Radio Australia Today Editorial

Shoe Thrown at George W. Bush. Misses.

16 December 2008

It was the day that George Bush got the backlash he had to have.

Since September 11, 2001 security for the Chief has been extreme. There was no way that anyone with a bullet, knife or club was going to get anywhere near George W.  Hell, security is still so tight everywhere that you can’t even take a pair of nail clippers on a plane in most places in the world.

So what gets George Bush in the end? A shoe. Actually two shoes. A very angry Iraqi journalist threw them at the Prez during a media conference the Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was co-hosting with George W. The Prez ducked the first time (obviously remembering Ronald Reagan’s quip “Honey, I forgot to duck” after an assasssination attempt in 1981).

Then the second shoe came. George Bush’s reflexes were slower this time, but luckily for him, the aim was way off.

The interesting thing here is the expression on the face of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He appeared to be resigned, possibly thinking “This happens to me all the time”.

Interesting also is the public’s reaction to the arrest of the shoe-throwing journalist. Early reports seem to indicate that Iraqis are on his side. Even his own employer, Al Baghdadiya TV, has come out saying  he was merely exercising freedom of expression.

For many journalists across the world, to throw shoes at a president at a news conference in the presence of the world media is extraordinarily bad judgement. If he had been just a member of the public or a observer, then a protest could be understood, but for journalists everywhere, tying your colours to a mast so boldly is a tricky thing to do. Think about the next time a journalist is kidnapped. This journalist’s action makes their argument that they only report the facts, a little less credible.

That can’t be good.

- Phil