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Monday, April 08, 2013

The Obamas Live The 1 Percent Life

Being president of the U.S., the most powerful man in the world, is often most about perception. The man (or, one day, woman) in the job takes actions large and small every day, but it is the perception of the man that seeps into the everyday lives of working Americans.

That’s why presidential candidates always hit Philadelphia for a cheesesteak during campaigns (Democrats to Pat’s, Republicans to Geno’s). Sure, they’re running billion-dollar operations trying to win the White House, but one picture of them wolfing down a Cheez Whiz-covered glob of meat on a Philly street hits home with millions of voters: “Hey, that guy’s just like me! He loves him a Pat’s [or Geno’s] cheesesteak, too!” (Unless you’re John F. Kerry and order Swiss cheese — then everyone hates you.)

Sometimes, that perception cuts to the core. Like when President George W. Bush stopped playing golf in 2003, at the height of the Iraq War.

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

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

No. They are not just like us. Unfortunately some folks way of protesting politicians is to not vote. And that is how the cookie crumbles.

Anonymous said...

Living the one percent lifestyle - while promoting the lifestyle of Romney's forty seven percent.

lmclain said...

Vote? What? Some NEW guys are going to change the bribery, the kickbacks, the two-faced double dealing sell-outs of the citizens, and the elitism of the ruling dictators? Jefferson was right-- every once in a while, the "leaders" need a lesson. One delivered at the point of a gun, the end of a rope, or the edge of a sword. Over 200 years ago, he saw this point in our history. But go ahead. Keep "voting", like it has any effect. It will make you feel like a "good citizen", while they laugh openly at your naive innocence. If Jefferson was alive today, we would already be in the middle of the Second American Revolution, and these snakes would be running for their lives. Tax THAT.