Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. - Albert Einstein

Thursday, July 02, 2009

CNS News:

Despite ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, ongoing violence in Iran, and an economy that Obama has described as the worst since the Great Depression, the president has golfed multiple times in the past several weeks--on April 26, May 16, May 25, May 31, June 7, June 9, June 14 and June 21.

Obama’s golf outings have generated favorable reports from the media, in contrast to his predecessor, George W. Bush.

You know where this is going.  Bush was criticized in some circles for golfing during a war (a war that is still going).  He then ended up in the catch-22 where he was pilloried for golfing, then pilloried again when he stopped golfing ( “That’s his idea of sacrifice, to give up golf?” said Robert Dallek).  But Obama....

A search of news reports on Nexis revealed that photographers, but not reporters have access to Obama when he is on the links. But his outings have been covered, including by The Washington Post on June 9, 2009, in an article with the headline “Just the Sport for A Leader Most Driven.”

“What’s the deal? Why golf?” Post staff writer Richard Leiby wrote. “The attraction seems to be simple. It’s a great escape; the game demands such attention that nothing else matters. It’s time spent with friends, an unhurried afternoon in loose clothing (shorts seem to be Obama’s preference).”

Leiby continued, “To some, Obama’s frequent outings reflect a cool self-confidence.”

Leiby even quoted a sports psychologist who said Obama seemed able to play golf despite the grim reports by the media about the wars and the economy.

I didn’t have a problem with Bush golfing and I don’t have a problem with Obama doing it either—not in the least because as long as he’s golfing, he can’t be fucking something else up.  The list of soldiers who died while Obama was golfing is needlessly dramatic, although I did find it disrespectful when he observed a moment of silence on memorial day by pausing between holes.  I like Presidents to get out of the White House once in a while because it increases the chance that may actually invest thought into their policies.  So if Obama wants to hit the links a couple of times a month, I’m down with that.

But it would be nice is if we got some ... you know ... consistency on the subject.