We all need holidays, even Presidents

John A Neve says:

05:52am | 30/12/09

Tory,
One of us has this all wrong and I hope it’s you. I am much more interested in what our political leaders do, not what they say.

What would a statement by Latham have done?  Brought the dead back to life, stopped the waves, provided instant shelter?  Come on Tory, let’s get real

That is the whole trouble with our political system, assisted by people like you, what is said takes precedence over what is done and a gullible public lap it up.

Paul Hyland says:

07:14am | 30/12/09

Barack doesn’t need a holiday.  What he needs is good time-management skills, and not to get stressed-out.  Personally, I like to stare at a picture of a Unicorn for an hour or two each day.  This calms me down, and maked me more productive.

Taylor says:

07:30am | 30/12/09

Where’s Kevin, haven’t seen much of him since Copenhagen? He was all talk before he left. Or is he still over seas?

Biff says:

08:35am | 30/12/09

Am I a little too critical but does her bum look big in that dress?

David says:

09:30am | 30/12/09

We have an expectation, not unreasonably in my opinion, that our political leaders will regularly demonstrate LEADERSHIP. This can be in many forms, but when the nation suffers, or when disaster strikes, it is often the reassuring words from our political leaders that make all the difference.

Sure, it won’t stop the disaster or bring the dead back to life, but the emotional state of the living can benefit greatly from the comfort and reassurance provided by a strong leader.

Barack Obama was elected on the back of more than a year of reassuring words of hope. He was a strong advocate of great oratory, uplifting language and constantly delivering a message of hope.

The fact that he then disappears for three days when terrorists seek to strike is appalling. When the planes struck New York, President Bush was criticised at the time for his delay in providing a response. This ‘delay’ was 45 minutes - not three days.

Gough Whitlam was rightly criticised for delaying his return to Australia when Cyclone Tracy hit, and Mark Latham was rightly criticised for failing to be on duty when the Tsunami hit.

A terrorist attack on home soil, even an attempted attack, requires the President to be there, and he should have been.

John A Neve says:

10:15am | 30/12/09

David @ 1030hrs,

What you have said is why we have increasing numbers of counsellors and why drug use is on the increase. Less and less people can stand on their own two feet, they all need a crutch.

I can assure you, what Latham, Howard or Obama says does little for my sense of well being, so I am jealous of those like you.

Once upon a time I believe the first word a baby said was mum-ma, today I believe it’s HELP.

susanai says:

10:40am | 30/12/09

Why does everyone NEED to hear from the President? I would prefer him working behind the scenes doing something not saying something. All these ‘needy’ adults. Pleases go away, grow up then shut up.

6clegs says:

10:49am | 30/12/09

Ever thought that maybe Obama told his VP (Biden) ” that unless the Whitehouse is struck - do not disturb me” ?

I know that whenever i decide to have Media Free days somthing BIG usually happens! ::rollseyes::

H of SA says:

12:20pm | 30/12/09

I would say presidents especially need holidays to have the energy required for effective work.

T.Chong says:

01:38pm | 30/12/09

Biff : I was wondering the same thing, but I think its distortion from the lens.
Obama also looks to be flattened a bit. The dude in the background with the ?khaki jacket also looks very broad, but then again it is hawaii, supposedly the “fattest” US state in average BMI.

AT says:

03:03pm | 30/12/09

T.Chong, I think you do a disservice to optical industry professionals worldwide who have toiled, unheralded and anonymously for decades perfecting image quality, with your casually heartless remarks of ‘lens distortion’.

However, you’re right to note a ‘flattening’ effect. This is an inherent property of all telephoto or long lenses. But the effect is one of compressing perspective, objects within the frame will appear closer together than they actually are. A ‘broadening’ effect will not appear in images captured with a long lens, and the image in question does most assuredly appear to have been shot with a long lens.

So, Biff is not being too critical, as her bum does indeed, look big.

Bill says:

04:07pm | 30/12/09

Biff,

It’s not the dress that makes her bum look big.

She only works on her arms... says:

04:46pm | 30/12/09

I am glad we are focusing on the ‘big’ issues here…. holidays and bums. Christmas reading doesn’t get better than this! Thank goodness there is nothing more important for my resting brain to ponder.

not impressed says:

08:35pm | 31/12/09

It’s almost always a mistake to compare US politics and the way the American Republic works with Australian politics and the way her Constitutional Monarchy works, and comparing the duties, responsibilities and basic role of the Prime Minister of Australia with that of the President of the United States is no exception. 

The Australian PM is not elected by the people; s/he is chosen by his or her unelected (by the citizenry at large) party members who can name as PM anyone they want, at will, without the peoples’ direction or consent.  S/he is pretty “replaceable.”  When Kevin Rudd goes on holiday, Julia Gillard is “Acting Prime Minister” -  the US has nothing similar to that.  The Vice-President is not named Acting Head of the Executive Branch of the US Federal Government & Acting Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces and given all of the powers of those offices whenever Barry feels like he needs (another) break.

The only President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces is the one the American people elected - he’s it, 24/7/365 for 4 full years, like it or not—and Barry knew that going into the job.  Even on vacation, he’s still the one and only President and CIC.

After having spent his short and decidedly ordinary pre-Presidential political career voting “present” in the Senate (his only real decision being that of voting to refuse medical aid to children who were “accidentally” born alive after abortions),  Barack Obama has done nothing to convince the conservatives that he’s changed, and is rapidly convincing the Independents and even some Democrats that voting for vague amorphous concepts like “Hope & Change!” was probably not the brightest thing they’ve ever done.

So - shorter answer? Obama blew it Hawaii, absolutely and completely.  This was his My Pet Goat moment and Killer Rabbit moment (c.f. Jimmy Carter) rolled into one.