Obama chews gum at Joplin memorial service (updated)

By Thomas Lifson

Unbelievably, President Barack Obama sat in public chewing gum at the memorial service for victims of the Joplin tornado. Right there in the front row. Watch the video below and see.

Is it nicotine gum? That is the most plausible explanation for this gross violation of propriety. Obama had a bad week in Europe, blundering badly with his toast to the Queen of England, humiliated before the world by speaking the magic line that cued the orchestra to play Britain's National Anthem, "God save the Queen," and blithely continuing to speak over the host country's most sacred anthem. Lech Walesa, a genuine Nobel laureate and hero to his people, humiliated him by refusing to meet him in Poland.

No doubt, the criticism if his partying with thousand dollar bottles of wine while Joplin picked up the pieces grated on his sensibilities. They do cling to their guns and bibles in places like Joplin, and few worry about the price of arugula there. So perhaps a certain subconscious resentment built up in the jet lagging president. Or perhaps the nicotine monkey on his back was so intense he had to pop a wad of Nicorette in his mouth to cope with the tedium of pretending to care about a bunch of redneck hicks?

Hat tip: Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit

Update from David Paulin:

Apparently, Joplin wasn't the first time. You know, I can't recall the last time I've seen an adult chewing gum.