I’m so glad I’m not the president. I think President Obama did the right thing about reporter James Foley — refusing to consider ransom but trying to rescue him. Then Obama was criticized by some for mentioning the attempted rescue — the argument being it might make future efforts for other people harder. Now he’s criticized for going golfing and having some fun after giving this speech:
George W. Bush did something similar during his presidency, then he decided it had been a mistake and gave up golfing for the rest of his time in the White House. Do you think Obama should do the same thing?
I’m inclined to cut him some slack — I think of Lincoln in the White House reading humor, sharing it with others, and laughing to keep his sanity. He was severely criticized too.
I’m just so glad I’m not the president.
August 23, 2014
Hardest job in the world, I think.
There has to be some way to get stress relief from the constant barrage from all quarters every single day. Surely.
One can see from his hair, what toll the job takes.
Everyone has the right to even a small escape from their taxing jobs. Golf is one of the least offensive past times one can take up to get away, even for just a small time.
If my husband couldn’t cycle, and get the work week’s heavy stress load sorted in his head as he rode, he’d be a basket case.
What absurdity. He has got the world’s most difficult job and has to take decisions and actions that impact the entire world. If he has to retain his sanity, he has to unwind. The people of the USA have elected him to be their President, not to be their slave on a 24/7 basis.
I agree, it’s totally bizarre (and very American) to insist that the more hours one is officially at work, the better the quality of the work and the more important the job. So you get the absurdity of people sneaking vacations at work via tweeting, etc instead of getting out there and doing something really relaxing like golfing in the open air.
In this instance, I can cut him some slack. This speech was more presidential than most he’s given that I’ve seen.
I don’t care about his golfing, his vacations, his unwinding. Wherever he is, he is “at the office” with instant communications available for him to get the information that he needs for making the appropriate decisions and for talking to the people he needs to talk to. He doesn’t need to be at the White House.
I voted for the man in 2008. I’m not a “fan.”
I voted for him in 20o8 & I’m not a fan. Hillary would have done better & Romney would have done better than Hillary.
It sounds as if we all agree, he needs to take some vacations. I, like Mike and bikehikebabe, am not really an Obama fan, but I think Romney would have been a lot worse. Obama has made some foreign policy decisions that I agree with. (Drawing the line in Syria was not one of them!)