Obama's Focus: Bowling and Golf, then the Economy Stupid?

By all accounts Barack Obama is probably the worst bowler to live in the White House in the last fifty years (President's wives and children excluded). His reaction to the public reporting of his lack of bowling ability was to practice, practice, practice – until it is reported that he is now an average bowler. And then the press was encouraged to emphasize his basketball skills.

At that point all Americans should have hoped that the President focused on the nation’s business during work hours and his family during off hours. That is not what has happened, but you would have to hunt to find out the truth. The liberal media has chosen to report that Obama has “vacationed” less than half as much as President Bush, which is a scandalous deception in itself. President Bush’s trips to Texas were to a ranch that was equipped to carry on business as usual. The media’s surveillance of the Bush ranch and all reports from insiders indicate that, with the exception of occasional bike rides or brush clearing, Bush was all about the people’s business while at the ranch.

On the other hand, the liberal media has chosen not to count nearly fifty day trips by Obama to go golfing. Barack Obama has played a remarkable number of rounds of golf since becoming president, easily outpacing his predecessor and headed for what could be an unbeatable record. With the excursions lasting on average at least five hours, the president has devoted a total of more than 200 hours to golf, not counting time spent on the White House putting green. That’s the equivalent of twenty five eight-hour work days, or five work weeks spent smacking golf balls around.

Of course with Bush the reports of his golf outings were used to help deride him as a callow and lazy rich boy. We now know it did not take Bush long to decide it was not appropriate for him to play golf when people’s children were fighting overseas in a war he was responsible for prosecuting. So he didn’t play again.

With Obama however, it is best to remember the bowling disability we all learned about early in his administration. Unfortunately, Obama’s lack of golfing skills are taking longer to overcome. And despite wars he is responsible for prosecuting and the tragedy in the gulf, the three putting and the slicing continue. Perhaps it would all stop if the media would report his daily activities the same as they reported his predecessor’s.

Since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 rig workers and started the Gulf oil spill, Obama has teed up seven times, according to White House Dossier’s count. This includes back to back sessions April 23 and 24 while on vacation at the Grove Park Resort & Spa in Asheville, NC, just days after the crisis began.

From a period stretching from April 3 to May 22 of this year, the president went golfing eight of nine weekends. WOULD YOUR WIFE LET YOU DO THAT?? WOULD YOU LET YOUR HUSBAND? Michelle, what gives?

While on the course, Obama, for the most part, likes to keep it nice and light, often playing with a youngish crowd. No deep discussions of policy on the links. Emphatically not invited for the most part are members of Congress or senior White House aides. In other words, it ain’t no work trip…

Perhaps in order to make him earn his paycheck, we should bite the bullet and hire Tiger Woods to help him get his golf game up to the level of his bowling. Perhaps then both men could quit behaving like spoiled brats and join the grown up world.