This is old news, I know. But it's something that I can't wrap my head around. Remember when Obama was supposed to be a grand international statesman, wooing foreign leaders (who were all to happy to associate themselves with the soon-to-be president) with his charm and intelligence?
Turns out he's kinda dumb...now I'm a bit preferential to the Brits, and though I'll admit that their importance in the grand scheme of things has been on the decline for decades, they're still a valuable ally, and one of the few countries with leadership that actually likes us. And current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown did his best to give Obama a thoughtful gift during his recent visit.
Obama received a pen holder made out of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet, which amusingly was once titled the HMS President. That right there is a gift that took a lot of thought, although such thought was probably delegated to some adviser. It's historical, meaningful and rare. It's exactly what you would want to give a head of state.
Obama on the other hand, along with tossing out the long-treasured bust of Winston Churchill's adorable head, failed spectacularly. Perhaps he wanted to keep a tight budget on the gift, being the fiscal conservative he is. Maybe he wrote an illegible shopping list and his aides misread it. Whatever the reason, gave Brown a box set of 25 classic American films.
DVDs. For one of the most powerful men in the world.
I can't wait for Obama to coax some trade deals out of China by offering them Best Buy gift cards.