Community organiser in chief finding it hard to get by without dog in his life

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Man, I can't believe Obama takes the secret service wherever he goes! It's almost as if he were required to by law!

Bo is part of the secret service? Talk about nepotism.

[Lorizael]

The dog is inconsequential. I don't believe that two Ospreys were sent to pick up one dog; there's no evidence that's the case and it doesn't make sense. You can complain about Obama requiring such a large retinue, except that he literally is required by law to have it. You can complain about him taking a vacation, except that he kind of has the hardest job in the world, so he does need vacation time. You can complain about him vacationing somewhere expensive, except that it would be a gigantic security risk to have the president vacation in public (and would require more secret service). So, what's left to complain about?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

I agree wholeheartedly and made the same defenses 8 years ago. Save for the fact that I wasn't advocating then the self pity route the current WH takes compared to the WH of yon.

"SOB! SOB!, POTUS's job is so hard he needs a vacation." never sells well to a nation struggling economically.

[Ben Kenobi]

Does this story even strike you as vaguely plausible? Really? You think a national leader with a large number of press and PR advisors would approve something this utterly ridiculous which would be guaranteed to leak out to the press and make them look terrible? Really? You're buying that?

What free press? Do you really think that the MSM is going to report something bad about Obama?

[DinoDoc]

Dude, you're usually pretty chill. Does this story even strike you as vaguely plausible? Really? You think a national leader with a large number of press and PR advisors would approve something this utterly ridiculous which would be guaranteed to leak out to the press and make them look terrible? Really? You're buying that?

Stuff like this always struck me as being more ridiculous. Obama, Michelle, took separate U.S. planes for Martha's Vineyard trip

[kentonio]

What free press? Do you really think that the MSM is going to report something bad about Obama?

Huffington Post was kicking Obama all over the place a couple of weeks ago. The idea that the evil liberal media never criticizes Obama is idiotic.

[Lorizael]

I agree wholeheartedly and made the same defenses 8 years ago. Save for the fact that I wasn't advocating then the self pity route the current WH takes compared to the WH of yon.

"SOB! SOB!, POTUS's job is so hard he needs a vacation." never sells well to a nation struggling economically.

Complaining about Obama's vacations because other people complained about Bush's vacations is pretty silly. Just try being consistent instead. For example, I've never complained about Bush's vacations.

And seriously, I have no problem with the president taking a vacation. He'd probably be a less effective president if he worked constantly because he'd never have any way to relieve stress. Psychology is real, folks. Denying it is stupid.

[DinoDoc]

He'd probably be a less effective president if he worked constantly because he'd never have any way to relieve stress.

Less effective? Is that possible?

[Lorizael]

Ha.

[Sava]

I love that conservatwits now refer to the "mainstream media" as MSM.

[DinoDoc]

Ha.

I couldn't resist.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Complaining about Obama's vacations because other people complained about Bush's vacations is pretty silly. Just try being consistent instead. For example, I've never complained about Bush's vacations.

And seriously, I have no problem with the president taking a vacation. He'd probably be a less effective president if he worked constantly because he'd never have any way to relieve stress. Psychology is real, folks. Denying it is stupid.

I haven't complained about the vacays other than the point I made about the optics of them as amplified by the white house's attitude.

Bush and his WH knew better then to go "the woe is me I work so hard route". (Instead the response usually was "the president is on retreat, however he is working and fully engaged at all times.") Similarly he and his whitehouse didn't do the "woe is me, the previous administration has really screwed me" route either. Lastly, I knew both of them (Bush and Obama) campaigned mightily for the job. As such, complaining once you've got it is unseemly and gains you neither respect nor sympathy, particularly in tough times.

(By the by I see no problem highlighting the intensity of how bat **** crazy people were back then as means to show how hypocritical they are now with pretenses of rationality and decorum)

[kentonio]

Stuff like this always struck me as being more ridiculous. Obama, Michelle, took separate U.S. planes for Martha's Vineyard trip

I think it's fair to assume that when the schedule planners are working out how the President and First Lady will spend every minute of their day, that things like consolidating transport isn't exactly high on the list of things they care about. Maybe they should, but is it actually likely to be a saving for the US when your leader ends up spending a couple of hours sitting around waiting for a plane because the First Lady got held up at a charity function or something?

[Lorizael]

I think it's fair to assume that when the schedule planners are working out how the President and First Lady will spend every minute of their day, that things like consolidating transport isn't exactly high on the list of things they care about. Maybe they should, but is it actually likely to be a saving for the US when your leader ends up spending a couple of hours sitting around waiting for a plane because the First Lady got held up at a charity function or something?

Well, if he's on vacation anyway...

[rah]

Bush and his WH knew better then to go "the woe is me I work so hard route".

I think for different reasons than you're attributing them.