The First Family's Lifestyle

[Anonymous]

Here's a pretty good article with some facts:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100805/pl_yblog_upshot/first-lady-under-fire-for-her-glitzy-spanish-vacation

What gets me in the article is the fact the First Lady will take 8 vacations this summer. Now that smacks of being very out-of-touch with the country. Most people are happy to get one vacation per year.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Do people know that Marbella is like the Hamptons or Palm Beach of Spain? It's an enclave of and for the super rich. Maybe they think most Americans are not sophisticated enough to know that. Anyway, this too shall pass. The war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the economy, gay rights, education, affordable healthcare for all, yes, that's what is truly important. This trip to Marbella just got to me.

[Anonymous]

Watergate led to a resignation because the economy sucked. Monica Lewinsky led to acquittal because the economy was going gangbusters. Obama and Bush's vacations are only cared about due to the economy.

But it's not like they're out of touch when they're on vacation.

When McKinley died:
September 6, 1901: Roosevelt got a telegram saying McKinley had been shot.
Afternoon of September 7, 1901: Roosevelt arrives at Buffalo.
Morning of September 10, 1901: Roosevelt leaves for a hiking trip in the Adirondacks as everyone thought McKinley's condition was improving (ironically they even had X-ray machines on hand but they were not used!)
Afternoon of September 12: Roosevelt arrives at his Adirondack cabin.
1:30pm, September 13: Roosevelt gets a telegram saying McKinley's condition was worsening. Starts heading back to Buffalo. First has to climb back down a mountain.
before midnight, September 13: Finally gets to his cabin, begins a wagon ride to the nearest train station (North Creek, NY).
2:15am, September 14: McKinley succumbs to his wounds.
5:22am, September 14: Roosevelt finally arrives at a *train station*. Gets informed McKinley has died. The train even stopped in Albany and didn't get to Buffalo until 1:30pm.
3:30pm, September 14: Roosevelt is given the Oath as 26th President.

Today, if the President dropped out of contact for twelve hours it would be a disaster. Here we have Roosevelt taking over 26 hours to head across New York State.

Amazing how much has changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why was it okay for everyone to constantly make fun of GWB's big ears, and yet if someone made a comment about (for example) Obama's big lips....it would be considered racist?

What if an African American was commenting on GWB's big ears? Would that be racist?

I'd say yes, but only because he doesn't have big lips at all.

He does have big ears, why not make fun of those instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why was it okay for everyone to constantly make fun of GWB's big ears, and yet if someone made a comment about (for example) Obama's big lips....it would be considered racist?

What if an African American was commenting on GWB's big ears? Would that be racist?

Also, this doesn't make sense because I'm unaware of big ears being a stereotypical trait for any race in America. If a black American made fun of George Bush's pale skin or thin lips, that would be racial. I know of no racial connotations to ear size.

[Anonymous]

I was neutral on Obama when he was elected (I did not vote for him because I think he lacked experience. Had Hilary made the ballot she might have gotten my vote.) The longer he's in office the less I like him and frankly I can't wait until 2012. In 2008 I thought the democrats could have put a monkey on the ballot and won the election, now I'm starting to think the same thing about the republicans for 2012. I sure hope they have someone better than McCain to offer up though!

Anyway my real point is I think the first family should be given a strict personal travel budget and anything above that amount (including Air Force 1 or 2 and security) should come out of their own pocket. If they can't handle the stress and need vacations to make up for the stress, then don't run for office. We all have stress in our lives and don't spend millions of dollars to compensate. (And yes I do realize being the president is not the same kind of stress as being a lawyer, doctor, teacher, nanny, barista etc. but he knew when he ran for office it was a stressful job.) When I think of Obama I think of the Manchurian Candidate....where did this guy come from and how the hell did he get elected w/o any appreciable experience??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was it okay for everyone to constantly make fun of GWB's big ears, and yet if someone made a comment about (for example) Obama's big lips....it would be considered racist?

What if an African American was commenting on GWB's big ears? Would that be racist?

Also, this doesn't make sense because I'm unaware of big ears being a stereotypical trait for any race in America. If a black American made fun of George Bush's pale skin or thin lips, that would be racial. I know of no racial connotations to ear size.

I've never observed a black person to have large ears, quite the opposite actually....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was neutral on Obama when he was elected (I did not vote for him because I think he lacked experience. Had Hilary made the ballot she might have gotten my vote.) The longer he's in office the less I like him and frankly I can't wait until 2012. In 2008 I thought the democrats could have put a monkey on the ballot and won the election, now I'm starting to think the same thing about the republicans for 2012. I sure hope they have someone better than McCain to offer up though!

Anyway my real point is I think the first family should be given a strict personal travel budget and anything above that amount (including Air Force 1 or 2 and security) should come out of their own pocket. If they can't handle the stress and need vacations to make up for the stress, then don't run for office. We all have stress in our lives and don't spend millions of dollars to compensate. (And yes I do realize being the president is not the same kind of stress as being a lawyer, doctor, teacher, nanny, barista etc. but he knew when he ran for office it was a stressful job.) When I think of Obama I think of the Manchurian Candidate....where did this guy come from and how the hell did he get elected w/o any appreciable experience??

God, I hate this kind of mentality. It's the same thing that's given us a slowly disintegrating National Mall, and public spaces in general. You know what? He's the President of the United States. Get over it. This kind of B.S. frugality is a) ridiculous; and b) pretty suspect since you never hear it when "traditional" presidents are in office. And by "traditional" I mean white men. Yeah, I said it.

[Anonymous]

14:39...please explain how not allowing the president has anything at all to do with public spaces...your response to the PP (who is absolutely correct) makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a problem with what they're doing. I do think it was a bad call, politically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was neutral on Obama when he was elected (I did not vote for him because I think he lacked experience. Had Hilary made the ballot she might have gotten my vote.) The longer he's in office the less I like him and frankly I can't wait until 2012. In 2008 I thought the democrats could have put a monkey on the ballot and won the election, now I'm starting to think the same thing about the republicans for 2012. I sure hope they have someone better than McCain to offer up though!

Anyway my real point is I think the first family should be given a strict personal travel budget and anything above that amount (including Air Force 1 or 2 and security) should come out of their own pocket. If they can't handle the stress and need vacations to make up for the stress, then don't run for office. We all have stress in our lives and don't spend millions of dollars to compensate. (And yes I do realize being the president is not the same kind of stress as being a lawyer, doctor, teacher, nanny, barista etc. but he knew when he ran for office it was a stressful job.) When I think of Obama I think of the Manchurian Candidate....where did this guy come from and how the hell did he get elected w/o any appreciable experience??

God, I hate this kind of mentality. It's the same thing that's given us a slowly disintegrating National Mall, and public spaces in general. You know what? He's the President of the United States. Get over it. This kind of B.S. frugality is a) ridiculous; and b) pretty suspect since you never hear it when "traditional" presidents are in office. And by "traditional" I mean white men. Yeah, I said it.

This doesn't make any sense at all. Care to elaborate? Get over what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was neutral on Obama when he was elected (I did not vote for him because I think he lacked experience. Had Hilary made the ballot she might have gotten my vote.) The longer he's in office the less I like him and frankly I can't wait until 2012. In 2008 I thought the democrats could have put a monkey on the ballot and won the election, now I'm starting to think the same thing about the republicans for 2012. I sure hope they have someone better than McCain to offer up though!

Anyway my real point is I think the first family should be given a strict personal travel budget and anything above that amount (including Air Force 1 or 2 and security) should come out of their own pocket. If they can't handle the stress and need vacations to make up for the stress, then don't run for office. We all have stress in our lives and don't spend millions of dollars to compensate. (And yes I do realize being the president is not the same kind of stress as being a lawyer, doctor, teacher, nanny, barista etc. but he knew when he ran for office it was a stressful job.) When I think of Obama I think of the Manchurian Candidate....where did this guy come from and how the hell did he get elected w/o any appreciable experience??

Absolutely agree and the same rule would continue for all Presidents regardless of race or party. What's unfair about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was neutral on Obama when he was elected (I did not vote for him because I think he lacked experience. Had Hilary made the ballot she might have gotten my vote.) The longer he's in office the less I like him and frankly I can't wait until 2012. In 2008 I thought the democrats could have put a monkey on the ballot and won the election, now I'm starting to think the same thing about the republicans for 2012. I sure hope they have someone better than McCain to offer up though!

Anyway my real point is I think the first family should be given a strict personal travel budget and anything above that amount (including Air Force 1 or 2 and security) should come out of their own pocket. If they can't handle the stress and need vacations to make up for the stress, then don't run for office. We all have stress in our lives and don't spend millions of dollars to compensate. (And yes I do realize being the president is not the same kind of stress as being a lawyer, doctor, teacher, nanny, barista etc. but he knew when he ran for office it was a stressful job.) When I think of Obama I think of the Manchurian Candidate....where did this guy come from and how the hell did he get elected w/o any appreciable experience??

God, I hate this kind of mentality. It's the same thing that's given us a slowly disintegrating National Mall, and public spaces in general. You know what? He's the President of the United States. Get over it. This kind of B.S. frugality is a) ridiculous; and b) pretty suspect since you never hear it when "traditional" presidents are in office. And by "traditional" I mean white men. Yeah, I said it.

Can you explain why the suggested "frugality" with taxpayer funds is ridiculous? With most jobs that have benefits for travel and entertainment there are limits on the value of the benefits. Isn't this even more pertinent with OUR money. Many of the people who pay these taxes live from paycheck to paycheck and can barely afford to pay their basic expenses. It would show respect for taxpayers to have limits on spending for non-official entertainment and travel.

[Anonymous]

I shudder to think that the same people posting her vote. Scary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I shudder to think that the same people posting her vote. Scary.

Yes it must be scary to know that some people want the govt to stop wasting taxpayer funds. That's why you hate the tea party.