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Speaking of "Real Americans"

July 07, 2009 9:36 am ET by Jamison Foser

Here's a passage from today's New York Times article about presidential vacations:

That does not mean, of course, that Mr. Obama will not be hassled from afar.

During his Hawaiian trip last summer, the Republican National Committee carefully tracked his itinerary, sending out pictures and news accounts of his whereabouts on Oahu. This year, the themes of criticism could well come from the words of previous Republican presidents.

"Most Americans don't sit in Martha's Vineyard, swilling white wine," George W. Bush once said when asked why he chose to relax in the broiling Texas sun as opposed to the cool Atlantic breezes. And Lyndon B. Johnson disparagingly referred to the Vineyard as the "female island," upon discovering that his aides chose Martha's Vineyard for their vacation instead of joining him at his ranch in Texas.

The media's willingness to accept - even participate in - such ridicule is a pretty good clue that they are not, in fact, "liberal." Try to imagine the Times presenting in a neutral light a similarly disdainful description of Texas by a Massachusetts politician.

Lyndon Johnson, by the way, was not a "previous Republican president."

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    • Author by nerzog (July 07, 2009 9:50 am ET)
      2  
      Most Americans don't own big ranches in Texas... or anywhere else for that matter.

      Most Americans don't have eight-figure bank accounts.

      I realize that Democratic politicians are just as rich, but at least they pretend to support policies which would benefit "most Americans". Republicans are becoming more openly disdainful of "most Americans", and seem to wallow in Social Darwinist disregard for those less fortunate than themselves.
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    • Author by Leftym0m79 (July 07, 2009 11:16 am ET)
      1  
      If I remember correctly, didn't ol' Shrubby spend most of the summer of 2001, his first year in office, in Crawford? Actually come to think of it didn't he spend a disproportionate amount of time on vacay?
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    • Author by Jassmine90 (July 07, 2009 5:02 pm ET)
         
      I have lived in Texas for 9 years now and I cannot fathom anyone wanting to be outside in this kind of heat. I hibernate all summer;) Give me that white wine to swill and those cool Atlantic breezes. If I could be in Martha's Vineyard right now, I sure as hell would be!
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