You see this as solely a “liesure activity”. You’ve obviously never heard about a wee thing called ‘networking’. When said game is entirely between the President and “11 members of Congress and four Cabinet Secretaries “, it’s a bit more than just a game, Michele.
And, once again, may we ask what in your post shows this ‘promised’ “Reformed perspective”? It doesn’t seem to be much more than you bitching about “teh feminists” [spit].

OMH, for once I agree with you. Good show.

I completely agree with you. It is just making something out of nothing. He has every right to spend his leisure time with whoever he wants to…just like everyone else.
I actually think it’s totally normal for him to spend time playing sports with mostly men. It does not necessarily say ANYTHING about what he thinks about a woman’s “place” or that he is sexist at all and doesn’t think women should play sports or at least with men…Which I guess is the message that some people think it sends, but it seems pretty natural to me.
After all for one thing he is a heterosexual attractive but married man, so even though it seems they have a very secure loving marriage, it’s natural that he doesn’t spend what little time he has left away from his family AND one of the most stressful and time consuming jobs in the WORLD surrounded by beautiful ladies…I’m sure Michelle actually appreciates that, although I am not suggesting that she would have any reason to be threatened or could ever be threatened (she seems like a tough lady). But you know if he did hang out with lots of beautiful women, I bet people would be cooking up stories about it even if it was totally innocent…With things like this it’s like you just can’t win.
For another thing he has two daughters and a wife who no doubt he adores all of them (I think he grew up with sisters as well, and his mother but no father right?) and they make him very happy but there is a lot of estrogen in that household…And just like a lot of us women who spend a lot of time around men either because they’re families are mostly of the male kind or work in an environment of mostly males… A lot of people of certain genders need some “girl time” or “guy time” to hang out with their own kind for a sense of balance, even if they may not be as close emotionally to them as to others of the opposite gender. Not everybody is like that but a lot of people are, whichever gender they are.
And it’s still true more guys like sports and play sports than women probably…who cares….I for one am a woman and always sucked at sports and hated playing them but I like other forms of movement like dance and enjoy WATCHING sports very much.
Most likely the woman who was invited to play golf (who I believe is on his staff) just happens to particularly enjoy a game of golf and perhaps they used the time between hitting balls and putting to discuss professional matters about the country in a more relaxed and less formal setting than the usual in the white house.
I think Obama may have made some mistakes so far and not lived up to expectations (yet), even his own, let alone everybody else’s in the world, but I don’t believe for a moment that he’s sexist ..with the way he raved about his mother in the campaign who raised him without a father. Believe me I am not completely naive, I KNOW a lot of that was for show to get votes, but I also believe it actually came from a place of truth. And if he was he a sexist he never would have married a woman like Michelle. Believe me, men who don’t believe a woman belongs on a golf course and she only belongs barefoot slaving over a stove in the kitchen and in the bedroom making babies DON’T marry women like that because it pisses them off too bad. They marry women with bad self esteem that they can beat around easily.
And I’d just like to say that I think it hurts our cause (which is still very much needed to fight) when people either male or female or feminists or whatever they call themselves, do make something out of nothing, instead of focusing on the many wrongs that are actually all around.

p.s.
I did not mean to suggest that there aren’t plenty of women who like and are great at sports..obviously they are and I think MOST of any difference in the interest in sports between the sexes has been societally caused in all of history. (of course men will always be physically stronger in some ways and build muscle more easily but that’s just the way it is). But perhaps there may always be a small margin of difference in between the percentage of men who are “sports people” and the percentage of women who are. Maybe not I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter, men and women are different…Equal does not mean “the same” in that way. The importance is equality.

“not his dithering over the war in Afghanistan that puts the safety of Afghan women at risk if the Taliban regain control of the nation”
there for just a second, i thought you might actually pull off a post without displaying your ODS.
by the way, what did you think about bush’s 7 year “dithering” over the afghan war? remember all those years when the taliban were able to recoup their losses and take over large areas of the country? i think you were too busy cheering on bush in iraq to make an honest critique. you have zero credibility with which to criticize obama for not rushing a crucial decision such as this. our soldiers’ lives are worth more than your hollow words and bitter hatred.

And what are the going to do if he ignores them–campaign for Sarah Palin?

MDS. I think that’s what anonymous has. It is actually amusing to watch. Yeah, MDS. It is so clear. eh, eh, eh.

The man has two daughters and a wife. If he wants to spend some of his leisure time with men, more power to him. (My brother also has two daughters and a wife, and men need leisure time or intimacy with other men, not just with women.)
Apparently, this is a case of NOW valuing symbolism over common sense.

A postscript – I wish the Bush Administration had “dithered” a bit more before launching the Iraq war. Dick Cheney is a shameless liar.

You people are missing the point (again, and as usual).
This isn’t about “hanging out”. Obama could have chosen to play a pick-up game of basketball with some buddies/friends of his.
Instead, this is about the fact the a President is spending eime with “11 members of Congress and four Cabinet Secretaries — all men”.
It’s called networking. It’s kind of a big thing in business circles. Any CEO of a major corporation that did this with only male members of, say, the Board of Directors and/or only male consultants would get raked over the coals – and rightly so.
All this sidetracking talk of who’s better at sports is a smokescreen to cover the real issue – and you folks are wilfully blind to it.
And, once again, where is the ‘promised’ “Reformed perspective” on this (or any other topic Michele blogs about)? AWOL, as usual. What a waste of bandwidth.

I too agree with the OP. And I wonder how Michelle feels about Barack having a female golf partner.

i have my “guy time” and i still manage to have movie nights and parties with my (non-family) lady friends.
as the sole man in this house with my wife and 2 daughters, i understand completely if president obama wants to just play a game of ball with “the guys.” that doesn’t mean that he completely ignores the women in his life, or outside of his leisure time.
michele got at least that part of her post right.
“Apparently, this is a case of NOW valuing symbolism over common sense.”
yup!

Hi, anonymous reincarnate. That was me who said:
“Apparently, this is a case of NOW valuing symbolism over common sense.”

hi alicia. yes, i knew that, sorry that i didn’t make it clear. i was agreeing with both your comment and michele’s similar point in her post (and it’s not often that i can agree with michele).
have a spectacular fall day!

This ISN’T about “guy time”. It’s about a President networking with “11 members of Congress and four Cabinet Secretaries — all men”.
Geez you folks are naive.