8 thoughts on “The Devil Wears Prada”

1. Ah yes. Selcting top talent…like Reagan and both Bush’s did? Like W’s Robert Tuttle- one of his top fundraisers? or his first appointment William Stamps Farrish III ? H.W.’s Henry E Catto Jr who greeted the Queen with the eloquent and statesman like “How Ya Doin’”. Or Reagans choices of John J Louis Jr and Charles H Price Jr?

   At least one can say Wintour is British born and has a very influential British father (editor of the evening standard)

   Let’s face it- Ambassadorships have virtually always been about paypack and societal standings…nothing new here.

   • And @drugstheasshat, how does that change anything that I wrote about how this was a stupid choice? Again, moron, a tu quoque argument does not make you right, it makes you just as wrong as the proposition.

     Forget the errors by a potential Ambassador with fashion industry experience and no diplomatic background, here are some classics from her boss – by the way the Brits are already having a good laugh about the possible Wintour – it seems that even for a position that caters to lightweights, the Brits consider Anna a bit anorexic. The Telegraph notes that this is another broken promise by Obama:

     Despite promises in 2008 to cut down the number of political appointees, Mr Obama has in fact chosen slightly more than the 30 per cent average for envoys drawn from outside the career foreign service, said Susan Johnson, the president of the American Foreign Service Association. In his first term, Obama nominated 59 ambassadors, including 40 bundlers, who lacked experience in the diplomatic corps.

     From the Washington Examiner:

     Feb 2009: Obama takes bust of Churchill out of the Oval Office

     The Telegraph reported: “The rejection of the bust has left some British officials nervously reading the runes to see how much influence the UK can wield with the new regime in Washington.”

     March 2009: Obama “too tired,” to properly host Prime Minister Gordon Brown

     Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to visit the President at the White House, but the British press reported there was no “full-blown press conference” or “formal dinner,” as has been customary. The British Press reported that the President was “too tired” to properly host the Prime Minister because he was dealing with the economic crisis.

     Even worse was this reported quote from an anonymous State Department official: “There’s nothing special about Britain. You’re just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn’t expect special treatment.”

     March 2009: Obama gives Prime Minister Gordon Brown a box of DVD’s

     While visiting the United States, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave the president a pen fashioned out of the same wood as the Resolute Desk. What did Obama give him in return?

     “Barack Obama, the leader of the world’s richest country, gave the Prime Minister a box set of 25 classic American films – a gift about as exciting as a pair of socks,” reported the Telegraph.

     What’s worse, the set of DVD’s was coded for the United States and unreadable by UK DVD players.

     April 2009: Obama gives Queen Elizabeth an iPod

     White visiting the Queen, the Obama family gave her an iPod, prompting raised eyebrows from the British Press. The MP3 player came pre-loaded with photos from President Obama’s inauguration and audio files of the president’s speech as a senator to the 2004 Democratic National Convention and his 2009 inauguration address.

     The queen reportedly already had an iPod.

     September 2009: Obama refuses private meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown during UN Summit

     During a United Nations summit in New York, Obama refused five separate requests from the Prime Minister for a private meeting.

     April 2009: First Lady Michelle Obama breaks protocol by touching the Queen’s back

     Via the Telegraph, “Some observers winced at the sight of that hand pressed firmly across the royal back. They thought it an appalling solecism and an offence against the Queen’s dignity.”

     January 2011: Obama calls France America’s ‘strongest ally’

     While President Obama was visiting France, the British Press was particularly vexed when he told French President Nicolas Sarkozy that France was America’s strongest ally.

     “The UK has lost nearly 350 troops in the war against the Taliban – seven times as many as France.” noted the Daily Mail.

     May 2011: After toasting the Queen, Obama continues speaking as the band starts playing ‘God Save the Queen.’

     This awkward moment had both countries wincing, as the President presumed to keep speaking even though the band started playing.

     The BBC notes: According to protocol, however, he (Obama) should have stopped after the toast.

     May 2011: Barack Obama signs wrong date in Westminster Abbey visitor’s book

     President Obama visited Westminster Abbey in 2011, but signed the guestbook dating his entry as May 24, 2008.

     “Mr. Obama could perhaps be forgiven for having fond memories of 2008, as that was the year he was elected to the Oval Office.” the Telegraph notes.

     May 2011: Barack Obama snubs British scientists by refusing to receive Royal Society medal

     The Telegraph reports: “Sources close to the state visit said members of the Royal Society were ‘deeply offended’ by the snub and had accused Mr Obama of being obsessed with his ‘street cred.’”

     December 2011: President Obama refers to the British Embassy as the “English Embassy”

     From the Daily Mail: In an interview yesterday, Mr Obama said: ‘All of us are deeply disturbed by the, err, crashing of, err, the English Embassy, err, the embassy of the United Kingdom.’

     June 2012: President Obama refers to the Falkland Islands as ‘the Maldives’

     This was a mistake on top of a gaffe, as the Maldives are actually in the Indian Ocean. Obama was trying to say “Malvinas” — the name given to the Falkland Islands by the Argentine government, a British possession which Argentina invaded in 1982. This was the British equivalent of suggesting that the U.S. hand Pearl Harbor over to the Japanese. As The Telegraph’s Nile Gardiner writes: “This is a position that Britain views as completely unacceptable, and with good reason.”

     • Honestly, the only time I’ve written in the wrong year on something has been on checks made out in January of the New Year. Can’t say that I’ve ever been 3 years off…..

       You know whose fault it was, though….

     • And where did I say it wasn’t? All I did was point out a long history of stupid choices. That an “ambassadorship” – particularly in the cases of allies and friendly nations, is overwhelmingly a social position, a figurehead.

       But of course- I forgot. You have become increasingly bitter since the election. Increasingly turning to name-calling and derogatory statements. You have sunk to the level of a petulant teen on the web.

       And to think- I actually once had some respect for your opinions. Not because I necessarily agreed with them- or more often, not agreeing with how you got to that conclusion and/or your solution.

       But sadly- you and your blog mates have become increasingly irrational. And irrelevant. So I will no longer be following your blog. There is obviously no point in debate or discussion anymore- if there ever was. Have fun preaching to your little clique of followers, I’m sure you’ll accomplish a great deal that way.

       • All you did was to try to make an argument that because it has happened before, that we can’t judge this appointment critically.

         If that wasn’t your intent, then why did you say anything?

         You don’t even understand why you say what you do, you just respond reflexively any time somebody pokes you with a stick. Wintour may be an inoffensive ambassador but don’t you think it a little disingenuous that Obama said that he was interested in upgrading the diplomatic corps with more qualified people – and then he put Wintour on the list?

         Strangely, I was about to say the same thing about you and your blog but it wouldn’t have been true because I have never followed your blog and the time or two that I visited it, I lost 20 points of IQ after reading the irrationality and stupidity there.

         • Obviously, word has gotten out about the last hobo hunt. Shhh….

2. Makes sense. All Obama really needs is a rubber stamp on those brilliant NATO resolutions.

3. Well…………..All we need to make it complete would be Obama appointing Jon Corzine to be Treasury Secretary.

   He doesn’t even bother writing checks…..just steals it out right. And HE was a major bundler for Obama this time too right !?