Democratic President Goes to Europe, So ABC Touts Past GOP Goofs

Photo of Scott Whitlock.

"Good Morning America" reporter Yunji de Nies on Tuesday touted supposed gaffes of past Republican presidents in a segment on Barack Obama's trip abroad. De Nies intoned, "But one unlucky misstep and everyone remembers." As she said this, video of George W. Bush's 2005 trip to Beijing appeared onscreen. (In the footage, the then-President can be seen trying to go out the wrong door.) More Republican footage followed.

First, 1992 video of George H.W. Bush throwing up in Japan was highlighted and then a 2006 picture of George W. Bush rubbing the neck of German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared. De Nies described these two events as "the upset stomach of a President" and an "awkward moment between two world leaders." Introducing a clip of veteran ABC correspondent Sam Donaldson, she continued, "Sam Donaldson remembers watching Ronald Reagan fight to stay awake at the G7 summit in Venice."

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

De Nies then cheered, "Jackie Kennedy got pretty close to perfect in Paris where her French language skills stole the show" and followed that by opining, "Hillary Clinton showed off her softer side [on foreign trips]." In fairness to the network reporter, she did feature a clip of Reagan's famous address at the Berlin Wall and added, "Nancy Reagan knew how to wow them with her style."

Regarding Michelle Obama, ABC's Ann Compton opined, "She simply has to be perfect. She has to be interested in what her hosts show us. She has to be very supportive of her husband's positions and she has to look fabulous." Compared to NBC and CBS's coverage, "Good Morning America" was the least effusive over the current presidential trip.

The "Today" show played the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" to slow motion video of Michelle Obama. On "The Early Show," correspondent Elizabeth Palmer gushed, "To be honest, most Europeans were going to like whoever replaced President Bush. But there's no doubt Michelle and her husband have an extra je ne sais quoi."

A transcript of the March 31 "Good Morning America" segment, which aired at 7:18am, follows:

DIANE SAWYER: Coming up now, as we know, we go back to the President going abroad. The first couple traveling overseas. It is a diplomatic event but it's also always a chance to show American style. And here's ABC's Yunji de Nies.

ABC GRAPHIC: Not Your Average Tourist: Presidential Travel Do's and Don'ts

YUNJI DE NIES: A President on the world stage can write a new chapter in history.

JOHN F. KENNEDY: Ich bin ein Berliner

RONALD REAGAN: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

SAM DONALDSON (ABC News): It's part showmanship. It's part knowing your subject and, let's face it, it's part luck.

DE NIES: But one unlucky misstep [Onscreen video of Bush trying to go out the wrong door during his trip abroad.] and everyone remembers. Like the upset stomach of a President [Video of an ill George H.W. Bush in Japan] or an awkward moment between two world leaders. [Picture of George W. Bush massaging the shoulder of Angela Merkel.] Sam Donaldson remembers watching Ronald Reagan fight to stay awake at the G7 summit in Venice.

DONALDSON: He would start to fall asleep and Shultz would hit him and then he'd sort of fall asleep and Baker would knock him one. And, of course, we had to show that. We can be a mean bunch.

DE NIES: It's not just him, all eyes will also be on her.

ANN COMPTON (ABC News): She simply has to be perfect. She has to be interested in what her hosts show us. She has to be very supportive of her husband's positions and she has to look fabulous.

DE NIES: Jackie Kennedy got pretty close to perfect in Paris where her French language skills stole the show.

[Jackie Kennedy speaking French.]

DE NIES: Her husband quipped that she, not he, led the visit.

KENNEDY: I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris.

DE NIES: Nancy Reagan knew how to wow them with her style. Hillary Clinton showed off her softer side and no matter how empowered first ladies may be at home, overseas they need to know their role or risk a potential backlash.

COMPTON: If Michelle Obama thought that campaign press and the White House press corps are tough, wait till she gets a sampling of European press, where even someone they idolize they can turn on very, very quickly.

DE NIES: And they will be watching it all. Will Mrs. Obama wear any European designers? How will she interact with the queen? And, Robin and Diane, they will even be sizing up her table manners.

—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.


Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

France & Germany didn't vote for Obama's rush to failure either

France and Germany have already indicated that they are not interested in Obama's Snake Oil.  I imagine the networks, especially NBC and its cable ops, will play up the First Lady if it looks like the President isn't making any headway.

 Also look for those same networks to blame the Bush Administration for burning our international bridges (or some such analogy), thus making Obama's mission one of reconciliation and repair.

COMPTON: "If Michelle Obama

COMPTON: "If Michelle Obama thought that campaign press and the White House press corps are tough..."

You can't make this stuff up.

Blah, blah, blah...and

Blah, blah, blah...and blah, blah, blah...

This will go on for days...endlessly. 

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Slobbering

The bar has been set slow low for this Admin that even the Press has a hard time making some meaning out of a day with O.  Lets just call it the "Compton Line" very low with no show. 

O's last day 1-20-2013

Goodie... You got that

Goodie...

You got that right!

I love the 'Compton Line' phrase you have here...fits perfectly.

Speaking of which, when do the dems ever pay their taxes?

Kathleen Sebelius (sp) has made amendments to her back taxes of $7,000.00 because it was just a little snafu she just didn't know about too...and this too shall pass. 

Outrageous....all of them.

I think they do vet these people, they just want to wear us down with all of this as if it is no big news now and normal.

UNLESS of course is a republican or YOU or ME!

Can you not hear the msm if the Bush administration had put forth another nominee with tax problems 24/7...this is hypocrisy DELUXE!

Fox should be making a huge deal out of this...the other networks would have long ago by now.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

It's A Shame

Too bad no one got video footage of Hillary running around dodging those sniper bullets with everyone staring at her in bewilderment.

If you want to see Obama goofs

You better watch FoxNews because none of the other media outlets are going to cover any of them. And I think there will be many.

Remember the gift gaffe with Gordon Brown and his wife?

Hey, I got the wrong "CHANGE"!

www.loyaltoliberty.com

~Obama goofs

You'll like this site.

 

That high-pitched scream you hear is the troll under my heel. 

cl - thanks!

great link.

Re Obammy Goofs

For real journalism involving Obammy, we are going to have to rely on the European media more and more, and that means the UK newspapers. I am a great fan of Fox News, but they only seem willing to go so far, probably because they depend on the Obammy administration for network licensing. The UK papers are also less encumbered by American political correctness and race hucksterism.

Sam Donaldson and ABC

Sam Donaldson and ABC allege: "[Reagan] would start to fall asleep and Shultz would hit him and then he'd sort of fall asleep and Baker would knock him one. And, of course, we had to show that."

Do Donaldson and ABC have any evidence to support that allegation?  Video evidence?  A statement from Shultz that "Shultz would hit [Reagan]"?  A statement from Baker that he "would knock [Reagan] one"?

the Obama cult on self-destruct

I just cannot understand how the msm keep fawning over this blowhard marxist and street agitator! Are they really hell-bent on destroying this economy and on jeopardizing their own jobs and savings? I truly believe that the Obamabots in the msm are so blinded by their adulation of their dear comrade that they don't realize that Obama is a threat not only to Republicans but all Americans. Instead of warning people of Obama's delusions of grandeur, they seem to be willing to drink from the poisoned tumbler just because their dear leader asked them to. It makes me cringe to see how the media lost all integrity and act like the Pravda in the USSR.

Obama Mistakes Window for Door

I guess the "reporter" forgot to mention this gem reported in the UK Telegraph but all but embargoed in the United States:

Barack Obama Mistakes Window for Door

Should people such as Yunji de Nies be called "journalists" or "Obama Groupies"?

That's just that extra je ne

That's just that extra je ne sais quoi working.  You wouldn't understand.

I'll agree that Republicans

I'll agree that Republicans probably have more missteps in foreign policy, although they could've made an even longer story documenting Hillary's gaffes.  But that's what happens to real people when they partake in an activity.  Democrats can keep their record clean because they essentially ignore foreign policy for the most part and concentrate on waging a social/economic war within our own borders.