# Frustrations as a healthcare worker...Obama's Bash **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 15, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733 "2021-08-15T16:16:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/82 "2021-08-16T21:18:00Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > That said, if everyone was vaccinated, at the very least it won’t be a super-spreader event, and with a little luck, maybe nobody passed Covid on to anyone else. Not only was everyone vaccinated, it was reported that everyone was also tested (negative, I assume). So chances of this being a Trump Rose Garden Super-spreader Event are pretty unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/83 "2021-08-16T21:36:54Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I’ve been to both. Not in COVID times. > > Sorry, it was just a facetious comment in response to your comment, not important. > > As I said above, I’m not completely comfortable with Obama’s party. And I’m not 100% sure that being in the middle of a tent that big, with that many people, is the same as being outdoors. Even if the side flaps are up. I wouldn’t have gone. Not that Barack and Michelle were planning on inviting me anyway. > > That said, if everyone was vaccinated, at the very least it won’t be a super-spreader event, and with a little luck, maybe nobody passed Covid on to anyone else. Yeah, and i know that poor people go to big parties, too. But that’s harder to arrange with less money. Anyway, i really have been to a few weddings that were held outdoors (and one that was rained out and moved to the back room of a friend’s mother’s restaurant, where I’m sure we violated the health codes by eating food the bride and groom had cooked) because the bride and groom couldn’t afford to rent a hall. And two of those had tents, because while tents are expensive, they are cheaper than halls. Neither “outdoors” nor “everyone vaxxed” adds to the cost of an event. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/84 "2021-08-16T21:59:10Z")
One wonders why the OP chooses something with pretty good protocols and environment instead of the plethora of downright shitty situations in complaining about so-called “optics”. Even the plane full of Democrats had all vaccinated people and this was before the CDC shit their pants about Delta breakthrough infection rates. Meanwhile, I just found out my Governor’s mask ban also has to be enforced at my college. So I can’t require masks in my classroom full of plague rats or in my office. I guarantee you, a bunch will be unvaccinated. I know for a fact one isn’t because he was in my Spring semester class. While I was answering scientific questions about the vaccines, he pipes up that he “didn’t believe in it” whateverthefuckthatmeans. I should just flunk him for being anti-science in a science class. But, hey, let’s focus on the Democrats and their parties and plane rides with vaccinated people. (Can anyone tell I’m pissed off about my new news?) ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/85 "2021-08-16T22:48:03Z")
You’re doing good work in this thread Tfletch1. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/86 "2021-08-16T23:59:59Z")
They can but they shouldn’t, and certainly not without masks. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/87 "2021-08-17T00:38:09Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > You’re doing good work in this thread Tfletch1. Thanks! I appreciate that. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/88 "2021-08-17T09:29:19Z")
> [@Tfletch1](#): > > One wonders why the OP chooses something with pretty good protocols and environment instead of the plethora of downright shitty situations in complaining about so-called “optics”. One really doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/89 "2021-08-17T16:23:39Z")
I work for government so I understand about “optics”; it’s drilled into us all the time. But there’s absolutely no way to prevent a situation where a person is going to take a picture and make up a false story about it. If someone is going to photograph a person taking many reasonable precautions in a gathering and then lie about how they’re being reckless and risking a super-spreader event because they don’t practice what they preach, you can’t prevent that. Wringing your hands about those kinds of “optics” is worthless. You might as well say that no politician can ever take a mask off in any location where someone could conceivably snap a close-up photo, because then Joe Six-Pack might see the photo and think that if Senator Whathisface can walk around without a mask then he is fine to do so in a crowded indoor location. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/90 "2021-08-17T19:14:25Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > They can but they shouldn’t, and certainly not without masks. They’re all vaccinated and tested at an outdoor event? That’s exactly the right optics. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/91 "2021-08-17T19:47:14Z")
It’s “bad optics” for Obama to be seen in public at all, because lying right wing media outlets might report that he’s a shape-shifting reptilian, who will eat your babies. Obama exists; Right wing media prints lies about him. Rinse and repeat. ---
**Author:** ![PossumPie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba8739/32.png) [@PossumPie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PossumPie)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/92 "2021-08-17T20:27:53Z")
I had NO idea so much energy would go into vehemently defending a birthday party. I agree with those who say we can’t prevent every “optic” Pelosi getting “nabbed” in the hair dresser without a mask is petty. The people waiting for her to drop her mask to take a drink or make a speech and then snap her picture are petty. BUT Obama made a conscious decision in the midst of a pandemic that on all accounts is getting no better with vaccinations to throw himself a large birthday party with 200 staff and an unknown but large number of guests. His decision to “scale down” in and of itself shows that he had an idea of how the whole thing looked, and perhaps he hoped people would simply think that meant he cut from 700 invited guests to 25 and not actually realize that it actually meant 400. I’m bowing out of this debate as there is no sense in continuing. I simply wanted to condemn large gatherings regardless of vaccine status, political party, or income…it appears there are others who don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/93 "2021-08-17T20:37:19Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Most people aren’t going to look at the specific details to understand what aspects made Obama’s party safe. They’re going to see a 200 person party and think that they can have one as well. Exactly. As said earlier, all this in-detail, in-depth analysis about why Obama’s birthday party was safe and other gatherings are not misses the point. A huge swath of the American public operates on a 3-second judgment rule. They jump to, or arrive at, a conclusion within seconds, just by glancing at the surface story. And the surface story of this birthday bash comes across as “hypocrisy,” whether it is or isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/94 "2021-08-17T20:48:15Z")
> [@PossumPie](#): > > I had NO idea so much energy would go into vehemently defending a birthday party. Yet it’s not even a tenth of the energy that has gone into vehemently condoning it. Even though there was nothing done wrong, it just might look bad to people gullible enough to fall for lies about it. (Whether those lies are complete falsehoods or just misleading omissions of important details about the precautions taken.) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/95 "2021-08-17T20:55:40Z")
> [@PossumPie](#): > > I had NO idea so much energy would go into vehemently defending a birthday party. Not defending it. More like laughing at those who get bent out of shape by Obama following guidelines and those who believe the hyperbole being sent forth by certain “news” networks. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/96 "2021-08-17T21:07:43Z")
> [@PossumPie](#): > > I had NO idea so much energy would go into vehemently defending a birthday party. Um, you started a thread about it. And how do you figure the amount of energy anyone here is burning through relative to the amount you initially invested? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/97 "2021-08-17T21:15:43Z")
While were talking about politicians that don’t care about the spread of Covid, > **[Gov. Greg Abbott tweets message after testing positive for COVID-19](https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/gov-greg-abbott-covid-19-positive/285-5f8c8949-abeb-4f9d-9cd5-9a74d20a845e)** > > Gov. Abbott tested positive for COVID on Tuesday, according to his office. He is fully vaccinated and is experiencing no symptoms. I’m sure the OP will be back to castigate Abbot as much as they have Obama. [![](https://i.imgur.com/EelWfAw.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/EelWfAw.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/98 "2021-08-17T21:21:41Z")
> [@PossumPie](#): > > BUT Obama made a conscious decision in the midst of a pandemic that on all accounts is getting no better with vaccinations to throw himself a large birthday party with 200 staff and an unknown but large number of guests. Unlike the OP, I am not a healthcare professional but as I understand, vaccinations are absolutely making a big difference. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/99 "2021-08-17T21:35:01Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > As said earlier, all this in-detail, in-depth analysis about why Obama’s birthday party was safe and other gatherings are not misses the point. A huge swath of the American public operates on a 3-second judgment rule. They jump to, or arrive at, a conclusion within seconds, just by glancing at the surface story. And the surface story of this birthday bash comes across as “hypocrisy,” whether it is or isn’t. Yeah, facts schmacts. (Former) Democratic politicians should realize that FOX will cynically misrepresent their every move, so they should stop living their lives, and start second-guessing the idiocy. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/100 "2021-08-17T22:22:36Z")
> [@PossumPie](#): > > …throw himself a large birthday party with 200 staff and an unknown but large number of guests. I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but this is the second time you’ve presented false information. You posted that the tent was enclosed, and when it was pointed out that you were wrong, you ignored it. Now you say 200 staff plus a “large number of guests,” when every report I’ve seen has said 200 attendees total. What is your real goal here? ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733/101 "2021-08-17T22:47:18Z")
> [quote=“crowmanyclouds, post:97, topic:948733”] > While were talking about politicians that don’t care about the spread of Covid, > > [Gov. Greg Abbott tweets message after testing positive for COVID-19 | khou.com](https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/gov-greg-abbott-covid-19-positive/285-5f8c8949-abeb-4f9d-9cd5-9a74d20a845e) > > I’m sure the OP will be back to castigate Abbot as much as they have Obama. > > [https://i.imgur.com/EelWfAw.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/EelWfAw.jpeg))]([https://i.imgur.com/EelWfAw.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/EelWfAw.jpeg) > [[/quote] Talk about bad optics. How many people in those pictures are even vaccinated? Even worse, he just went to a crowded indoor event last night with probably a bunch of unvaccinated people while he’s shedding virus. And why is he getting Regeneron monoclonal antibodies? Bad optics, I tell ya. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frustrations-as-a-healthcare-worker-obamas-bash/948733.md?page=6)