Thread: Obamas' Night Out

Originally Posted by gregs656

I don't see the problem here.

If anything, the problem seems to be spin - but that's politics.

Also, if you earn 15k as a book seller, and that is not enough for you - then change your career. If you have a nice quality of life, and you enjoy what you do, then you're going to have to accept that people earn a crap load more than you and spend it (sometimes) frivioulesly - that doesn't mean, however, that they are any better for it or that they should stop.

Live by the spin, die by the spin.

Originally Posted by Utopian

That was exactly my point. Everything that he does is official government business. When he goes on a date with his wife, the government doesn't shut down in his absence, some of it has to follow him around wherever he goes. He's on the clock all the time, even, as Hillary pointed out, at 3 AM. There is nothing wrong with what he did. It's not a class issue, it's a presidential job issue.

Fistly, I agree with you, but he is the one who brought "the classes" into this in the first place.
Secondly, we elected a president, not royalty. Our president, especially at this time, should display a little humility. Even a decent King and Queen, amongst all the pomp and circumstance, will show a little dignity and humility.

Originally Posted by Quick Orange

Most of you know I'm not his biggest fan, but as long as this isn't something that happens very regularly, why shouldn't he take a short vacation with his family? If I was pulling in a half million a year and just got done with a rather stressful 6+ months, I think I would do the same.

They have Date Night every week. AGAIN - I do not object to his spending time with his wife. I object to a couple of things - one, the NYC trip was massively expensive and came on the heels of the GM crisis (and it's not just his own money involved here - it's tax payer and press money).

Two - the constant drumbeat about Where Will Date Night Be This Week serves as a very circus-y distraction to the real question of "what will be bailed out this week and who will thereby lose their job as a condition of said bail out?"

Three - how about a nice, actually private date? Wouldn't that do better for a marriage than what is essentially a publicity stunt? A nice, frugal night in to snuggle, talk, and not be exposed to the rigors (such as they are) of the press corps? Something more in keeping with the fiscal situation of the country (and world)? If this whole date night thing is actually about treating a marriage well, then I question the spectacle. "Us time" should not include the entire world.


Vacation? Sure - everyone deserves one. 52 expensive nights out during the worst economic crisis since 1929? Not so much. Especially not on my dime.

Originally Posted by gregs656

I don't see the problem here.

If anything, the problem seems to be spin - but that's politics.

Also, if you earn 15k as a book seller, and that is not enough for you - then change your career. If you have a nice quality of life, and you enjoy what you do, then you're going to have to accept that people earn a crap load more than you and spend it (sometimes) frivioulesly - that doesn't mean, however, that they are any better for it or that they should stop.

I get a long fine on what I earn, and am happy in what I do. I object to my money, in the form of taxes, going for this kind of crap. As has been said, everything Obama does he does while on the clock - and the extraneous trip to NYC *just for a Broadway show* was on the clock. In such economic times, when schools are closing down, this vulgar use of public resources, and display of high fashion and galavanting is Nero-like in its disregard.

Obama works for me - remember "of, by and for the people"? I object to the behavior of my public employee.

And, believe me, I am well familiar with class differences.

ok, so, what are you going to do about it?

What do you expect him to do? Presumably, unless he stays home for the duration of his term, everything he does will cost you as a tax payer, one way or another.

What do I plan to do about it? Make a nuisance of myself by kvetching a lot.

What do I expect? I expect decorum. I expect that in the times of school and library closures, the losses of millions of jobs, and the cutting of social services they do not conduct a showy "romance". I expect they do their work on their marriage quietly, like any people actually doing work on their marriage, and privately (as if that were what these nights out were really about...).

I expect that they would show some sympathy and empathy with the people he is supposedly representing. Though, speaking of class, yes, it is rather obvious whom he represents. Tellement pour le changement.

Discretion is the better part of valour, and it is also the better part of not getting one's head snicked off by hungry, angry masses. In easily-ignitable times, with so many unemployed and underemployed, this show of excess is not just insensitive, but stupid. I expect he would tone it the eff down.

Originally Posted by Bruno

It's their money. Since when is someone not allowed anymore to spend his money accodring to his own wishes because someone else has less? That almost sounds like commie talk

Excellent point Bruno.
You know that automatic payroll deduction takes my money.
And Social Security is my money.
And Medicare/Medicaid is my money.
Yet I never see any of it.
Furthermore I will never see any of it.
I don't use (nor does my family) any sort of Gov assistance, and SS is slated for bankruptcy when I am in my 50's.

Isn't it my money?
DAMN RIGHT IT'S MY MONEY!!
I TRADED HOURS OF MY LIFE FOR THAT MONEY!!!
AND THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING IT
THEY ARE TAKING HOURS OF MY LIFE EVERY DAY THEY ARE STEALING MY LIFE!!!

Time is the stuff that life is made of, and when it is gone there will be no more.

straight from the horse's asses mouth
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