re: #45 Obdicut

No, that’s a massive simplification and distortion of what Politifact said, given that they went into it at some length— noting, for example, that even when Obama recognized mistakes, he still made a strong case for the US not needing to apologize in general.

Actually one of their experts said exactly that.

Lauren Bloom, an attorney and business consultant, wrote the book, The Art of the Apology, advising businesses and individuals on when to apologize and how to do it.

She said Obama’s words fall short of an apology, mostly because he didn’t use the words “sorry” or “regret.” “I think to make an effective apology, the words ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘we’re sorry’ always have to be there,” Bloom said.

Obama’s remarks are really non-apologies, and they’re not good in business or personal relationships, Bloom said. The one area where they can be useful: international diplomacy.

And look, anyone can find Obama saying one thing, and then saying another almost opposite thing. Actually you can find many politicians saying exactly what the crowd in front of them wants to hear.

So what do you use? Just the most recent? Or maybe just the stuff you agree with. Ignoring the rest.

It is my opinion that Obama is really trying to put the US policy into the middle. He seems to like the “on the one hand this, but on the other hand that” sort of speech. Everyone thinks he is so smart to do it because everybody gets to quote something they can take away as positive to
them.

Personally, I think the far left (who I maintain helped him get elected) is starting to see the “I can see both sides of the argument” style. I don’t think they like it any better than the right.