President Obama’s visit to the far East attracted a lot of attention.  No, not because he’s trying to revitalize our relationship with the Japanese, or get on the good side of our loan-officers (the Chinese government).  The media machine was set ablaze this week when Obama bowed to the Japanese Emperor.  No, not THAT emperor.  On CNN they debated about how low he went as oppose to how low he should have gone (what is this, the limbo??).  On Fox and Friends the red button was pushed: “The American apocalypse is coming!  The president bowed!!!”  But according to Obama and his team it’s a deliberate new approach to American diplomacy and foreign policy.  Their point being that the diplomacy of George W. Bush was so hard-nosed, so borderline jingoistic, that we could never get foreign powers to go along with any of our global strategies (or even get them to agree with us).  So apparently this administration is trying a different approach.  It’s not a bad thing, because Lord knows the “unnecessary hostility” — as John Stewart called it yesterday — got us absolutely nowhere fast.  Course, we’re all waiting for the day when we get a President who’s diplomacy strategy is gracious and respectful, but still strong and uncompromising.  One president’s too hard, one’s too soft; it’s like we’re collectively Goldie Locks, and we’re waiting for the one that’s “just right”.

-D