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subego · Nov 4, 2010, 12:15 PM

YouTube - Bush wipes hand on Clintons shirt after shaking hands in Haiti

This is old, but I'd never seen it before.

Someone mentioned it in a thread on another board as an example of how Bush is racist (he does it after shaking a Haitian's hand).

Now, I don't think Bush is any more racist than your average rich white guy, he has plenty of genuine failings we can talk about. When I read the description I assumed it was hyperbole. Maybe it was an extended pat on the shoulder, or putting his hand on Clinton so he could move around him in the crowd. Maybe there was a big nasty bug on Clinton, they were in the tropics after all.

I also know Bush is one of those Purell freaks. Fine. You shake a bajillion hands, I can understand that.

Lastly, as someone who sweats like an m-fer, I'm always wiping my hand on my pants before a shake as a courtesy, and if the person whose hand I shake needs to wipe their hand afterwards, I understand.

So when I watched this, I thought I was prepared. I wasn't.

This is just one of the most bizarre things I've seen a former leader of the free world do. Can anyone explain what's going on here other than Bush being like totally disgusting?

Who does this?

SpaceMonkey · Nov 4, 2010, 12:20 PM

I think it's more that he's feeling Clinton up.

Honestly I wouldn't have even noticed this. Not a big deal IMO.

ort888 · Nov 4, 2010, 12:21 PM

I would think he'd be more grossed out by touching a Clinton.

The Final Dakar · Nov 4, 2010, 12:23 PM

I think this could have swung the midterm elections back in the Democrats favor.

subego · Nov 4, 2010, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey

I think it's more that he's feeling Clinton up.

Honestly I wouldn't have even noticed this. Not a big deal IMO.

I need to make sure I've made clear I don't think it's really a big deal. I certainly don't see it as evidence of racism.

It's just gross. Dude... wipe your hands on your own shirt.

When I heard about the clip I thought "there's no way he wiped his hands on Clinton's shirt", then I watched the clip and was like "OMFG, he actually is wiping his hands on Clinton's shirt. Repeatedly."

OAW · Nov 4, 2010, 12:35 PM

Meh.

One would have to read a whole lot into the situation to view this negatively.

OAW

SpaceMonkey · Nov 4, 2010, 12:36 PM

You would say that.

TheWOAT · Nov 4, 2010, 03:36 PM

Refugee camps arent the cleanest of places

subego · Nov 5, 2010, 09:23 AM

So, as I said, wipe your hand on your own shirt.

@OAW, you wouldn't think negatively of someone if they did that to you? Excepting jokes or infants, has anything even remotely like this ever happened to you, or have you ever seen such a thing happen?

OAW · Nov 5, 2010, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by subego

So, as I said, wipe your hand on your own shirt.

Oh I agree wholeheartedly if that is what he actually did. If it were me I would be like "Come on G-Dub .... WTF?"

Originally Posted by subego

@OAW, you wouldn't think negatively of someone if they did that to you? Excepting jokes or infants, has anything even remotely like this ever happened to you, or have you ever seen such a thing happen?

My initial comment in this thread was in response to your OP where you mentioned that some had called this racist on another board. Well I certainly don't see that. You went on to say that it was just plain disgusting. And I can see why you might think that but I'm really not so sure. I watched the video and only saw GWB do this once ... and even then I wasn't sure if he actually wiped his hand on Clinton or if he went to pat him on the shoulder and Clinton just happened to move so his hand slid down.

So that's why I said one would have to read a whole lot into the situation to view it negatively based on what is actually visible in the video. Just my 2 cents ...

OAW

subego · Nov 6, 2010, 12:32 PM

Oh, okay. I didn't know you were talking about the racism part, so I thought you meant your statements to be applied to the grody part.

ebuddy · Nov 7, 2010, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by OAW

So that's why I said one would have to read a whole lot into the situation to view it negatively based on what is actually visible in the video. Just my 2 cents ...

Wiskedjak · Nov 7, 2010, 10:42 AM

Seems to me that Bush is just lightly patting Clinton's shoulder.

subego · 11:11 AM

It could be, I guess. It looks like it starts that way.

Before I saw the video, that was one of the things I imagined it could be.

subego · 12:48 PM

I also want to make 100% clear, if I'm impugning Bush here, it's for being gross. As I said in the OP (though I think in a way that wasn't as clear as it should have been) Bush isn't notably racist, and this clip doesn't change my mind about that.