Barack Obama, Frat-Boy-in-Chief?by Brad Jackson
Does Barack Obama realize he’s the President of the United States? I know that seems a silly question to ask, but he sure doesn’t act like it. A more apt description of his actions so far: the Frat-Boy-in-Chief.
This White House has had a remarkably fun time in office. There always seems to be a party, concert, vacation or round of golf to play. It seems that the Obamas are more concerned with ending up in the society pages, with impressing Americans with his hipness and cool factor, than actually running the country.
Barack and Michele have been fond of date nights, flying up and back for a swank evening in New York last May, that included an expensive dinner at Blue Hill restaurant, and a showing of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” at the Belasco Theater. We’ll have to take a guess as to how much that cost taxpayers for the security, transport, and other costs associated with presidential travel to the always busy and bustling island of Manhattan. In the midst of the worst recession this country has seen in a while, war in Afghanistan, and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, why not take a night to spend the taxpayers dime on an extravagant date night in New York?
Of course that isn’t the only time Barack was out of the White House having a blast when he should otherwise be manning his desk as leader of our country. It took Obama a whopping 72 hours to respond to the Christmas Day Bomber incident last year. Why? Because he was on vacation in Hawaii with his family, and nothing was going to interrupt a good day at the beach.
The Obama’s don’t always have to fly out of Washington for entertainment though. Barack is known for being a music fan, even showing musician John Legend that he knew the moves from Beyonce’s Single Ladies video at a pre-Inauguration concert.
“This is incredible, right?” Legend said looking out into the audience of tens of thousands who crowded around the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the all-star show. “It’s overwhelming,” Beyoncé added, as Legend encouraged her to “break into ‘Single Ladies’ right now.”
Things got better a few minutes later, as Obama was giving warm hugs to B, Blige and Latifah. Michelle Obama walked up and said, “Mr. President, you didn’t tell Beyoncé about ‘Single Ladies’? Your rendition?”
The Commander in Cool laughed and said, “I’m not like Justin [Timberlake]; I didn’t put on the outfit,” referring to JT’s now-infamous “Single Ladies” turn in a leotard on “Saturday Night Live.” “[But] I didn’t want my girls thinking that I couldn’t, you know … I got a little something.”
Doing a subtle version of the Beyoncé’s hand gesture, the president joked, “this part I got.”
Recently the Obama’s indulged their love for popular music and hosted a star-studded event at the White House honoring former Beatle Paul McCartney. What’s the significance of this? Well, it was in the midst of his administration’s lack of response to the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico that has devastated the fishing, shrimping and tourism industry along our Southern coast. Obama had vowed that he would not rest, “until this well is shut, the environment is repaired and the cleanup is complete.” So is an evening long music concert with a Beatle, and a host of other musicians and comedians not count as resting? What about a second one in the same week?
The second concert in a week took place at Ford’s Theater in Washington (after a pre-show reception in the East Room of the White House of course) and featured appearances by “Kelly Clarkson, Renee Fleming, George Lopez, Lionel Richie, Robin Roberts, Dick Van Dyke, Laura Michelle Kelly and Gavin Lee from the Broadway Company of ‘Mary Poppins,’ the Soldiers’ Chorus of the United States Army Field Band, and cast members from the Ford’s Theatre production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’” That’s not a bad evening of entertainment for the first family. What a wonderful way to waste time while the Southern Coast of the US wastes away from an oil spill that the government has done little to stop.
In the midst of this environmental crisis that’s worse than the Exxon Valdez disaster, you would think that, even if Barack and his family are busy livening it up, at least his staff would be hard at work trying to solve this disaster. Nope. Now we have word that Jon Favreau, Barack Obama’s speechwriter, and White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, were at a Georgetown bar partaking in an outdoor game of shirtless beer pong. The Daily Caller put it best.
Sure, the White House is dealing with a humongous environmental disaster, the Romanoff and Sestak job offer scandals, and crisis management in the Middle East, but a weekend’s a weekend. No sense letting it go to waste, especially when the weather’s so great.
If the speechwriter and the spokesman are both having fun, then why not the Chief of Staff and the Vice President? Well they’re weren’t working either, don’t worry. At a party dubbed an afternoon at the “Biden Beach Boardwalk” (generally known as the “Naval Observatory,” the home of the Vice President), Joe Biden hosted a water gun fight with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and (surprise) friendly members of the press (are there any other kind?). Thanks to CNN’s Ed Henry, we have pictures of the tomfoolery that went on while BP’s oil leak still ravaged the Gulf states.
The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder was also at the party and posted this video showing CNN’s Wolf Blizter partaking in the water gun festivities and chatting up Rahm Emanuel. Do you think Wolf is going to be completely objective when he talks about the President, his Chief of Staff or the Vice President on the air after this kind of encounter?
Now comes the most recent frat-tastic moment of this administration’s short time in office. Trying to show that he really is paying attention to the disaster in the Gulf, and not just playing around, Obama appeared earlier this week on the Today Show, where he told Matt Lauer that he was looking for someone’s “ass to kick,” over this whole mess. (Barry, have you thought about focusing that attention on people within your own administration?)
The Today Show is on in the early morning hours before most kids go to school, and is something that many families watch as they are getting ready for their day. I was an avid watcher of Good Morning America myself when I was growing up (in the Charlie and Joan era), and would have have heard the phrase “ass to kick” while I was chowing down on a Pop Tart or plowing through a bowl of Cheerios before catching the school bus. It doesn’t seem Presidential to use a phrase like that, especially when you know children are probably watching you, but I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Becky Quick, who co-hosts Squawk Box on CNBC (and has said she likes the president) thought he defiled the office of the Presidency with his remarks.
Using the A word when you are on the Today Show talking with Matt Lauer, yeah, that disturbs me. When you are the president of the United States, you should speak of the office… but again, if you’re the president of the United States and you are on the Today Show I would expect a different choice of words.”
For a Commander-in-Chief the words and actions of Obama’s administration would seem inappropriate and unbecoming, but as the Frat-Boy-in-Chief, he’s right on the mark. Now, who’s up for toga themed kegger at the White House?
Follow Brad Jackson on Twitter.
TNL
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