Your thoughts on President Obama's Golfing

[RedRubberBall]

I expect the fire bombs from some DUers however...

With the poor economy, high unemployment, failed HCR, the wars & possible terror attempts I wish he would curb his golfing.

Just imagine the posts condemning a repub president if he were golfing during these turbulent times.

[Bluebear]

1. What he does on his leisure time doesn't concern me.

Everyone needs a hobby.

[FLDCVADem]

I agree 100%

I don't begrudge any President their hobbies and/or leisure time, because truth be told, they're never really on vacation, even if they are away from the White House.

[StarfarerBill]

6. Ditto. I didn't care what Bill Clinton did with his time-off, and I don't care what Obama does now.

[timeforpeace]

25. Right on. Now Bush's golfing pissed me off, but they claimed he quit playing after 9/11. Always

wondered why we never saw pictures of him golfing. Figured he wasn't any good.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

37. Same here. I felt the same with Bush and Clinton too.

[phasma ex machina]

102. M$M needs intervention to break their addiction to obsessing over the President 24X7. nt

[jaysunb]

2. Impeachment is the only answer....

:evilfrown:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

3. I never had a problem with W* golfing..............

His running the country in the ground for eight years had little to do with his choice of sport.

[MercutioATC]

5. Hell, I never had a problem with Bush "clearing brush"...

The frequency with which he felt the need to clear brush, yes...but never the act.

[Bluebear]

7. Obama is a discrete golfer too, no "now watch this drive" malarkey

[msongs]

4. gee when bush was having people killed, people on Du thought it was bad when he golfed nt

[FrenchieCat]

16. The primaries are over.

get.over.it

We have three years, and we've got shit to get done.

Bush stole the election and allowed us to be attacked on our soil,
allowed thousands to drown,
passed tax cuts to the rich that weren't paid for,
forced Medicare Part D that is why our deficits are so high,
and started a war that didn't need to be fought,
and ruined this country financially.

Golf was the least of the problems
that DUers had with Bush.

nuff said.

[goclark]

100. +1 for Frenchie Cat

[billh58]

128. +100 n/t

[RedRubberBall]

86. +1 n/t

n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

89. +1

:evilgrin:

[harun]

113. +1 for calling out hypocrisy.

[inna]

8. could not POSSIBLY care less.

:shrug:

unrecommended for silliness.

[Adelante]

9. Oh, for fuck's sake nt

[City Lights]

10. K&U.

:eyes:

[HipChick]

11. Can't work up any faux outrage, he's on vacation

[KittyWampus]

12. maybe he should spend as much time off as Bush did. Including an entire month of August

while getting a memo stating Obama bin Laden was ready to attack.

[Obamanaut]

13. I don't know how to golf, so I have no thoughts on his golfing - but

I think even a president needs/deserves some leisure time.

[izquierdista]

14. He could use some work on his short irons

[FrenchieCat]

20. OP want's him to work on his leg irons.....

obviously.

[Bobbie Jo]

119. LOL

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: and :rofl:

[graywarrior]

15. It effin tee's me off!

[bridgit]

23. heh-heh, datz phunny...

:thumbsup:

[HughMoran]

34. I can has Tee'sburger?

:D

[CreekDog]

48. :D

:rofl:

[Fire1]

17. Dude, you need another hobby. n/t

[jwirr]

18. What the hell for. This man works his head off for us and then he does

a little golfing. Oh, I get it - boooshie gave up golf for the war! Oh sure such a sacrifice. Did you know that during WWII (that's world war two, you know) the rich paid very high taxes. That is what we Democrats call sacrifice. Your post deserves a unrecommend.

[malaise]

42. Bush did not give up shit

KO showed photos of him playing golf after that so called promise

[jwirr]

54. I know that but I'll bet the OP doesn't. That is more than likely why he

asked this question. My point was the even if booosh had given up golf like he said it was nothing any of us would call a sacrifice.

[bridgit]

19. I've never seen Obama playing for any length of time, so have a limited opinion of his golfing

:(

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kestrel91316]

59. +1

[azmouse]

22. As long as he doesn't golf with Idiot Son, I'm fine with Obama golfing all the damn day.

[Skittles]

24. whatever works best for him for fun and relaxation he should do

I do wish it was somethng other than golf though

[MadBadger]

27. Why?

What is so wrong with golf?

[Skittles]

39. I fucking hate golf

[BrklynLiberal]

49. Gotta agree...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7343664&mesg_id=7343841

[devilgrrl]

95. he should have gotten into hockey

best game ever. :-)

[stevedeshazer]

50. What's wrong with golf?

Other than requiring huge amounts of killer fertilizers and pesticides, taking up huge tracts of farm land, being far too expensive for working class folks, and ownership by white plantation owners, nothing.

Hey, golf is fine there, Ace.

:eyes:

[MadBadger]

58. Jesus Fucking Christ

:eyes:

[Skittles]

65. I just find it mind-numbingly boring

:D

[blondeatlast]

83. Gotta agree, bith to watch and to play. I took a few lessons--I actually

fell asleep at one of them! :rofl:

[Skittles]

84. it's just the same shit over and over

after the third hole I could not believe people just wanted to keep doing it over and over and over - fucking B-O-R-I-N-G

[devilgrrl]

96. How about chess?

:silly:

[Skittles]

104. I'd be asleep in ten minutes

[LanternWaste]

79. I'm quite confident that after we total the means of production

I'm quite confident that after we total the means of production, distribution and sale, the DVD's we watch, the video games we play, and the bars we go to are on the same level as is golf (if not more) in regards to the irresponsible stewardship of the planet. I'd love to hear someone moralize about that-- yet as video games and pop music are all considered so trendy and "cool" by the consumer and a de-facto sacred cow, I doubt that will happen.

(A full round of golf at a muni costs less than twenty bucks-- can't really say the same for an evening at the clubs, or for a new release video game....)

[LWolf]

26. I don't care about his, or anyone else's, recreational pursuits,

as long as they don't involve lying, cheating, or otherwise harming others.

Why?

[HughMoran]

28. Yes, spending any time at all for contemplation is wrong

President's should act reflexively and never take any time off to think about what their next move should be. Golfing is cheaper than taking your family to the movies and is a WHOLE lot more relaxing. There is nothing more relaxing than being out on a golf course enjoying nature - I love it.

[stevedeshazer]

29. No firebombs here, person I don't know, but let me guess.

Is this what you're getting at?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3p9y_OEAdc

Be honest. What is your point?

[laughingliberal]

30. Haven't seen him play so can't evaluate his golf. Loved his basketball game, though nt

[alfredo]

31. If he was taking over a quarter of his time on vacation like bush did,

I would be critical. If Obama punched out at 5 PM no matter what, even though at least two hours of his day was in the gym, I'd be critical. Obama is not a part time president, so I can give him a pass on a round of golf or two.

Bush spent 487 at Camp David, and 490 at his "ranch." reagan took nearly as many vacation days as bush the lessor.

[peekaloo]

Tiger gave him tips on how to approach each hole.

:rofl:I swear. They were on the cover of Golf Digest.

[PopSixSquish]

62. So Help Me - I Just Spit Wine All Over

Now I know that you didn't mean for that to sound the way it sounded...

:evilgrin:

[peekaloo]

115. I'm of a genteel Southern upbringing

so fuck yeah I meant it that way. :D

[PopSixSquish]

117. As Another Genteel Southern Female

I say - Right fucking on!

[Stinky The Clown]

32. You're damned right! He has that wicked hook. Or is it a slice?

Seriously ...... go away. You're busted.

[CJCRANE]

33. Bush's golfing wasn't the problem.

I don't recall many DUers criticizing him for that.

[seabeyond]

35. people had issue bush taking 130 days vacation out of a year. afternoon of golf is not slacking

wtf

[TK421]

36. He's not as good as Arnold Palmer n/t

[TheWatcher]

38. First day on the job, huh?

You're going to need better material if you expect to rise in the ranks and get a better pay grade.

I'm actually embarrassed FOR you. :rofl:

[Binka]

72. And Has The Temerity To Do A "Drive By"

Pun intended. Would appear that the rubber ball has lost the playbook.

:rofl:

[spin]

40. George. W Bush was a golfer while in office as was his father...

President-elect Barack Obama will become the 15th of the past 18 American presidents who has played golf. He doesn't play often, but he did during a vacation in Hawaii in August. Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who discovered golf less than 10 years ago, has a Handicap Index of 8.2. Here's our ranking of the golfing presidents, with an assist from Don Van Natta Jr., author of the book, First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush.

1 John F. Kennedy Despite chronic back pain, averaged 80.
2 Dwight D. Eisenhower Had a green outside the Oval Office.
3 Gerald R. Ford Clumsy, but was a legitimate 80s-shooter.
4 Franklin D. Roosevelt At 39, polio robbed him of a powerful golf swing.
5 George H.W. Bush Once got his handicap down to 11.
6 George W. Bush Outgoing prez is a capable 15-handicapper.
7 Bill Clinton Can break 90, especially using his "Billigans."
8 Barack Obama The lefty plays more hoops than golf.
9 Ronald Reagan Didn't play often or well (best was low 90s).
10 Warren G. Harding Struggled to break 95.
11 William Howard Taft As hapless a golfer as he was a chief executive.
12 Woodrow Wilson Played more than Ike but almost never broke 100.
13 Richard M. Nixon He shot 79 once and quit the game.
14 Lyndon B. Johnson Played with senators to secure votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2009/02/presidentsranking

Why would anyone criticize Obama for playing golf?

He also enjoys playing basketball. Why don't you cry some about that?

Give me a break!

[spanone]

41. what do YOU think about President Obama's golfing. i have no problem with it at all.

[CreekDog]

43. Would swimming be okay?

Maybe he should stay in and play Pokena. :eyes:

[Catshrink]

44. He should be doing something productive like clearing brush

'cuz we know how well that protected us from terrorism.

[BrklynLiberal]

45. I think golf is a waste of time and space no matter who plays it.

BUT..whatever the President needs to do to relax is probably ok.
I would rather see him playing basketball. THAT is a sport.

Mark Twain said “golf is a terrible way to ruin a good walk.”

[Toasterlad]

46. Oh, Please.

No one's more pissed-off at Obama then me, but the man is entitled to some down time. Who besides Fox News is suggesting that he's golfing "too much"?

GWB CLEARLY overdid the vacation time (it's been documented), but goofing off isn't one of Obama's faults (as opposed to fucking up).

[blockhead]

47. after 24+ inches of snow the last couple days,

I wish I was golfing with him.

[blogslut]

51. Golfing = walking + fresh air

Don't you want Obama to be healthy?

What you might want to note is that our president doesn't use golf as a photo opportunity as did our previous preznit. Mr. Obama might end up being the most photographed/filmed president in our history. He has said he likes golf because the activity enables him to get away from the press, be outside and collect his thoughts.

Would you rather he be disorganized, stressed and breathing stale air? Even the lowest paid American worker is given a break every four hours. Do you want a productive president or one that's always sick and angry and so willing to relieve the pressure he lets everyone else run the show?

[Motown_Johnny]

52. That is crazy talk...... he SHOULD golf. It is very relaxing (when done well) and he

deserves to relax every now and then.

[havocmom]

53. feel the same as with Bill & his bimbos: I want my president relaxed and able to focus

Unlike bush who would relax and get mugged by a snack food.

Clear thinking, good problem solving, calm, reasoned responses to crisis are not enhanced by all work and no play. I want the guy with his finger on the button to be fucking calm and relaxed. Do what it takes, but relaxed and able to focus is better than strung out on adrenalin.

[kestrel91316]

55. Thank you for your "concern". What the man does on his rare vacation time

is his own damned business. It's not like he's Bush, who worked less than 50% of his time in the WH and even when he was "working", he wasn't doing a goddamned thing but drinking.

[LisaM]

56. Curb his golfing? How often does he golf?

I've rarely heard any mention of it. He has worked hard, and I think we can all agree that without some kind of break, peoples' job performance suffers.

It's not as if he's only available at the golf course, the way Shrubbie was only available cutting brush or on a bike.

[FreakinDJ]

57. What is his Handycap

thats what I think about Obama golfing

[KamaAina]

64. Obstructionist repukes, conservadems, and Traitor Joe

that's what. :P

[WonderGrunion]

71. DUZY!!!

Nice answer.

[FreakinDJ]

76. Took me a second to get it - my name is Joe

I was setting their thinking "How in the Fuck did she know my name and who the Fuck is she to call me a traitor"

Then I busted out laughing

[KamaAina]

105. And, "When the Fuck did he become a she"?

:P

P.S. It's Lieberman, of course.

[blondeatlast]

85. LOLing! nt

[bigwillq]

60. I see nothing wrong with it

Let the man enjoy what little of a freetime he has.

[Dappleganger]

61. He really needs to stop using toilet paper, too.

And use pinecones like the rest of us!

[PopSixSquish]

63. I Shall Use Your Pathetic Attempt at Trolling to Post This Picture Which is One of My Favorites

Our President shows himself to be a rather limber fellow...

[freeplessinseattle]

66. What if it was just miniature golf?

maybe some roller skating. (with his kids, even?)

or is it just the idea of any leisure time that has your panties in a bunch?

[Contrary1]

67. First, you whine about Obama playing chess, now golf...

Perhaps you should write him and list what free time activities you approve of...
posting on Republic forums excluded, of course. ;)

[Thickasabrick]

68. He needs to bend his knees a little more. Swing with his body. nt

[Synicus Maximus]

69. What did he shoot?

[devilgrrl]

70. He should stick to hockey

eom

[KamaAina]

73. Or bowling

:P

[devilgrrl]

74. exactly! or bocce ball!

[liberal N proud]

75. What are your thoughts on people wasting time being concerned what he is doing on vacation?

:wtf:

[tabatha]

77. That was one of Paul Simon's songs - red rubber ball

So, Obama is on vacation.
He can do the following:

a) Watch TV
b) Play cards
c) Play Monopoly
d) Eat good food
e) Read a book
f) Visit friends
g) Swim in the ocean
h) Play tiddlywinks
i) Play tennis
j) Play basketball
k) Play golf
l) Go to a movie
m) Go for a hike
n) Visit a museum

Which would you prefer he do with his hours of daylight?

As for me, I hope he does a little of all, because they are all recreational, and should clear his mind for next year's work.

[LanternWaste]

78. Other than appearance, it does not deny anything.

A round of golf does not deny any plan, any legislation, or any discussion from taking place. If I am indeed wrong about that, I'd be more than happy to entertain any discussions of a presidential golf game denying, hindering, or just flat out stopping the usual machinations from occurring-- either in the here and now, or in presidential history.

Though I imagine for many people appearance may be more important than agenda (but in the long run, I also imagine those very people are left by the wayside as the wheat and the chaff are separated).

[Ikonoklast]

80. Enjoy your stay.

I hate it when school is on hiatus and all the kiddies bang out drivel on the computer all day.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

81. Trolly McTroll was the Trolliest Troll who ever Trolled.

What were we talking about again? :shrug:

[David Zephyr]

82. In Once Richard Nixon called George H. Bush and told him "get off the damned golf course"

Nixon, who knew a thing or two about resentment politics, kept seeing Poppie Bush playing golf during the 1991/1992 recession and made the famous call to Bush telling him to get off of the golf course.

I don't see Obama being as out of touch as Bush was, but your point is a good one. When more and more Americans are struggling to keep the roofs over their heads now, to hold on to their jobs, to make their car payments, it's prudent to tone it down a notch; it's also respectful.

Obama deserves his getaways from it all. He needs time to be with his family. I don't begrudge him that. But in our American Idol attention span country, images are important.

[undeterred]

87. He should learn a real sport instead of golf.

:hide:

[gopwacker_455]

88. I just hope he can do his job as well as he golfs

[blackbear79]

90. His swing sucks

The man should stick to basketball.

[JonLP24]

91. Nah -- he should be able to enjoy a little bit of leisure time like the rest of us

He is a very busy man overall and I have no problems he spends a little time on golf. Plus I think it's good for his health and relieves stress.

[devilgrrl]

92. I wish he'd take more vacation days and pretend that he's clearing brush on a fake ranch.

:popcorn:

[devilgrrl]

93. I hear this his wife wears expensive sneakers and gardens!

:wow:

[alphafemale]

107. And their children play with a dog on a lawn!

How dare they!

[devilgrrl]

94. President Obama has been reported as sporting an Alligator skin wallet! Any thoughts?

[HipChick]

97. I'm going to be a shallow,sexist pig..

and say he sure has a cute butt when golfing..:rofl: those daddy jeans don't do justice..

[TexasObserver]

98. Concern noted.

[devilgrrl]

99. Frankly, he should play more Croquet or Polo. No! SAILING! More sailing!

eom

[TiberiusGracchus]

101. I can't bear to watch him anymore. His smile just grates on me with its disingenuousness n/t

[MadBadger]

103. At least we dont have to see you. I'm sure your face would make us all cringe.

[Forkboy]

109. We're sure you liked him before.

[alphafemale]

106. Your kidding...right?

No...really.

[Forkboy]

108. He's letting his hip go too early.

He'll never correct his slice that way.

[proteus_lives]

110. I hope he has a good game.

[Raine]

111. I don't care what he does

anymore I don't pay much attention. :shrug:

[JCMach1]

112. Bad use of a good lawn!

He should play croquet with the girls!

[Solly Mack]

114. Your father must have been a glass maker.

[chrisa]

116. I thought this was going to be a thread for...

Busting Obama's chops for golfing poorly (does he? Never seen him play).

Who cares? Every sane person needs a break once and a while. He can't work all day, you know.

[Neecy]

118. He's on vacation

Unless he sits inside on a beautiful Hawaiian day and plays bridge, he's likely to spend much of his time outdoors. Who cares if he's golfing?

[LostInAnomie]

120. Do people actually spend time thinking about this shit?

Who the fuck cares?

[Hawkowl]

121. "Now watch this drive....."

Que?

[Cleita]

122. If you are referring To George Bush, he was on vacation half his

Presidency and a lot of it spent golfing and bicycling, not to mention the drinking after hours. I think Obama can spend a weekend vacation golfing after a tough year trying to clean up Bush's mess.

[gleaner]

123. Playing golf is the .....

least of his problems. Everyone has to have a hobby or some form of recreation. Besides if he's playing golf it is a time he is not thinking of ways to actively screw us over. That is a good thing.

[quaker bill]

124. A far superior hobby

than interns.

[SeattleGirl]

125. Are you kidding?

I have no problem with the President taking a little time now and then to take a breather. Yes, all those things are going on, and yes, they need his attention. But he also needs a moment to catch his breath so he can get out there and get back to tackling the issues.

Besides, you don't think that when he's on a golf course that he's completely disconnected from what's going on, do you?

[flvegan]

126. If it relaxes him or helps his mind work, I'm all for it.

I'm at my absolute mental best when I'm at the gym or out on my mountainbike.

[TexasObserver]

127. A president needs time to decompress. Whatever works is fine.

Golf is a game that fascinates some, and the settings are always refreshing, in a clinical, resort hotel sort of way.