Father's Day for the Obama Girls

hey there mate

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Yikes! My gripe is grammatical. There are two daughters, which means using the comparative, not superlative: Sasha, his YOUNGER daughter...Malia, the OLDER daughter...

I don't know if Obama's outing with his girls was "staged" or not, but even if it was that doesn't mean sinister motives were at play. Maybe he used the day/venue to make a statement about quality time with children as a father. Maybe he was making a statement about the importance of fatherhood. After all, he is the President.

Just read a fascinating piece on Politico about the stagecraft of the Obama White House. The piece focused on how much attention to detail went into every public view of the president, down to which podium to use, how the helicopter lands on the lawn, etc. etc. So my point that the president should have had a better sense of the symbolism of his Dairy Godmother visit seems to be well supported-- this WH is obsessed with image, so why the slip up?

WHO CARES??? I AM SO OVER IT NOW, PLEASE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH OF WHAT OBAMA IS DOING , AND I COULD CARE LESS HE IS HAVING ICE CREAM WITH HIS GIRLS, AND NOW WHAT ABC IS DOING IS OVER THE TOP, OBAMA IS IN CAMPAIGN MODE AS USUAL, THAT IS ALL HE DOES, HE STILL HAS NOT STOP CAMPAIGNING , THIS HEALTHCARE TOWNHALL HE IS GOING TO HAVE ON ABC FOR TWO HOURS AND THEN ABC PICKS WHO THEY WANT, PLEASEEEEEE, ANYBODY SMELL A RAT?? I DOUBT IT, THE MAJORITY OF VIEWERS HERE ARE LIBS, ONE REASON I QUIT WATCHING THIS NETWORK, GIBSON IS GOING TO KISS HIS A-- AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT, AND THEN WE FIND OUT LINDA DOUGLAS WHO WAS WITH ABC FOR YEARS IS OBAMA'S COMMUNICATION FOR THIS HEALTHCARE, TALK ABOUT NO BIAS HERE. THEN THEY WON'T SELL ANY COMMERCIAL TIME TO THE REPUBLLICANS TO SHOW THE OTHER SIDE, AND I AM NOT EVEN A REPUBLICAN, BUT IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE WE LIVE IN CUBA OR SOME STATE RUN MEDIA COUNTRY, NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS, THIS MAN CONTROLS THE MEDIA AND PRESS AND I VOTED FOR HIM, NOW I AM ONE OF THOSE INDEPENDENTS WITH BUYERS REMORSE, WHAT HE DID TO THE AUTO INDUSTRY GM IS A SIN, NOW THE UNIONS CONTROL IT, YOU LIBS HERE, ARE SO HYPNOTIZED BY HIM AS THE MEDIA IS, ITS SO SAD.YOU BLEIVE ANYTHING HE SAYS.

All we have to do is exchange "Obama" with "Bush" and there'd be a much different attitude on this board.

The Prez took advantage of photo ops. He didn't care how engaging in trite publicity stunts would look to millions of Americans and others around the world given the gravity of the situation in Iran.

He could have done any number of things with his daughters without the Press around and on the grounds of the White House.

He's using his daughters the way he uses his dog-just ways to get publicity and give the MSM more of those 'Aw shucks, he's such a regular guy' stories.

Oops, couldn't resist visiting Politico before I put the puter to bed for the night, so I could check the pres's itinerary for the day and see how I missed the news about the barbecue. Surprise, surprise, there was no barbecue today. The only thing on the prez's public schedule was the golf game.

I think Try the Truth is referring to the Laua that the president is hosting for Congress and their families on THURSDAY. It sounds like a terrific event-- it's usually a picnic and he's giving it a Hawaiian twist. Very nice-- I have no problem with that, but applaud it.

Or maybe you mean the Father's Day forum held at the White House on FRIDAY, where Tony Hawk skateboarded through the WH and Bobby Flay barbecued. Another great event, but not held on Father's Day.

Okay, gang, before I turn in for the night, I'll make one last stab at explaining my commentary in small words that folks eager to label me passive-aggressive can understand. I will tell my son about the BBQ-- he'll be pleased to hear it. He showed me something about Bobby Flay being at the WH earlier this week, so maybe the two things are connected? Very nice.

Now, let's try again-- I did NOT criticize the president for golfing. My son did. Honestly-- and actually, he didn't complain about the golfing but about it being on Father's Day and the girls going out with their dad on Saturday, which is not Father's Day. I'm sure he'll be pleased about the girls getting lots of time with their dad at the barbecue.

I specifically pointed out in an earlier post that I had no problem with the prez golfing, not even given my comments about the symbolism problem with the ice cream run. I mentioned that since Saturday was the start of the crack down and the day the world was focused on Iran, the public view of the president that day was more important stylistically than the visuals on Sunday, when there was a sort of pause to regroup in Iran. So of course, since I NEVER criticized the president for golfing on Father's Day, I am not going to criticize Biden for golfing with him. I'll check with my son, the one who made the crack about golfing, to see what he thinks of the VP's schedule for the day. *G*

You suggest that I am only critical of the president and that nothing he does will please me. Then how do you explain my defenses, on this site, of his handling of the Iran situation? I have posted on more than one occasion that I think his measured but firm written statements were appropriate and helpful. I have said that he is right to be cautious about giving the Iranians any ammunition to use in their "blame america" campaign.

In other posts this weekend, I specifically remember giving the president credit for his handling of the Somali pirate situation as well as the Iran crisis. I have frequently praised his choice of Hillary (my democratic fave candidate this last election cycle-- even contributed money to her campaign) for Sec. of State and some of his other foreign policy team. I have spoken warmly about his emphasis on family and his clear affection for his daughters. My conscience is clear-- when I agree with the man, I say so, and when I disagree, I say so too. Sorry you have a problem with that.

'Night, all, and happy Father's Day.

Ooops, typo in my last post. Yes, I do know the difference between Iraq and Iran.

Actually, in my family Father's Day and Mother's Days have always been like that. On the Saturday before Father's Day, my Dad would spend some time doing something fun with us kids. (At least something we thought was fun...taking us swimming, or whatever. Probably not all that thrilling for him.) On the actual Sunday of Father's Day, we would give him breakfast in bed (our best attempts but I'm now wondering if many of them weren't quite gag-worthy), and the day was about "him."

On Saturday before Mother's Day, we would all get to go to the Woolworth's lunch counter (or some other kid-friendly place) for lunch with our mother. On the actual day of Mother's Day, she would be treated to our (same gag-worthy) breakfasts in bed. (Of course, once we'd removed her tray, she'd gotten up and gotten dressed, and seen what we thought was a "good job" of cleaning up the kitchen after ourselves, she no doubt would have been quite willing to forgo any further breakfasts.)

As to President Obama and his girls, perhaps he was trying to allow them to see what riding in a full presidential motorcade was like. I don't think they get to experience that much, since they aren't usually with him for such "grand" occasions. And, who knows? We aren't provided with an accounting of the outing, so it's possible that President Obama re-paid the cost of the trip to the presidential expense coffers.

I just agree with others that have said it was good to see our president being a "good dad" and spending some time with his children, doing something they would enjoy.

And I don't think that him doing so on this particular day (due to the activities in Iran) really should have made any difference. As has been reported elsewhere, his advisers were in constant contact with him, and -- besides -- the whole trip only took less than an hour.

If we never see photographs of Brown or Sarkozy out having fun with their children, perhaps we should wonder about them, not Obama. I think there's a case to be made that the President of the United States has serious, pressing, concerns on his day EVERY day. I fail to understand how something happening in Iraq, that he has no control over, should have made him disappoint his daughters by canceling an outing for ice-cream.

Jaylah, fascinating response! Thanks!

I love hearing about your days at SHAPE. I have a friend who tells hilarious stories about her college years in Europe, when she used to go bar hopping with Vaclav Havel. I'm afraid I haven't had such glamorous European adventures as you guys.

I too am puzzled by the need for 12 vehicles. Heightened security because of some threat? And I agree a lot of folks were involved and would have had their plans changed if the president rearranged the schedule (putting off the ice cream caper until Sunday). I guess my feeling is that it is in the nature of the security people's job to have to rearrange and to be inconvenienced by the whim of whatever VIP one is covering. But you are right-- it was not an outing that affected only the First Family. Good point, well argued.

Try the truth, I appreciate your response and we'll just agree to disagree. I realize it is hard to judge tone in this anonymous written format, so I appreciate you making it clear you did not mean to sound harsh. I didn't either.

I found it amusing to get another perspective here in my own house. One of my sons is home for the summer, and he spent the evening curled up on the couch with his dad watching movies that he found unspeakably boring but that his dad loves. Just now, he was reading this thread over my shoulder. He says we are all missing the point-- the president went out for ice cream on SATURDAY, but skipped out on the family on Sunday, actual Father's Day, to go golfing with the VP. He thought the girls got short-changed anyway. Crack me up.

Moderate, the reason I said this was NOT a "normal" impromptu father-daughter thing (I think you misread my earlier post regarding that) is because the article states that it was a motorcade consisting of "[t]welve dark vehicles" who "wound thru small side streets to the Del Ray section of Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington."

First, let me say that I'm really not at all sure why it took a 12-vehicle motorcade to get three people ice-cream. I used to work at SHAPE in Belgium, back when Alexander Haig was SACEUR, and we used to take great glee in attempting (and occasionally succeeding) to get our own cars in between his vehicle and his chase car on the way to work, just because his security detail would get so shook up about it. I also understand that the security detail that travels with the POTUS probably requires more than two men in a chase car. But twelve vehicles plus attendant personnel?

However, if we assume that each of the twelve vehicles in the motorcade had only one person in them (the driver), then that means that canceling at the last minute would have meant schedule interruption and inconvenience for at least 12 people. And I suspect it's highly unlikely that each vehicle carried only one person. If we assume 2 per vehicle, that means at least 24 people.

While I have no doubt that the owner of the Dairy Godmother was only given a few minutes notice, I think we can safely say that this trip was planned (by the security detail at least) well in advance. It would seem that it would have to have been in order to organize a twelve-vehicle motorcade with attendant personnel. Would you agree?

James Danley, I am enjoying your comments.

And jhw, when you mocked him for suggesting that one reason the Iranians are revolting is because they see the example of democracy in IRaq and Afghanistan, responding that they revolted in 1999 and 2003 as well, prior to democratic reforms in those neighbors. To me, this shows that there was a long-standing dissatisfaction and longing for reform among the Iranian population, which is another force driving the current demonstrations.

Consider, however, that the '99 and '03 demonstrations were largely student-led and did not involve a broad spectrum of the population. There are early indications that this protest movement is more broadly based-- more older people, more women, not just urban-based young students. We shall see if this proves to be the case as it unfolds. But if it does, I think Danley has a point. Perhaps a broader spectrum of Iranians is more confident that they can achieve the reforms they desire because of the example of their neighbors. I will say that a few of the Iranians I know here (admittedly, college students so part of that generation and social group more prone to speak out)have spoken admiringly of the democratic elections in Iraq, even as they express skepticism about the manipulation of the Iraqi population by interest groups. In other words, they are not naive, but they are aware of democratic developments in other countries in their region and they are impatient for similar developments in Iran.

liam, I loved your comment in response to jhw's tedious "the president should not be isolated in a retreat" statement. Very well said.

Maybe the president's fans could revive the notion of the curative power of the "royal touch." Not that scrofula is making a comeback or anything, but you never know.

Try the truth, I do NOT begrudge the president time spent with his daughters. Please see my previous comments in this thread and elsewhere. What I have been arguing, which I realize may not be clear to you because it differs from what several other commentors are arguing, is that the president should have been more concerned about the SYMBOLISM and the VISUAL of his visit to Dairy Godmother on that particular day. No, there was nothing he could do to help the suffering Iranian protesters at that moment, and I have NEVER argued that he could have, or that he should be chained to his desk 24/7. I even commented further down the page that I was fine with him golfing today with Biden.

I am trying very hard to be thoughtful and clear in my comments, and as I mentioned, I seriously gave deep consideration to my position on this presidential ice cream run before posting my opinion. I would appreciate the same thoughtfulness in your response to my thoughts, not a dismissive accusation that I should be ashamed of begrudging the president and his daughters their ice cream.

Gee, such a serious tone on my part does sound a bit silly given the subject matter, doesn't it? But I started it, so I need to follow through in responding to your criticism.

Try the truth, I think you are making my point. The president is keenly aware of the spotlight on him-- think of the jokes he made about that at the press dinner the other night, for example. Yes, he gets far more coverage than Merkel or Brown by the press. So he should have known that people would take note of his actions as well as his words on Saturday. Since even a trip to a burger joint with Joe Biden is reported breathlessly and dissected, he had to know a trip this weekend with his two charming daughters would be covered widely, whether he wanted it to be or not.

But I suspect that the press in Europe did ask the press offices of the other leaders what they were doing on Saturday and would have reported any public activities that could be contrasted with the turmoil in Iran, as the president's ice cream run was. Sarkozy, for example, was at the Paris Air Show, which was important to show support for that industry in the wake of the Air France tragedy of last month.

liam, your faux-arguments are hysterically funny.

In response to JHW539: ""He is president, not a king cloistered away....he should be going out among the people....not shuttled back and forth in isolation from one exclusive retreat to another as the past president preferred."

What ill-informed commentary. Camp David serves as a retreat for the president and his family as well as an extension of the White House. President Bush owned a private property, a ranch, in the same way that President Obama owns a mansion in Chicago. They are homes, not "exclusive retreats."
The person who is acting more like a "king," as you describe it, and walking among the hoi-polloi, for whatever reason, as well as being shuttled back and forth to "exclusive retreats," like Paris, New York and London, appears to be the present occupant of the White House, not his predecessor.

Oh, I also think it's cute that they got some take-out treats for Bo. But I hope Michelle also got an ice-cream bar or something, too.