Obama Family Vacation

Why does Barack Obama need to take an 11-day vacation to Hawaii for Christmas in this current climate? The mid-term elections saw the GOP take control of one of the houses of congress, the economy is still flatlining in many ways, people are out of work, budget cuts are coming, we’re waging an unwinnable war in Afghanistan, Undercover Boss is the highest rated show on TV, and the NY Giants didn’t make the playoffs. In other words: things aren’t as good as they could be. I’m not one of those guys who think it’s super-bad, because if it’s so bad here, where in the world is it good? But what’s the deal with these big, in-your-face vacations every year by our Chief Commanders? From Bush’s epic vacations to Barack’s constant getaways, what the heck is this?

Doesn’t anybody understand that US Prez is the most important job in the world? There’s nothing bigger. I’m not trying to say that that kind of job is all-encompassing, that there’s never time to stop and smell the roses. Wait! I am saying that! You’re the President! I don’t ever want to hear about you just getting away from things for a while. You’re probably saying, ‘Come on, Brian, he has kids. He needs to think about his family, too.’ No, actually he doesn’t need to be thinking that much about his family when he is holding such a serious office, for only 4 years, one that he wanted and got elected to with so many HUGE promises, by us! As for the kids, I’m sure a Christmas in DC, which is a million times more extravagant than anything you and I could ever imagine would suffice. ‘But come on, Brian, it’s a working vacation down there on the Big Island.’ OK, fine, but maybe there’s a such thing as sending the right message, PR-wise.

After the Dem's disaster at the polls in November and Barack's slumping approval numbers, wouldn’t it have been great if Obama said, ‘You know what, no vacation this year. The country needs me to be a full-time leader right now.’ If he had said that, he would’ve had my 2012 vote locked up right now. 10% of this country is on the dole, and this guy is splashing in the surf waves of Hawaii, even if he isn't literally splashing. Sorry, but that’s not the guy I voted for in ’08. I voted for a man of the people, a guy who talked a big game and promised to get his hands dirty with the everyday issues. Our last Prez thought he had a direct channel to God. Thought he was entitled to everything not nailed down, and some that was. Don’t believe me? Read ‘Decision Points.’ The man is clueless. Barack was supposed to be a breath of fresh air. Maybe John McCain would’ve skipped vacation. Doubt it, but we’ll never know, because he committed political suicide by nominating that buffoon from Alaska as his running mate. After that, it was in the bag for Barack. Now McCain’s back in Arz., Palin is making a complete idiot of herself and her family on that lowbrow, staged, reality thing ‘Sarah Palin’s Alaska.’ And Barack, the First Man, he’s just back from his holiday getaway.

Like I said before: You’re asking millionaires to get their hands dirty with your dilemmas. It won’t ever happen. Nothing changes, no matter what. What can I say? Barack has kind of been a disappointment. The GOP has thumped him since ’08, in basically every area. Now they’re going to revoke his health plan just as his Hawaii tan is wearing off. And if that happens, you can kiss Barack good bye in 2012. If I ran for Prez, I would promise 1 thing: No vacations. Simple. Easy. Efficient.

Don’t get me wrong, America’s still the best country on Earth. All this talk about China and India outdoing us in education and such, forget it. Even if they are, we’ll be waiting at the end of their graduation stage, waiting for their top doctors and scientists, with images of Times Square and Kim Kardashian. Everybody wants to make money, and be free, and be American. So train ‘em up and we’ll take ‘em off your hands on diploma day.

But the level of entitlement in this country is completely out of control, from the top down. Houses we can't afford, loans we can't pay back, vacation time we don't need. Anybody in the world would trade places with us, but we're never satisfied. We’re going to topple over as a country from all this greed and overindulgence. And when that happens, our Prez will probably be on vacation, same way he was when Hurricane Katrina hit, and every year since, regardless of who’s in the White House, or what's happening on the political/national landscape. Camp David? Don't even get me started on that.

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Brian Huba
1/7/11