Obama meets Chavez

Leftists have been verklemmt after viewing images of Obama meeting Hugo Chavez. Kubrick2008 at DailyKos called it "A More Peaceful World" and but the reality is the meeting is typical diplomatic protocal. After all, Neville Chamberlain met Hitler (below). Look at those big smiles and how they're holding hands!

Eight years ago, Chavez met Bush too. And Putin met Bush, even spent time at his ranch. These meetings don't mean much.

After posting the picture on DailyKos with the comment above, GlowNZ (a username) from the same site replied, "wtf? are you saying that obama is chamberlian and chavez is hitler... what the f*** is wrong with you?"

Many were so upset that the idea that Obama's meeting might not actually mean anything beyond diplomatic protocal that they tried to block the image from being posted.

Chavez, to many Leftists in the US, is a hero and this meeting revealed their adoration. Below are some of the comments they posted about the Obama and Chavez meeting at the Summit of the Americas:

Chicagoa said: This is beautiful. That first image had tears running down my face. I am so proud to have voted for him today.

Sara seattle wrote: Yup - to know Barack is to love him and it is a gift to America that he is willing to take the big steps - that makes America grow in the eyes of people around the world (and not the small petty steps like George Bush that diminished America).

PanicBean gushed: "I am so overcome with something in the pit of my stomach when I see how children react to him. It almost makes me cry, and there are times when I actually do cry.

"They say children and animals have an innate sense of what lies beneath the skin of those who surround them, and in our new President's case, I truly believe this is what is happening.

"I love our new President and what he means to us and to the world."

Stroszek, a voice of reason, wrote: "A leftist thug is still a thug and, despite what you may assume, not everyone at DailyKos is a socialist. What I find amusing is how many people are willing to freak out over Obama at every last thing but will put Chavez on a pedestal just for mouthing Chomskyesque platitudes. Then again, I guess Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are just part of the right-wing conspiracy against Chavez."

Humanistique wrote that election problems in Venezuela are just like those in the US: "It's a NUEVA ERA and Chavez just isn't scary or threatening to me as an American. He may tease & taunt us, but for the USA to be threatened by Chavez is absurd. He's playing local politics like every politician.

"I disagree with the Constitutional changes on term limits in Venezuela and doubt the integrity of their elections, but it's not our country and we have our own democratic flaws."

Fireshadow summed up his feelings on the handshake with a quote from Obama: ""...by the power of our example rather than the example of our power!"

Deniac20 noted the number of American Progressives who adore Chavez: "The diplomacy will begin and this is how it has to begin. I agree with you on that communist Chavez, but Bush's tactics with him didn't work. Obama will melt the hearts of Chavistas in Venezuela, and thus Chavez's evil regime. After all, FDR met with Stalin, Eisenhower and Kennedy with Khrushchev, Nixon and Ford and Carter with Brezhnev, and Reagan with Gorbachev, all murderous dictators. What sickens me is how people on this blog actually like Chavez."