Mr. President goes to New York…
…to take in dinner and a Broadway play.
The Democrats counter the resultant criticism by saying that all presidents take vacations, especially Mr. Obama’s predecessor George Bush, so what’s the big brouhaha about?
It is certainly true that most presidents vacation quite a bit. They need to. They also need to relax, enjoy themselves, and get out on the town now and then in more short-term ways—take in a play or a movie (or play golf, as Eisenhower was often criticized for doing).
Obama is no different. But most vacations are longer trips, working vacations where the president has a change of scenery and keeps working in a more relaxed and rural setting than the White House. Camp David, for example, exists for that purpose. Or if presidents prefer, they either go home (the ranch for Bush and Reagan, the peanut farm for Carter) or, if they don’t own that sort of convenient retreat, they go to estates kindly offered by friends and supporters (the Clintons on the Vineyard, for example).
I have no problem with this at all, and I’ve always assumed that, be they Republican or be they Democrat, Presidents mostly work very hard while at these “vacation” places. Getting there involves flying and expense and all that. But this sort of getting away from it all and yet continuing to work seems necessary for presidents’ mental and physical health, and not wasteful because they usually are away for quite a while.
But for a president to fly from DC to New York for an evening of pleasure seems to have no precedent (at least none I can recall) on either side of the political spectrum. It somehow seems excessive for a short-term treat that is available right in Washington with much less bother and expense. But instead of going to the Kennedy Center, the Obamas flew to New York complete with entourage and press for a single night’s activity that could be more or less duplicated at home in DC. And for the Obamas to do this now, with the economy as it is, seems especially tone deaf and narcissistic. It’s an indication that Obama has learned he can do whatever he wants; he is nearly immune from criticism in the mainstream media, so why not indulge whatever whim he and Michelle might have?
Obama has often been compared to Jimmy Carter. Maybe some of his policies are, but in this respect they could not be more different. Although Carter was an awful president, one good thing I must say about him is that he promised his presidency would be less imperial (he would carry his own bags, for example) and he followed through on much of that. Carter took relatively few vacations compared to other presidents: only 79 days for his four years in office, mostly at his own peanut farm. Say what you will about the man, but in this respect (unlike Obama with his calls for sacrifice only for others), he was no hypocrite.
[ADDENDUM: So much for transparency.]
You’re too critical of Mr. Obama. That’s because you have no personal experience what he and his lady are going through: the weight of HALO is excrutiating!
If Mama ain’t happy…ain’t nobody happy. Got to keep Mama happy.
neo,
This is really no vacation at all, this “evening out.” Since inauguration, and especially since after the passage of the Porkulus Bill (or Spendulous Bill, if that does it for you) Obonga has been traveling a lot – overseas and around the country. His schedule has been more packed with travel than I’ve ever seen a president do in such a short time. And now he’s off to Egypt to kow-tow to the Islamic regimes in that part of the world and to deliver another slap in the face to Benjamin Netanyahu. Obonga is all about the mailed fist. There is a logic behind what he is doing. New York, LA, and Las Vegas are heavily Democrat enclaves, with a fawning media thrown in for good measure. Plus, there have been numerous speeches and press conferences.
He is being stage managed to use the media to keep his poll numbers up. They have this down to a science: they know very well the psychology of the crowd he most appeals to. Besides the Hard Left, the next tier of his base of support are the more doltish, fashion followers among the soft liberals. He must be seen as stylish and regal to these people. This is the Entertainment Tonight crowd and the urban and suburban people who watch the late night shows.
The intensification of his media blitzt happened right around the time when the Rasmussen Polling showed a very tight distance between those who strongly approve of him and those who strongly disapprove of him. Now he is widening the gap again, so their work is paying off. I think his selection of the Cool Latina also helped with his polling numbers, since a lot of the urban people now are Hispanic females who like this idea very much and who could give a shit about what the Democrats did to Miguel Estrada or Roberto Gonzales.
So, they know the riff raff are going to love his stylish night-on-the-town New York excursion.
Not only did he use tax-payer money for this one night of entertainment; but I would like to see the news media talk about how he and his entourage inconvenienced ordinary people.
I remember the NJ turnpike several years ago when VP Al Gore came through for a political fundraiser – traffic was a nightmare. So, surely, Obama’s motorcade going through much more congested midtown Manhattan caused some problems; not to mention it must have been quite a scene at the airport.
None of this was mentioned, all I heard on the TV news was how Obama kept his “campaign promise” to take his wife out to a Broadway show after the election. Oh, how cute!
I seem to remember the Democrats and or the News Media complaining everytime Reagan or one of the Bushes’ went to a ranch or Kennebunkport.
With this News Media 2009 is looking more and more like Orwell’s 1984. All we need is a resurgent Russia and trouble in the Far East.
I have seen quite a bit about how he was fulfilling a promise to MO to do this for her once the campaign was over. No mention that there were about 10 weeks between the election and inauguration to fulfill that promise at his own expense.
The disgusting aspect, of course, is that he constantly badgers us about sacrifice and conservation of energy. He told us not to go to Las Vegas, and he told us not to fly private jets (not a problem). This morning he was talking about the GM associated job losses, and how people were sacrificing for the good of our children and grandchildren. But, like most Liberal hypocrites, he cannot alter his own lifestyle. (Obviously not a correct statement; he has altered his own life-style dramatically. We are paying the bill.)
How do you say Imperial Presidency?
I hear from people I know, “Well Bush took more time off than anyone before him”. Yeah he did, but I wasn’t happy about that either. That kind of argument always gets me – “Well Bush did this or that” because people assume that I (along with every other republican or conservative on the planet) supported everything Bush did. But even if I did then that would be saying – well because so and so acted badly then it is okay for my guy to do so. I always learned “two wrongs don’t make a right.”
One particularly liberal friend defended it by saying, “What do you expect him to do – take her out to KFC?”
My response -“Yeah, that’s exactly what I would suggest. She could still wear her $540 sneakers while being one of the people. But unfortunately if I did suggest it I would be deemed a racist for suggesting a black man take his wife out for fried chicken.”
Oh Neo, you were right about Carter. However he was one president who would have done the country a huge favor by getting out of Washington a lot more often.
I’m sure FredHjr is on target about the calculated political usefulness of this jaunt, but it was also right in line with Obama’s penchant for the grandiose. It really chilled me, even more than the Greek temple and the fireworks and all that. It was so gangsterish — like Nathan Detroit taking his moll to Havana for the weekend.
mizpants– Your description re “Nathan Detroit taking his moll to Havana….” was the only thing to give me a laugh about this.
I thought I was the only one who would be “petty” enough to find the President flying to New York for “date night:” dinner and a show. The problem is he also had to fly his entourage, press (PRESS???!!! There’s not enough press in this city to cover it?), secret service, etc. besides consuming an enormous amount of fuel.
This really stuck in my craw, and Obama’s hypocrisy and arrogance is beyond belief. While the lower and middle classes (upper, too, but they generally have a cushion for such times — except folks like me who were cleaned out by Madoff!)) are suffering quite severely economically, wondering if they’ll have a job tomorrow, or if they’ve already lost theirs, how long it will take to find a new one, how much gas will cost tomorrow, this President lectures the public and then abuses the privileges of his office (as he connives how to collect more taxes from us to pay for all his shameless profligacy). (And that’s not to mention after he’s shoveled BILLIONS of dollars into failing car cos., failing banks, and failing insurance co — not as loans to be paid back, but buying equity which surely go down the tubes with each of these companies.)
And we were worried about socialized medicine??! We had no clue what was coming………. And now I’m afraid to even venture a guess as to what other plans he has.
To beat all, he keeps those posiive poll nos. Of course FredHjr is exactly right about the expert media manipulation, but how is it possible that so many think he’s doing a good job??
*mizpants, I love your description “Nathan Detroit taking his moll to Havana” – now I have to find out who he was!
To me, Obamas “high life” resembles the rapper convention that I had a chance to pass by once on west 18th street, in Metropolitan Pavillion. The block was barriered , wardrobe-like bodyguards lined the sidewalk. There were TV people and movie documentary people. The guests exiting stretch limousines were caricatures: in silk bandannas, impeccable dinner suits and starched bluish-white shirts, adorned with gold and platinum dollar-sign medallions about 3 lb of weight each…
It’s a new American Nomenklatura, the New Class. De ja vu times.
If I remember correctly, the buzz around the Statue of Liberty set us back about 361K. I wonder what the Broadway play cost us. I’ll bet it broke a million.
I mean, we have limos and secret service vehicles, and therefore a second plane, on and on.
He truly needs to make the most of these four years. He’s done.
Tatyana,
Nathan Detroit is a character from the wonderful old musical Guys and Dolls, adapted from a novel by Damon Runyon. I think Nathan D. actually does take a girlfriend to Havana for the weekend — the musical was written in the fifties — but don’t remember for sure. Does anyone else remember Guys and Dolls?
Thanks a million, *mizpants. What a great name.
I have a feeling that Michelle is not happy about life at the WH. Camp David would not appeal to a city girl like her. She would probably prefer a Hamptons-style get away where her smeakers would be appreciated.
News of the date made it across the big pond. How long will it take for other foreign leaders to get sick of Mr. Cool?
expat,
I don’t think foreign leaders take Mr. Cool very seriously at all. One leader in particular probably despises him. Bibi Netanyahu probably wishes he could just have MOSSAD take care of the problem. In a confrontation between Israel and the United States, even though I am not Jewish, this will be the first time in my life that I am not rooting for my country. Israel is fighting for its very life, and now has an America that will throw it to the wolves.
It was Sky Masterson who took Sister Sarah to Havana in order to win a bet with Nathan…
mizpants,
Delurking to say that it was Skye Masterson who flitted off to Havana habitually. Good ol’ reliable Nathan Detroit pretty much stayed in Manhattan to run his floating crap game. In the play Skye takes a Salvation Army doll to Havana because he’s been bet a thousand dollars (by Nathan) that he can’t get her to fall for him.
Does anyone know what show the Obamas saw?
Our national treasure is his for the tanking…oops, I meant taking.
This little excursion is simply another example of a long list that shows he doesn’t give a rats a$$ about the little people.
He seems to act as if he is emperor and is in his own world with his sycophants for company. Critical opinion will not penetrate until the whole shebang finally hits the wall….
I was wondering what the carbon footprint of an Obama evening in NY is.
Scottie,
The whole shebang is starting to hit the wall. Noticed how the Treasury auctions have been going in recent weeks? It’s starting. In the wake of the poor auctions and falling tax revenues, the bond vigilantes are out. A sure sign of panic… the “trail balloon” of the VAT and other revenue-enhancers. The brazen moves by North Korea and by Russia.
This is going to get way more ugly before it’s mercifully going to come to an end in January of 2013.
Thanks for the corrections, Elizabethe and Brian Swisher. At least I had Havana right.
Does this story strike anyone else as vaguely familiar: the jetting away, the gawking paparazzi (press), the fawning coverage, the unmentioned (or even mentioned!) expense, the glamor, the clothes, the “we’re just out on a date” wink-and-nudge joke …?
These folks are celebrities. Mr. Obama is truly our first celebrity president. How many times have he and the fam (esp. Michelle) been on the cover of the “entertainment” rags? I previously thought Clinton was first, but he was largely confined to the pre-Internet age and didn’t really have the knack — and Hillary was way too wonky.
Those of us who loath his ideas can take a strong solace: celebrity culture eats its own. This is as near as our ultra-splintered modern world comes to an ironclad inevitability.
About Carter…
Say what you will about the man, but in this respect (unlike Obama with his calls for sacrifice only for others), he was no hypocrite.
.
I’ll Amen that.
I never liked Carter, and was so relieved when he was defeated for re-election.
But, while I didn’t like what he preached, he DID practice it, and I respect him for that.
–
Dear Neo: I used to read you a lot during the war in Iraq. Oh, I almost forgot, it’s still ongoing. Anyway, Your ideas were, I thought, on point: thoughtful and a well reasoned defense of aggressive neo-liberalism. Too bad the thing was so badly botched,as per management, by and large, until Petreus came aboard. And even still, it’s hard to say how the whole thing will sort. What bothers me since is that you’ve become an echo-chamber for the extreme right. Did you check your brain with Fox news since the election? Do you really NEED an opinion about everything in the news, including Obama’s vacation habits? Who cares! Did you write a precise every time Bush took off? I guess what I’m saying is that by having so many opinions you cheapen what you say and the importance of what you mean. I’d like you to reflect on this a little. Maybe you don’t have to write every day; make it about something important, otherwise you trivialize yourself. Also, if you are an artist, as you say, why not more about art and culture (or the lack of it) in America.
I think this is awesome — it sets a good example of a husband and wife doing something spontaneous and fun together. Very good!
still liberal after all these yeares:
I speak for myself, not for Neo. Perhaps a trip to NYC is trivial. OTOH, a President who talks of sacrifice is not showing others that he is also sacrificing. Rather like the hothouse temperature of his White House office, contrasted with my place having an indoor winter time temperature in the lower 60s.
Given the choice between
1) a President who spends umpteen thousands on a plane trip to a Broadway show in NYC and who presents a budget that reflects care and a determination to hold down spending, versus
2) a President who does not leave DC for entertainment purposes but who pushes a thousand page $800 billion “stimulus” that neither he nor any Congressman have read more than a few pages.
I would choose #1. As long as the President is doing his job, I don’t care about his entertainment expenses a whole lot. Unfortunately we have the worst of both worlds: a President with high entertainment expenses who to mine eyes spends more time in photo ops than in governing. That Stimulus Package was an abomination, or should I say, OBAMINATION.
I don’t know what you mean by “extreme right.” As a born and bred Liberal who defected from the fold, a process that took decades, my perspective may be different from yours. IMHO, a Harry Truman or JFK liberal has more in common with Dick Cheney than with President Obama. I certainly feel more affinity for HST and JFK than I do for the Democratic Party of 2009. But that’s just my opinion.
In the same spirit as you posted here, do you object to Neo’s posting on the killing of the abortion MD? Too many topics, not optimal to discuss?
I find it interesting that you bring up Fox News. This seems to be a stock put-down in some circles. “You.. you…you…you Fox News viewer, you!” I also find it amusing, because in my case, the only use I make of Fox News is for sports. Does that mean that I have a right-wing twisted bias towards the issues of rehabbing Kevin Garnett and Tom Brady?
The Folk Song Army may help explain to you why I for one, am no longer liberal after all these years. Apostates like Neo tend to attract other apostates.
still liberal:
I found out about the date from German public-TV text news–not Fox. The celebrity image makes us look silly in the world. It is a political issue.
AND THERE’S MORE! (if you can stomach it…..) From the New York Post. [Just for fun, try changing the name obama to Bush.] Note the fawning, bootlicking tone of the whole thing. Gag….
“We left them alone the entire night,” said Blue Hill diner Rachael Levit, of Manhattan. “Nobody asked for autographs or took any pictures. They were laughing and talking and seemed like they had a genuinely good time.”
But as the Os departed, the respectful diners, who had been screened by Secret Service personnel before they could enter the eatery, erupted into a round of applause.
Then it was up to Broadway, where they had tickets at the Belasco Theatre for “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” a play by August Wilson about a man coming to terms with the history of slavery. [Give it a rest, will ya?]
“I’m nervous, excited, honored,” said Andre Holland, who plays character Jeremy Furlow, before the show. “It’s like in Shakespearean times, when the king would come to the show.”
Although the play’s up for a Best Revival Tony Award, President Hussein Obama and the First Lady got the biggest standing ovation of the night as theatergoers applauded and took photos of the dashing duo for 10 minutes!!! before the show began.
President Hussein gallantly guided his wife to their orchestra seats with his hand on the small of her back, while shaking hands with fellow theatergoers and smiling broadly. Due to security screenings, the curtain rose an hour late.
“I couldn’t think for the first 10 minutes of the show because the president was sitting right next to me,” gushed seatmate Lloyd Lederkramer.
“I was very honored the president took a date night with his wife and chose to see our play,” said leading actor Ernie Hudson. “We were all very honored.”
The Os sent a note to the cast afterwards saying they loved the play and wished they could go backstage, but couldn’t because of security, actor Michael Cummings, 13, said.
Taxpayers footed the bill for the big night on the town, which included the three aircraft used to ferry the Os, aides and reporters to New York and back. # # #
I saw this circus driving up Sixth Avenue at 7:30 Saturday night. It was like the Normandy invasion. Outriders of about four-score motorcycles, several black SUVs filled with USSS men (one black SS guy was camcordering the whole gaggle from his SUV toward the rear), and a shitload of NYPD cruisers.
The New Yorkers swooned and writhed in ecstasy at seeing the Maximum Leader, in his huge, heavy, wildly expensive Husseinmobile, grinning toothily at the Peons and Proles. It gave me the willies. Like watching the effect of a Hitler motorcade in the old newsreels.
Alternate universe, over and out.
All I can do is vote. God, I hope that’s enough.
A youtube video of the messiah’s night out to Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” sounds in order.
As I observe the price of gas and food staples shooting up, with much consternation, this “date” fills me with anger. We taxpayers provide White house staff (160+ aides to the president!), in-house theater, bowling alley, entertainment, transportation, vacation home, etc. so he doesn’t have to go out. We provide far too many perks to our political class, most of whom are millionaires many times over. Americans have become far too complacent about our elites in Washington living in luxury, all expenses paid by us while we worry about food, clothind and shelter. Omoron is rubbing our noses in it. He is Louis XI and she Marie Antoinette. The French Revolution did not end well for them either.
It strikes me as ironic that a President who has been so concerned with symbolism would offer his opponents the chance to criticize his behavior regarding the NY “date.” Then again, BHO is as narcissistic as they come, and after all, he still has the press eating out of the palm of his hand. He seems to have pulled it off and his MSM minions are free to criticize those mean spirited, small minded conservatives who object to such profligate spending of tax payers money. Hell, he got the porkulus “stimulus” package passed; he is now the de facto CEO of GM. Hope and Change, indeed!
It occurs to me most of the people who I have heard say – oh that’s so nice that he took his wife out are exactly the kind of people who would do exactly the same thing – have no compunction about spending the federal tax bill of about 20 (had to up my estimate after doing the math) hardworking families on a “date night” with his wife.
Oddly enough watching a bit of Greta last night I saw Rick Santorum and I thought he made a couple of good observations on this incident. He said he thought that Obama being a role model for blacks it was a good thing he did these “date nights” with Michelle and projected good family values – especially when 72 percent of babies born to blacks are born out of wedlock. But then he also noted it would have been a much better example if they had done something a majority of those people could emulate – such as getting some food and a bottle of wine and having night picnic down by the Potomac. I think that scenario would have actually played better around the world as well.
FredHjr,
Much as I hate to contemplate it (after all, I DO have a wife and 2 young kids to provide for!), this thing IS going to hit the wall sooner and with more force than I imagined.
Already gas prices are not creeping up – they’re flying up – and we haven’t even really hit stride regarding what’s coming down the road in the way of inflation as the effects of higher energy costs ripple out through an already weak economy.
It’s happening sooner than I expected, and therefore I’m concerned the effects will be worse than I expected.
In listening to NPR yesterday, they admitted that the gas prices were rising due to the devalued dollar.
The commentator had to toss in something to the effect “gas prices go up no matter what you do”.
Neither of the air heads had the nerve apparently to explain exactly WHY the dollar is dropping in value…..
Scottie – about gas prices.
I’m not a driver and usually don’t notice these things, but wasn’t it only recently that the gas prices were actually falling?
Tatyana,
Yes gas prices were recently falling, which was due to lowered demand for oil which in turn was due to a slowing down economy.
The economy is still slow – and getting slower from the looks of it – but the gas prices rise.
The rise in gas prices is due to the rise in oil prices which in turn is due to the dollar not being worth as much.
It takes more dollars now to buy the same amount of oil on the international market.
Remember the old stories about Post WWI German money being so worthless it took a basket to buy one loaf of bread?
Same principle at work.
For why the dollar is not worth as much, consider the government budget we are going into this year. They are printing trillions of dollars in deficit spending.
We are also getting into the vacation season of course, but from all reports it seems a lot of folks are cutting wayyyyyy back on expensive and far flung vacations this year, and I was noticing the rising gas prices at least a month ago – well before the start of the traditional vacation season.
As for non-drivers not noticing an increase directly, I would suggest keeping an eye on the cost of basic goods and services (they’ll increase) as well as the packaging of goods purchased (cereal boxes, for instance get smaller and use thinner cardboard) as companies attempt to maintain existing prices.
Thank you, Scottie, that’s what I suspected, too.
When prices were dropping due to normal market fluctuation, there was no discussion in the media – it was just noted, as if it was a meteorological event, not related to functioning of markets. When the prices go up, though, the media is quick blaming the usual – Hollyburton, war in Iraq, greedy capitalist speculators on Wall street, etc – but never the real culprits, the government financial policy.
I know of a closer example of terrible escalating inflation – ex-SU in the 90’s. Accounts of whole staff of huge factories, offices etc being paid in products of manufacturing of those factories instead of money (since they were losing value quicker than payroll could process) – how would you like to be paid in tires or bottles of sunflower oil? Of the senior citizens (depending solely on their government pensions, since during their lifetime they didn’t have legal means of investing privately), digging into garbage containers in search of stale crust of bread…
I agree with you – the nearest future does not allow for optimism; every day I feel we are sinking deeper and deeper.
Ironically, if we could get Obama and all his cabinet on these junkets 24/7 we might save the country billions or even trillions of dollars.
Tatyana,
Well, if factories started paying their workers off in goods rather than dollars that would provide at least one captive customer for Government Motors….
At least SOMEBODY would then be receiving government approved and oh so green vehicles…..
Scottie: haha. My folks live in Detroit…
May I point out that it is not Nathan Detroit who takes his moll (the singer Miss Adelaide) to Havana but Sky Masterson who takes Miss Sarah Brown, the Salvation Army gal; not for a week-end, either, but just one afternoon and evening. They are back in time to see the Sally Army HQ being used for the floating crap game. I am shocked, shocked at the lack of classical knowledge on this forum.