“Aides said the golf game did not reflect the depth of his grief over Mr. Foley.” Oh, then it’s OK. The New York Times does its best to cover for Obama in this piece, but it is a losing battle. Cheney was right that Obama would “rather be on the golf course than he would be dealing with the crisis.” But that may not be such a bad thing, since everything he does to deal with crises involving Islamic jihadis only makes them worse.
“A Terrorist Horror, Then Golf: Incongruity Fuels Obama Critics,” by Peter Baker and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, New York Times, August 21, 2014 (thanks to Truth Revolt):
WASHINGTON — He had just hung up the telephone with the devastated parents before heading in front of the cameras. Unusually emotional, President Obama declared himself “heartbroken” by the brutal murder of an American journalist, James Foley, and vowed to “be relentless” against Islamic radicals threatening to kill another American.
But as soon as the cameras went off, Mr. Obama headed to his favorite golf course on Martha’s Vineyard, where he is on vacation, seemingly able to put the savagery out of his mind. He spent the rest of the afternoon on the links even as a firestorm of criticism erupted over what many saw as a callous indifference to the slaughter he had just condemned.
Presidents learn to wall off their feelings and compartmentalize their lives. They deal in death one moment and seek mental and physical relief the next. To make coldhearted decisions in the best interest of the country and manage the burdens of perhaps the most stressful job on the planet, current and former White House officials said, a president must guard against becoming consumed by the emotions of the situations they confront. And few presidents have been known more for cool, emotional detachment than Mr. Obama.
Yet the juxtaposition of his indignant denunciation of terrorists and his outing on the greens this week underscored the unintended consequences of such a remove. If Mr. Obama hoped to show America’s enemies that they cannot hijack his schedule, he also showed many of his friends in America that he disdains the politics of appearance. He long ago stopped worrying about what critics say, according to aides, and after the outcry over Wednesday’s game, he defied the critics by golfing again on Thursday, his eighth outing in 11 days on the island.
It was all the more striking given that Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain canceled his vacation after the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria released the video showing Mr. Foley’s death because the accent of the masked killer suggested he came from Britain. Former Vice President Dick Cheney told Fox News that Mr. Obama would “rather be on the golf course than he would be dealing with the crisis.”
But the criticism went beyond the usual political opponents. Privately, many Democrats shook their heads at what they considered a judgment error. Ezra Klein, editor in chief of the online news site Vox, who is normally sympathetic to Mr. Obama, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that “golfing today is in bad taste.” The Daily News published a front-page photograph of a grinning president in a golf cart next to a picture of Mr. Foley’s distraught mother and father under the headline, “Prez tees off as Foley’s parents grieve.”
“As a general rule, I think that he’s right that you can’t be held hostage to the news cycle — the man deserves a bit of downtime,” said Jim Manley, a longtime Democratic strategist. “But in this particular instance, I think a lot of Democrats flinched a little bit.”
The video, Mr. Manley added, “was just so shocking that the idea that he was going to immediately run to the golf course was just a little too much for folks; it was tone-deaf.”
Mr. Obama has traditionally resisted what he sees as the empty political gesture of abruptly upending his schedule in reaction to the latest crisis. Aides said the golf game did not reflect the depth of his grief over Mr. Foley, noting that the president had just spoken with his parents that morning. “His concern for the Foleys and Jim was evident to all who saw and heard his statement,” said Jennifer Palmieri, the White House communications director.
Mr. Obama is not the first president to get in trouble with a golf club in hand. On the course one day in 2002, President George W. Bush delivered a tough-worded statement denouncing a suicide bombing in Israel and then, barely missing a beat, told reporters, “Now, watch this drive.” Mr. Bush later concluded that such scenes sent a bad message, and in the fall of 2003, with the Iraq war raging, he gave up golf for the remainder of his presidency.
What really matters, according to Mr. Obama’s defenders, is not what the president does to blow off steam, but what he does to blow up ISIS. Aides to Republican and Democratic presidents have long argued that the commander in chief is on duty no matter where he is, and that even on vacation, he is receiving briefings, making phone calls and issuing orders. Other presidents have taken vacations during major crises and times of war. This year Mr. Obama has repeatedly interrupted his summer break to deal with Iraq and the racial unrest in Ferguson, Mo….
Ashley says
Now living on Martha’s Vineyard, I can attest to this appalling behavior by our POTUS.
c matt says
I am sure it caused him to hit at least two bogeys.
Walter Sieruk says
Obama has exposed his own callous and “I don’t care” attitude and spirit by his actions by playing golf right after he spoke his empty words . Obama will have to answer before God in the future, as the Bible shows in Romans 14:12. As for the wicked men of ISIS with their deadly violence. With all the terrible actions of the different ways of extreme violence it’s thus fitting to restate that the ISIS thugs are so violent that the curse that is found in the Bible may very much be on them. For Psalm 140:11. reads “May disaster hunt down men of violence.” Furthermore, with the information of all that is going on it is therefore necessary,once again, to reiterate that The heinous fiends of ISIS might actually be so evil ,warped and deluded that they might think that all the their brutal ,malicious and vicious violence as something “good.” To this wicked, deluded and warped way of thinking the Bible may very well have the answer. For the Bible reads “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…” Isaiah 5:20. Moreover, the ISIS members with their evil and mad mindset, they can be described in the Bible. Which teaches in Ecclesiastes 9:3. “The hearts of men are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterwards they join the dead.” [N.I.V.]
CogitoErgoSum says
Hey now! Don’t you recall Washington taking time out at Valley Forge to get in 18 holes every day by using a red golf ball to play in the snow? And don’t you know the reason Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg was so short was mainly because he had spent so much of his time practicing his putt? Doesn’t anybody remember that?
lookmann says
His buddy Cameroon also resumed his vacation , after attending a cabinet meeting on Foley’s murder.
Ding Dong says
Hang on a minute, didn’t Bush actually give a speech before encouraging the waiting press to ‘watch this drive’? seems a tad hypocritical now to be pulling Obama up for what Republicans excused as ‘being on holiday’.
Western Canadian says
As mentioned in the article, you utter and complete moron.
Western Canadian says
As is his response when he realized that his behaviour was deficient. You really are sickening.
SpiritOf1683 says
Meanwhile, back in old Blighty, Cameron has gone back on his holidays. Clearly nothing to see here.
Wakingwest says
Obama’s reaction and statement was actually perfect and very slick. Notice that what he managed to accomplish, once again, is to embed into the message, a defence for the greater islam. He is very good at this, he and his cronies consistently defend islam and the bearing of it’s manifest bloody nature in the real world.
For example, obama stated;
” Today, the entire world is appalled by the brutal murder of Jim Foley by the terrorist group ISIL”
Really, just a terrorist group? factually this “terrorist group ISIL” is an islamic armed group simply complying honestly to the koran mandated doctrine of conquest, domination, subjugation and beheading by the sword. Read up a bit on the koran, it’s there, plain to see, evident and plain to understand.
Consider also his other sly propagandistic defence absolving islam of anything to do with the bloody murder it inspires, dictates and justifies;
“So ISIL speaks for no religion Their victims are overwhelmingly Muslim, and no faith teaches to massacre innocents”
It is very troubling to see him so consistently giving himself the great duty of defending and protecting the muslim interest above that of the United States of America. This is a clear betrayal of the highest magnitude to our nation’s interest unavoidably obligating the accusation and proof of high treason.
gungadin says
Yes……..and how I wish the members of Congress will ALL grow a pair and put this “so called” President in his place…………I wonder time and again what is it going to take to have these elected BS artists to “grow a pair” and act like they actually represent their constituents…… How truly sad for this country…..
Champ says
Here I’m reminded that ‘actions speak louder than words’ …
Champ says
and obama has always achieved *below par* as a president …and I’m being kind here.
Joseph says
Yeah. Can Obama – the “Bogey-man” – scare IS? Doubt it.
Champ says
Great question! ..and I doubt it too, since IS probably sees obama as the weak man, that he is.
Don McKellar says
The headline should read: Obama Officially Begins 30 Month Vacation. Because he is redefining the term “lame duck president”.
No Fear says
On ABC Australia there was a comedy segment where Obama was called “that Irish golfer”.
paddy says
Bad move Barak.
Chris says
Arrogant indifference. Attempted justification is not a license.
Anon says
Appalled, very “appalled”. What’s for dinner.
Kepha says
Cool it, guys. If America survives the O presidency, it will be because the O clearly prefers playing golf to working. This limits his ability to do damage.
I don’t play golf myself, but have several friends and admire several public figures past and present who are or were golfers.
Richie says
He’s not the POTUS, he’s a POS!!!!
SpiritOf1683 says
I wonder what would happen if somebody beheaded his golf clubs.