# I'm totally in Love With Obama - Presidential Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 10, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243 "2009-02-10T17:23:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/21 "2009-02-11T18:01:48Z")
> [@Tracy\_Lord](#): > > For me, the competence is what makes the drooling. There are plenty of cute idiots and I’m not swooning over them. The eloquence, complex understanding of issues, and the action to find the best, rather than the most politically expedient, solution (as **Hampshire** says) is more OMG HAWT than how fine he looks in a suit\*. > > Also, I’m fairly certain infidelity is not even an issue on the table, what with how clearly passionate the Obamas are about each other, and how Michelle could and would totally kick his ass. 😉 > > \*which is very fine indeed QFT! While I’m sure that many women do find it “disrespectful to [a man] and his wife and family” when women swoon over their husbands, I find it exactly the opposite. My husband is very humble about his looks, but I think he’s HAWTER than HAWT! Whenever I would tell him he looked particularly smokin’ on a given day, and that he’d surely be turning a lot of heads, he used to brush it off as unlikely, if not impossible. Now that I’ve finally convinced him that I _like_ knowing that other women might flirt with him, but can’t have him because he’s mine. . . well, let’s just say I really enjoy the nights he comes home and tells me he actually did get flirted with that day. He comes home feeling hot and sexy, and I reap all the rewards. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/22 "2009-02-11T18:14:09Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > OK. But I would still like to know what papers President Obama reads. Well, at least which ones he read as a candidate and Senator - now he gets the job perk of a newspaper clip book assembled in the wee hours from various papers. Nothing wrong with that. I don’t think we need another “Palin doesn’t read magazines/Bush got the wrong intelligence” dogfight, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/23 "2009-02-11T18:56:08Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > OK. But I would still like to know what papers President Obama reads. Well, at least which ones he read as a candidate and Senator - now he gets the job perk of a newspaper clip book assembled in the wee hours from various papers. I don’t recall seeing any articles or news stories on what **newspapers** Obama reads, but have seem many, many mentions on his **book** reading interests. Right off the bat, I can recall that he’s read the newish book “The Post American World” by Zakaria, The Federalist Papers and a couple of books about Lincoln and at least 2 books about FDR. This Salon article addressed some of his earlier book reading interests ([http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2008/07/07/obama\_books/index.html](http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2008/07/07/obama_books/index.html)) But, are you suggesting that ‘asking Palin what she reads is somehow an unfair question (especially since no one asked this question of Obama)’? If so, I can’t agree with that. That Courick interview was a just a ‘get to know you’ interview and Palin came off as hostile and uninformed. Remember, that wasn’t the only question in which she flaked. The end of the interview had her saying she didn’t know the answer to Couric’s question, but she’d find out 'get back to ya!" So, there are lingering questions about her body of knowledge. There do not seem to be any lingering questions about Obama’s body of knowledge or level of education. Actually, the question lead to many different places, I think it should be a required question for people running for office from now on. Personally, I don’t often read any newpapers (in the old fashioned sense) or watch newscasts on television, but do read and view a lot of news online. I suspect Obama may cruise the news sites on his Blackberry or via the internet, which is the way most of my contemporaries gather their news these days. If you feel the question of what newspapers he reads every day is of pressing importance, you could submit it to his via his website and I suspect you would actually get an answer. Which makes me wonder what Bush’s answer would have been. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/24 "2009-02-11T22:41:33Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > Which makes me wonder what Bush’s answer would have been. No need to wonder; he doesn’t read anything. Ever. Well, except the occasional headline. > [@](#): > > . . . But when he is on the receiving end, Bush prefers his news heavily filtered. “I glance at the headlines, just to get kind of a flavor,” he told Brit Hume of Fox News last month. But, “I rarely read the stories” because “a lot of times there’s opinions mixed in with news.” Instead, “I get briefed by [White House Chief of Staff] Andy Card and Condi [Rice, the national security adviser] in the morning.” > > The president concluded, “The best way to get the news is from objective sources. And the most objective sources I have are people on my staff who tell me what’s happening in the world.” > > . . . Pretty stunning, huh? ---
**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:** [February 20, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/25 "2009-02-20T16:43:25Z")
Wow, Canada sure loves him too, eh? I’ve been having fun looking at pictures posted about President Obama’s Canadian visit. [Lots of pictures 1](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8210213) (very photo-heavy, not for dialup) [Lots of pictures 2](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8210903) (ditto) [Even more](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8211303) [totally self-serving]I made [another gushy video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udAKU1u9DWw) that will either make you smile or barf.[/totally self-serving] ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/26 "2009-02-20T16:51:59Z")
I know this thread is light-hearted, so I don’t want to overstate my case, but ugh. I can’t stand cults of personality. Disturbing, uncomfortable, and dangerous. I am a supporter of Obama 100%, but some of the sycophantry I’m seeing makes me very nervous. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/27 "2009-02-20T17:31:44Z")
That is exactly what I’m saying, **Ogre**. I saw a magazine headline the other day…“Michelle Obama…The First Lady The World Has Been Waiting For” and I felt vaguely ill. I felt it to be way over the top and vaguely disrespectful to every other First Lady in history! The song line “Blinded By The Light” always springs to mind in cases like this. Just that line…not the whole song! ---
**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:** [February 20, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/28 "2009-02-20T18:24:13Z")
You know what I don’t like? I don’t like having to apologize for finally, FINALLY, being proud and excited about having an intelligent, articulate, interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful, decent, compassionate President. Beyond that he’s good looking, is married to a smart, wonderful woman, has great kids and is a great dad. He’s almost way too perfect. I don’t agree with him about everything, including some of his Cabinet picks. In fact I’m still upset about one thing in particular, which I won’t rehash here, but this Obama Worship/Messiah/Cult of Personality crap is just a right-wing talking point, meant to deflate Obama and make fun of his supporters. It’s nasty and cynical, far more nasty than some excited wonks. It’s been a long 8 years, and Obama’s new (well, to some). Why can’t we have a little gush party without freeperisms creeping in to spoil our temporary fun? But of course not. Threadshitting is so in now. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/29 "2009-02-20T18:39:49Z")
He’s not perfect, but I get a TUML (thrill up my leg) feeling whenever anyone says “President Obama.” It just reminds me of all the progress that we’ve made. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/30 "2009-02-20T18:48:50Z")
Hear, Hear to **Equipoise** and **Lakai**. Here’s another reason I love President Obama: > [@](#): > > [Obama Bans Gimmicks, and Deficit Will Rise](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/us/politics/20budget.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=obama%20budget&st=cse) > > WASHINGTON — For his first annual budget next week, President Obama has banned four accounting gimmicks that President George W. Bush used to make deficit projections look smaller. The price of more honest bookkeeping: A budget that is $2.7 trillion deeper in the red over the next decade than it would otherwise appear, according to administration officials. > > . . . > > Mr. Obama’s banishment of the gimmicks, which have been widely criticized, is in keeping with his promise to run a more transparent government. > > Fiscal sleight of hand has long been a staple of federal budgets, giving rise to phrases like “rosy scenario” and “magic asterisks.” > > The $2.7 trillion in additional deficit spending, Mr. Orszag said, is “a huge amount of money that would just be kind of a magic asterisk in previous budgets.” > > “The president prefers to tell the truth,” he said, “rather than make the numbers look better by pretending.” Read the whole article for the details. Dammit but this man is refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/31 "2009-02-20T18:49:57Z")
:dubious: … You people are ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/32 "2009-02-20T19:07:07Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > You people are ridiculous. You are correct. It is ridiculous to feel a bit of relief about having a Commander in Chief who can speak the English language correctly. It is unconscionable for us to be a bit happy that there are things happening at the highest level of government that make us somewhat less fearful for the future. How dare we spend any time being happy about the election of someone who better aligns with our interests? Or, in other words, what **Equipoise** said. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/33 "2009-02-20T19:13:46Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > It’s been a long 8 years, and Obama’s new (well, to some). Why can’t we have a little gush party without freeperisms creeping in to spoil our temporary fun? If this was going to be limited to temporary fun, I’d back that up. Since this is a place where things are discussed critically, especially political matters, we shouldn’t be surprised when recess ends, though, don’t you agree? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/34 "2009-02-20T19:22:18Z")
I’ve heard the word “adorkable” being applied to the new POTUS. It fits. Know what made me happy today? Hearing that Obama stopped at a souvenir shop to buy something for his daughters. Apparently one collects snowdomes and the other collects keyrings, and he promised he’d get them each one from Canada. Picture the briefing for the travelling security staff: “…and then we’ll be making a trip to a local tourist shop.” “Tourist shop? A photo op, right?” “Negative. He needs to get something for his kids. A keyring and… can I have a confirmation that it’s a snowglobe? Yes. A snowglobe. Preferrably one that says ‘Ottawa’, though ‘Canada’ will do.” “For the kids?” “Affrmative. They collect these things.” “Does this mean we’re going to go through this _every time_ we travel abroad?” “…That would be affirmative.” Yes, of course he’s going to disappoint. I fully expect to have my heart broken, illusions shattered, the whole kit and kaboodle. But for right now it’s just fun to watch a President go souvenir shopping for his family. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/35 "2009-02-20T19:55:33Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > If this was going to be limited to temporary fun, I’d back that up. Since this is a place where things are discussed critically, especially political matters, we shouldn’t be surprised when recess ends, though, don’t you agree? I’m not going to agree with anything a right-winger says. Tell me the sun is shining and I’ll make sure I have my umbrella with me, just in case. By temporary, I meant that the amazement will fade just a bit, as we get more used to him over the next 8 years. Then it’ll become normal to have an intelligent, articulate, interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful, decent, compassionate, good-looking President with a smart, wonderful wife, great kids, who is a great dad, and who can speak the English language correctly. It’ll just be the way things are, and maybe we won’t need to feel the need to gush and glow, though surely we’ll still smile to ourselves at new pictures and policies and events. He’s going to do things that will upset even the gushiest of us. He already has, but he’s still a novelty, a thrilling novelty, now and for the near future. But really, I wish you threadshitters would take it to the Pit. And **flodnak** , I too loved that pit stop to buy souvenirs. I hear he tried to pay for them himself too, using Canadian money, but the shop proprietor said, no, they’re for your daughters, please take them. I’m sure he’ll be accused of taking foreign kickback for a snow globe, a keychain and a Beaver Tail (which looks yummy!!). Does Harper always look that constipated? I also heard that it was President Obama’s idea to go back out and wave to the people who had come to see him. Ms. Jean and President Obama looked like they really hit it off! I’d love to know what they were laughing about. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/36 "2009-02-20T20:19:08Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Then it’ll become normal to have an intelligent, articulate, interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful, decent, compassionate, good-looking President with a smart, wonderful wife, great kids, who is a great dad, and who can speak the English language correctly. This is the problem. This is not a rational assesment; this is blind hero worship. Worship all you want at the Temple O’Bama, but don’t claim it’s not creepy. Likewise, Bush was not a monster, nor a stupid man, but the unshakeable belief of the Left that if they just believed hard enough and said it loud enough is… unshakeable. The former does not deserve his praise, nor the later his condemnation. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/37 "2009-02-20T20:36:09Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > You know what I don’t like? I don’t like having to apologize for finally, FINALLY, being proud and excited about having an intelligent, articulate, interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful, decent, compassionate President. Beyond that he’s good looking, is married to a smart, wonderful woman, has great kids and is a great dad. He’s almost way too perfect. I don’t agree with him about everything, including some of his Cabinet picks. In fact I’m still upset about one thing in particular, which I won’t rehash here, but this Obama Worship/Messiah/Cult of Personality crap is just a right-wing talking point, meant to deflate Obama and make fun of his supporters. It’s nasty and cynical, far more nasty than some excited wonks. > > It’s been a long 8 years, and Obama’s new (well, to some). Why can’t we have a little gush party without freeperisms creeping in to spoil our temporary fun? > > But of course not. Threadshitting is so in now. Did you just call me a fucking Freeper, or a right-winger? Are you stupid? You should know much better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/38 "2009-02-20T20:38:20Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > The former does not deserve his praise, nor the later his condemnation. While the first part of your statement is debatable, the latter part indicates that you have not been paying attention for the past 8 years. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/39 "2009-02-20T20:40:43Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] The former does not deserve his praise, nor the later his condemnation. [/QUOTE] Yes he does, and yes he does. Right-wingers like you are the last people I’d pay any attention to when thinking about the virtues of President Obama and the faults of Bush. The families of all those [dead](http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm) Iraqis and Americans and British and Canadians and others especially would probably like to express their opinion about whether Bush was a monster or not. Oh no, he was just a little bitsy bit misguided for abandoning Afghanistan and getting us into an unnecessary and [costly](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_cost_of_the_Iraq_War) war. That’s just scratching the surface of what the worst president in history has left behind as a legacy. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean historians won’t. And Ogre, no, I didn’t, but those are right wing talking points and it’s disappointing to hear it coming from a non-right winger. However, you did start the threadshitting. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243/40 "2009-02-20T20:44:40Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > This is the problem. This is not a rational assesment; this is blind hero worship. Oh, and, which of these is not true? Explain why. > [@](#): > > intelligent, articulate, interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful, decent, compassionate, good-looking President with a smart, wonderful wife, great kids, who is a great dad, and who can speak the English language correctly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-totally-in-love-with-obama-presidential-edition/485243.md?page=3)