Where Was the President?
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President Obama apparently is incapable of showing any empathy on behalf of his fellow Americans, across six states, who have been affected by the devastating storms that killed 45 people (24 in North Carolina) and destroyed the lives of countless Americans.
With nary a word of sympathy, Obama played golf on Sunday while emergency crews across the South searched for victims, the homeless struggled to pick up the pieces, and survivors mourned their losses.
From the Gulf Oil spill to the rebellion against Gadhafi, Obama has failed as a leader. Leaders aren’t slow to get off the mark responding to a national crisis. They take the “lead” explaining policy, addressing issues of national import and conveying the feelings of a country during times of tragedy.
Due to a public relations fallout, I’m sure Obama issued some kind of statement on Monday. Unfortunately the people of the South were affected Saturday. Once again, too little too late.
Judie Luse
Pinehurst
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Comments
OldPilot 2 years, 1 month ago
If President Obama had dropped everything and flown to NC you would be critical of him because his travel to the area interrupted rescue and rebuilding efforts, or for some other inane reason. I'm sure you thought the former presidents response to Hurricane Katrina including his flyover a number of days later was just teriffic.
Darkwing 2 years, 1 month ago
I'm not a fan of the president, but what purpose is served by having him rush to say something about a disaster? So some folks have a bruised ego because he didn't leave his golf game to call a press conference saying "Gee, I feel bad this happened". That's not leadership, it's pandering. If FEMA doesn't help, and he fails to fix that by ordering it to do so, then maybe you've got a valid reason to criticize him. But to bad-mouth him for failing to be a media whore is not good enough. Oh, and before you get mad at me for not sounding empathetic enough, my family evacuated from Katrina, then worked disaster relief after. Our house is only blocks from where the surge came ashore. I didn't lambast Bush then for failing to sympathize either. Our leaders don';t need to be in front of a microphone when these things happen. They need to carry on the business of government, and if a government response is warranted, it's in declaring a disaster and getting FEMA involved. Bleating to the press about serves no useful purpose and doesn't accomplish anything.I feel for people's losses, but let's not politicize this. Leave the president out of it, until and unless he fails to act when it's actually necessary.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 1 month ago
These people will aways find something to kvetch about.
irkim13 2 years, 1 month ago
Dusty, I have to agree with you here. I believe some folks spend time looking for things to complain about. Not good.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 1 month ago
Love this "these people" comment.
Well, the website censors won't let me use the words I'd like to use.
RadioNC 2 years, 1 month ago
Had the tornados damaged Moore County, Obama would have shown up to play 18 ……I mean inspect 18 holes.
Ross 2 years ago
I imagine if he did - you would have seen him as I am certain you were there yourself - being so close and all......
LB67 2 years, 1 month ago
Presidential role Early Tuesday morning, August 30, a day after the hurricane struck, President Bush attended a V-J Day commemoration ceremony at Coronado, California while monitoring the situation with his aides and cabinet officials
Bush was criticized for not returning to Washington, D.C. from his vacation in Texas until after Wednesday afternoon, more than a day after the hurricane hit on Monday http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticis...
well Judie did you get mad about that too???
commonsense77 2 years, 1 month ago
Ghee, a Federal Disaster Declaration, millions of dollars and thousands of relief workers. But now our small government advocating Obama Haters think he should have fired up the $ 30,000 an hour Air Force one to drop in and take resources away from relief for a quick photo op.
I am sure most people who don't have house or a roof appreciate the relief efforts more than a photo op.
irkim13 2 years, 1 month ago
I always felt the States should take of these matters and if they need additional support then petition the Feds.
sgmartin 2 years, 1 month ago
So true. This non-issue jut proves the point.
None 2 years, 1 month ago
I have to agree that this is a non-issue. I detest Obama and all that he stands for. He is a liar and very inept leader, at the very least. But if he called Lowes then that's enough for me. I just hope the government has some money left over to help the people of North Carolina. Maybe he can delay the payment of a few billion he is sending to the rebels in Libya.
None 2 years, 1 month ago
And George Bush wasn't a liar and a very inept leader? I can understand with all his money and rebates from Halliburton, he really can't compete with Obama...right?
Arestorer 2 years, 1 month ago
Where was JUDIE ?????
None 2 years, 1 month ago
Governor Purdue was attending a horse race in Kentucky during the tornadoes. Everyone knew that NC was in the zone threatened by severe weather from a storm that ravaged Mississippi and Alabama two days earlier. In fact, the weather advisory had been issued earlier in the day for the central and eastern portions of the state. She did not arrive home till late in the evening.
None 2 years, 1 month ago
She could have stood in the path of 28 tornadoes and waved her arms to divert all the tragedy. So had she arrived home in the morning during the tornadoes would that have been a moment of sanity?
None 2 years, 1 month ago
Mauiman since everyone knew that the area was threatened why didn't the Republican Sheriff of Lee County order and evacuation to a shelter? You have way too much faith in our ability to predict weather...
None 2 years, 1 month ago
Excuse me. Weather guys and gals got this right three days out as the storm system left a path of destruction through every state before arriving here. Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Christie were taken to task for being out of state this winter when snow slammed the NY/NYC area so why not Bev. Her press release via email yesterday proudly claimed how she was able to get Federal aid so take the heat.
None 2 years, 1 month ago
Let's not discuss Georgie Boy when Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. Let's not conclude he was inept when people were laying on sidewalks dieing. O' but they did have the comfort of the Super Dome. That didn't compare to what our current President has done with a lesser catastrophe - two days and FEMA set up two offices to help dislocated residents without a dog fight between the President and Governor. High five for Georgie Boy and his lackluster do nothing approach to dealing with disasters....LMAOROTF....
None 2 years ago
Haley Barbour hit the ground running and handled Katrina/Rita well. Louisiana, OTOH, bungled everything, did nothing right, and then spent all the time since playing the biggest (and, to hear them tell it, nearly ONLY) victims. It's the states that set the tone for dealing with disasters. Drop the disrespectful Georgie Boy nonsense. It's jejune.
None 2 years ago
Jejune ~ exactly what I meant to say about the worst President by default this country has ever had as a so called leader of the free world. Default is attributed to not a vote of the people but a decision by the US Supreme Court. So what happened in Mississippi? Georgie Boy didn't even do a fly over.
None 2 years ago
I don't call the president Odumbo or any of those other disrespectful epithets, and consider it childish. You should do the same. Or are you incapable of adult behavior?
None 2 years ago
You just did ~ Odumbo isn't childish I suspect!
teufelhunden 2 years, 1 month ago
I think it's awesome that he called Lowes. He's got a lot on his plate. I commend him for what he did. I am not an Obama fan, but give the man a break.
Mythreekids 2 years, 1 month ago
The better question, Judie, is where were you! Have you offered any assistance to those affected or are you just looking for another reason to criticize. If you don't want to go help clean up, you can contribute to one of the organizations assisting or through the local Red Cross.
KarenH 2 years, 1 month ago
teufelhunden- I can't agree with you more. Well said.
Ross 2 years, 1 month ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
AM910 2 years, 1 month ago
It's not worth it for the President to get in a helicopter and circle around and "oo" and "ah" at the damage. That cost money. A lot of good it did Bush during Katrina. That was a PR nightmare (as was his Presidency). Everyone will be critical of every move ever President makes. It's a given. I for one am glad he didn't come here so we can concentrate on the victims - not the media hype of "an official" coming in.
carlj1161 2 years, 1 month ago
Well a little over 20 years ago I was getting on a military plane going to the desert into who knows what, possibly to put my life on the line, doing what my country asked of me. Where was Bush sr.? out on his boat having a wonderful time in Maine. And even now some of our troops are overseas fighting and dying, leaving families back here to go on without them. Besides, what do you expect the President to do, personally rebuild everyone's home? Quit whining and grow up, if you don't like what the President is doing, don't vote for him. If you aren't already, get off your duff and go help those in need instead of complaining about the President's skills.
Yukonjohn 2 years, 1 month ago
I too served ten years in the Air Force, and have worked with FEMA on hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, the President did about what he should have on this disaster. When a politician shows up on an incident, many resources are taken away from their missions to assist with the visit. I am sure him getting federal aid headed to the disaster, was the correct thing for to do. As said before, cut him a break, and that comes from a guy that is no fan of his.
None 2 years, 1 month ago
Toda, do a little research before talking about Katrina. Aid starts in the middle and works it's way out, not the other way around. After Katrina the local and state ( Dem. led, by the way ) sat on their duffs and did little or nothing, waiting for someone else to come in and take the lead. If Bush was not out there, where did the choppers come from? Why were the Fema trailers staged in safe areas? It was a publicity nightmare for Bush, for sure, but he definitely didn't have to take all the blame! Why did all those school busses go under water instead of taking people in danger to safe areas? Maybe as Jesse Jackson said, "who was going to drive them?". Katrina was a failure of state agencies long before it was a federal problem!! Toda...Lee County took a hit...what happened? Moore County Fire and Rescue units were staged at Cypress Pointe Fire and Rescue ( at one point over fifty firemen and many pieces of apparatus ) waiting for the call. Lee County received aid from many local and state agencies immediately. They didn't sit on their backsides waiting for Obama and the feds like N.O. and Louisiana did! That's the way emergency services works. I'm not a fan of Bush either, but Obama is a disaster for this, the greatest country on the face of the earth.
None 2 years ago
Where was Lee County or the local emergency services mentioned in one of my threads? Louisiana and Mississippi were larger disaster areas than North Carolina hardest hit counties. I can't see where the two instances can be compared other than Obama sent FEMA in two days after our state was hit and set up offices. Here is your link to Bush's response to "the government response". http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9324891/ns/us_news-katrina_the_long_road_back/
If you think Obama is a "disaster" for this country, how would you frame your comments if we were in another Great Depression in 2008? Blame Obama for that as well?
MikeNC 2 years ago
That was a good one Radio NC !! It's been nothing more than a 24/7 campaign and golf outing for Obama and no leadership since the day he took office. Diane
blessherheart 2 years ago
He is leading just fine given the circumstances and what he was handed.
BigE 2 years ago
Leadership means different things to different people. I for one am happy that our President is intelligent, even tempered, and rational. The fact that he focuses on the big picture and avoids getting involved in the minutia is fine with me.
mcg2010 2 years ago
And tell me again what the Bush Administration was? If Bush 42 wasn't campaigning he was tending to his ranch in Texas (for a total of 490 days during his 8 years in office) or relaxing at Camp David (for a total of 487 days during his 8 years in office, oh and also 43 days in Kennebunkport). That's almost a 3rd of his time in office. All the while starting two wars, cutting taxes for the wealthy, and blowing a $230 billion surplus.
To compare the two, Obama spent 26 days on vacation during his 1st year in office. Bush Jr. spent 69 days on vacation during his 1st year in office.
For a group that seems to detest Obama, you certainly seem to hold him to a higher standard than your previous president.
*source- CBS News, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-4728085-503544.html factcheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/president-obamas-vacation-days/
MikeNC 2 years ago
@mcg2010, How bout we compare how many times Obama has played the links with two wars, and one that we're not even sure what to call it yet, compared to Bush? and one more time- when Bush went to his ranch, he was at HOME, not on VACATION and was still working the job he was payed to do. Diane
mcg2010 2 years ago
No, his HOME and place of work is the White House, unless he is traveling the nation as a part of his duties to speak as the President. Just going to his "home" is a vacation, and in fact the Bush Administration even called those trips the Crawford Ranch, vacations.
Say the President took his Sunday afternoons and flew to Chicago and spend time at his residence there, would that be better than spending the afternoon playing golf? Also, week at a ranch in Texas does not equal the same amount of time it takes to play a round of golf. All of that being said, the fact of the matter is that no president ever really takes a vacation. At best they are working vacations. They are still surrounded by a staff that includes advisers and staff, and with technology today it is not that difficult for them to do the work required no matter where they are. (And in fairness that goes for President Bush, too). Be belittling the president for playing a round of golf doesn't really accomplish anything, and the reality is that in terms of "vacations" he is no worse than any president in recent history.
dustyrhoades 2 years ago
Here's how the Wingnut Outrage Formula works:
Note that the President of the U.S. played a round of golf, took his wife out to dinner, took a vacation, or did one of the other things a person might do.
Note some major disaster going on in the world, because there's ALWAYS a major disaster going on somewhere. If all else fails, mention the economy.
Get your knickers in a major twist because the President was doing (insert answer to question 1) while (insert answer to question 2).
As a bonus, get all huffy over the cost, because ANYTHING the POTUS does is going to cost more because of security, etc.
Voila! You've created a new Wingnut Outrage for the day! It takes no thought at all. Even the totally braindead can do it.
MikeNC 2 years ago
Hey guys, it was the main stream media who took it upon themselves to start pointing out to the public how many times George played golf or went to his ranch, not me. Diane