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Obama would like the reporters traveling with him to refrain from wearing fingernail polish and open-toed shoes while visiting Israel and Jordan so as to not offend the locals.Oh, and stockings are a must.Reporters traveling overseas with Sen. Barack Obama were thrown a bit of curve last week when the campaign emailed a “dress code” for Israel and Jordan. Aides had passed along as a courtesy the list that they had distributed to their staff to follow. But some of the tips raised a few eyebrows, particularly among the female reporters.
“Do not wear green.” (Explained later as the color of Hamas)
“Do not wear nail polish.”
“Women should only wear a limited amount of jewelry.”
“Shoulders and arms must be fully covered (no strapless tops, no tank tops, no short sleeve shirts.)”
“Closed-toe shoes, women should also wear stockings.”
At historical and religious sites, a suit or slacks should be worn, shoulders and arms must be covered (“no strapless tops, no tanks tops no short sleeve shirts”), shoes might need to be removed, and women may be asked to cover their heads and “should be prepared with a scarf/pashmina,” the email stated.
First, I don’t understand why all of this applies to Israel.Don’t the Israelis have girls in the military?Isn’t Israel an open and democratic nation?Who does the Obama campaign really want to pander to here?The Israelis themselves?Or the Islamic extremists that infest Israel?And what are Israelis supposed to make of the opinion of their society Obama is expressing with this dress code?Ed Morrissey says that “This gives more than just a faint whiff of paternalism.” He’s right.As fawning and deferent as the press corps may seem to Obama, they don’t work for him.Issuing them a dress code is a pretty arrogant move.And, presumably, most of these reporters are veterans.Old hands at globe trotting.In fact, I’d be willing to wager that most of them have spent more time visiting middle eastern hot spots than Obama himself has.Personally, I see this as a microcosm of what an Obama administration would be like.Overbearing.Arrogant. Incessantly paternal.Knows what’s best for you more than you do.
