Obama the Fan
[Guest post by DRJ]
President Obama and Vice President Biden attended the Georgetown-Duke basketball game today. Obama announced the game for a few minutes and joked with Verne Lundquist:
“Shortly after the second half began, the president was seated between CBS announcers Verne Lundquist and Clark Kellogg. Obama, an avid fan of the sport who often plays pickup basketball games, seemed to impress the pair.
After Obama described a spin move and basket by one player, Kellogg told him he could handle the job of announcing.
“After retirement, I’m coming after your job, Clark,” Obama replied. “I’m just letting you know. So you either have three more years or seven more years,” he said, referring to the possibility that he might be re-elected to a second term.
At another point, CBS aired tape of a pickup game Obama played during the 2008 presidential campaign, including a missed left-handed layup. That prompted Lundquist to ask Obama if he has problems dribbling to his right.
“I went to the Republican House caucus just yesterday to prove that I could go to my right once in a while,” Obama joked, referring to a televised session Friday when the president attended a House GOP retreat in Baltimore.”
The report noted that “[s]ecurity for the game was intensified, with fans having to pass through metal detectors, cars being searched as they entered the building’s garage, and a large number of security agents in the arena.” Apparently Obama isn’t averse to inconveniencing people after all, at least not for important things like basketball.
Yesterday ABC News reported Obama and his family haven’t joined a church in over a year and rarely attend public services. The report implied the Obamas worship in other ways because of the cost and hardship imposed on others when the First Family make public appearances:
“Keeping the faith in quiet moments of worship may be the best Obama can do given the realities of the presidency that make it nearly impossible to join a church without inflicting a heavy burden on taxpayers, fellow churchgoers and his own spiritual life, sources say.
Security concerns mean costly and complicated measures to ensure the president’s safety on church outings, including screening every member of the congregation for weapons and sweeping the church building and areas around it for threats.”
And at least one of Obama’s three reported church outings was about politics as much as church — his January 2010 attendance commemorating Martin Luther King Day.
— DRJ
At the risk of sounding cynical, are we to understand that while it’s too expensive to burden the taxpayer with security during a church service, it’s A – OK to burden them with millions of dollars for one date in Manhattan?
I call total BS on this – and I don’t care whether they actively worship or not, or even if they believe in a higher power. He didn’t join Trinity out of some deeper feeling, he joined to accrue a power base from which he could start his rise politically, and who cares what’s being preached there during Sunday services?
Dmac (539341) — 1/30/2010 @ 2:40 pmIsn’t it possible for him to not mug for the cameras? Other Presidents have gone to events and not sat on the Court, and not ventured up to the pressbox.
JD (3b62be) — 1/30/2010 @ 2:47 pmScripted setup for the one-liner.
Stashiu3 (44da70) — 1/30/2010 @ 2:50 pmThe report implied the Obamas worship in other ways because of the cost and hardship imposed on others when the First Family make public appearances:
Very altruistic of the Obamas. Wish they’d apply that same consideration to date nights and state dinners too.
Three words: Priorities. Will. Out.
no one you know (1ebbb1) — 1/30/2010 @ 2:52 pmWent over like a lead balloon, Stashiu.
JD (3b62be) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:06 pmStahiu3 – Looks like a full on mouth drool to me.
Is Obama going to have a problem with March Madness since he’s now investigating the BCS?
daleyrocks (718861) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:09 pmMaybe he will force the NCAA to allow an Ivy League school to participate in the Final Four.
JD (3b62be) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:12 pmThere’s no church what going to will help the little president man politically.
You can tell this is true cause of he’s not going to any.
happyfeet (713679) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:19 pmEar Leader may dribble a lot, but he never shoots.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:21 pmHis house of worship is any mirror.
Old Coot (ddf8be) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:27 pmI will give the Obamas a pass on the church attendance issue because I know that Ronald Reagan struggled with the same problem after he was shot. The Secret Service was against him having regularly-scheduled public outings to the same location for security reasons, and Reagan did not want to impose on the other members of the congregation who would have been inconvenienced by the circus that surrounds a President. As others have noted, however, it does not explain why he and the Mrs. can have date night in Manhattan, or why he feels free to drop into assorted ballgames and other public events.
Also, with Biden at the same public event too, shouldn’t they be taking into consideration the potential succession problems that would occur if something should happen to both of them? I for one do not want President Pelosi, no matter how horrible I think the current Administration is.
JVW (48cbba) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:30 pmThese are areas on which I’m willing to cut Obama slack.
I’m confident in condemning his political character and sincerity (as being weak bordering on absent), but his religious character I don’t feel qualified to judge, and neither am I persuaded by others who do that.
As for his public appearances in general, I wish he’d be seen more and heard less — or at least, heard less. That voice has becoming as grating as it is ubiquitous, all Obama all the time. But that, too, is a small-potatoes matter, compared to the daily harms he and his band of robber-clowns are inflicting upon America.
Beldar (dcbe1e) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:31 pmMaybe he will force the NCAA to allow an Ivy League school to participate in the Final Four.
Is that how Penn made it in ’79?
JVW (48cbba) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:34 pmI don’t care if he goes to church or not but let’s just be straight about why he’s not attending: The in-house Savior is just way too much competition.
Dana (1e5ad4) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:35 pmBeldar – Public appearances like this bug the holy hell out of me. Clinton and Bush did these things, but stayed in the background, in the wings, rather than plop their asses down front and center and then get some booth time with the announcers. It exemplifies his narcissism.
JD (3b62be) — 1/30/2010 @ 3:36 pmComment by JD — 1/30/2010 @ 3:36 pm
JD, I see where you are coming from and agree that Obama seeks the limelight, but if memory serves President Bush went into the booth for an inning at the MLB All-Star game one year. I don’t recall, but he may also have ventured up there for the 2001 World Series game in New York when he threw out the first pitch.
JVW (48cbba) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:04 pmComment by JVW — 1/30/2010 @ 3:30 pm
You’ve just described BHO’s & Sloe-Joe’s life-insurance policy:
AD - RtR/OS! (90486b) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:13 pmThe possibility that Queen Nancy would become President could only be applauded by OBL (except he would probably laugh himself to death)!
The World Series appearance in 2001 was more about 9/11 than it was about watching a game.
AD - RtR/OS! (90486b) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:14 pm#7 JD – Last time that happened was 1979 when Penn made it. Since then I think a few of those frustrating Peter Carrol Princeton teams made a little run for it but inevitably got squashed. I tend to fall into the “Anyone but Duke” realm of fandom.
SPC Jack Klompus (237c0e) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:23 pmDRJ wrote:
Let’s go for at least two, his pre-inauguration appearance at St John’s in Washington, DC. That, too, was for the cameras.
The Catholic Dana (474dfc) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:23 pmIf it wasn’t for cameras, he would have nowhere to take TOTUS.
AD - RtR/OS! (90486b) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:25 pmIt should be noted that President and Mrs Clinton were members at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, and if they didn’t attend every Sunday, they did attend often enough for it not to be an unexpected event.
The Catholic Dana (474dfc) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:26 pmWhere does James O’Keefe worship?
David Ehrenstein (2550d9) — 1/30/2010 @ 4:42 pmBeldar,
This post isn’t about whether the Obamas go to church — after all, CNS reported the Press Secretary’s claim that the Obamas attend church “fairly regularly” at Camp David — and who knows? It may even be true.
The point is the White House has repeatedly claimed (it’s in the CNS report, too) that they don’t attend church because it causes an imposition on Washington-area residents. I haven’t noticed the same concern on Friday evenings or Saturday afternoons … not to mention Michelle Obama’s daytime trip to buy leafy greens.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 1/30/2010 @ 5:03 pm#
Beldar – Public appearances like this bug the holy hell out of me. Clinton and Bush did these things, but stayed in the background, in the wings, rather than plop their asses down front and center and then get some booth time with the announcers. It exemplifies his narcissism.
Comment by JD — 1/30/2010 @ 3:36 pm
Exactly.
no one you know (1ebbb1) — 1/30/2010 @ 5:20 pmWhen Ehrenstein gets on his knees, he’s praying to something wholly different than our Lord & Saviour.
Icy Texan (2d4b53) — 1/31/2010 @ 4:01 amWow this was a great post.
imdw (223a39) — 1/31/2010 @ 8:08 am