Thread: West Point Cadets Give Obama ‘Icy’ Reception At West Point Address

West Point Cadets Give Obama ‘Icy’ Reception At West Point Address

May 28, 2014 by Personal Liberty News Desk

President Obama delivered the commencement speech to graduates at the United States Military Academy at West Point today, but he enjoyed a decidedly tepid response from cadets.
According to multiple media outlets covering the President’s address, which offered a muddled foreign policy message mixed with a dollop of global warming caution, only about one-fourth of the seated cadets rose to greet Obama with a standing ovation when he was introduced.
“[It was] a speech that, probably, was not really a great speech to give at the U.S. Military Academy,” said CNN international correspondent Jim Clancy. “It was a philosophical speech. It was not a Commander-in-Chief speaking to his troops. And you heard the reception. I mean, it was pretty icy.”



Obama recast the doctrine of American exceptionalism in terms of global teamwork. “I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being,” he said. “But what makes us exceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule of law; it’s our willingness to affirm them through our actions.”


http://personalliberty.com/west-poin...point-address/

Krauthammer SLAMS Obama For His “Pointless” West Point Speech

By Steve Straub On May 28, 2014 · 16 Comments · In US, Video



Strong words on the President’s West Point speech from the normally reserved Charles Krauthammer.

Via Washington Free Beacon:

Columnist Charles Krauthammer called President Obama’s foreign policy address at West Point Wednesday “literally pointless,” calling it “weak and defensive” and questioning using the platform of the U.S. Military Academy’s graduation to answer his critics.
“I think the speech was literally pointless,” he said on Special Report. “It was a defensive speech. It was an answer to the chorus of criticism, even from his side of the aisle, that it’s been a weak, leaderless, rudderless foreign policy, which it has been … He set out this ridiculous contrast between extreme isolationism on the one hand and almost a caricature of intervention on the other … There’s not a person in American who’s asking for boots on the ground in Syria or in Ukraine … I think it was a very weak and defensive speech and there was no response from any of the cadets. It was quiet as a mouse.”
Krauthammer said a congressional source who served in the armed forces thought there was a “real pettiness and personalization” to Obama’s address, which drew bipartisan disdain. One CNN reporter even said the response by the cadets to Obama was “pretty icy.”

Do you agree with Krauthammer that the President’s speech at West Point was pretty pointless and petty?

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/u...t-point-speech

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

Obama recast the doctrine of American exceptionalism in terms of global teamwork. “I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being,” he said. “But what makes us exceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule of law; it’s our willingness to affirm them through our actions.”

Once again, 'Bama finds a way to thumb his nose at Americans. "[N]ot our ability to flout international norms..." Yikes. This is the guy who's threatening to impose amnesty for illegal aliens by decree!!

Well, polls show that young voters no longer trust 'Bama. The cadets showed their contempt by not standing for their commander in chief. I don't think I've ever even heard about something like this happening before. I wonder if the cadets contempt results from their knowing that when they muster out, they'll be facing unemployment.
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West Point Grads Give Obama Tepid Welcome – Most Refuse To Stand For President

UlstermanBooks.com > Politics > West Point Grads Give Obama Tepid Welcome – Most Refuse To Stand For President

An often rambling, excuse-laden speech appeared to hold little interest to West Point military grads today. According to media sources, Barack Obama found himself greeted with a decidedly less than enthusiastic crowd, one that remained quiet throughout his many “not my fault” talking points.

President Obama tried repeatedly to assure the military audience that he believed in American exceptionalism. This comes after several years of the president downplaying, and at times, apologizing for America’s influence throughout the world.

The current Commander in Chief went on to demand the United States work with the United Nations, that such a relationship will be the hallmark of future U.S. foreign policy. The West Point grads appeared less than enthusiastic about such a goal, perhaps noting the inherent contradiction of a president trying to convince them he believes in American power, while at the same time, demanding that power play a secondary role behind working with such entities as the United Nations.

The Daily Mail described the president’s reception with the following: Receiving tepid applause and a short standing ovation from less than one-quarter of the audience upon his introduction, Obama argued for a contradictory foreign policy that relies on NATO and the United Nations while insisting that ‘America must always lead on the world stage.’

Ouch.

http://ulstermanbooks.com/west-point...for-president/

Ouch: Less Than 25% of West Point Cadets Stood Up For Obama After He Was Introduced…


H/T Weasel Zippers

Update to this story.

President Obama was welcomed by the Black Knight of the Hudson for his speech at West Point on Wednesday, but less than 25 percent of the cadets gave him a standing ovation upon his introduction, the Daily Mail reported.
“Receiving tepid applause and a short standing ovation from less than one-quarter of the audience upon his introduction, Obama argued for a contradictory foreign policy that relies on NATO and the United Nations while insisting that ‘America must always lead on the world stage,’ the paper reported.
During his speech, which the Wall Street Journal called “consistent with that of every post-Cold War administration,” the president also took a swipe at critics, saying: “I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being. But what makes us exceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule of law; it’s our willingness to affirm them through our actions.”


Keep reading…

http://www.redflagnews.com/headlines...was-introduced

See the Reception Obama Received From the U.S. Military Academy That CNN Anchor Says Is ‘Pretty Icy’

May. 28, 2014 4:15pm Jason Howerton

President Barack Obama addressed 2014 West Point graduates on Wednesday — and he received a reception that CNN international anchor correspondent Jim Clancy described as “pretty icy.”
Watch the video via Reuters:



Obama’s approval rating among those serving in the military is only 32 percent. The ongoing VA scandal likely won’t result in that number going up.

Clancy argued Obama’s speech was “not really a great speech to give at the U.S. Military Academy.” He called it a “philosophical speech,” not a “commander-in-chief speaking to his troops.”

“And you heard the reception. I mean, it was pretty icy.”



For more on Obama’s speech, click here.

(H/T: Weasel Zippers)

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014...is-pretty-icy/

Conservative Daily

Their reactions speak volumes...



Watch How Vastly Different West Point Cadets React Between Hearing Presidents Obama and Bush

Can you spot the differences?
ijreview.com

Watch How Vastly Different West Point Cadets React Between Hearing Presidents Obama and Bush

By Caroline Schaeffer 2 hours ago



Even the pundits at CNN had to agree – President Obama’s reception at West Point was nothing short of “icy.” His graduation speech has been slammed as being less “Commander in Chief” and more “policy wonk playing defense.” And the way the audience reacted supports it.
He receives a standing ovation from about a fourth of the audience who has come to see the the West Point class of 2014 graduate and commission as 2nd Lieutenants, and throughout his speech, he receives only mild applause from the graduates and their friends and families.
Compare that to the speech President George W. Bush gave to the corps of cadets in 2008 in his last military academy speech as President:



Do the two seem a little different to you?
President Bush says, “There are many honors that come with the Presidency, but none higher than serving as Commander in Chief in the greatest Armed Forces on Earth.” If President Obama believed and lived by that truth, he would be having a very different presidency.

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/05/1424...ts-obama-bush/