Originally Posted By tiggertoo <<Call Oprah and tell her he isn't the Messiah,>> Yeah, speaking of the Messiah, what was Jesus doing at a wedding party when he should have been out healing the sick or teaching a sermon? What a looser. Just saying.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones I don't care that he went on Leno and made fun of retards. He could have said that Mother Teresa was a c-word and I wouldn't have cared. My issue is that he went on Leno. I don't blame Americans for noticing how much time he's been spending goofing off. And this is coming from an Obama supporter.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***My issue is that he went on Leno.*** Is this because you think the President shouldn't be doing interviews at all, or rather that you're unhappy with the "lighter" format?
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones If he's going to do interviews he should be revealing the most intimate details about his plans. Otherwise, I want to see him in the Oval Office. But I will say it again, it's a minor issue so don't take my complaining to mean that I think it's the end of the world.
Originally Posted By FaMulan He's been having too much fun. There isn't a photo opportunity he won't show up for. Listen, we elected him, he can stop campaigning now.<< I don't blame Americans for noticing how much time he's been spending goofing off. And this is coming from an Obama supporter.<< At least he hasn't been on Vacation for the majority of his first 100 days like the former President. Yes, he's been out in the public eye, it's a dramatic and frankly, welcome change from the former President. And he's a basketball fan, so what? Bush was a baseball fan and former team owner and no one, NO ONE, blasted him for throwing out first balls at games or hosting Tee Ball on the White House Lawn. The current President is a very different man than the former President and people need to break out of the fact that we no longer have a virtual hermit in the Oval Office. Back on topic. I've never wanted any President to fail. IMHO, wanting a President to fail is tantamount to treason.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***At least he hasn't been on Vacation for the majority of his first 100 days like the former President.*** Try a full THIRD of his two terms in office. But that's a different story. I haven't seen ANYTHING from this President thus far that indicates to me in the slightest that he isn't FULLY engaged in all aspects as his Presidency. If other people think so, I guess that's their prerogative, but I believe that is a myopic and small view of what "President" means. He has hosted some events at the White House. To some, that seems frivolous. To me, it speaks to his optimism and hope for the future. He has appeared in some "fun" situations, such as a college basketball show and Leno. To some, that appears to be the President shirking his duties. To me, it seems as though he is reaching out to EVERYONE (yes, even the folks who couldn't care less about politics or news, but still tune in to a "March Madness" show or a late night talk show). Frankly, it's all a load of garbage as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I see it. The Presidency is a vast responsibility. It involves sitting in the Oval Office crunching numbers and making decisions, sure. But it also involves much, much more (including outreach, and involving ALL citizens in the process...something this President excels at).
Originally Posted By DAR Spokker, the Presidency is a job and like any job you need to take a break and relax for just a bit.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 That's right. Plus, as X points out, there are many Americans who never, but never, watch a Presidential speech or press conference. Too boring. They don't read newspapers. But they do watch Leno. And along with the small talk, Obama talked about the financial crisis, its origins, and what he was planning to do about it, in pretty simple (but not simplistic) terms. It was a chance for him to reach that subset of Americans who would not have heard it otherwise.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "At least he hasn't been on Vacation for the majority of his first 100 days like the former President." President: March Madness is coming and I gotta lay out my bracket! American People: No, not until you finish your economic recovery plan, mister. President: But other presidents get to do it! American People: I don't care what the other presidents do! You get to work, young man. President: Aw shucks... "Bush was a baseball fan and former team owner and no one, NO ONE, blasted him for throwing out first balls at games or hosting Tee Ball on the White House Lawn." I don't believe that no one criticized him. And if the American people are getting on Obama's case about his public appearances, maybe you should cut *them* some slack because they just got off a presidency, as you say, where commander in chief was hardly in the office.
Originally Posted By mawnck How about that lazy good-for-nothing FDR and those time-wasting fireside chats! No wonder we lost that war. ;-)
Originally Posted By Mr X ***And if the American people are getting on Obama's case about his public appearances*** I haven't noticed this, beyond the noise machine jumping on every possible bit of minutia to complain about him (good lord, things have become SO skewed these days, if everyone was nit-picking Clinton so much he never would've dared screw around with that intern!).
Originally Posted By DAR <<(good lord, things have become SO skewed these days, if everyone was nit-picking Clinton so much he never would've dared screw around with that intern!).>> Well I wouldn't go that far.
Originally Posted By Mr X I dunno. He was cocky, obviously. If he'd been under such a microscope right from the start, I bet he'd have been more paranoid.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "if everyone was nit-picking Clinton so much he never would've dared screw around with that intern!)." Hey, at least it was happening in his office!
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I don't want the President to fail...but I wouldn't mind if some of his policy initiatives fail. I think in his quest to fix everything at once he is taking too many risks and setting too many bad precedents.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "I think in his quest to fix everything at once he is taking too many risks and setting too many bad precedents." Well, there are some on the left who are accusing him of not doing enough right away, which is amusing. FWIW, former Sen. Bill Bradley was on Bill Maher last week, and Maher, who seems to want to be the "hip" left guy who questions Obama suddenly, asked Bradley why Obama hadn't addressed some issue that (frankly I forget what it was) was near and dear to Maher. Bradley's response was basically look, he can't do EVERYTHING all at once, despite reports to the contrary. SOME things have to come later.
