White House: "Obama not watching returns"

parent2noles · 11-04-2009, 05:32 AM

Wonder why? Maybe he's busy playing golf?

Quote:

Hours after urging reporters not to draw sweeping conclusions from Tuesday's gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told POLITICO President Barack Obama wasn't even keeping an eye on the results.

"He's not watching returns," Gibbs said.

The Obama administration and other top Democrats have consistently tried to play down the import of this week's contests, which Republicans have sought to portray as a referendum on the Democratic-led government in Washington.

In Tuesday's White House press briefing, Gibbs dismissed suggestions that the two governor's races and a special election in upstate New York could be a preview of the 2010 congressional midterms.

See: http://www.politico.com/politico44/p...15b03a038.html

Are Democrat chickens coming home to roost?

FarmDad · 11-04-2009, 06:01 AM

Maybe he sneaked out to see Miley Cyrus with Michelle and he girls.

parent2noles · 11-04-2009, 12:16 PM

Maybe Obama gave up watching election returns the way President Bush gave up golf?

Quote:

For the first time, Bush revealed a personal way in which he has tried to acknowledge the sacrifice of soldiers and their families: He has given up golf.

“I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” he said. “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”

Bush said he made that decision after the August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which killed Sergio Vieira de Mello, the top U.N. official in Iraq and the organization’s high commissioner for human rights.

“I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life,” he said. “I was playing golf — I think I was in central Texas — and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, ‘It's just not worth it anymore to do."

See: Jonathan Martin's Blog: Bush has given up golf for troops - Politico.com

ELY · 11-04-2009, 01:18 PM

Quite the segway, parent2, but amusing!

parent2noles · 11-04-2009, 05:27 PM

If we can't have some fun...we're just too serious.

catahoula · 11-04-2009, 07:21 PM

Very good.

parent2noles · 11-04-2009, 07:35 PM

Cat, how is it you have only 17 posts?

catahoula · 11-04-2009, 07:38 PM

I'm afraid I don't get out much.

CelticClan07 · 11-04-2009, 10:53 PM

I am convinced after this OP that Gibbs' mouth must hurt at the end of the day from lying through his teeth. Kind of like when my kids have an ortho appointment. I hope he finds comfort in ibuprofen

The president campaigned with Corzine how many times? 4? 5? President Obama put his political backside in NJ and NJ flat out DENIED him......Corzine too. Tell me he wasn't watching.......I'd have respect for him if he said he watched and was disappointed, but now.........none.

It's all good Cat, I don't get out much either, except for my 'takeover' meetings, lol.....

littlegreenmom · 11-05-2009, 12:22 AM

Too bad posts in the election forum don't count. I would have thousands, by now. Cat would, too.

Pizzagirl · 11-05-2009, 06:57 AM

Makes you wonder why someone would come to a college forum and only post in the politics section.

catahoula · 11-05-2009, 09:01 AM

It's not a question I'd risk wrinkles over, PZ, but I don't begrudge anyone their hobbies

littlegreenmom · 11-05-2009, 10:34 AM

What a thoughtful and provocative question, Pizzagirl.

I would venture to say that some of us like to read, some like to listen. Posters at CC are an interesting bunch. I would say 99% helpful and intelligent, for the most part. We all have talents and skills that are important in this world, but in this forum, some of that "expertise" may not be as appropriate to share in the college forum. Because of the cooperative nature of a forum such as this, it depends on the intellectual vitality and constant input from it's members. Members come and go. Sometimes there are even ones told not to come back. Others get busy with the minutae of their own lives and don't spend much time posting.

But the bottom line is that most of us are here in politics because it is interesting, don't you think?

What may have gotten most of us here, either our own children applying for college or ourselves (if we are in that demographic), made us explore other parts of the site. Kind of like when you explore the internet for the weather forecast that day and then venture off into parts unknown, having lost minutes or hours in the process.

Just like some have more interest in college football than myself, I have more interest in politics. I enjoy talking to people and learning from their viewpoint. Heck, I even had dinner with Hindoo the other night, and we couldn't be more opposite.

Why do people lurk in the college section without giving advice? Perhaps they don't feel like an authority on the subject and want to learn. I could write a book on my experiences in life, but I choose not to. Maybe one day, I will. I have contributed to the college forum, but only on issues that had strong appeal for me. Or on days when I had time. Some of us just go to learn more.

Sometimes we come to this section just for the pure entertainment.

A question like yours poses the thought that some people may have more of a right than others to be here and post. I can't imagine that is what you are suggesting. Maybe there should be a minimum for post entry at politics. Like a 2400 SAT or something. Smacks of a bit of elitism, I think.

Is your post count high enough? We could all drive up our post counts if that is what the population at CC wants. Would that make it more legit for people who don't have thousands of posts in the college section. I think it is silly. Filling bandwidth isn't the point.

Not 100% of the information is correct in the college section. Everyone has an opinion and it sometimes colors the information that is presented. I have corrected factually incorrect information on threads in the past and told I was wrong by kids who hadn't even applied to those schools, before. So be it. I can only fight so many battles. I do what I can.

People come to the politics forum because it is often one of those subjects we can't explore in our own real life. I can't discuss politics at work. It would be inappropriate. Can you?

Here's to a Happy Thursday.

Pizzagirl · 11-05-2009, 03:26 PM

I just posed a thought. Certainly I don't think there is any "requirement" for someone to post in the college sections in order to post here, or that frequent college-section posters are "more entitled."

I did have to chuckle at this comment on my Colbert twitter, which seemed apropros for a thread chastising the WH for saying that Obama wasn't watching returns:

"obama's so ashamed of his losses in new jersey and virginia, he's going around telling people he wasn't even on the ballot. pathetic."

littlegreenmom · 11-05-2009, 03:33 PM

No worries, Pizzagirl.

I just posted a thought in response to your comment.

It has been brought up before. More than once. By posters on these threads. Hey, I was even questioned a couple of weeks before this thread, asking why I didn't contribute on the college threads.

By a poster with a smaller college thread count than me, by the way.