Right-Wing Media Attacked Obama For Being On A Golf Course When Earthquake Struck ...

Drudge: “Obama Was On Golf Course.” On August 23, minutes after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake with an epicenter in Mineral, VA, struck, causing tremors throughout the East Coast, Matt Drudge posted the following links at the top of the Drudge Report:

[CBS News, 8/23/11; Drudge Report Archives, 8/23/11]

Ace Of Spades HQ: “Obama Was ... On The Golf Course When The Earthquake Struck ... This [Stuttering Clusterfuck Of A Miserable Failure] Doesn't Know Shit About Jack.” An August 23 post on the blog Ace of Spades HQ said:

[Y]es, it turns out Obama was in fact on the golf course when the earthquake struck.

But don't read too much into that, as the President is on the golf course an average of 9.4 hours per day, so the odds of him being on the golf course for any particular event are about 36%.

The post then called the president a “SCOAMF,” which, according to the Urban Dictionary, stands for “stuttering clusterfuck of a miserable failure,” and included the following image:

[Ace of Spades HQ, 8/23/11; Urban Dictionary, accessed 8/24/11]

Doocy: “So There You Got Panic, Panic -- And Where Was The President? He Was Golfing.” On the August 24 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy said, after showing a few pictures of New York City during the earthquake, “So there you got panic, panic -- and where was the president? He was golfing.” A picture of the president taking a phone call on the golf course was then aired. Co-host Brian Kilmeade later said, “But he's allowed to go vacation.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/24/11]

Wash. Times Editor Miller: “Where Was Obama During The DC Earthquake? Golfing Of Course!” On August 23, shortly after the earthquake, Washington Times senior opinions editor Emily Miller tweeted:

[Twitter, 8/23/11]

... And Incorrectly Claimed Obama Family Was “Biking” During Earthquake

Hoft: “Earthquake Rattles Washington DC -- Obama Goes Biking.” In an August 23 post on his blog Gateway Pundit, blogger Jim Hoft noted that a “5.8 quake hit Washington DC this afternoon,” then incorrectly claimed that "[t]he Obama family was biking." Hoft included a Yahoo News picture of Obama going for a bike ride with his daughter Malia. Hoft also linked to the White House schedule for the president, which states “No public schedule” under August 23. [Gateway Pundit, 8/23/11]

Right-Wing Media Often Attack Obama For Trivial Reasons

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Dijon Mustard. In May 2009, conservative media attacked Obama as an elitist because he ordered a hamburger with Dijon mustard. [Media Matters, 5/7/09]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Wal-Mart Healthy Foods Initiative. In January, right-wing media accused the Obama administration of threatening or “bullying” Wal-Mart when the company announced a healthy food initiative that would make “thousands of the packaged food items that it sells more healthful and affordable by 2015,” according to The Washington Post. [Media Matters, 1/21/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Latin America Jobs Trip. In March, the right-wing media attacked Obama's long-planned jobs trip to Latin America as a “vacation,” even though the trip was focused on economic opportunities for the U.S. and trade relationships with Latin American nations. [Media Matters, 3/18/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Children's Easter Egg Roll. Also in March, Fox & Friends attacked the White House Easter Egg Roll, a family event, for making the souvenir eggs more environmentally friendly and encouraging children to exercise. [Media Matters, 3/30/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Osama Bin Laden's Death. In May, The Washington Times attacked Obama following the successful raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, complaining that he golfed before the mission took place and that he “snub[bed] Bush” in his speech following bin Laden's death. [Media Matters, 5/3/11]