Posted on 03/18/2012 3:38:18 PM PDT by NYer
Most parents in his position would go to any lengths to shield their kids from politics.
Obama taps daughters to give big issues a human scale — AP
President Obama likes to talk about his children. What parent doesn’t?
But Obama is not just another father shooting the breeze about his children’s antics in last night’s soccer game. He is the president, and he brings up his daughters to explain his thinking on all sorts of combustible national issues.
He has cited Sasha and Malia, now 10 and 13, in discussing everything from the rescue of an American aid worker from Somalian pirates to the touchy subject of public access to emergency contraception. His daughters also are prominent in a family photo being used by his reelection campaign.
Most recently, Obama brought up his daughters when asked about conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s reference to college student Sandra Fluke as a “slut” after she testified that birth control should be covered by insurance.
Obama said at a news conference that he had called Fluke after Limbaugh made his comments “because I thought about Malia and Sasha, and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about, even ones I may not agree with them on. I want them to be able to speak their mind in a civil and thoughtful way, and I don’t want them attacked or called horrible names because they’re good citizens.”
Invoking his daughters is a way for Obama to bring big issues down to human scale, in a disarming way. It also is a reminder to Americans of the president’s photogenic family, a priceless political asset in an election year.
A few months ago, Obama brought up the girls in talking about the government’s decision to keep the Plan B morning-after pill available only to those 17 or older, rather than allowing it to be openly sold on drugstore shelves.
“As the father of two daughters, I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine,” Obama said. He went on to say the drug should not be available for sale to young girls, “and I think most parents would probably feel the same way.”
In January, when an American aid worker was rescued from Somalian pirates by Navy SEALs, Obama thought aloud about what her father had gone through, and about his own daughters.
“I cannot imagine what he went through – given Malia and Sasha – and for him to be able to stay strong,” the president said.
slick willie clinton suggested it a few weeks ago when the commie hussein was tanking. After that meeting, sashoo and maloo are everywhere. Next up, hussein and moochelle dancing by a pool with a wheelchair lift.
How? They are too ugly to look at.
Comes across as desperate. I think Bush may have had Barbara and Jenna speak in ‘04 a time or two but not in ‘00 when they were much younger.
Comes across as desperate. I think Bush may have had Barbara and Jenna speak in ‘04 a time or two but not in ‘00 when they were much younger.
so much for leaving his children out of it...
This is what I found so disturbing about Palin. She always dragged her kids on stage with her. Not only that, by doing so, she was endangering her children’s lives considering all the sickos out there.
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
They spoke at the Republican Convention in ‘04. And they sounded like a couple of adolescent dingbats. Obama already has been using his daughters as political props and that was before any of us had heard of Miss Fluke.
I think I remember that . . . did they take turns with a sentence at a time or something gimmicky like that?
Malaria and Sasquatch.
Yes,she could have cut back on the kids but I admit I did enjoy seeing little Piper. I just watched “The Undefeated” part last night and the remainder today and the old footage and pics of Sarah remind me of Piper. I think Piper is her Momma’s girl and she likes being with her as much as possible.
hussein should try a different secret service agent for impregnation of moochelle.
Sarah was running and “introducing” her family to different audiences, unlike being in the white house and using your kids as props.
This could backfire on him, too.
Anyone remember Jimmy Carter in the 1980 debate with Reagan? Carter said he talked to his then 13 year old daughter Amy about what she thought was the biggest issue of the time, and Amy said that controlling nuclear weapons was the biggest issue. That comment made Carter look very bad. Something similar could happen with Obama if he brings his daughters up in a way which sounds absurd.
I don’t remember. I just remember cringing when I saw it.
I remember that. I cast my first Presidential vote for Reagan in 1980. Carter came across as an idiot asking Amy who was a kid about something like that.
Let’s put it this way.
He can use them and it is ok, but we cannot use them.
To put it in perspective:
Black people can use the N-word and it is perfectly fine, but if a white person uses it, they are condemnedto being called racist
Obama can use the kids for his own purpose,but shame on anyone else who mentions them.
“I admit I did enjoy seeing little Piper.”
I admit “me too.” What a little wonderful, Beautiful doll.
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