Oddly Enough Blog
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Make it a snappy one, Mr. President!
Blog Guy, I know you’ve written books about presidential protocol and tradition, and I want to make sure I have this right. President Barack Obama is the commander-in-chief, so everybody has to salute him and he doesn’t have to salute anyone, right?
No, that’s a common misconception.
Really! Who does he have to salute?
For starters, anyone who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, as you can see here.
I didn’t know! Who else?
All Heisman Trophy winners, as long as they’re not in prison.
And?
The Maitre d’ at Citronelle restaurant in DC, and Ms. Doris Johnson of 2268 Elm Street in Muncie, plus the original members of The Eagles when they’re on tour, and the…
Blog Guy, I’m skeptical. Where are you getting this list?
Are you kidding? It’s in the U.S. Constitution. Or you can read my Wikipedia piece called, “Meet Don Henley, Mr. President.”
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Above: President Barack Obama salutes St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame baseball player Lou Brock after throwing out the first pitch prior to the start of Major League Baseball’s All-Star game in St. Louis, July 14, 2009. REUTERS/Morry Gash/Pool
Right: Obama salutes Hall of Fame players before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. REUTERS/Mike Stone
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Hey Blog Guy, Doris doesn’t live in Muncie anymore.. she lives in Indianapolis and has taken up Square Dance Calling..
Fine, but that don’t mean he don’t have to salute her…
Does it really matter if he was saluting or not? It wasn’t an official sort of salute, just a friendly gesture to someone who he obviously respects.
I like the fact this the new President is a “people person” and more approachable then Presidents have been in the past.
As commander in cheif, it is required of all military personel to salute the President. Per military regulations, he is to return the salute if at all possible. Now, the only way a civilian is to be saluted (besides a CMH recipient), is if the military person is in uniform and it is done out of respect. This was primarily done to women by men in uniform since it is against regulations to tip your cover (hat). Of course, apparently Obama can do whatever he wants.
Gah! Does he really have to mock our military like this??? The salute is a reverant thing, not to be done lightly and so informally!!!
It makes me glad that I didn’t enlist in the military… How could I have ever respected a commander-in-chief that mocks not only the armed services, but the Founding Fathers and the true American people at every turn?
Noone really cares about Obama’s salute. What a waste of an article.
Come on Paul, don’t you know that rules are only made after Obama decides what is right?
Hi Bob!
I think that you should write an “article” about how many angry people there are on the IntArnetz. Maybe folks will then lighten up.
Thanks for all the hilarity!
–Aaron
Pull your heads out and act like grown up, you morons!
Hmm, I wonder what people might have shouted if he had just nodded and moved on after a salute from a Hall of Fame player…
Obama bows to kings and salutes baseball players – big surprise from a guy who throws like a girl.