About the Golf...

[justoffal]

Yes it is very bad optics. You may have noticed that it is a subject that I have never touched. Do I despise Obama's style...yes I do. Do I criticize him regularly...yes I do..... Do I think he could do a better job with the Optics...yes I do....however Like the Birth certificate thing...something I gave up on early because I knew from the get go that it was a waste of time....This issue is another loser.

Obama plays a lot of golf but he is not even close to being BAD as rounds of golf per weeks in office go....

Wilson is the all time champ with 1200 rounds..... that's about once every other day for 8 years..

Eisenhower was next with 800

I saw the list once but I'm too lazy to go find it right now....however the point stands that his habit is really not all that bad. Maybe his timing sucks? Dunno for sure what it is that bothers people so much about it.

Remember that nowadays the President is in office no matter where he is.... He can call in a missile strike from between the 17'th and 18'th holes just as quickly as he can from the oval office..... in fact even more so now than ever. If anyone should be called absent in office for being on the green too much it would be Wilson or Eisenhower who didn't have cell phones....computers.....or the various other means of staying on top of things the way Obama has at his disposal today.

I don't know who Obama's public relations coach is....probably Axelrod..... My guess is that he's already been counseled about his golf.....and just doesn't think it matters. He's actually right when it comes to the mechanics of the job.....but probably wrong when it comes to making good impressions.

There is a certain optic that goes with leadership. Obama has never really seemed to care for that particular optic. What are optics worth? In elections...they can be worth a ton.

JO

 

[Marcus Aurelius]

I hear O hits from the ladies tees.

 

[justoffal]

heh heh heh....

Paparazzi gone wild!

 

[Saladin2]

The President has won 2 Elections handily...The "optics" are only a concern for the haters....If it wasn't "golf" it would be something else for these fools

 

[justoffal]

The President has won 2 Elections handily...The "optics" are only a concern for the haters....If it wasn't "golf" it would be something else for these fools

I would disagree ...

He won by narrow margins both times over horrible candidates....
And could certainly do a much better job of LOOKING like he gives a shit.
But Frankly...I honestly don't think it's in him. When the democrats are calling him out on it you know that they are feeling it from their consituency.

He does well enough as a functionary ..... but there's no passion there.
One wonders why.

JO

 

[Dawg]

Yes it is very bad optics. You may have noticed that it is a subject that I have never touched. Do I despise Obama's style...yes I do. Do I criticize him regularly...yes I do..... Do I think he could do a better job with the Optics...yes I do....however Like the Birth certificate thing...something I gave up on early because I knew from the get go that it was a waste of time....This issue is another loser.

Obama plays a lot of golf but he is not even close to being BAD as rounds of golf per weeks in office go....

Wilson is the all time champ with 1200 rounds..... that's about once every other day for 8 years..

Eisenhower was next with 800

I saw the list once but I'm too lazy to go find it right now....however the point stands that his habit is really not all that bad. Maybe his timing sucks? Dunno for sure what it is that bothers people so much about it.

Remember that nowadays the President is in office no matter where he is.... He can call a missile strike between the 17'th and 18'th holes just as quickly as he can from the oval office..... in fact even more so now than ever. If anyone should be called absent in office for being on the green too much it would be Wilson or Eisenhower who didn't have cell phones....computers.....or the various other means of staying on top of things the way Obama has at his disposal today.

I don't know who Obama's public relations coach is....probably Axelrod..... My guess is that he's already been counseled about his golf.....and just doesn't think it matters. He's actually right when it comes to the mechanics of the job.....but probably wrong when it comes to making good impressions.

There is a certain optic that goes with leadership. Obama has never really seemed to care for that particular optic. What are optics worth? In elections...they can be worth a ton.

JO

 

[Saladin2]

I would disagree ...

He won by narrow margins both times over horrible candidates....
And could certainly do a much better job of LOOKING like he gives a shit.
But Frankly...I honestly don't think it's in him. When the democrats are calling him out on it you know that they are feeling it from their consituency.

He does well enough as a functionary ..... but there's no passion there.
One wonders why.

JO

Narrow?...Yeah right...a 100 electoral votes or so....Of course the Republicans have a better candidate...New ideas...Solutions?....Hardly...Just endless babble and complaining....Yet there worried about how the "golfing" looks...What a joke

 

[Bugsy McGurk]

Yes it is very bad optics. You may have noticed that it is a subject that I have never touched. Do I despise Obama's style...yes I do. Do I criticize him regularly...yes I do..... Do I think he could do a better job with the Optics...yes I do....however Like the Birth certificate thing...something I gave up on early because I knew from the get go that it was a waste of time....This issue is another loser.

Obama plays a lot of golf but he is not even close to being BAD as rounds of golf per weeks in office go....

Wilson is the all time champ with 1200 rounds..... that's about once every other day for 8 years..

Eisenhower was next with 800

I saw the list once but I'm too lazy to go find it right now....however the point stands that his habit is really not all that bad. Maybe his timing sucks? Dunno for sure what it is that bothers people so much about it.

Remember that nowadays the President is in office no matter where he is.... He can call a missile strike between the 17'th and 18'th holes just as quickly as he can from the oval office..... in fact even more so now than ever. If anyone should be called absent in office for being on the green too much it would be Wilson or Eisenhower who didn't have cell phones....computers.....or the various other means of staying on top of things the way Obama has at his disposal today.

I don't know who Obama's public relations coach is....probably Axelrod..... My guess is that he's already been counseled about his golf.....and just doesn't think it matters. He's actually right when it comes to the mechanics of the job.....but probably wrong when it comes to making good impressions.

There is a certain optic that goes with leadership. Obama has never really seemed to care for that particular optic. What are optics worth? In elections...they can be worth a ton.

JO

It's "bad optics" only to those who obsess about Obama playing golf on his down time. To that obsessed crew, it would be better if Obama spent his down time furiously masturbating in the Oval Office.

;-)

 

[JuliefromOhio]

I would disagree ...

He won by narrow margins both times over horrible candidates....

narrow margins? just more bullshit from you.....which is why no one takes you seriously.

2008
Obama - popular votes 69,499, 428; 52.86%; 365 electoral votes
McCain - popular votes 59,950,323; 45.60%; 173 electoral votes

2012
Obama - popular votes 65,918, 507; 51.01%; 332 electoral votes
Romney - popular votes 60,934,407; 47.15%; 206 electoral votes

 

[Bugsy McGurk]

narrow margins? just more bullshit from you.....which is why no one takes you seriously.

2008
Obama - popular votes 69,499, 428; 52.86%; 365 electoral votes
McCain - popular votes 59,950,323; 45.60%; 173 electoral votes

2012
Obama - popular votes 65,918, 507; 51.01%; 332 electoral votes
Romney - popular votes 60,934,407; 47.15%; 206 electoral votes

True - two landslides in the modern era, when it's considered that the reddest Red states today would ever vote for any Dem.

 

[justoffal]

narrow margins? just more bullshit from you.....which is why no one takes you seriously.

2008
Obama - popular votes 69,499, 428; 52.86%; 365 electoral votes
McCain - popular votes 59,950,323; 45.60%; 173 electoral votes

2012
Obama - popular votes 65,918, 507; 51.01%; 332 electoral votes
Romney - popular votes 60,934,407; 47.15%; 206 electoral votes

Just more retardatiion from you who obviously does not undrestand how the electoral college works...

But then again you don't even know how crime scene investigation works so this is no surprise.

JO

 

[justoffal]

True - two landslides in the modern era, when it's considered that the reddest Red states today would ever vote for any Dem.

Are you kidding me? ... I guess you didn't watch the state by state returns. Remember that with most states it's winner take all with the electoral votes. So um, yeah...you are wrong about the narrow margin. But I suppose in the light of all the negative things that are happening now holding onto to past glory is not a bad idea.

JO

 

[bdtex]

Are you kidding me? ... I guess you didn't watch the state by state returns. Remember that with most states it's winner take all with the electoral votes. So um, yeah...you are wrong about the narrow margin. But I suppose in the light of all the negative things that are happening now holding onto to past glory is not a bad idea.

JO

I wouldn't call 2008 a landslide but to call it a narrow margin is disingenuous and bad optics too. Pres. Obama won by 7.3 points nationwide and the EC margin was substantial. If you wanna make the state by state returns argument don't forget to mention McCain's narrow margin in Missouri and Obama winning one of Nebraska's EC votes.

 

[Arkady]

Yes it is very bad optics. You may have noticed that it is a subject that I have never touched. Do I despise Obama's style...yes I do. Do I criticize him regularly...yes I do..... Do I think he could do a better job with the Optics...yes I do....however Like the Birth certificate thing...something I gave up on early because I knew from the get go that it was a waste of time....This issue is another loser.

Obama plays a lot of golf but he is not even close to being BAD as rounds of golf per weeks in office go....

Wilson is the all time champ with 1200 rounds..... that's about once every other day for 8 years..

Eisenhower was next with 800

I saw the list once but I'm too lazy to go find it right now....however the point stands that his habit is really not all that bad. Maybe his timing sucks? Dunno for sure what it is that bothers people so much about it.

Remember that nowadays the President is in office no matter where he is.... He can call a missile strike between the 17'th and 18'th holes just as quickly as he can from the oval office..... in fact even more so now than ever. If anyone should be called absent in office for being on the green too much it would be Wilson or Eisenhower who didn't have cell phones....computers.....or the various other means of staying on top of things the way Obama has at his disposal today.

I don't know who Obama's public relations coach is....probably Axelrod..... My guess is that he's already been counseled about his golf.....and just doesn't think it matters. He's actually right when it comes to the mechanics of the job.....but probably wrong when it comes to making good impressions.

There is a certain optic that goes with leadership. Obama has never really seemed to care for that particular optic. What are optics worth? In elections...they can be worth a ton.

JO

If I had my choice, I wouldn't want a president working more than about 60 hours per week. When I was a young lawyer, I had stretches where I worked 80 hours per week for a couple months, and I can tell you from experience that, even for someone with the energy of a healthy guy in his mid-20s, that kind of strain results in poor quality work and poor judgment. I'd hate to have the guy with his finger on the nuclear button in that mindset. As for what he does with the other 50 or 60 waking hours per week, who cares if he's golfing, "clearing brush," riding horses, bowling, or what have you? Even for someone who golfs as much as Wilson, that would still leave the vast majority of his free time for non-golf activities.

I think the "optics" here are less about Obama than about people's attitudes towards Obama. He's a figure that people want to second-guess about everything. I don't think there's anything he could be doing with his free time that wouldn't get the "chattering classes" gossiping about the "optics" of it. If, like Bush, Obama decamped for long periods of time to some rural mansion far from Washington, he'd be even more subject to criticism. If he spent his free time holed up in the White House reading, he'd be criticized for not getting out and being seen, and for becoming detached from the people. If he spent his free time traveling around the country meeting regular people, he'd be criticized for always being in "campaign mode." If he spent free time traveling abroad, he'd be criticized for the expense. If he spent it jogging, he'd be attacked for the inconveniences his security detail imposed on those along his jogging route. Because of who Obama is, there is nothing at all he could do with his free time that wouldn't create an opportunity for dumb, shallow people to take pot-shots at the "optics" of his behavior. So, he'd be wise to ignore the imbeciles and just do whatever it is that helps him decompress and refresh himself most fully for the tough work ahead.

 

[Bugsy McGurk]

If I had my choice, I wouldn't want a president working more than about 60 hours per week. When I was a young lawyer, I had stretches where I worked 80 hours per week for a couple months, and I can tell you from experience that, even for someone with the energy of a healthy guy in his mid-20s, that kind of strain results in poor quality work and poor judgment. I'd hate to have the guy with his finger on the nuclear button in that mindset. As for what he does with the other 50 or 60 waking hours per week, who cares if he's golfing, "clearing brush," riding horses, bowling, or what have you? Even for someone who golfs as much as Wilson, that would still leave the vast majority of his free time for non-golf activities.

I think the "optics" here are less about Obama than about people's attitudes towards Obama. He's a figure that people want to second-guess about everything. I don't think there's anything he could be doing with his free time that wouldn't get the "chattering classes" gossiping about the "optics" of it. If, like Bush, Obama decamped for long periods of time to some rural mansion far from Washington, he'd be even more subject to criticism. If he spent his free time holed up in the White House reading, he'd be criticized for not getting out and being seen, and for becoming detached from the people. If he spent his free time traveling around the country meeting regular people, he'd be criticized for always being in "campaign mode." If he spent free time traveling abroad, he'd be criticized for the expense. If he spent it jogging, he'd be attacked for the inconveniences his security detail imposed on those along his jogging route. Because of who Obama is, there is nothing at all he could do with his free time that wouldn't create an opportunity for dumb, shallow people to take pot-shots at the "optics" of his behavior. So, he'd be wise to ignore the imbeciles and just do whatever it is that helps him decompress and refresh himself most fully for the tough work ahead.

One other factor is that the Pugs hate our black Dem prez with such intense passion that they try to intimidate him from doing what he prefers to do to relax - golfing.

They should know by now that he ignores their screeching, but they're quite slow on the uptake.

;-)

 

[Addy]

There is a certain optic that goes with leadership. Obama has never really seemed to care for that particular optic. What are optics worth? In elections...they can be worth a ton.

That is really an odd comment since most of the repubs on PJ have posted everything Pres. Obama does is for political purposes and he is always in campaign mode.

 

[Arkady]

I would disagree ...

He won by narrow margins both times over horrible candidates....
And could certainly do a much better job of LOOKING like he gives a shit.
But Frankly...I honestly don't think it's in him. When the democrats are calling him out on it you know that they are feeling it from their consituency.

He does well enough as a functionary ..... but there's no passion there.
One wonders why.

JO

He won, each time, by a larger margin than Bush did, either time. Certainly it was no 1984, but outside of the conservative echo chamber, with their talk of "skewed polls", there wasn't a lot of doubt about the outcome of either election.

As for the idea that he beat "horrible candidates" -- I guess that's in the eye of the beholder. But, I'd point out that he beat two candidates who'd very handily won primaries against Republican fields that included the biggest names in the party. McCain and Romney had each wiped the floor with their opponents. And each had previously been very successful candidates -- McCain winning Senate elections for decades, and Romney getting elected as a Republican in a liberal state. They only looked like "horrible candidates" when they got up against the Obama machine, which has a tendency to make everyone look incompetent in comparison. It did the same to Hillary Clinton, who in previous contests had looked like a powerhouse. Obama has never lost an election, and the only time it was ever particularly close was in the 2008 primary. Whatever you think of Obama as a president, it's hard to fault him as a campaigner.

 

[Addy]

He does well enough as a functionary ..... but there's no passion there.
One wonders why.

I would think maybe it is b/c a bunch of white men/women made a pact to say no to everything Pres. Obama put forth from day the he took office.. -- kind of kills one's spirit!

 

[justoffal]

He won, each time, by a larger margin than Bush did, either time. Certainly it was no 1984, but outside of the conservative echo chamber, with their talk of "skewed polls", there wasn't a lot of doubt about the outcome of either election.

As for the idea that he beat "horrible candidates" -- I guess that's in the eye of the beholder. But, I'd point out that he beat two candidates who'd very handily won primaries against Republican fields that included the biggest names in the party. McCain and Romney had each wiped the floor with their opponents. And each had previously been very successful candidates -- McCain winning Senate elections for decades, and Romney getting elected as a Republican in a liberal state. They only looked like "horrible candidates" when they got up against the Obama machine, which has a tendency to make everyone look incompetent in comparison. It did the same to Hillary Clinton, who in previous contests had looked like a powerhouse. Obama has never lost an election, and the only time it was ever particularly close was in the 2008 primary. Whatever you think of Obama as a president, it's hard to fault him as a campaigner.

Landslide does not apply....not that it's important really...a victory is a victory. What I am saying is that the center is not fixed and can swing very easily in the other direction. The Electoral numbers as you know do not refelct close races only total races.

McCain was a horrible Presidential candidate with little to no pulbic acumen. Local Senate races bear absolutely no resemblance to a national race. People become entreneched and cannot be challenged in their own back yard. Look at John Kerry.....100% vicitory record in Massachusetts but a loser in the national elections. He was another really horrible campaigner...totally detached and " Thurston Howell-like"...... Obama on the other hand knew how to act like a kid from the streets.... something that he used to great effect.

Romney tried to go it by the Marques of Queensbury rules....another huge tactical mistake. But for a little more aggression he could easily have turned the tide.

On the other hand Obama is a spectacular candidate...total eye candy...total ear candy...total platitude and attitude candy.....but he turned out to be " fluffy...not stuffy".... The man owns the stage! Gotta give that to him.

Like I said....Obama won narrow victories over two horrible candidates.

 

[justoffal]

If I had my choice, I wouldn't want a president working more than about 60 hours per week. When I was a young lawyer, I had stretches where I worked 80 hours per week for a couple months, and I can tell you from experience that, even for someone with the energy of a healthy guy in his mid-20s, that kind of strain results in poor quality work and poor judgment. I'd hate to have the guy with his finger on the nuclear button in that mindset. As for what he does with the other 50 or 60 waking hours per week, who cares if he's golfing, "clearing brush," riding horses, bowling, or what have you? Even for someone who golfs as much as Wilson, that would still leave the vast majority of his free time for non-golf activities.

I think the "optics" here are less about Obama than about people's attitudes towards Obama. He's a figure that people want to second-guess about everything. I don't think there's anything he could be doing with his free time that wouldn't get the "chattering classes" gossiping about the "optics" of it. If, like Bush, Obama decamped for long periods of time to some rural mansion far from Washington, he'd be even more subject to criticism. If he spent his free time holed up in the White House reading, he'd be criticized for not getting out and being seen, and for becoming detached from the people. If he spent his free time traveling around the country meeting regular people, he'd be criticized for always being in "campaign mode." If he spent free time traveling abroad, he'd be criticized for the expense. If he spent it jogging, he'd be attacked for the inconveniences his security detail imposed on those along his jogging route. Because of who Obama is, there is nothing at all he could do with his free time that wouldn't create an opportunity for dumb, shallow people to take pot-shots at the "optics" of his behavior. So, he'd be wise to ignore the imbeciles and just do whatever it is that helps him decompress and refresh himself most fully for the tough work ahead.

Sensible post....and yes I agree that an overworked POTUS is not a very good Idea.
No argument there. the golf course could actually be an excellent place to hold a one on one meeting with poltical friends.

As far as OPTICS go I don't see how you can possibly separate the two categories.

Less about Obama that people's attitude toward Obama? WTF? How are those two things different in the de facto sense?

I didn't say that people were smart....I only indicated that Optics are important...probabaly a lot more important than they should be.

I mean what's up with SUPER-DUPER-UBER lefty Maureen Dowd? Why the hell would she pen such an article when conservatives like myself see right through it and you already know that I am no fan of the current POTUS. Obviously the Optics are having an effect even on the left.

JO