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AndyC wrote:Did Obongo mess up - or was it the Brits who played the anthem early?

And frankly, he's doing far worse than messing up a toast. I'd rather concentrate on that...

I did like the Queen's "I swear to god..." comment around the 32 second mark though!

AndyC wrote:Did Obongo mess up - or was it the Brits who played the anthem early?

He stood up and said, "To her majesty, the queen." That's the cue to the band to play the anthem, which they did. He then continued his toast after the anthem started, thinking it was background music adding a crescendo to his words. He concluded with yet another, "to the queen." The Brits stood still as the queen mumbled under her breath at him and only then did he realize he'd messed up. He had no idea what the British protocol was. And he even had note cards on which his words were planned and notes could be written! His stuff really messed up. Again. Flubs on interacting with foreign dignitaries seems to be one of his hallmarks. Someone ought to have been fired by now.

AndyC wrote:Did Obongo mess up - or was it the Brits who played the anthem early?

I blame Bush.

USA1 wrote:

AndyC wrote:Did Obongo mess up - or was it the Brits who played the anthem early?

I blame Bush.

That's the spirit!

AndyC wrote:Did Obongo mess up - or was it the Brits who played the anthem early?

I think it was his teleprompter. It probably kept flashing "Begin Toast NOW!!!" So of course he did.

AndyC wrote:Did Obongo mess up - or was it the Brits who played the anthem early?

I saw what you are talking about when I first saw the video...buuuut... The leader of the free world should of had the understanding that if the song titled "God Save the Queen" is playing despite what his (or the bands) timing was he shouldn't have continued to talk over it and then expected when HE was done for everyone to pick up their glasses and toast. That is why everyone else waited for the anthem to be finished before they accepted his gesture. It was his actions during and after his rhetoric that makes this a gaff... Either he is completely unaware of etiquette or is so pompous that he thought it was being played as a dramatic addition to bring emphasis to his toast.

WoW...

Just watched it again... Ha ha ha... Obama never did drink to his toast.

The Queen said something to him, he looked around and saw what just happened, his lips become very very taught and he stands tall...tilts his head back in a defiant and "I'm better than you gesture" and once the music has stopped she turns toward him raises her glass, she drinks as he leans toward her and he raises his glass but he doesn't drink to her...ha ha ha ha

I'm sure this wasn't lost to her or her people either...

Medic624 wrote:WoW...

Just watched it again... Ha ha ha... Obama never did drink to his toast.

The Queen said something to him, he looked around and saw what just happened, his lips become very very taught and he stands tall...tilts his head back in a defiant and "I'm better than you gesture" and once the music has stopped she turns toward him raises her glass, she drinks as he leans toward her and he raises his glass but he doesn't drink to her...ha ha ha ha

I'm sure this wasn't lost to her or her people either...

Actually she doesn't drink either, but it is the toaster's to "drink" to the honoree while it is the honoree's job to receive, aka acknowledge, the toast.

If you turn the volume up far enough, you can hear her say, "Set it down," kind of terse and sideways. His little boy lost look of, "Whaaat?" while Camilla and Phillip stifled giggles pushed me over the top.

Not drinking to the queen after the toast was too much. Even a teetotaler touches the glass to their lips if they haven't been accommodated with a non-alcoholic substitute.

Ignoring or being ignorant of protocol of our strongest ally, bowing to Arab leaders and kissing the hand of an Arab King...what a complete embarrassment.

stash wrote:Also looks like he had to read the toast.

This is actually the most telling of all. Our current president can't be bothered to learn a simple 20 second toast for a foreign dignitary. Also, if it were given in a normal cadence of a practiced communicator, it would have taken half the time.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,
please stand with me –
and raise your glasses –
as I propose a toast. -
To Her Majesty –
the Queen.
the vitality of the special relationship -
between our peoples -
and in the words of Shakespeare -
to this blessed plot -
this earth -
this realm -
this England -
to the Queen”

I'll give the gaff to him because the music started DURING the toast but since he's got his head in his notes, it has all the sincerity of a jr. high school speech class project.

I'll give the gaff to him because the music started DURING the toast but since he's got his head in his notes, it has all the sincerity of a jr. high school speech class project.

Ah! But that perfectly identifies his second gaffe (the first being the notes ).

“Ladies and Gentlemen,
please stand with me –
and raise your glasses –
as I propose a toast. -
To Her Majesty –
the Queen.
[Cue God save the Queen]

the vitality of the special relationship -
between our peoples -
and in the words of Shakespeare -
to this blessed plot -
this earth -
this realm -
this England -
to the Queen”

You can see perfectly how he made a full toast to the queen (beginning, middle, and end) and then the music started, just like it always does when one toasts "to the Queen." Then he makes his second gaffe by not recognizing the music or standing still, but instead continuing to bury his nose in his notes and plowing forward with the second, poorly worded, toast.

Yeah, but did he BOW?

AndyC wrote:Did Obongo mess up - or was it the Brits who played the anthem early?

No, they played right on que. Why did he "end his toast" (with to the queen) in the middle. A toast always ends with "to the honoree".
How do you mess that up? It's like the told him since you don't have your teleprompter, and you spill something on your que cards, just say "To her majesty the queen".

So he did, and then found his backup copy and started reading all over again.

It's one thing to studder, or mess up a word in the speech, but complete and utter disrespect for another country...wow, no wonder other nations hate us.
This is what we send to represent our country.

well he doesnt salute properly during the american anthem so what has changed?

Who cares?

Medic624 wrote:US President Barack Obama suffers embarrassing royal toast mishap ...

Barack Obama suffered an awkward moment during a banquet at Buckingham Palace last night when he broke royal protocol by speaking over the national anthem.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNRXGRFJdDY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The guy can't catch a break.
A several months ago he almost broke his back bowing too low to some Asian dignitary. In some ways I'm glad he's not accustomed to pomp and ceremony...hummm could be due to Kenyan upbringing; no lights, running water, or plumbing (although that could have happened in North Texas) .