Susan's Blog » Bow-gate and presidential protocol

How does the 44th President of the United States greet international royalty? Both sides of the aisle have criticized President Obama for every nuance of his first official trip abroad, including the way in which he greeted and gifted Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Queen Elizabeth, and Saudi King Abdullah, While any new President will have some protocol missteps, I'm more concerned with what was preventable and how they were handled by the White House.

I've been wondering for awhile just who IS advising the President and his family on protocol and etiquette issues? It would be reassuring to see him make a Chief of Protocol appointment. Nominating a truly qualified person would validate his stated commitment to "manners." I must confess that I suggested this in a congratulatory note to the President shortly after his election, but alas, my recommendation went unheeded. A credentialed Chief of Protocol might have intervened and prevented some of the criticism of the Obama's gift selections. Yes, I agree that they could have chosen more personal and inspired gifts, as I responded to the New York Post's query after their meeting with the Queen. Ditto for the gift to P.M. Gordon Brown.

Also preventable was the press criticism of bows, nods, handshakes, touches, and greetings. Did they violate some aspects of international protocol? "Yes, but": It's only fair to point out that like "etiquette," protocol does and indeed should evolve over time. Even the Queen's official website gives some latitude in official greetings allowing that at times a "handshake" may be appropriate. The fact that Prince Charles was "allowed" to marry a divorced woman is evidence that the protocol of the Royal Monarchy has evolved. Allowing a press friendly Chief of Protocol to explain these nuances (instead of, in some cases, self-described "etiquette experts") would have averted much of the criticism.

It's open season for scrutiny and criticism for every President, but by far, the most worrisome aspect of "bow-gate" is the White House response. I was disconcerted by Press Secretary Robert Gibb's first dishonest and then sarcastic response to a reporter's question about whether or not the President, as a mannerly gesture, bowed to King Abdullah. By first denying that President Obama bowed to the King and then saying, "I can only imagine it is of great cause and concern for many people struggling with the economy," Mr. Gibbs fueled the flames of "non-transparency" accusations in the White House. And, he diss'ed "protocol, etiquette, and manners" by suggesting that such concern was mutually exclusive with economic worry. Rather, uncertain times remind us that such core values as kindness, honesty, and compassion are what we call "manners."