Obamas Planning Fifth Vacation Since July, Because Like They've So Totally Earned It

Really? The fifth?

Can I ask a serious question?

What the fuck?

Can I ask a follow up?

Seriously, what the fucking fuck?

There they go again. For the fifth time since July, the first family has set plans to board Air Force One for a frilly vacation, a 10-day return trip to exclusive Martha's Vineyard where they are expected to stay at the 28-acre oceanfront Blue Heron Farm that rents for up to $50,000 a week.

But first the Obamas will be traveling to the Gulf Coast of Florida for a mini-vacation as a way to encourage other vacationing Americans to head to the beaches that have been shunned by tourists worried about oil-slicked sands due to the Gulf oil spill. They are expected to travel to Florida this weekend, return to Washington for a few days then it's off to the Massachusetts island August 19.

This weekend's jaunt was announced after first lady Michelle Obama said during a recent trip to Panama City Beach, Florida that, "One of the best ways that fellow Americans can help is to come on down here and spend some money," She's expected to be joined by the president and 9-year old Sasha. Malia, 12, is away at camp for the first time at an undisclosed location.

As with most of the Obama vacation's this year, even the Florida trip has been criticized. This time, amazingly, for being too short.

Really? Is that the actual criticism? That President Seven Iron and the First Lady in Mourning are taking too little time off?

At yesterday's press briefing, deputy spokesman Bill Burton faced questions about the overnight trip, saying, "They've already spent a lot of time in the Gulf." Spelling out their plans, he said, "eating the food, the seafood, hanging out with the great folks who live there, and taking a look at how things are going for those folks."

Right. Well, that's not a criticism that their newest thirteen day mental health day is too short. It's a criticism that they're refusing to spend time in areas affected by the oil spill in favor of hobnobbing with the swells in Martha's Vinyard.

The 10-day Vineyard trip will likely also be met with criticism from those who think the president should downscale and travel to Camp David or back home to Chicago. Like former President Clinton, he doesn't have a ranch like former Presidents George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan, or a beachside resort like former President George H.W. Bush.

Ah yes. They would go on a more retrained vacation, but these poor millionaires don't have a ranch in pricey Crawford, Texas like Bush did. They're forced to vacation in Martha's Vinyard due to their penury.

It's Dickensian, really. Obama's like Pip.

Meantime, the First Lady in Mourning is taking a popularity hit.

The number of Americans who have a positive opinion of First Lady Michelle Obama has fallen in the last 16 months, according to the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. In April, 2009, 64 percent of those surveyed by the Journal/NBC said they had a positive impression of Mrs. Obama; today, the number is 50 percent. That 50 percent personal approval is just slightly above President Obama's personal approval figure, which stands at 46 percent in the new poll.

...

Mrs. Obama's personal popularity is lower than former First Lady Laura Bush's ratings in the same poll by the same pollsters. In December, 2001, 76 percent of those surveyed had a positive opinion of Mrs. Bush. In February 2005, that number was 65 percent. In October 2006, with her husband's job and personal approval ratings plummeting, Mrs. Bush's personal approval rating was 56 percent.

Michelle Obama received the first negative press of her time in the White House in recent weeks during her vacation trip to Spain..... The White House pushed back, first giving reporters the story that Mrs. Obama made the trip to comfort a friend who had recently lost her father and then stressing that the first lady is so popular that she will be in great demand by Democrats campaigning for House and Senate seats this November.

Yeah, she's going to be in big demand. Her schedule will be so jam-packed she'll have to take sixty seven days of vacation between now and November.

ADDED [DrewM.]: I had this tacked onto a post yesterday but it's worth replaying here.

posted by Ace at 03:59 PM

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