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US blogger’s mixed comments on Obama’s Irish homecoming

From tears to jeers media bloggers, react to the President’s trip

KATE HICKEY,

IrishCentral.com Editor

Published Sunday, May 29, 2011, 9:34 AM

Updated Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 6:33 PM

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President Obama and the First Lady in Moneygall

Fox News journalist Cal Thomas was confounded by the public and media reaction to Obama’s visit and the utter “media bias." He was on the ground in Ireland to record Ireland’s reaction to Obama’s presence. Their responses, though perhaps a little baffling, were hilarious.

Thomas stopped a high school aged student who said she “loved" Obama and then “I hate President Bush ... I hate all American presidents."

He asked “Even George Washington?” and she responded “Yes."

Another man said that he was proud to see a Kenyan man as the American President as he had family in Kenya.

Thomas commented “Most of those with whom I spoke had the spirit of people about to attend a concert with their favorite rock star.” The city did put on a pretty good show including Ryan Sheridan, Imelda May, the Coronas and perhaps more embarrassingly Jedward and Westlife.

Thomas commented that “Obama was above criticism for the media here [in Ireland and Britain] ... Media bias is not the sole property of American journalists. It has roots in Ireland and Great Britain, too and it has been on full display during the Obama visit.”

Whatever the US media might think of Obama’s visit to Ireland the Irish have most certainly welcomed Obama with open arms. The “Yes We Can” attitude and day of festivities which has been nicknamed “Obama Day” was wholeheartedly welcomed by a country who needed to have its spirits lifted. If Obama wanted the Irish on-side, it seems he most certainly won them over.

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eiriamach | Jun 02, 2011, 05:34 AM EDT

Remember G.W. Bush, who could not leave Washington DC or his Texas ranch because wherever in the world he'd visit, he would be met by protestors? Now we have a president whom the world welcomes. It's a very pleasant change, long awaited! And Ireland is famous for hospitality. What could be better than an American president visiting Ireland? There's nothing "disingenuous" about it: part of a president's job is representing us, and Obama does that well.

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mamaginnty | May 31, 2011, 11:01 PM EDT

Goldenblade I agree with you, and all JamieL.M could pick on was the word "you". You should have used the words..White Supremacy. A lot here seem so dissapointed because they can't call President Obama a pedigree black negro, chokes them to know he is just like most of us, a mixed breed if we all look far enough back.

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jamieLM | May 31, 2011, 10:39 AM EDT

goldenblade - just exactly who is the "you" you are referring to about wiping out the Am. Indians? Every person of every nationality who emigrated to the U.S. was looking for a place to live. Originally, all the living space in the U.S. was occupied by Indian tribes from coast to coast. The Indians were forced to give up more and more of their land as waves of European immigrants arrived on U.S. shores, putting pressure on the U.S. govt. to allow them to move west on to Indian land. Our immigrant ancestors didn't offer to return home so the Indians could keep their land. The immigrant ancestors of every American are directly or indirectly responsible for the eviction of Indians from their land by force so our ancestors, including the Irish, could live in the U.S. either in cities or on farms built on former Indian land. So, goldenblade, if everyone had stayed in their homeland and had not emigrated to America, the Indians could still be living on their homelands across America.

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goldenblade | May 31, 2011, 12:54 AM EDT

I thought - pardon me - that the great thing about America was that it accepted people of all nationalities (except obviously the American Indians that you had to try and wipe out in one of the worst genocides ever) - there is no such thing as a "pure" American. If I got €10 for every "Irish American" who turns up in Ireland bleating about how their great granddaddy was from County Cork - and actually turns out they are half Italian and a quarter Polish too - I would be a very rich woman. And for the record - Obama's relations were the ones that tracked him down - not the other way round. Sheesh - Land of the Free - my a**

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longislander1940 | May 31, 2011, 12:07 AM EDT

Give me a break President Obama just came up with his irish roots because he wants to make sure he will get their vote. When did you ever hear him say he was Irish American Black before his election?

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AnneChambersUSA | May 30, 2011, 11:06 PM EDT

0h, my goodness! There are some Irish amongst us, not idolizing the "Obama God"! God bless you, say your prayer's and know that Patrick has driven the snakes out of Ireland before, he can do it again! Obama is all smoke and mirrors and changes to suit his audience. Don't let the little people under your feet play this awful "Obama" joke on you. God Bless the real Irish.

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Motleigh | May 30, 2011, 02:13 PM EDT

Obama is not half Irish if he is part British and half Kenyan. That would make him 1/4 Irish. Many Irish believe you are what you are raised and act, and he was raised by his white Grandparents, but he did go to that racist preacher for 15 years. I don't think that is considered Irish pride. The whole trip was a scam to use $. If I had my way there wouldn't be any expensive balls for any of them unless they pay for it themselves. Goverment officials like Congressmen and Senators etc use tons of taxpayer money for their balls and their international visits. Pay our debt off instead, stay home and use Skype to talk to the people they want. They could pay their way to go to a foreign country and combine family vacations and foreign relations. I really wish America would stop fighting foreign countries too. It isn't our place to police the world. Our soldiers need to stop dying on foreign soil.

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r.pavlick | May 30, 2011, 01:45 PM EDT

You didn't print my message. Now he will return to America. I asked you to show him a deep bog!

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BrendanWalsh | May 30, 2011, 01:24 PM EDT

of course this was a very sucessful trip Obama got his photo and video segments and political Ireland had a third of it's police force making sure these images wouldn't be marred by any protestors !.Yet on CNBC this weekend as I sat in yet again due to thight funds I watched a show on Weed growers and this 'lovely' upper african/american couple were growing Hundreds of plants and there proudly was in the backgound a photo of them on the campaign funding trail with Mr Obama , We all ready have a New world Order, if we hadn't Us Irish would control our west atalantic oil and gas resevres we'd had our atlantic wave and wind farms and our Hotels would be full of guests who just paid their air fares and 'food and green fees' .It's all a scam ,wall street , the markets, the wars, the currencies and the elite politicians who run around this crazy planet

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jnewnam | May 30, 2011, 12:46 PM EDT

We're all going to "Yes we can" ourselves right into the darkness of communism and one world governments with the few ruling the many for the benefit of themselves. Hmmmmm! I think that is why my Irish grandmother left Ireland in the first place. Didn't you all just throw off that yoke? How quickly you slide back in. Just don't want the U.S. to do end up like Ireland and Obama either by executive order or his communist czar agency appointments is trying everything to do so. He has attacked freedom of speech, freedom of commerce, freedom of education, freedom of religion and blatantly ignores the Constitution. If you think not, you are just not paying attention. Your just lemmings over a cliff led by the media of CBS, NBC, ABC, Media Matters and the Tides Foundation.

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jdi2269 | May 30, 2011, 12:41 PM EDT

WHICH IS IT? IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, OBAMA HAS SAID HE HAS ROOTS IN IRELAND, THAT HE IS BRITISH, THAT HE IS POLISH AND CHILEAN! MARS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

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Advocate | May 30, 2011, 11:25 AM EDT

Just another Vacation (at our expense), at the bid of his Puppet Masters, to help insure his re-installment in the next election. How sad for the Great Irish Land and people!!!

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pounder | May 30, 2011, 11:04 AM EDT

'The value of Obama’s visit, according to James is that it emphasized how deeply rooted Obama’s roots are in Ireland'...YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING!

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chriswalsh | May 30, 2011, 11:01 AM EDT

You know it would have meant so much to me when Obama was running for president, to hear him talk about his Irish roots, singing irish songs with his aunt's and mother, he never mentioned his Irish roots and if he had I knew he was half irish which is something he hid while running for president he was all black. This people that are all over him in Ireland do not have a vote and if he had just mentioned his heritage when running for office he would have had my vote. Too little too late.

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goldenblade | May 30, 2011, 09:54 AM EDT

The important thing is that his home town of Moneygall were darned pleased to see him. I wonder why the "haters" are so eaten up that they cannot allow this small and lovely town their moment in the sun - they absolutely thrilled with pride to welcome their most famous son home. You go, Moneygall!

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