The Ghost of Snapped Shot

One is not like the other.

The storyline for the eight years of the Bush Administration went something like this:

This was a minor misstep when measured against a biking and fishing vacation lasting longer than the Spanish Inquisition. Bush is a man who cares about fitness -- this is good. When a bum knee forced him to stop running, he could've done what most 50-something men with bum knees do: limit their recreational pursuits to synchronized channel-surfing. Bush burned calories on the 10-speed instead.

Of course, as the picture above illustrates, George Bush's vacations were frequently anything but—His ranch in Texas required plenty of work, and as a man of the earth, he was genuinely there to do it.

Contrast this with the media treatment of King Obama, whom is currently in the process of planning his 15th vacation this summer:

It'll be a busy August for the First Family.

...

Next up for the First Family is an Aug. 14-15 stay on Florida's Gulf Coast. The president has drawn criticism from some quarters for vacationing elsewhere while this popular tourist region suffers from the oil spill. His stay in a so-far-unannounced Gulf locale or locales is welcomed by the U.S. Travel Association.

Roger Dow, Travel Association president and CEO, issued the following statement: "On behalf of the 400,000 workers in the travel and tourism industry along the Gulf Coast, I applaud and thank President Obama for recognizing the important signal this announcement sends to those considering a vacation in the Gulf region this summer. Actions like this will send a clear message that large areas of the Gulf shoreline remain clean and open for business."

Their coverage last year was just as fluffy—And strangely enough, this "the work always follows the President around" angle never seemed to be sufficient when George W. Bush was president.

I'd ask how the press can live with themselves for allowing such a glaring double-standard to exist in their coverage—depending on whether there is a (D) or an (R) in the White House, of course.

But that would assume that there's anyone left in the media that has honor.

(Thanks to Ace for prompting this diatribe.)

  #DailyFodder #SnappedShots