# I pit Obama. It's August. Take a break. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 22, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262 "2009-08-22T00:45:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/1 "2009-08-22T00:45:42Z")
What’s with this guy? It’s August and he’s got his nose to the grindstone. The greatest President of all time, George W. Bush, set the standard for Presidential dedication to the job by taking a month vacation six months into the job. It’s a tough job, you’ve got to rest. So what if a security report is sent to you in August that warns you that an attack is being planned. Vacation is far more important. Well, we know what happened when he found his office again but hey, shit happens. Time to read “My Pet Goat”. Yet, I see Obama in his suit and tie out there working, trying to further his agenda. Is he out of his mind? It’s August! Congress is on vacation and he’s still working. He’s making everybody look bad. The French are really going to get pissed off if they pick up a paper and see this. Somebody give this Obama guy a clue. Being asleep at the switch is an admirable characteristic for all those Rush Limbough, Glen Beck (who took a vacation this week), Sean Hannity butt-licking dittoheads that will be so important to his reelection. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/2 "2009-08-22T00:49:28Z")
Obama must be all wee-wee’d out. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/3 "2009-08-22T00:59:29Z")
He’s taking a weeklong vacation on Martha’s Vineyard starting this [Sunday](http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-08-20-marthas-vineyard-obamas_N.htm). ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/4 "2009-08-22T01:08:31Z")
Perhaps he’s saving up his vacation days for later, to celebrate some kind of Nazi holiday. Perhaps the anniversary of the invasion of Poland. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/5 "2009-08-22T01:33:04Z")
This proves he’s not a Muslim. He’s only taking one week off for Ramadan. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/6 "2009-08-22T01:41:08Z")
> [@5-4-Fighting](#): > > This proves he’s not a Muslim. He’s only taking one week off for Ramadan. No, no. The other Muslims have just been **pretending** that Ramadan lasts for a month all these years just to throw suspicion off Obama. And you’re falling for it, _ **just as they planned!!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/7 "2009-08-22T06:12:19Z")
If he doesn’t stop his curve-busting he is going to obsolete the Presidents’ Union. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/8 "2009-08-22T09:06:17Z")
Hey, the man just went [fly fishing](http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2009/08/obama-wets-a-line-in-montana.html) in Montana, and visited a bunch of national parks. What’s he need another vacation so soon for? > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > He’s taking a weeklong vacation on Martha’s Vineyard starting this [Sunday](http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-08-20-marthas-vineyard-obamas_N.htm). [gossip]They’re going there to attend Chelsea Clinton’s hush hush wedding. That oughta pop a few freeper heads if it turns out to be true. How smart of Chelsea, if true. How to keep the paparazzi from spoiling your wedding with photographers in the bushes and helicopters overhead? Invite the President and his Secret Service and his no-fly zone to your wedding.[/gossip] ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/9 "2009-08-22T09:23:02Z")
Has he fallen off the sofa yet watching Sunday football? ---
**Author:** ![the\_first\_supraliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@the\_first\_supraliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_first_supraliminal)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/10 "2009-08-22T18:37:29Z")
Bush was the King of Vacation Presidents. You really want to see that again so soon? ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/11 "2009-08-22T18:39:58Z")
The real test of Obama’s presidency will be the number of times he is nearly killed by a salty snack food. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/12 "2009-08-22T18:46:14Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > The real test of Obama’s presidency will be the number of times he is nearly killed by a salty snack food. Don’t worry; the cigarettes will catch up to him eventually. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/13 "2009-08-22T18:49:43Z")
He just needs to smoke every now and again to remind his worshipers that he’s not _actually_ Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/14 "2009-08-22T18:54:24Z")
He’s NOT? Shiiiiit! (come on people, didn’t you love that interview with the fly fishing guy? Revealing that the Secret Service like President Obama so much that they make him gifts, that was fun.) ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/15 "2009-08-22T19:01:50Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > (come on people, didn’t you love that interview with the fly fishing guy? Revealing that the Secret Service like President Obama so much that they make him gifts, that was fun.) Say what? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/16 "2009-08-22T19:29:44Z")
The interview I linked in post 8, with the guy who took President Obama fly fishing. > [@](#): > > \*\*We hear that he brought his own rod. \*\* > > The Secret Service made a rod as a gift to the President. It reflects the warmth of their friendship. It might have been a bit heavy for the East Gallatin, but it would’ve been perfect on the Madison, which was our good-weather destination. I always like to hear Secret Service stories. This was in there too: > [@](#): > > **We’re picturing the Gallatin River on security lock-down. Was it swarming with Secret Service?** > > The Secret Service and local law enforcement authorities were certainly present, but they worked hard to make sure their presence didn’t affect the quality of the President’s angling experience. They were very professional and were really fun to hang out with. I have never met a Secret Service Agent before, and they were remarkably impressive, personable people. The relationship between the President and the security detail seemed really strong, and it was apparent that there was a strong mutual respect between them. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/17 "2009-08-22T19:34:13Z")
It might be that, rather than one or two infatuated secserv agents pooling their money to buy him a gift, it was more a gift from The Secret Service, the collective entity. Could be a tradition to do so. Still cute, though. “Sir, in addition to all of us being prepared and willingly to stop a bullet sent in your direction with our own meaty bodies, we’ve also got you this fishing rod.” ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/18 "2009-08-22T19:38:43Z")
What’s interesting is the guy said “The Secret Service **made a rod** as a gift to the President” which had me grinning at a silly vision of some Secret Service guys whittling a long piece of wood, and hand-making the fly. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/19 "2009-08-22T19:45:50Z")
If one wanted to be paranoid, one could suggest that the Secret Service made a special rod for the President just to be sure that one filled with plastic explosives and a remote-control trigger wasn’t somehow slipped into his hands. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm… Yeh, even for a paranoid type, that’s kinda pushing it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262/20 "2009-08-22T19:47:57Z")
Of course they gave him a rod: don’t you know it had a locator beacon inside it and that it had an inbuilt mic? 🙂 And that at the push of a button it would turn into a lightsaber? 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-obama-its-august-take-a-break/507262.md?page=2)