American presidents always avoid shaking hands with brutal dictators, except when it's advantageous to do so.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
A president cannot sit on his hands and be seen as passive in the face of ruthless action by a foreign dictator.
Great presidents, and even those not so great, never complained about the hands they were dealt. Just the opposite. They assumed they were in the big chair to meet big challenges, no matter how difficult.
I shake hands very gladly politically. I don't think you could be a politician if you didn't shake hands.
Although I wasn't invited to shake hands with Hitler, I wasn't invited to the White House to shake hands with the President either.
It is hard to look the other way when a dictator is being so cruel and violent with his own people.
The president welcomes peaceful protests - it is a time-honored tradition. The president agrees violence is not the answer in Iraq, and that's why he hopes Saddam Hussein will disarm.
I shook Obama's hand and I said, 'I want to be your friend.' My hand is still outstretched. I am not Obama's enemy, but it's difficult not see imperialism in Washington. Those who don't see it don't want to see it, like the ostrich.
One thing is certain, You can't shake hands with a fist.
A presidential speech is always the work of many hands.
We have a lot of bad leaders around the world that operate in ways we would never tolerate in the United States.
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