Posted on 08/12/2010 3:47:44 PM PDT by Kaslin
During the early Clinton years -- 1993 and 1994 -- the first couple vacationed in Martha's Vineyard hobnobbing with celebrities and cruising on Ted Kennedy's yacht. The result was that during each of the two summers, as they dived into the surf, so they dived in the polls. The last drop, after the summer of 1994, played a role in their loss of their congressional majorities a few months later. Now Michelle Obama is making the same mistake ... and at a worse time.
Voters are highly sensitive to where their elected officials vacation, especially when they themselves cannot afford a vacation and have to take a "stay-cation" instead. Now, with unemployment at almost 10 percent and underemployment reaching nearly 20 percent, voters are not likely to take any vicarious pleasure from the recreation of the first family -- particularly since they are paying for it.
Not much goes on during the summer. And stories about the first lady's travel will find plenty of dead airtime to fill on TV news shows and in newspaper columns.
Some have compared Michelle Obama's travels to those of former first lady Hillary Clinton. But, rushing to Hillary's defense (which we don't often do), her trip schedules were filled with visits to day care centers, women's shelters, village health programs and the like. The only official event on Mrs. Obama's schedule is a lunch with the king and queen of Spain. Part of the problem is that Hillary hated vacations, and Michelle, obviously, does not. But the political damage Mrs. Obama's trip will leave behind will hurt her husband's efforts to keep control of Congress in November.
And they will compound the damage by vacationing in Martha's Vineyard after her return from Spain. We already know how that plays in the polls.
I urged the Clintons to vacation in the Rockies -- to go camping, after my polling suggested that such a trip would be much more popular to voters than splashing with celebrities in the Vineyard. They did just that in 1995 and 1996. They both hated every minute of it. But they did it, and the polls reflected their efforts.
Now Michelle needs to learn a lesson in desperation from the Clintons.
Does anyone.....anyone.....believe the Queen actually cares?
Obama is beginning his 5th vacation since JULY, which was LAST MONTH.
The economy has been systematically destroyed by Obama and the democrat party.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! LETS PARTY!
When I read of the extravagant parties and travel by the Obamas that phrase comes to mind.
Reparations. Sucka.
That's really deranged. Normal people could go on a vacation that wouldn't look like they were telling the voters, "Screw you, we're better than you. Shut up and admire us." They could go to the beach where normal people go, and rent a house or stay in a hotel. They could go to a national park and stay in a lodge, if they didn't care for camping. They could go to Camp David, their already-provided, security-checked retreat, and hang out.
Something is *wrong* with all these people: the Clintons, the Obamas, *and* Dick Morris.
It is reported that the next NASA mission to land on an asteroid will be the destination for the next Obama’s vacation. the older daughter missed out on Spain so they want to take her to a far out place.
Big following.
The bears hated it too! Couldn’t stand the smell.
"Ruff!"
LOL. The smell of political rot.
We have GOT to get an honest media and a moderately informed American public, somehow, some way....
It’ll be very interesting to see the reaction in 2011 when we start hearing Obama talking about “having to make difficult decisions”
The First Lady is a one-woman reparations collection agency.
The Kenyan truly enjoys being a royal dandy. He probably would love to be transported in a sedan chair but there is no A/C in those things. I suspect as things get worse and worse for him he will spend more and more time with foppery and royal perks.
She doesn’t care. It doesn’t even register on her radar.
Who takes 40 friends on an overseas trip? Only a self-absorbed elitist. The Obamas are starting to look like the Clintons...separate vacations.
Emelda Marcos, that is all I am going to say...
Michele Obama is trash and a user. A user of taxpayer monies.
I imagine that thing leaves quite a wake. Probably triggers tsunamis.
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