No American President Ever Bowed to a Foreign Leader — Until Now

Sunday, November 15, 2009 11:14 PM

By: Daniel Ruddy


President Obama created a new presidential precedent when he bowed to the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko Saturday.

No president of the United States in the more than 230 years since the country was founded in 1776 had ever bowed to a member of royalty. That was until Barack Obama’s presidency.

In April, President Obama bowed to the Saudi king during the G-20 meeting. At the time, Obama’s deferential bow was somewhat obscured, and the White House insisted that the president simply had leaned forward to shake the king’s hand.

But the president's recent demonstration of royal deference to the Japanese emperor and empress suggests his earlier action was no aberration.

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What should we make of this? Is it trivial to worry about what on its face could easily be interpreted as nothing more than a polite gesture by our president to respect the culture of a country?

America was founded on republican virtues — small “r,” that is. Like the French Republic, our nation does not recognize royalty or social rank, especially from officials of the republic.

The conduct of our president when he deals with foreign leaders is a serious matter. After all, he represents the American people and our Constitution.

Indeed, when President Obama bows before a foreign leader, the whole country bows with him.

It is difficult to grasp what President Obama’s motives are for bowing to foreign royalty (it would be nice if a reporter asked his press secretary Robert Gibbs why he does it).

But Obama’s motives do not really matter when we consider his behavior.

What matters is how the rest of the world will interpret his actions. When it comes to bowing before foreign leaders, there is a fine line between showing politeness and servility, between respect and weakness.

The United States leads the free world, and it goes without saying that our president as commander in chief is duty bound to protect the nation, and our allies by treaty. He should act in such a way that strengthens, not weakens, his position.

If we as American citizens wonder about how our president should act with foreign leaders when he meets with them in person, let us look to the history of the United States for guidance.

First, there is our cherished Constitution. When the Founding Fathers wrote it, they made abundantly clear their distaste of the hereditary forms of government that then dominated Europe.

Article I, section 9 of the U.S. Constitution states: "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State."

As the nation’s first constitutional leader, President George Washington set the tone. When it was proposed that he be called “His Highness the President of the United States of America and the Protector of Their Liberties,” Washington scoffed at the idea and demanded he be called simply, “Mr. President.”

No president better exemplified the republican virtues of the country than Thomas Jefferson, who had a purely American disdain for the pretensions of royal power which he believed were not legitimately derived from the people.

As he stated so eloquently in the Declaration of Independence, power was not derived from bloodlines or royal coronations. Instead he argued that since “all men are created equal” a government should exist by “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Jefferson’s breezy indifference to the English monarchy was on display during his first days in the White House.

When the monarch’s new ambassador to the United States called for the first time to present his credentials he was not required to bow in front of the nation’s sovereign. In accordance with American values, he was assumed to be an equal, not a subject.

And so all he had to do was walk up to the White House and knock on the door (there were no guards or royal attendants).

Once he was beckoned inside, "a tall, high-boned man came into the room. He was dressed, or rather undressed, in an old brown coat, red waistcoat, old corduroy small-clothes much soiled, woollen hose, and slippers without heels. I thought him a servant,” said the visitor, “when General Varnum surprised me by announcing that it was the president."

According to the historian Henry Adams, the casual dress and easy-going manners of the new president were more important than they might seem at first glance.

“The seriousness of Jefferson's experiments in etiquette,” Adams observed, “consisted in the belief that they were part of a political system which involved a sudden change of policy toward two great powers. [They] were but the social expression of an altered feeling which found its political expression in acts marked by equal disregard of usage.”

The British ambassador and other diplomats to the United States were offended by Jefferson’s refusal to follow the rules of the Old World, but that did not matter to Jefferson or his countrymen, who re-elected him with a resounding majority of popular support.

Jefferson understood that symbolism was important.

Another president who promoted this egalitarian ideal was Franklin Roosevelt.

In 1939 he invited the king and queen of England to visit the United States to bolster Anglo-American unity in the face of the growing fascist threat. Roosevelt never bowed to the king or queen — or any foreign royalty, for that matter.

On this special occasion, he simply demonstrated American hospitality.

As the British journalist Alistair Cooke detailed: “Roosevelt took them [the Royal couple] off to Hyde Park [his Hudson River estate] and drove his own hand-run automobile into the grounds and gave them a hot dog lunch. Well, this was a shocker to the British, but it's the thing he would do. You see, he was a natural aristocrat, Roosevelt was. He didn't have to put on airs.”

Roosevelt was also an American through and through and secure in his standing as a world leader.

There is a lesson here for President Obama, who appears intent on upending more than two centuries of American protocol. When he as president bows before a Saudi king or a Japanese emperor, he is sending an implicit message to millions of people around the world that the leader of the free world accepts the notion that some people are born to a higher rank than others.

But when our president stands up straight and extends his hand in friendship to all civilized nations, there is no danger, there is only opportunity — opportunity to communicate the values and spirit that Jefferson so eloquently conveyed to the rest of the world — “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Just another part of the "change we can all believe in" that Obama promised the country.

How long is this "apology" tour supposed to last?

Protocol varies from one country to the other. Anyone who has traveled abroad should be aware of that. As a guest in another country, one should try to respect your hosts by observing their traditions. It is just good manners. Before I traveled to Japan representing West Virginia, I attended a course on protocol-this bowing business is quite complicated, However, a bow in Japan does not imply subservience, but respect, particularly to your host.

The Caucus

November 17, 2009, 8:45 am
Presidential Bows, Revisited
By DAVID E. SANGER
The ongoing cable-and-blog dustup over whether President Obama somehow dishonored America’s image by bowing to Emperor Akihito of Japan the other day was reminiscent of another argument over the exact same issue – 20 years ago.

It was a different president, of course: George H.W. Bush, who came to the issue with some pretty solid credentials: As a young man who was shot out of the sky by the Japanese. And it was a different moment: The funeral of Emperor Hirohito, Japan’s wartime leader, and father of the current Japanese emperor.

Mr. Bush was even newer to the presidency at that moment than Mr. Obama is today. Barely a month in office, he traveled to Tokyo for Hirohito’s funeral, declaring it was the right way to honor a former enemy turned ally. It was the first imperial funeral in many decades, a huge state event. And naturally it poured rain on the guests; ladies in their finest kimonos and Sumo wrestlers alike sank into the mud.

Then came the moment: When Mr. Bush approached the Emperor’s casket, he bowed deeply.

Those of us who had lived in Japan thought nothing of it. That is how respect is shown in Japan. But the pre-cable pundits were screaming, and soon one of our colleagues, the late Gerald Boyd, asked Mr. Bush about it at a news conference.


Mr. Bush danced around an answer for a moment, mentioning members of his squadron who never came home, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s decision to keep the emperor system, as a way of unifying the Japanese people. Then he said this:

I’m representing the United States of America. And we’re talking about a friend, and we’re talking about an ally. We’re talking about a nation with whom we have constructive relationships. Sure, we got some problems, but that was all overriding — and respect for the Emperor. And remember back in World War II, if you’d have predicted that I would be here, because of the hard feeling and the symbolic nature of the problem back then of the former Emperor’s standing, I would have said, “No way.” But here we are, and time moves on; and there is a very good lesson for civilized countries in all of this.

So did President Obama violate protocol? Well, yes, but not by bowing. He made the mistake of both shaking hands and bowing at the same time, a big breach of etiquette. The truth was that he was supposed to choose one or the other.

I'll call B.S. on this one! Every president has done it. Bush use to hold hands & kiss the Saude Prince. You do remember that 19 Saudis attacked us on our soil on 9/11/01 don't you? Never stopped Bush from inviting the prince to Crawford, TX, bowing, holding hands & even kissing the dude!

Threads like this really show just how petty & bitter the GOP has become. And now with Palin & McCain feuding, well sit back & watch the implosion. Should be funny!

A bow is a dignified, proper and acceptable form of recognition of royal personages.

Are you saying you consider the Japanese Emperor royality?

It's a sign of respect in their culture, much like a handshake in America. I encourage all threads & gripes about important stuff like this by the board right wingers.

I can see why so many voted for him. They are very uninformed.

Lets look at today and about 16 years ago.


As noted yesterday, President Barack Obama bowed when he met Emperor Akihito in Japan. His Administration quickly announced he was only following protocol.
Via Hot Air, the College Republicans of the University of Connecticut blasted that as a myth with this composite of dozens of world leaders shaking hands with — but not bowing — to Emperor Akihito:



Maybe someone needs a new protocol officer because the old one is about to get the blame. (Either that or dozens of world leaders need new protocol officers.) But the reality is this was probably all Obama’s doing because — according to the New York Times, which weighed in 15 years ago when Bill Clinton suffered from his own bowing scandal involving the Emperor of Japan — protocol officers have been telling American Presidents not to bow to anyone for over 200 years:

“Guests invited to a white-tie state dinner at the White House (a Clinton Administration first) were instructed to address the Emperor [Akihito of Japan] as “Your Majesty,” not “Your Highness” or, worse, “King.” And in what one Administration aide called “some emperor thing,” an Army general was cautioned that he should not address the Emperor Akihito at all as he escorted him to the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

But the “thou need not bow” commandment from the State Department’s protocol office maintained a constancy of more than 200 years. Administration officials scurried to insist that the eager-to-please President had not really done the unthinkable.

“It was not a bow-bow, if you know what I mean,” said Ambassador Molly Raiser, the chief of protocol.

White House officials described Mr. Clinton’s tilt as something of an improvisation. Because Emperor Akihito broke with tradition in turn to raise his glass at the state dinner, some even said Mr. Clinton had managed something of a breakthrough.

“Presidents don’t bow, and Emperors don’t toast,” one official said. “So this was a little bit like the cultures meeting each other halfway.”

Emperor Akihito must think Americans are strange but at least the Obama Administration didn’t say “It’s not a bow-bow.”

Plus, there’s an added bonus from Japan expert to ABC: "Yes, Obama’s bow made him look like an idiot.”



presidential protocal tells us "We don’t bow and we don’t dip our flag in deference to other nations." Not that hard to remember. This makes twice. I know traditional. Well he also did that wrong. either you do the introductions Japanese style (polite mutual bowing with appropriate Japanese style pleasantries) or Western style (polite handshake with Western style greetings) but you don’t do both simultaneously.It was INSULTING. Read some of the stories coming out of Japan.

Only president who has ever bowed to anyone, was Washington, but he said the reason was that hand shaking was below the office of president. And never outside the US.

How picayune can we be? A bow is not a grovel;it is an ancient form of respect.

Numerous past Presidents have bowed while meeting foreign leaders

Nixon bowed while meeting Japanese Emperor. According to a November 15 post on his ABC News.com blog, Political Punch, Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper reported that Obama's bow was not "unprecedented." Tapper cited "an academic with expertise about the Japanese Empire" as noting: "At their 1971 meeting in Alaska, the first visit of a Japanese Emperor to America, President Nixon bowed and referred to Emperor Hirohito and his wife repeatedly as 'Your Imperial Majesties.'... Nixon gets the bow right. Slight arch from the waist hands at his side." Below is the photo to which the Political Punch is referring:



Clinton was criticized for appearing to bow when greeting Akihito in 1994. A June 19, 1994 New York Times article reported of President Bill Clinton's meeting with Akihito: "It wasn't a bow, exactly. But Mr. Clinton came close. He inclined his head and shoulders forward, he pressed his hands together. It lasted no longer than a snapshot, but the image on the South Lawn was indelible: an obsequent President, and the Emperor of Japan." The article added: "But the 'thou need not bow' commandment from the State Department's protocol office maintained a constancy of more than 200 years. Administration officials scurried to insist that the eager-to-please President had not really done the unthinkable. 'It was not a bow-bow, if you know what I mean,' said Ambassador Molly Raiser, the chief of protocol." [New York Times, 6/19/94]

Eisenhower bowed before Charles De Gaulle. A September 2, 1959 Associated Press photo shows President Dwight Eisenhower bowing his head while meeting French President Charles De Gaulle. The caption of the photograph read: "President Dwight Eisenhower bows as he acknowledges speech of greeting by French President Charles De Gaulle on his arrival at Le Bourget near Paris on Sept. 2, 1959. Between the two chief executives is Ludovic Chancel, French Chief of Protocol."





Pretty bad when Alderman has to resort to lies! Why do people believe any of his drivel? Judging from his last election, I guess not many do.

I missed seeing the part where Emperor Akihito bowed to President Obama. I assume since it is an old Japanese custom he bowed first.

The man is an inexpierenced idiot so nothing he does surprises me.

As far as "experience" goes, exactly what, in George W. Bush's resume` lead you to vote for him twice? Was it his numerous failed businesses? The fact that TX nearly went bankrupt under his watch? Perhaps it was because Houston took over the title of the the country's most polluted city from LA under his guidance? Maybe it was his vast military experience? Exactly what was it?

How does Obama's executive and military expierence compare to George W. Bush's?
How long was he in charge of running a branch of state government? How long was he in the military?

I see, so having experience, & being bad at it, (Bush as Gov.), is better than no experience? Put down the koolaid tom! And exactly what did GWB do to qualify as "military experience?" He was in the National Guard, which is great, except that when his country needed him in a time of war, he used his rich Daddy to get him a pencil pushing job stateside working on a polical campaign. And no one really knows exactly when he came or went because half of his records mysteriously disappeared. But GWB did finally get to be on that jet that landed on an aircraft carrier. You remember don't you? That was how many years ago that he announced, "mission accomplished?" Aren't we still fighting & dying in Iraq? "Mission Accomplished?"

Tom, your hypocrisy is knows no boundaries does it.

Since you can only come up with what you think are smart remarks about everything I will repeat my questions to you.

How long was Obama in charge of running a branch of state government? How long was he in the military?

Can you give a straight answer?

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=hirohito+source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhirohito%2520source:life&imgurl=5c8f4325f5d81345

As you can see it was not a bow that Nixon did but a mutual lean to hear greeting while in a loud gathering(nixon even said so after the fact.). Besides, Obama did a deep bow, with a handshake. First you do not do both, and another a greeting bow is not that deep. That is a submission bow. I have to agree some of you need to read what the japanese are saying about this. He made a rude gesture. As well as a submission.

As my username says....WHO CARES? The only people concerned with this type of irrellevant B.S. are petty, bitter, partisan republicans! I mean with two wars going on, the country in a recession with double digit unemployment, cap & trade, a health care bill that no one knows what's in it is being crammed down our throats & you partisan hacks look for petty crap like this to whine about! Shows your true colors, that's for sure!

And tom, Obama had no military experience, (on par with Bush), and he had no experience as governor.

So, now I've answered your questions, I get to watch you dance around mine. What was it in GWB's qualifications that inspired you to vote for him twice? Was it his several failed business ventures? Was it the way TX almost went bankrupt under his watch? Was it the way he answered the call when his country was at war? I mean if you want to question Obama's experience, that leaves Bush's open for questioning.

You are right. The country in a recession with double digit unemployment, cap & trade, a health care bill that no one knows what's in it is being crammed down our throats and where is Obama? Out running around bowing to some foreign leader. It's been almost 10 months since he took office. When is he going to start dealing with the problems this country is facing?

Well, I think he's trying. May not be taking the approach that you would like. (or me for that matter & I voted for him), but when you start stooping to the petty level of moaning about him bowing the wrong way & such, well, then you really show your true colors & prove that all you're really interested in is wanting Obama to look bad.

i know someone will get po'd but i gotta say it, how do you say massa in japanese. you need to put a bubble above his head like a cartoon and put that word in there,lmao !
ps, i can tell you what made me vote for bush, both times. the oposition. neither gore or the ketchup king were an option for me.

Only people who thinks this is an actual subject for debate are the same that brings up hand holding with saudes, wait wrong party. But what made my heart sing from his asian trip is. I was watching the wonderful coverage of our president in china. All the leaders were there. The national anthem began, and our president covered his heart like a true patriot. Isn't that wonderful, showing such reverence to there nationality.


But sometimes he forgets.......

He doesn't forget. His goal is to destroy America.

Tom, do you consider your statements before you spew them over E-Tater?America is in very good hands,in spite of your misuse of freedom of speech.I hope you do not tarnish the image of Pocahontas county with your unwholesome tirades.

"America is in very good hands"

You must be joking. The man has totally ignored the Constitution and is on course to destroy the country. It is amazing how some people are so blind to what is actually going on. If the people don't wake up we will be living in a third world country and wondering what the hell happened.

How has he destroyed the constitution? Bush pretty much shredded the constituion.

And glide....You voted for Bush twice because he had an "R" beside his name & the other guy had a "D." It wouldn't have mattered what their qualifications are. You're a straight ticket voter who will vote republican EVERY time so the only qualifications that REALLY matter to you are party affiliation. You're not fooling anyone.

You, (of the long.long name,) probably doctored the picture of our president :It looks as though it was added in and not part of the original photo. That was done once before:I am sure that you remember it. What makes your heart sing is hatred and derision of OBama ,and not any of his actions or his trips abroad.But of course you do not know the color of his skin.

To: A tittering comment or a twitter?

Yeah, it is pretty neat how they even got his shadow in the picture too.

Spoken like a true Obama kool-ade drinker

Does the color of his skin exempt him from showing respect to our National Anthem and the American flag?

Does your philosophy exempt you from the norms of polite discourse?

My remarks may not be polite enough for you, but I do have more respect for this country than the man you are all worshipping as your savior.

You're not capable of an intelligent conversation are you? Because somone votes for someone does not equate to worshipping someone. Did you worship GWB? Something tells me you did.

Come on now. You know you worship the man. You are one of the kool-aid drinkers. You probably share his view of "spreading the wealth".

Some democrats try to make it sound a little more acceptable by saying it is taking from the "haves" and giving to the "have nots". They should tell the truth. It is actually taking from the "workers" and giving to the "non-workers".

Has everyone not noticed that Obama still thinks he is campaigning. After 10 months he does not understand what it takes to do the job of the president. He is still running around making campaign promises. Somebody needs to tell the man he won the election and it is time to go to work.

First off Tom, I'm not a democrat. Shows how much you know. I'm against the health care bill until it's put on line for all to see & we ALL, including congress, knows what's in it. Not what the right or left wingnut talking heads say is in it. I was against the bank bailouts. For the auto bailouts. I'm all for illegal immigration reform. Shame NEITHER party wants to touch that one. See Tom, just because you're some koolaid drinking, partisan sucker doesn't mean that everyone else is.

And Obama is taking his message to the people. Call it campaigning or whatever your God Rush wants to call it. I don't care. It's a breath of fresh air from the last administration that didn't think it was any of our business what he wanted to do. Speaking of going to work Tom....Did you know that GWB took more vacations than any other president in modern times? You did know that I'm sure, didn't you? You remember those vacations in Crawford where he entertained the Saudi Prince. Walked around kissing & holding hands with the guy! You do remember that 19 hijackers from Saudi Arabia attacked us on our soil on 9/11/01 don't you Tom?

See, there were PLENTY of reasons to vote for the other party in the last election. I may live to regret it, but partisan hacks like yourself are a dime a dozen pal. And yes, an education is worth something Tom. It means that I can reason for myself. I don't need people like Rush Limbaugh & Sean Hannity to tell me how to think!

How can you be against the health care bill, the bank bailouts, the auto company bailouts, be for illegal immigration reform and also be an Obama supporter?
Except for immigration reform those are the things that Obama is pushing.
If you are not a democrat then you must be a socialist like obama. He believes the government should run everything.
Maybe you did like many voters and vote for the man just because he is black? He had no record to run on and no expierence.

You don't even know what socialism is. How can I have the opinions I have & support Obama? Because party affiliation means NOTHING to me tom...unlike you. As I have stated before, I held my nose when I voted for Obama, but I saw the HUGE mess your party had created for our country & I sure as heck wasn't going to give them 4 more years in office! Bush was a huge failure, a disgrace! He virtually ran this country into the ground. I voted to give the dems a chance to fix it. Right now, I'm not real happy, but I realize that we're only 10 months into Obama's presidency. Come 2012, if I look around & don't like what I see, I won't vote for Obama again. I know you've probably NEVER voted for a democrat in your life. That's pretty shallow! I don't vote for a party, I vote for someone that best represents my views or whom I trust the most to run the country. After 8 years of Bush with SIX of those years where YOUR party owned total control of our government, I sure as heck wasn't about to vote for another republican at that time!

It's a sign of respect...people are just making a big deal of nothing.. Why to people start talking about stuff that doesn't evn matter..

Norman. he is president YOU ARE NOT! you would lik to be. and ur prolly goin to reply and say you would do better than president Obama but when everyone(including you) knows other wise. It was a sign of respect!..

Bump for Alderman to admit he lied when he said no other American president has ever bowed to a foreign leader!

What's funny is watching Alderman getting all self-righteous in another thread talking about the local cops lying. Norman's not above telling non-truths if it serves his agenda.

does this mean respect for others customs, politeness, and manners are making a comeback? how refreshing. anyway to teach teenagers the same?

Norman must be proud of the fact that he is a liar.

What an embarassment, but then what else could we expect?
Obama is a clown.

At least Obama finished high school.

The real embarrassment was watching George W. Bush walking hand in hand with the Saudi Prince & kissing him as well. Considering the fact that 19 hijackers from Saudi Arabia attacked us on 9/11, I'd say THAT is the REAL embarassment!