Turns out it wasn’t much of a “surprise visit”. They knew 24 hours in advance and a small cheering section of Soldiers was hustled into a meeting place at Camp Victory.
“We were pre-screened, asked by officials “Who voted for Obama?”, and then those who raised their hands were shuffled to the front of the receiving line. They even handed out digital cameras and asked them to hold them up.”
Shades of Potemkin village.
Funny, when G.W. Bush went to Iraq during Thanksgiving for a real surprise visit, no one saw the need for vetting. The response, like President Bush’s respect for the troops, was authentic and heartfelt.
Obama’s handlers are fully aware of the mutual disdain between the military and Obama, and they planned accordingly.