRANE]

27. No. I think the Obama people struck the right balance.

Gordon Brown had the privilege of being the first European leader to meet President Obama.

But I would guess that Obama doesn't want to over-do the whole "special relationship" thing right now at the beginning of his Presidency, he has to reach out to a lot of countries.

[AyanEva]

28. No.

[Numba6]

30. Only the Brit press (Murdoch) who're doing what they can to bring the Tories back

[GarbagemanLB]

33. It is an issue on DU only because there are some people going to ridiculous lengths to DEFEND it.

Admit it was a mistake and move on, for christ's sake.

[fujiyama]

34. It was tacky, tasteless, and cringeworthy

It's also not worthy of a president, who in all respects we know to be fairly classy. Someone under Obama screwed up. I don't know why anyone needs to defend it.

It sounds like the Protocol office is understaffed at the time and they had a generic gift item issued. I would hope that in the future they make better gift decisions. No, it's not a substantive screw up, but symbolic gestures, as petty as they may seem, do carry some value. Plus, this is the first world leader to come and visit Obama.

Obama doesn't have time to think of what gifts to what leaders. He's under intense pressure and stress. It should be the last thing on his mind.