Greg Weeks notes that Obama did a pretty good job responding to the Chávez/Ortega rhetoric/behavior at the Summit of the Americas by using humor.

For example in regards to the gift of the Galeano book, Greg notes that Obama later said:

“I thought it was one of Chavez’s. I was going to give him one of mine.”

Also, thought that in regards to Ortega’s anti-US speech, Obama response to the press when asked about the speech was pretty good in a dry sort of way:

“It was 50 minutes long. That’s what I thought.”

I know some people want him to ask Ortega to step outside, but foreign policy via testosterone outburst seems isn’t especially prudent, if not a bit ridiculous. to put it mildly. It’s funny, but I remember as a kid that my mother used to tell me to ignore the bullies and taunters, and even to be nice in return. Yet, somehow, the advice we might give our kids in regards to playground bullies and blow-hards is considered inappropriate in the real world of international politics.

In regards to the handshake, I would recommend surfing over here and looking at the montage of handshakes that was compiled. If Richard Nixon was able to share a friendly drink with Leonid Brezhnev, I think that the republic can survive an Obama-Chávez handshake.

Further, somewhere I have a newspaper clipping of George H. W. Bush encountering Fidel Castro at some event in the early 1990s (if I can find it, I will scan and post it). In the photo both men look past one another, obviously avoiding any kind of contact. In short, Bush clearly avoided anything like a handshake, and yet, Fidel Castro persisted in power for another decade-plus and remains in a position of power today. And here I thought that the avoidance handshakes leads to the destruction of authoritarianism!

Beyond that, while there is little doubt that Chávez will try and capitalize, at least rhetorically, on his encounter with Obama. However, I would argue that he probably has less ammo from the handshake than he would have gotten if Obama had snubbed him. Had that happened, Chávez would be carrying on for weeks (or longer) as to how the new American president fears him.

As an aside, a depressing fact of the political rhetoric of the last several days indicates that there are many in the commentariat (and, I suspect, in the broader population) who are far more scandalized by Obama shaking Chávez’s hand than they are about torture committed in their name by the US government.

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6 Responses to “Responding to Ortega and Chávez”

1. Ratoe Says:
   April 21st, 2009 at 2:28 pm

   I know some people want him to ask Ortega to step outside, but foreign policy via testosterone outburst seems isn’t especially prudent, if not a bit ridiculous. to put it mildly.

   It worked pretty well with Iraq. Bush’s aggressive invasion saved us from impending nuclear doom.

2. Steven L. Taylor Says:
   April 21st, 2009 at 2:35 pm

   And there you go.

3. MSS Says:
   April 21st, 2009 at 5:42 pm

   Before Greg can get in here: Are you suggesting, Steven, that Fidel is not dead?

4. Steven L. Taylor Says:
   April 21st, 2009 at 5:59 pm

   I honestly don’t know, do you think that he has expired?

5. WgS Says:
   April 21st, 2009 at 9:14 pm

   Re: aside & depressing fact…

   Painfully true and it will take more than a handshake to regain that ground.

6. RandyBudreau Says:
   April 21st, 2009 at 9:36 pm

   This picture was not in the gallery. Talk about embracing the enemy!

   http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushabdullahhands.htm