Posted on 08/02/2010 5:37:48 PM PDT by rickmichaels
President Barack Obama has played a remarkable 41 rounds of golf since becoming president, easily outpacing his predecessor and possibly damaging his ability to portray himself in 2012 as a populist advocate of average folks.
With the excursions lasting on average at least five hours, the president has devoted a total of more than 200 hours to golf, not counting time spent on the White House putting green. That’s the equivalent of twenty five eight-hour work days, or five work weeks spent smacking golf balls.
The former community organizer’s 41 trips around the links – a standard of recreational activity well beyond the budgets of most Americans – compares to only 24 total outings for former President George W. Bush, according to statistics compiled by White House chronicler Mark Knoller of CBS News. Bush, whose golf outings were used to help deride him as a callow, lazy, rich boy, played his 24th and last round on Oct. 13, 2003, saying he was ending the practice out of respect for the families of Americans killed in Iraq.
Since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 rig workers and started the Gulf oil spill, Obama has teed up seven times, according to White House Dossier’s count. This includes back to back sessions April 23 and 24 while on vacation at the Grove Park Resort & Spa in Asheville, NC, just days after the crisis began.
Obama’s focus on golf borders on obsession. Startled reporters follow him out to the course in the motorcade in the broiling Washington heat and then wait in the air conditioning while he puts in 18 holes. Rarely does he play any less.
On June 19, he dragged the 67 year old Vice President Biden onto the course for a sweltering 18 holes, calling into question whether he was trying to commit murder-by-golf in order to free the 2012 VP slot up for Hillary.
From a period stretching from April 3 to May 22 of this year, the president went golfing eight of nine weekends. WOULD YOUR WIFE LET YOU DO THAT?? WOULD YOU LET YOUR HUSBAND? Michelle, what gives?
He went out only once in June when, with the Gulf of Mexico slowly becoming the new U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and accusations of presidential inattention at their height, White House image counselors appeared to think the golf needed scaling back. But he’s back with a vengeance, having made his way out on the course both weekends so far this month.
Since he’s officially on vacation this weekend in Bar Harbor Maine, there appears to be little holding him back from heading out to the greens at least once.
While on the course, Obama for the most part likes to keep it nice and light, often playing with a youngish crowd. No deep discussions of policy on the links.
One of his companions on nearly every outing is Marvin Nicholson, the affable, White House trip director. Nicholson, a former “body man” to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), is the perfect guy for getting away from it all, having worked as a golf caddy, a bartender, and in a windsurfing shop – where he met Kerry.
Also generally on hand is David Katz, a former Obama campaign photographer.
Emphatically not invited for the most part are members of Congress or senior White House aides.
The White House is of course sensitive to the awkward look of the whole thing. A search of of the word “golf” on the White House page or the photo sharing site Flickr brings back only nine official White House photo results, three of which are neither of Obama nor golf. A search for “basketball,” the everyman’s game, brings back 39 photos.
But who wants to be the White House official to tell the president to cut back on golf? Somebody with another job offer, one would presume.
I wonder what the author would have to say about Eisenhauer who even has a tree named after him at Augusta National because he hit it all the time.
Well, I’d like to see his scorecard. Then we’d know if he is successful at anything.
Thats over 200 hours golfing
and...
30 minutes with General McChrystal
10 minutes to fire McChrystal
30 Minutes with General Petraeus
0 minutes with any Boyscouts
Impeach that Indonesian Student.
You think its golf ? No Way.
Just see this photo taken the other day after a "private" basketball game:
Captioned:
President Barack Obama, left, walks with an unidentified person as he leaves a private basketball game at Fort McNair in Washington, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010
The list, ping
Obama bin Golfin
The hours on the basketball court playing and shooting hoops have to also be factored into Barry’s dereliction of duty.
And the hours watching ESPN.
And the parties and concerts and vacations.
And Reggie time.
No normal person plays and relaxes as much as Barry.
Certainly no adults , not even trust fund brats.
His daily schedule is posted here http://www.politico.com/politico44/
Pick any day and his usual work day is 4 hours or less.
Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan have better work ethics.
Barry is the ultimate lazy ,welfare bum.
41 Rounds (American Economy Shot Down)
Golf, basketball, kids' non-existent soccer games, weekend getaways and perpetual vacations... a transparent presidency indeed. How many drops does this guy need to make in a week?
Golf Courses, rotating private venus for basket ball, , no press allowed, and so the SS keeps out all intruders. What business is being conducted?
Some nasty things are going to go down.Its the fascist way.
Transparancy is a political rib, Barry Soetoro is about as transparant as a block of lead. Most of his history is cauterized,Occidetal College records sealed, Birth Records sealed,clandestine meetings on the links and on basketball courts around Washington. Who is the record keeper? Who does he take with him on these junkets? Lets do some digging and get some answers.
We are watching and living a horror show projected straight out of the Abyss. America has been violated in the most unspeakable manner. It’s getting uglier by the second. Obama and his Congress behave as if nothing can stop them. They carry out their evil brazenly, in broad daylight.
Lord have mercy on His people.
Golf isn't the problem. In fact I wish he'd played 441 rounds of golf.
ML/NJ
I was wondering if you’re still doing the Obama golf tracking project. I couldn’t get the link I saved for it to open (using MacBook, Safari browser).
He’s vacationing in place in OUR WHITE HOUSE.
HE NEEDS TO FIND A NEW HOME (i.e. Ft. Leavenworth KS)
bttt
It is behind about a week. If you have some information, ping me and I will get it loaded in.
Thanks for letting me know there was a problem. I have been working hard on another project and haven't cared for the fledgling gotus tracker like I should.
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