Video: Speaking of vacations, don’t forget that Palin quit her job

posted at 12:05 pm on August 19, 2011 by Ed Morrissey

There is a lot of criticism raining down on Barack Obama’s head for taking a 10-day working vacation at Martha’s Vineyard this month while the American economy slides further towards a new recession.  Considering that all Presidents take vacations — even FDR during wartime and the Great Depression — and the fact that modern Presidents are every bit as on the job as they are in Washington, Obama’s decision to spend some time with his family is rather easily defensible.  Somehow, though, I don’t think the White House will consider Chris Cillizza’s strange argument here as helpful:

After an NBC reporter embedded with the Obama family during their vacation in Martha’s Vineyard gave her report that some are unhappy he has decided to go on such a lavish trip in such economic times, MSNBC guest host Chris Cillizza made sure to get a jab in at Sarah Palin. Cillizza, a political writer at the Washington Post, made sure to note “former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R) was someone who quit her job in the middle of it. Just noting in the interest of fairness.”

So what’s the argument here — that it’s OK to quit on the job?  Or that Obama isn’t quite as bad as Palin in sticking around?  Help me out here … how exactly is Palin’s resignation even germane to the debate over Obama’s vacation?  In the interest of fairness, there are a lot better defenses to be made, unless one just wants to utter the name “Sarah Palin” as some sort of incantation for more attention.

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Saying Sarah Palin’s name to a liberal is like kicking dirt at a mean spirited doverman, snarling teeth, foaming mouth and lots of barking!

Africanus on August 20, 2011 at 12:45 AM

The issue is that you will use ridiculous justifications and expect the rest of America to agree. Palin quit. Period.
csdeven on August 19, 2011 at 2:18 PM

True! Palin quit, and then became one of the most powerful people in America!
She has change legislation by simply writing a post on face-book. Can you name any other private citizen that has been able to do that or something similar? Nope? Didn’t think so.

In the 2010 election 71% of the House candidates she backed won, 60% of the Senate candidates she backed won. Obama? Not so much. He did go to Ohio 26 times for the Gov. The Gov. lost

State and local? Don’t know, but the Republicans picked up another 500 seats, odds are she had something to do with it.

From CBS, election night.

Palin Emerges with Even More Clout

Though it’s been 15 months since Palin stepped down as Alaska governor, she was very much in this election, stumping for candidates across the country, skewering President Obama at every turn.

“My observation of Sarah Palin,” says CBS News political analyst Nicolle Wallace, “is that she is one of the shrewdest political figures in our country at this moment. She’s also one of the most electric.”

BTW, Democrats lost 500 seats state and local, odds are Obama had something to do with it.

Now what has that quitter, Anthony Weiner done?

DSchoen on August 20, 2011 at 2:01 AM

and the fact that modern Presidents are every bit as on the job as they are in Washington, Obama’s decision to spend some time with his family is rather easily defensible.

I can’t believe you can actually find any defense for this president’s actions. He has been so derelict in his duties that has not earned one iota of time off for the miserable performance, or rather, non-performance of his job. I guaran-damn-tee you he ain’t working on anything. He hasn’t done anything productive in Washington yet and you think he’s on a “working” vacation? Wanting to spend time with his family doesn’t require a lavish visit to Martha’s Vineyard to accomplish this. How you can say that is easily defensible is utter nonsense. Gimme a break Ed.

Big John on August 20, 2011 at 2:05 AM

how exactly is Palin’s resignation even germane to the debate over Obama’s vacation?

It’s not, but here’s something that is! Lets compare Bush, Reagan and Obama vacations at this point in their presidencies!

“at this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch, where staff often joined him for meetings, and Ronald Reagan 112 days at his ranch.”

At this point in President GW Bush presidencies he had gotten us out of a rescission, Unemployment was down to 5.5%, down from 6% and on the way to 5.1% in 2005 and 4.6% in 2006.

At this point in President Ronald Reagan presidencies he had gotten us out of a rescission, Unemployment was down to 7.5%, down from 9.7% and on the way to 5.5% in 1988.

Oh and had laid the ground work that ended the cold war.

And Obama? Not that much. He has fail to end the rescission, Unemployment when he took office was 7.6% went up to 10% and now with millions of Americans no longer getting UI so they are not counted as Unemployed, Unemployment is stuck at 9.2% and expected to rise!
Oh and lucky US! Obama will finally give us his plan to address Unemployment next September!

In a real world an employee this incompetent would not be going on vacation, they would be FIRED!

DSchoen on August 20, 2011 at 2:18 AM

Yes, because it’s unreasonable to assume that the voters WOULDN’T want her to remain in a position where she was no longer able to accomplish much for them. Palin should have asked. It’s irresponsible to assume that the voters wouldn’t want her to waste their money. /sarc

Aitch748

I guess that’s why she has a 30ish approval rating in Alaska. Maybe she should have asked after all.

xblade on August 20, 2011 at 2:35 AM

I guess that’s why she has a 30ish approval rating in Alaska. Maybe she should have asked after all.

xblade on August 20, 2011 at 2:35 AM

Following PPP/D. Koz again, are we?

Lanceman on August 20, 2011 at 3:03 AM

So by inference can we assume then that Obama is quitting? **fingers crossed**

Koa on August 20, 2011 at 10:33 AM

I guess that’s why she has a 30ish approval rating in Alaska. Maybe she should have asked after all.
xblade on August 20, 2011 at 2:35 AM

that’s a fat heavyweights 15th round girly punch

so done you are

Sonosam on August 20, 2011 at 10:35 AM

… how exactly is Palin’s resignation even germane to the debate over Obama’s vacation?

It is a total non sequitur, the verbal equivalent of “Hey, look over there!”.

roy_batty on August 20, 2011 at 11:16 AM

The problem here is that anyone pays any attention to the leftist WaPo hack Cizilla. I read his stuff years ago, when it was some of the first regular political commentary on a news site independent of the print edition. It didn’t take long to discover his, er, perspective on the news and politicians.

He is not some objective observer; he is a Democratic leftist toady. If you waste your time reading his drivel or tuning into news broadcasts that feature him as a commentator, it’s your time and brain cells to waste.

Adjoran on August 20, 2011 at 1:49 PM

Barry quit his job, too. And their point is exactly what? That the president is a quitter, evidently.

Christien on August 20, 2011 at 2:14 PM

It is a total non sequitur, the verbal equivalent of “Hey, look over there!”.

roy_batty on August 20, 2011 at 11:16 AM

Lol +1. Squirrel!

alwaysfiredup on August 20, 2011 at 10:34 PM

how exactly is Palin’s resignation even germane to the debate over Obama’s vacation?

Wow, five hundred something comments, and apparently no one else thought of Buford T. Justice when the word “germane” came up?

Snowed In on August 21, 2011 at 11:37 PM

Quitting

Barry promised to stay on as a Senator and not run for POTUS and that is why Hillary is leading our nation today. Just saying in the interest of fairness.

IlikedAUH2O on August 22, 2011 at 12:30 AM

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