“This is a president who needs a vacation,” says Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart
I guess Pete thinks that date nights on Broadway, speeches around the world and talking about things he doesn’t know anything about constitute working.
“This is a president who needs a vacation,” says Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart
I guess Pete thinks that date nights on Broadway, speeches around the world and talking about things he doesn’t know anything about constitute working.
While I find the comment a bit of an eye-roller, and reflective of the seemingly widely-held perception that the holder of this office is a fragile boy-man who must be protected by handlers and the media, the most interesting content is towards the end of the article:
“As Congress works on its legislation and as Obama campaigns to get an overhaul enacted, 42 percent now say that the president’s plan is a bad idea, which is a 10-point increase since last month. Thirty-six percent say it’s a good idea.
In addition, 39 percent — a plurality — believe that Obama’s plan would result in the quality of their health care getting worse. That’s 15-point jump since April.”
Health Care “reform/change” is difficult because most Americans 70 to 80 per cent are happy with their health care. They are empoyed and have good plans.
It has always bee about helping the 10 to 20% who need and cant get, the poor and the old and poor.
So the mathematics dont work in Obama’s favour while he is proposing things that might make the majority worse off. But he should have known that from day 1….hence the rush, he was hoping his personal popularity and and Supermajorities would yield a fast result….so rush rush rush….
Anyway, this is a problem of his own making, going along with the Gates issue. His own miscalculation has caught him out. Thats ok, not every President gets what he wants in the time he wants it….he is human after all, very much so, now he has to rely on the tried and true methods. He isnt ronald Reagan, as much as he wants to be….even ronald Reagan wasn’t the mythical Ronald reagan till he ha acheived some things and won some battles, air controllers in particular.
Obama needs to do some more work, less speeches and much much less TV and other appearances.
Americans are starting to see that he is a car salesman in a fancy residence, he is out selling his smart car economy, no ambulance health care and no energy policy for huge costs ($1 Trillion +) on each one to the public who in the current circumstances are much more price sensitive than ever before.
The polls show that they are NOT buying it anymore because the price tag is far too big for a free market society who know how you control costs and reduce waste. That is because they are doing it in their lives each day.
At risk of hijacking the thread, it’s just amazing to me hearing the words that Pelosi is using, as follows:
“It’s almost immoral what they are doing,” Pelosi said to reporters, referring to insurance companies. “Of course they’ve been immoral all along in how they have treated the people that they insure,” she said, adding, “They are the villains. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening.”
Immoral? Villains?
Surely this is a low watermark for US politics and the US government in particular, to have such people of power using such language.
Disgusting
Should US government bureaucracy ever get entrenched in the Health Care as it is in Canada, the United States would never be the same and their history would be written as a socialist state from that day on!
Make no mistake folks.
Tommy Douglas’s Saskatchewan project was initially meant to stave off catastrophic financial burden and morphed into the state monster by Lester Pearson ( an early closet communist)federally and into the rationing we now have in Canada.
There is a cautionary tale here for our American neighbours.
Dear Mr Hart,
Maybe if PRESIDENT Obama stopped campaining and started governing a vacation would be unnecessary.
The Dems et al, always tell those of us of Conservative persuasion “We won, get over it”.
My question to them is, If you won, why is the campaign still on? Press Conferences, Town Halls media access to WH and on and on.
Enough already, you are POTUS, act like it.
A vacation?
He’s held the position exactly 192 days and has barely done anything yet.
What the hell kind of a job did he think he was running for?
I need a vacation… from Obama.
How can you tell a community organizer is talking about something he knows nothing about? His lips are moving.
I am amazed that the general voting public has not said to both their Congressmen and Senators, ” before you vote on that or any other package, you will read it line by line and if it needs explaining to you, you have lawyers for that purpose. Furthermore, start realizing what your precious earmarks are costing the American economy.”
As much as I like the US, some of this stuff beggars the imagination. Perhaps when they see the votes draining away, it may bring some sense to them.
No wonder they are scared of Palin.
There are so many legitimate things to critisize Obama for, I do not know why we would go to the point of suggesting being President, even an extremely bad one, is not a tough job. That is the kind of mindless sniping that the leftards spent 8 years doing to Bush. Surely, we are better than that.
What Hart is getting at is that Obama needs to give the public a break from him. All young politicians seem to have to learn this lesson, while he job is fascinating TO YOU….most people only care about what affects them.
When you are holding press conferences every 3 weeks or so people arent sure what to pay attention to. Summer is a good time to relax, take a break with your family, work behind he scenes and set up the fall. Congress doesnt want to work at that time, people aren paying attention and dont want to pay attention.
BUT
Presidential inolvement demands attenion. Obama is burning out his newness and squandering the mystique of the presidency. Nothing wrong with being seen at state fairs, on the vacation, meeting word leaders…but this stuff has been ridiculous.
The problem is he will burn his staff out and others and it will take until next summer to realign himself and his party and his agenda.
More unforced errors out of Obama
He makes a bad president but a perfectly adequate Governor General.
Too bad he can’t go on holiday for the next three and one half years, that way he cause less problems for the US and the rest of the world.
True to form he could just vote or say “present” when asked to do or say something.
Send Obama to Mars.
This guy thinks playing golf is work.
Vacation, what he needs a vacation. The prez has not even landed in OZ yet where things get very weird this time around.
I do not know why we would go to the point of suggesting being President, even an extremely bad one, is not a tough job. That is the kind of mindless sniping that the leftards spent 8 years doing to Bush. Surely, we are better than that.
~bob c at July 30, 2009 3:59 PM
It would be a tough job if he had the country’s best interest a heart, but he doesn’t.
It’s hard to find compromises, but he isn’t looking to compromise.
What did 8 years of mindless sniping get the Democrats?
Well, it got them the Senate, the Congress, and the White house, didn’t it?
Are we better than that?
McCain thought he was better than that, and he was.
He also got his head handed to him.
I say we snipe, not mindlessly, but relentlessly.
The Left has be poinsoning the well of political discourse for longer than 8 years.
Turnabout is fair play, says I.
The MSM who elected him are now getting ready to throw him under their bus . . and it is a big bus.
I am hoping Sarah Palin gets rocking and rolling on this fool . . just keep pounding him on his incredible deficit and debt numbers.
Sarah: “I think it is wonderful that so many young Americans are willing to sacrifice their economic futures so that middle age Americans can enjoy free everything now and in their retirement years. It amazes me that these young Americans are willing to work until they die, to give up the concept of retirement, to agree to being severely taxed so their parents can have free health care.”
Guys:
You’re looking at this all wrong.
Obama doesn’t need a vacation, he needs to keep yapping.
The more he yaps, the faster his poll numbers go down.
3% in the last week, 10% in the last month.
Communicate with us some more Obama.
The middle class is waiting to find out how you’re going to whack them even more.
He should be at his fake ranch in Texas clearing brush.
How short your memories are, nobody had more vacations that George Bush. He was just coming off a 30 day vacation when 911 happened.
A 30 day vacation with only 6 months into a job!
He broke Reagan’s all time vacation record close to 500 days all the while he had troops dying in two wars and a failing economy.
I dont recall any of you mentioning that.
Do any of you think before you post?
“who need and cant get, the poor and the old and poor.”
Old: – Medicare
Poor – Medicaid
A third of the “uninsured” are illegal aliens, most of the rest are well above the poverty line 300% and don’t want to spend the money on it, or ignorant of the programs that could provide them with health insurance, or a good number of them are on short, between jobs, hiatuses.
Obama wants to save money by cutting Medicare. He wants to counsel old people on end of life options and this is going to save money. The only way it will save money is if old people take the course of ending their lives more quickly.
I don’t know if Obama is working or not, but I wish he would quit whatever he is doing for a while. Maybe head on up to Chapaqua and talk to Bill Clinton for some personal coaching.
tim:
Why does he need to go on vacation when there’s so many people left to slander?
Keep yapping, Obama until your poll numbers go to 20% (about the real percentage of lunatics in the US).
Left of Left: Do you even think of anything before you post other than spewing contrarian bile?
“talk to Bill Clinton for some personal coaching.”
I’ve noticed there seems to be a real movement to draft Bubba for some help in this regard, Tim. I get the feeling Dems figure he can bring around all them mouth breathers who don’t understand the super intellect of obozo.
Erik Larsen, 3:08, Pelosi’s comments are the typical modus operandi of the Marxists. Demonize those you want to destroy to condition the people to not only let you do your dirty work, but even possibly assist you by doing it for you. This method worked great for Hitler, Lenin, Stalin and the left liberals in the western world to marginlize and destroy those who oppose you.
right of centre – you are making a mistake in assuming that IF the president is not in Washington, then, he is not working. Bush could readily work at his ranch in Texas or at Camp David.
Obama, on the other hand, spends most of his time ‘hustling’, or campaigning. Did he read the stimulus bill? No – he didn’t even bother to write it.
Same with the health bill.
Same with cap and trade.
You can see his shallowness and ignorance about these situations in his news conferences (his recent one about health care bombed); and his remarks about foreign affairs. For example, his egregrious error in supporting Zelaya of Honduras, his ignorance about what was really going on in Iran..and of course, his ignorance about the history of Muslims (as exemplified in his Cairo speech which was filled with false data).
Obama could spend some time reading the bills. He could also read some history and political theory. But he doesn’t; he simply goes to photo-ops and to carefully programmed Town Halls, where he can nurture his massive ego’s needs for adulation.
I always get a chuckle when knuckleheads like right of centre rebut any criticism of the Great O with “but Bush Bush Booooosh.” Even *if* everything your rebuttal states is true, all you are really saying is that Obama is no better than the guy you all loved to hate so much. where’s all the hope’n’change in that?
Sorry peeps, I agree with capn bob. Obama should just move back to Hawaii, sit on the beach, write a book about being President and generally chill for the next 3 years. And take Pelosi with him.
The less he does, the better off we are.
He should stick around. A press conference a day will keep a second term away.
The less he DOES, the better off we are.
The more he YAPS, the better middle class Americans ie, the people who have to pay increased taxes, can see what he’s up to.
No vacations for Obama.
I’d like to see Obama take a permanent vacation from his teleprompters.
When he speaks off the cuff he is a funny guy!
Congress takes August off and the Supreme Court won’t sit again until October so why is it surprising that the remaining branch – executive – also goes on vacation? Keep in mind that vacation in the presidential sense means do much of the work in a different place.
Medicare and Medicaid are for the poor and elderly if I am correct. From what I have read they don’t work too well. He is trying to say Medicare is too expensive while trying to enroll the country in it. Changing tort law to stop outlandish settlements would fix more problems than his health care I’m thinkin’.
So apparently strolling into work a 9:00am is still too much for Barak.
Considering the campaign and all of the stress, he may very well need a vacation. Perhaps if he does take a vacation this August he could catch-up on some reading. That should make returning to work in September a little less stressful.
SYF
Agreed, “cut the grass so the snakes will show”.
Everyone is talking about end of care etc for the senior population. What about the young person who gets cancer, unoperable, will he just be given a pain pill. What about the athelete who gets seriously injured, will he be given care. Or the teenager in a car accident. It is not just the old who will need end of life care, or long term care.
Oz;
With respect, and as someone who dislikes the Messiah as much as you do, I do not see how having **best interests** in mind makes a job either easier or more difficult. History is full of people with maelevolent intent who worked quite hard at it.
As far as McCain is concerned, he did not lose because he chose not to pusue spurious nonsense, but because he backed off on quite legitimate issues like reverend Wright, terrorist Billy etc, etc.
If we ever run out of legitimate things to critisize Obama for, (not very likely the way he is going), then you may have a point about sniping **relentlessly**, but this guy and his policies present such a target rich environment that we just take attention away from them by persuing things like this.
Hey! Putting in appearances and doing shows for the audience for 7 months solid can take it’s toll on a guy….. eh?
I’m guessing that the TOTUS will be ‘present’ for his own vacation at least with his family and the assholes he keeps for friends he can get away with it. Although I suspect that Michelle probably gives him plenty of attitude… and what’s he going to say?
You think he is going to be any wiser when he gets back? Not a chance.
The jokers who are responsible for him are the ones who need the break ….. but as much as they might enjoy not having to handle him and his laughable skills or the fallout …. they will certainly be very busy working out the strategies and the scripts for the next round of public appearances.
This nothing more than ‘Off Broadway’ doing the boondocks. Cheap theater by third rate writers …. only with consequences for everyone.
Send out the clowns!
Send the “World Leader” on another Global Campaign tour of the soon to be subjects of Obama’s future governance.. DAM USA .. ME GOOD
Walk softly & carry a wet Noodle, or send in the school girl with the big ugly thong.
Puke!
I wish he would take a vacation, one that lasts about 3-1/2 years!
Bo and the white house in general has been the least involved in writing legislation EVER. It is their job to participate – instead they are leaving it to pelosi and Reid. Disgusting.
What a wimp! AC/DC will be touring around the world, non stop for 18 months. Is’nt Barry only touring and doing shows anyway? Sorta like Vinni Minilli, except his fakeness comes from a teleprompter.
He’s nothing but a flash in the pan celebrity afterall in’st he?
obama never does anything. why the hell would he need a vacation?
“Oz;
With respect, and as someone who dislikes the Messiah as much as you do, I do not see how having **best interests** in mind makes a job either easier or more difficult.”
~bob c
Well bob c, Obama has an agenda. That’s all.
No details, no “what does America need and how can I provide it?”, just an agenda.
Obama is just a front for that agenda.
He isn’t working to implement it.
Obama is just the face selling it.
The Brand of Hope and Change.
That is all.
That is why all he does is schmooze, campaign, and provide photos ops.
If he had America’s best interests at heart, even if he had a wrong idea of how to serve those interests, that would entail hard work to fill the need.
“As far as McCain is concerned, he did not lose because he chose not to pursue spurious nonsense, but because he backed off on quite legitimate issues”
~bob c
bob c, with respect, I disagree with you about what is or what is not spurious nonsense.
I also disagree that McCain lost because he backed off of quite legitimate issues only.
McCain lost because he didn’t scratch Obama’s bright shinny image and that is all Obama is, image.
You see bob c, winning votes is not only about issues.
Why?
Because most voters never make any effort to understand the issues but they still cast a vote nevertheless.
hahaha weekend trips to nyc. weekend.
he should start doing those month long brush clearings in texas.
ahhh how this site makes me laugh.
Most folk have to work a year with at least 40 hrs per week to get 5 days vacation, and they don’t get $100 per lbs beef or beer on the job in the garden.