Obama golfing

[Anonymous]

I'm genuinely curious, so I'm hopeful someone on the right can explain this rationally:

Why do people like Emily Miller (the former DeLay flak who writes columns for the Washington Times) get so obsessed with how many times President Obama has played golf? Why do they care so much how he spends his weekend hours and very limited free time?

It is the damnest thing. I mean, maybe all presidents suffer this -- people got onto Bush and Reagan about how much time they spent at their ranches, which I also thought was a bit silly (they have phones there, you know).

So, what's the trigger here exactly?

[Anonymous]

Because they get off on cheap shots. And because when you hate someone, every little thing proves they are evil.

Does the president call the winner of the world series? Oh he has tome for fun and games when the country is in trouble.

What, he didn't call? He's out of touch. Baseball is American and he is anti-American for not calling.

See how it works?

[Anonymous]

Our Washington Times goes straight from the driveway into the recycling bin. I can't get them to stop delivering it.

Wish it were blank so we could use it for paper mache.

[Anonymous]

And because when you hate someone, every little thing proves they are evil.

The Bush hater certainly demonstrated this point.


BTW, I think that issue with golf is not that he plays the game. He is entitled a break. However, the issue is not only the number of times he has played, but the actual times (and what was going on domestically and internationally) that calls in to question his judgment. At the very least, the timing of some of these outings has shown questionable judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And because when you hate someone, every little thing proves they are evil.

The Bush hater certainly demonstrated this point.


BTW, I think that issue with golf is not that he plays the game. He is entitled a break. However, the issue is not only the number of times he has played, but the actual times (and what was going on domestically and internationally) that calls in to question his judgment. At the very least, the timing of some of these outings has shown questionable judgement.

I have no idea what you are talking about. Can you name one day in his presidency where his immediate attention was required every moment?

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure Obama called in the hit on bin Laden from the 9th tee. And, the Somali pirate the Seals shot in the head? That call came from the 12th green.

Seriously, the man has been president for about 1,000 days. I think he's played golf on like 80 of them.

The tone of this obsessive coverage is that he's doing something *wrong* so I would like it articulated what the wrongdoing supposedly is.

Personally, I like it that the chief executive unwinds. Keeps him focused when we needed it. I never begrudged Dubya his brush-clearing, either. Whatever works.

[Anonymous]

Obama has golfing more than 60 times as president. Let me try to put this in some context for you. At an average of five hours per trip to the links, Obama has spent the equivalent of two months of his presidency's available working time on the golf course. Of course, that doesn't even count the hours traveling in presidential motorcades to and from the courses. It also doesn't count any time he spends on the White House putting green. Obama doesn't typically golf with top advisors so these are "working" outings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obama has golfing more than 60 times as president. Let me try to put this in some context for you. At an average of five hours per trip to the links, Obama has spent the equivalent of two months of his presidency's available working time on the golf course. Of course, that doesn't even count the hours traveling in presidential motorcades to and from the courses. It also doesn't count any time he spends on the White House putting green. Obama doesn't typically golf with top advisors so these are "working" outings.

That's also the equivalent of a fifteen minute commute over the course of his presidency, or the amount of time you spend on DCUM every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obama has golfing more than 60 times as president. Let me try to put this in some context for you. At an average of five hours per trip to the links, Obama has spent the equivalent of two months of his presidency's available working time on the golf course. Of course, that doesn't even count the hours traveling in presidential motorcades to and from the courses. It also doesn't count any time he spends on the White House putting green. Obama doesn't typically golf with top advisors so these are "working" outings.

Asinine analysis and atrocious math.

Setting aside the most obvious objection to your very premise -- that he's not entitled to some recreational time, even on weekends and vacations- 60 times five hours is 300 hours.

There are 1,440 hours in 2 months. Even if you allow 8 hours per night for sleep, that's still 1,080 hours in two months. I, personally, define the president's "available working time" to be "every waking hour." But anyway you compute it, it doesn't even add up to "two months of his presidency on the golf course" which is how you're trying to make it seem.

So, first, liar liar, pants on fire. And second, still, SO FUCKING WHAT? He can't golf on Sunday afternoon because that's his "available working time?" What on Earth?

[Anonymous]

What does that say about bush and the republicans. They had what eight year to get Bin Laden and Obama can do it from the golf course. LOL What a bunch of clowns. We need adult leadership, not clowns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obama has golfing more than 60 times as president. Let me try to put this in some context for you. At an average of five hours per trip to the links, Obama has spent the equivalent of two months of his presidency's available working time on the golf course. Of course, that doesn't even count the hours traveling in presidential motorcades to and from the courses. It also doesn't count any time he spends on the White House putting green. Obama doesn't typically golf with top advisors so these are "working" outings.

Here's some context for YOU:

"two months of his presidency's available working time" only works if you think he works 40-hour weeks. Which means, for your tally of 60 golf trips, you get to count only those that happened between the hours of 9-5, Monday through Friday. None of the weekend golf trips count to the total of 60, nor do any taken during vacation.

So, I'm waiting... How much golf did he play during working hours?

[Anonymous]

I think that Obama mostly golfs on Sundays, a day when even the most work-driven Americans tend to take some down time. Most presidents tended to spend the entire weekend at Camp David; Obama mostly stays in town.

As a Post article explained last August, when Obama went on vacation:

"So far, President Obama has taken 61 vacation days after 31 months in office. At this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch where his staff often joined him for meetings. And Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch.

Among recent presidents, Bill Clinton took the least time off -- 28 days.

To be fair, a presidential vacation away from the White House is not the same as a vacation for the average person. The president is still in contact with his advisers and on call for any emergency."

[takoma]

Most important, if he is like most golfers, he probably says a silent prayer every time he takes a shot, so his golf should be a great comfort to those who want to know their President is a religious man.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, why is he "entitled" to so much recreational time? My husband hasn't been able to go golfing once in the last five years, he works many evenings, holidays and weekends and we get ONE one-week vacation per year but all I hear from Obama is how my husband isn't paying enough in taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, why is he "entitled" to so much recreational time? My husband hasn't been able to go golfing once in the last five years, he works many evenings, holidays and weekends and we get ONE one-week vacation per year but all I hear from Obama is how my husband isn't paying enough in taxes.

Those are the choices your husband makes to support your lavish lifestyle (and I assume it's lavish since by your description you earn north of $1 million per year, since that's the ONLY group of people Obama thinks is underpaying tax)

No one is forcing him to do these things. Your husband is also entitled to play more golf and take more vacation. He just chooses not to do so, for whatever reason.