Military Protocol = Hugging?

[angelatc]

Is it just me?

I was watching Nightline last night, and saw Obama get off Air Force one and shake hands with a soldier (or marine - couldn't tell) who was saluting him. I thought that was a little disconcerting, then today I see this:

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Camp-Victory-Barack-Obama/photo//090407/481/ca09f7034f5c493d82e1007ce6c503a3//s:/ap/20090407/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_iraq_analysis

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090407/capt.ca09f7034f5c493d82e1007ce6c503a3.ml_obama_us_ iraq_irqd134.jpg?x=400&y=246&q=85&sig=a_79yMVCvvhQMwZoi93ZKA--

Is it just me? Should the Commander in Chief be hugging the troops?

[sailor]

Well if Bob Dole tried to pull off something like this it would look awkward, but seeing it is the slick Obama it`s fine IMO as it looks natural.

Also we must remember the founders imagined a president would be a position that there wouldnt be that much fuss about. To do them a king was somebody around whom there was all this artificial fuss and protocol and trying to set him apart from normal people and what not. Whereas a president was going to be just a normal guy.

Of course they also imagined people shouldnt really care about what the president was doing as he wasnt going to be that important, but that is another story.

[Uriel999]

Honestly, that does not bother me. A hug is benign, socialism is not.

[gls]

Quick, someone call Ken Starr to investigate!

http://www.anusha.com/the-hug.jpg

[angelatc]

Ok - it's just me. :)

I just think that it's not really the image of discipline that I had envisioned in the military.

[Pericles]

It is a kinder, gentler military. I was training to kill people who did not wear the right kinds of uniforms, but that is now declassè. Dinosaurs such as myself no longer need apply.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Well if Bob Dole tried to pull off something like this it would look awkward, but seeing it is the slick Obama it`s fine IMO as it looks natural.

Also we must remember the founders imagined a president would be a position that there wouldnt be that much fuss about. To do them a king was somebody around whom there was all this artificial fuss and protocol and trying to set him apart from normal people and what not. Whereas a president was going to be just a normal guy.

Of course they also imagined people shouldnt really care about what the president was doing as he wasnt going to be that important, but that is another story.

Our Founding-Fathers, those who were superior to us, envisioned the position of the president as strong almost on the level of a king. The way President Washington set a different, gentler precedent for the position is one of his strong points.

[He Who Pawns]

I don't see the problem here. Our poor troops could probably use a hug after being thrown into these useless wars overseas. More power to em.