Video: Busy president takes break from economic catastrophe to make NCAA picks
posted at 12:55 pm on March 18, 2009 by Allahpundit
Something new for your “What if Bush did it?” file. Texas Rainmaker tipped me to it last night but I ignored it, figuring some White House staffer just filled out a bracket for Obama and handed it off to ESPN. Tain’t so. Watch him go round by round by round. Is this what he was busy doing the last few weeks instead of checking up on AIG? Besides strategizing about Rush Limbaugh, I mean.
A new CNN poll finds 55 percent already complaining that The One’s taken on too much and needs to focus on the economy. This won’t help his numbers. Before you watch, read Byron York’s piece yesterday about how Team Barry stumbled into so many tax snafus with their cabinet nominees. York’s thesis: Obama simply overestimates how much the public will let him get away with. Audacity indeed.
Blowback
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Leno…check
Tourney Pick’em…check
Belittling the office of POTUS….check
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 18, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Timing is everything. I wouldn’t have any problem whatsoever with the media filming the president making his picks on the games if there weren’t so much going on right now. Does he not understand people are outraged? Say what you want about Bush but I remember when he stopped playing golf because it just didn’t seem appropriate while there was a war going on. This guy doesn’t appear to give a rat’s behind what’s happening around him. I’ll repeat, audacity indeed. And what does Bush have to say?
http://www.time.com/time/quotes/0,26174,1886008,00.html
scalleywag on March 18, 2009 at 1:33 PM
He needs to provide the MSM something to cover tonight rather than how the administration is screwing up
NavyBlue on March 18, 2009 at 1:33 PM
The morning of 9/11 2001, W was reading a book to kindergarteners as he learned that we were under attack. He went into swift action, and took it very serious. This defined his presidency.
We’re facing a similar crisis, though in many ways self-inflicted, and here Obama is- filling out a NCAA bracket.
Imagine, for just a second, if that was Sarah Palin.
Fish on March 18, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Can’t wait for the Kerry/Barry tandem jetski photo op.
Limerick on March 18, 2009 at 1:34 PM
EXIT QUESTION:
Will the ENVIROMENTALLY SENSITIVE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY tint the fountain the school colors of the winners?
How TACKY, WASTEFUL, and…….TACKY was that gay-a$$ed stunt yesterday.
Way to keep your eye on the BALL, DOPE.
seejanemom on March 18, 2009 at 1:34 PM
What about the fact that this is built into his schedule makes it better? You’re right, this is just another dumb thing that he’s been doing over the past few weeks, but that doesn’t mean that I’m just going to accept it.
Sir Corky on March 18, 2009 at 1:28 PM
It doesn’t or won’t “make it better” for you if you’re against it and to be honest I couldn’t care less, but my original post was that I’m not going to let such a casually mundane event get me worked up. You came looking for me, I’m just telling you how it is from my viewpoint; we can agree to disagree on whether this is worth running around inc circles over.
Bishop on March 18, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Obama’s bracket
AubieJon on March 18, 2009 at 1:35 PM
What a fool!!! What next, Leno??
christene on March 18, 2009 at 1:35 PM
May God have mercy on us all.
This is not going to turn out well…
Realist on March 18, 2009 at 1:35 PM
KERRY will definitely want to ride bareback,fer sure.
seejanemom on March 18, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Who cares? Let him fill out a bracket.
nazo311 on March 18, 2009 at 1:36 PM
You’re right. What’s Obama up to today?
Oh, that’s right. He’s on a flight to California to appear on Jay Leno.
Who’s retarded here? Obama can’t do a simulcast? Geithner has no Treasury staff. Maybe Obama could help him screen resumes.
BuckeyeSam on March 18, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Yeah, that’s it. Everything Obama does is brilliant! Bush didn’t make NCAA picks because he was too stupid! You’re not on JournoList are you?
zmdavid on March 18, 2009 at 1:37 PM
This is petty, sorry guys. More than that, nobody seems to grasp that things like this can actually contribute to the GDP. He’s calling attention to March Madness, lots of games are televised. Maybe more eyeballs watching all those TV ads. That means more sales… duh. This is part of the business of the Presidency. It’s Presidential PR and it benefits the colleges, the advertisers, the players and everyone.
this thread shows a lack of understandin. I hate Obama too, but this is not the vehicle.
max1 on March 18, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Question is>>> will he take his TELEPROMPTER with him on Leno?
FUNNY STUFF— a clueless, arrogant butthead reading a script.
seejanemom on March 18, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Next stop Poker After Dark.
Limerick on March 18, 2009 at 1:29 PM
He wanted to be on it after Leno, but staffers crushed his dream and informed him that no Teleprompters are allowed during poker games. His request to bring an $11 Trillion line of credit to the table was also denied.
econavenger on March 18, 2009 at 1:38 PM
LOL…so what is next on the business plan? NASCAR style business suits with AIG, FannieMae, GM, and ACORN logos plastered all over them?
Limerick on March 18, 2009 at 1:40 PM
BTW,where is Michelle OMama Obama on this,
I thought she was keeping Hopey in line,does
she know he’s got a sports pick addiction,and
on company time no less!(Sarc!).
canopfor on March 18, 2009 at 1:40 PM
Is he really flying out there? It seems it be a lot cheaper for America if Leno flew to the East Coast.
What an incredibly, totally irresponsible waste of money and time for Obama. I’d love to know the carbon footprint and waste of the taxpayers dime so Obama can be on a late night talk show. How much money are we going to see gone down the drain just to prop him up?
At least Letterman is in NYC and O could have saved just a little.
INC on March 18, 2009 at 1:41 PM
What are you, in the 7th grade?
scalleywag on March 18, 2009 at 1:41 PM
So your saying that Obama was actually doing a freaking infomercial to pay back his key campaign supporters at CBS? Well that’s one way to thank Katie Couric!
econavenger on March 18, 2009 at 1:41 PM
I hope you’re kidding. *sheesh*
The movie “American Dreamz” spoofed a lot of things, but especially President Bush. They went for the caricature of him being an incompetent idiot and then being a judge on AI to give him something purposeful to do, help his ratings, get out of his “funk,” whatever. They were so right, but off by one President.
conservative pilgrim on March 18, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Someone needs to get on this and publish the results. It can not be cheap.
carbon_footprint on March 18, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Looks like the troll bus has pulled up.
scalleywag on March 18, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Stop it. You’ll make his unicorn cry.
Kent18 on March 18, 2009 at 1:43 PM
I disagree. Perhaps if things were as they were in the early days of Clinton when there were no massive domestic and foreign problems, this would just be seen as a minor thing.
However, this just adds to the image of an unserious and superficial person who is fiddling while Rome burns. Being on Leno the same week?
INC on March 18, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Who’s retarded here? Obama can’t do a simulcast? Geithner has no Treasury staff. Maybe Obama could help him screen resumes.
BuckeyeSam on March 18, 2009 at 1:36 PM
——
As if the president has to be in Washington sitting at the table with person X to work with person X on whatever the fu** they’re supposed to work on. Are you from 1892 or something?
Dave Rywall on March 18, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Yeah, that’s it. Everything Obama does is brilliant! Bush didn’t make NCAA picks because he was too stupid! You’re not on JournoList are you?
zmdavid on March 18, 2009 at 1:37 PM
——–
You miss the point entirely. Entirely unsurprising.
Dave Rywall on March 18, 2009 at 1:45 PM
This is petty, sorry guys. More than that, nobody seems to grasp that things like this can actually contribute to the GDP. He’s calling attention to March Madness, lots of games are televised. Maybe more eyeballs watching all those TV ads. That means more sales… duh. This is part of the business of the Presidency. It’s Presidential PR and it benefits the colleges, the advertisers, the players and everyone.
this thread shows a lack of understandin. I hate Obama too, but this is not the vehicle.
max1 on March 18, 2009 at 1:37 PM
——-
FINALLY A VOICE OF REASON AND INTELLIGENCE IN THIS SEA OF IDIOTS
Dave Rywall on March 18, 2009 at 1:46 PM
So it goes… Day 58 of Barry’s War on Prosperity
phreshone on March 18, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Then why the hell do you swim here then?
carbon_footprint on March 18, 2009 at 1:46 PM
You guys are retarded. All of you.
Dave Rywall on March 18, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Oh, yeah?
Well you smell! Nyah, nyah, nyah!
catmman on March 18, 2009 at 1:47 PM
To go on the Leno show? Plueeze. So Mr. Sanctimonious, what about The One’s carbon footprint? Not for thee, but for me. That’s called hypocrisy.
conservative pilgrim on March 18, 2009 at 1:47 PM
carbon_footprint on March 18, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Zing!
catmman on March 18, 2009 at 1:47 PM
Why on earth would he do that when THE ONE already won as America’s Idol in November?
Heh, “America’s Idol” coming home to roost…gotta love the irony of it all, I just wish the price we’re going to pay wasn’t so high and only had to be paid by the Obamatron lemings that voted for this empty suit, but alas we’re all in the sinking USS Obambi together!
*HEAVY SIGH OF DISPAIR*
Liberty or Death on March 18, 2009 at 1:47 PM
But remember the “My Pet Goat” controversy manufactured by the Left, where President Bush waited a freakin 5 minutes while his handlers where trying to get information and figuring out where to evacuate the President? 5 MINUTES And that was supposed to be a sign of his incompetence.
Well, we’ve had 60 straight DAYS of My Pet Goat.
SPCOlympics on March 18, 2009 at 1:47 PM
You think Hussein is doing this for anyone other then himself?…lol
BTW,..good luck finding this on MSM,..now is not the time to worry about basket-ball. Maybe he should pay more attention to America, Russia,North Korea,Iran,Afghanistan..etc.
christene on March 18, 2009 at 1:48 PM
All hail Nero… All hail Nero…
Play that fiddle and watch the sheeple dance…
phreshone on March 18, 2009 at 1:48 PM
So watching TV instead of working is more productive? You two brainiacs should apply to run the Treasury.
econavenger on March 18, 2009 at 1:49 PM
+1!!!
conservative pilgrim on March 18, 2009 at 1:49 PM
HAHA, I’ll bet he has a silky pony. Seriously though, I like to see a difference of opinion on this site, but when the snappiest comeback they can come up with is “you guys are retarded” it makes me think they’re playing on mom and dad’s computer while they’re at work and certainly not to be taken seriously.
scalleywag on March 18, 2009 at 1:49 PM
Any truth to the reports that Obama will appear on a Very Special Edition of the Jaywalk All-Stars?
Mr. D on March 18, 2009 at 1:49 PM
I’m sure he needed the Teleprompter to make the picks for him.
gsherin on March 18, 2009 at 1:49 PM
+100!
christene on March 18, 2009 at 1:49 PM
And how many times did we hear about Bush being on vaction at The Ranch while the world burned?
If rotten tomatos are good enough for George then they ought to be good enough for Barry.
Limerick on March 18, 2009 at 1:50 PM
If Obama didn’t appear so clueless and tone deaf, I’d buy that line that he can multitask. But I’m seeing none of it. And, indeed, I believe he’s lying about what he and his people know about where the AIG money is going, whether to bonuses or foreign hedge-fund traders.
I’m not responsible for Obama’s plunging popularity. So you can kick my fat ass.
BuckeyeSam on March 18, 2009 at 1:50 PM
So this was what was preventing The-Onion-in-Chief from picking up an appropriate gift for Gordon Brown.
rbj on March 18, 2009 at 1:51 PM
Well, we’ve had 60 straight DAYS of My Pet
GoatTeleprompter.SPCOlympics on March 18, 2009 at 1:47 PM
econavenger on March 18, 2009 at 1:51 PM
I can’t BELIEVE he crossed out Illinois in the first round!! Go Illini!
Oh and aren’t we experiencing the worst financial crisis since the great depression? Did Hoover and FDR make picks for March Madness? Thought not.
Wait. No he’s the President. We can’t criticize the President during a financial crisis and in the middle of a war, can we Democrats?
Rightwingguy on March 18, 2009 at 1:52 PM
He can’t stand to see his religion (Obamaism) mocked. He’s doing the Lord’s work.
zmdavid on March 18, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Next up? Dancing with the Stars! (You remember his sauve moves on “Ellen”)
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 18, 2009 at 1:53 PM
sauve=suave
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 18, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Ditto. My dog’s bigger than your dog mentality is welcome at all kinds of other blogs.
scalleywag on March 18, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Watching March madness is not going to stimulate the economy. Not too many women watch….neither do those who have had to cancel their cable service do to being unemployed.
Obama is showing us his priorities…and the US economy sure isnt.
becki51758 on March 18, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Since he’s so into college basketball and he’s from Illinois, could he maybe do something so the University of Illinois will play other state schools? The Crying Illini won’t play anybody else in the state on the road except Northwestern, who they have to.
radjah shelduck on March 18, 2009 at 1:56 PM
BTW,where is Michelle OMama Obama on this,
Today is Shoulders and arms day. She’s busy.
Bison91 on March 18, 2009 at 1:57 PM
This may not play well here, but I’m betting the guys in Chicago are just eating this up.
Bush might have done this on a sheet of paper or a spreadsheet, but I doubt he would have built a fancy presentation chart with the Presidential Seal and all.
In fact, I’m betting he did, and furthermore, that he was REAL quiet about his picks. He’s made instant enemies of all those fans who supported his crossed out teams.
unclesmrgol on March 18, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Love it!
mwdiver on March 18, 2009 at 1:59 PM
The morning of 9/11 2001, W was reading a book to kindergarteners as he learned that we were under attack. He went into swift action, and took it very serious. This defined his presidency.
Fish on March 18, 2009 at 1:33 PM
——
Swift action?
Are you serious?
He stayed and kept reading to the children. This is probably one of the absolute last moments of his presidency that should ever be brought up.
Dave Rywall on March 18, 2009 at 1:59 PM
He’ll probably get this one wrong too….
I think, like all good Communistic states, the President,Czar,Kremlin, whatever.. is a FIGURE HEAD. That’s all. The O is a yes man. I mean, look at Russia.
Putin’s still in power.
The O is a “superstar”, jetting here, dancing there, appearing on this TV progam or another.
“New York in the morning and Los Angeles that night? No Problemo…Dude. Keep me out of the White House anyway… it’s stuffy in there!”
My question? Who’s manipulating the “O” Puppet’s strings? Will he give cart blanche to the Dems. Seems like it.
CynicalOptimist on March 18, 2009 at 2:00 PM
And it is not like he is randomly picking teams…seems like he is spending some time watching the games and reading up on the teams! Wish I had the time to do that…oh wait…I cant’..I have to work to pay for HIS STIMULUS PACKAGE!!!
vitaatcaritas on March 18, 2009 at 2:00 PM
More on the total bill for a totally gratuitous flight to the West Coast to be on Leno:
This old report from 2006 prepared from Waxman (who was obviously gunning for Bush) has this on the cost of Air Force One:
What did Obama say on his first flight as President?
“Hey guys, what do you think of my — this spiffy ride here?”
INC on March 18, 2009 at 2:01 PM
+1. Brilliant.
Daft Punk on March 18, 2009 at 2:01 PM
$oro$
carbon_footprint on March 18, 2009 at 2:01 PM
I’m still waiting for someone from MSM to ask the real important question:
Mr President, X-Box 360 or PlayStation 3?
christene on March 18, 2009 at 2:03 PM
BINGO! YOU WIN A CIGAR! You’ll have to pay the extra taxes on it though…SORRY! };~}
CynicalOptimist on March 18, 2009 at 2:04 PM
High atop the Esquiline Hill in the Tower of Maecenas Nero partied, fiddled around, made a few NCAA picks, prepared for a probing interview with Jay Leno…..
joedoe on March 18, 2009 at 2:06 PM
Tell you the real controversy, he didn’t pick one 12 seed to beat a five. What a wimp.
LevStrauss on March 18, 2009 at 2:08 PM
This is freakin’ NUTS! I cannot even picture Reagan or HW or W doing something this TRIVIAL! Read that TRIVIAL. T.R.I.V.I.A.L. Shouldn’t even be on his radar. This is what a bunch of people voted for I guess.
timajin on March 18, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Michelle M has this to say about Obama flying to Leno:
INC on March 18, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Here’s Dave on the previous President:
And, on a new note for a new President:
Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe there are two Dave Rywalls in this world.
unclesmrgol on March 18, 2009 at 2:14 PM
This is freakin’ NUTS! I cannot even picture Reagan or HW or W doing something this TRIVIAL! Read that TRIVIAL. T.R.I.V.I.A.L. Shouldn’t even be on his radar. This is what a bunch of people voted for I guess.
timajin on March 18, 2009 at 2:11 PM
—–
trivial?
You mean like a president doing a photo op with All-American college football players? Or attending a pro sports game? Or the Olympics? Or having a cup of coffee?
Dave Rywall on March 18, 2009 at 2:14 PM
C’mon, you guys don’t understand. If his bracket wins the pool, he’s gonna’ have enough money to pay the next stimulus. This is VERY important. Please let him concentrate!
gregbert on March 18, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Haha
conservative pilgrim on March 18, 2009 at 2:17 PM
I’m going to laugh my rear off if my hometown LSU Tigers bounce the UNC Tarheels, Barry’s chosen champion, in the 2nd round.
teke184 on March 18, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Funny you should mention that, Dave… Look right above your comment.
unclesmrgol on March 18, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Glad to see he puts thought into SOMETHING.
Maybe someone could trick him into thinking the economy is some sort of fantasy basketball league?
hawksruleva on March 18, 2009 at 2:28 PM
Audassity, maybe?
(I’m sure that’s been said before)
JoelD on March 18, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Looks like no organization is exempt from employess abusing company time in March to work on their brackets.
Grafted on March 18, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Priorities, people priorities!
Johan Klaus on March 18, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Three #1s and a #2 in the final four. That shows he doesn’t know any more about filling out a bracket than running the country.
I am impressed that he did the 4+ minutes without The Teleprompter. Just shows that when he knows the subject, he doesn’t need his crutch. Which is why he needs his crutch so much.
Mallard T. Drake on March 18, 2009 at 2:32 PM
presidentsmarchmadnessbrackets.gov
Caper29 on March 18, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Well, I’ll grant you, it’s not as trivial as, say, putting forward some nominees for Treasury. Important things first; campaign, campaign, campaign!
landshark on March 18, 2009 at 2:35 PM
Are we sure the “Final Four” isn’t referring to his approval rating?
LibTired on March 18, 2009 at 2:35 PM
I got Pitt winning it.
Terry Silver on March 18, 2009 at 2:37 PM
How about, we give Obama to Canada for two future draft choices.
Johan Klaus on March 18, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Or paying taxes.
Johan Klaus on March 18, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Exactly. This was basically a photo op. Every president does it, and every president should do it.
You hate Obama so much that you complain that something as trivial as his photo ops are a waste of time. You never criticized Bush’s photo ops, nor would you have criticized McCain’s photo ops, nor should you. They’re standard, they’re not very meaningful, and they’re not worth mentioning. Get some perspective.
tneloms on March 18, 2009 at 2:43 PM
Silly.
getalife on March 18, 2009 at 2:48 PM
Goofing on Obama is hatred now?
zmdavid on March 18, 2009 at 2:49 PM
Ha! Look at Tapper’s headline:
Candidate Obama Hits the Trail
That’s dated TODAY–not last year!
INC on March 18, 2009 at 2:56 PM
You should get paid for being this stupid.
AubieJon on March 18, 2009 at 3:01 PM
You know what I wanna see? I wanna see Barry kick out the jams on Guitar Hero with Little Timmy Geithner. That would make me feel better and would do lots to promote Microsoft and the XBOX 360 platform…
I can’t wait to see The One’s fantasy football picks next year, what with the whole Jay Cutler fiasco going on and all.
/s
Wyznowski on March 18, 2009 at 3:03 PM
I’ve heard this lame lefty meme for so long now and it’s so old, stale and covered with mold that I can’t believe anyone with a functioning synapse would even dredge it up anymore, but then again I’m responding to something Dry-Hump said, so it goes to reason!
First of all Dry-Hump (Dry-Hump because that’s all you probably ever get) let me ask you, how do you recommend Bush respond, by jumping up out of his chair screaming “oh my God, oh my God, what should we do” running around the classroom like his head was on fire and scare the shiite out of those little kids? Perhaps that’s how you would respond, but then again I think most 10 year old girls would be more composed during an emergency then you would be!
How Bush reacted was how a president should react to such news, in a calm, cool, and collected manner as to not scare the children and to provide the secret service and other agencies sufficient time (5 or 10 minutes) to determine the best course of action to respond and protect the POTUS!
Geeezzz, and you call us on HA idiots, you know psychologist have a word for what you display, it’s called PROJECTION…look it up!
So take that stale, lame, illogical, ignorant, and moldy left-tard talking point and shove it…oh and don’t go away mad, just go away unless you want me to humiliate you some more!
Liberty or Death on March 18, 2009 at 3:14 PM
So it’s official. Barry has no idea of the seriousness of his, “job”. He is such an arrogant, narcissistic, SOB that he has no intention of changing his happy go lucky lifestyle- he just plans to fit in his “presidential duties” when he gets a chance. This particular item, the basketball picks is not huge, but combined with EVERYTHING else, it shows what a loser he is! A lying, inept, incompetant loser. I jusy want to spit on everyone who voted for this idiot.
anniekc on March 18, 2009 at 3:19 PM
If he has time for brackets why not a joint press conference with the PM from our #1 ally.
elBarto on March 18, 2009 at 3:20 PM
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