Obama Bubble
Dec/29/08 05:47 AM
I feel bad for Obama these days. He’s attempting to lead as normal a life as possible given the fact that he’s the President-elect of the United States. Obama, in what the press has stupidly dubbed “Waikiki-gate”, ditched his press pool the other day while vacationing in Hawaii to visit a theme park with this family and friends. Who can blame the guy for wanting a few hours to breathe? Can you imagine being surrounded by the constant clicks of cameras and voice recorders and the inherent guardedness I’m sure he displays, constantly worrying that something he says or does might be taken out of context and turned into a ridiculous news story? I can’t.
At 47, Obama is still very much an active adult and most importantly, a father to two young daughters. With that, its expected that he, more than past presidents, will want to have some freedom to break from the rigid structure and routines of the Secret Service and the hounding press corps. I know he’s addicted to his Blackberry and is lamenting the prospect of having to give it up for security reasons when he assumes office (I’d put up a fight for mine, too). I hope he finds a way to keep it and to maintain some semblance of a normal life. I’ve always said to myself that if I ever decide to stick my toe into politics someday, I’m going to be an unconventional politician. Forget the 24/7 details and the motorcades. I’ll be sure to throw everyone for a loop every once in a while and go out for an unannounced run on my own or go for one of my favorite, wandering Sunday drives. A life restrained like that seems to be a waste.
At 47, Obama is still very much an active adult and most importantly, a father to two young daughters. With that, its expected that he, more than past presidents, will want to have some freedom to break from the rigid structure and routines of the Secret Service and the hounding press corps. I know he’s addicted to his Blackberry and is lamenting the prospect of having to give it up for security reasons when he assumes office (I’d put up a fight for mine, too). I hope he finds a way to keep it and to maintain some semblance of a normal life. I’ve always said to myself that if I ever decide to stick my toe into politics someday, I’m going to be an unconventional politician. Forget the 24/7 details and the motorcades. I’ll be sure to throw everyone for a loop every once in a while and go out for an unannounced run on my own or go for one of my favorite, wandering Sunday drives. A life restrained like that seems to be a waste.
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