Golf: Obama Skips the 8th hole to avoid TV Cameras & photographer

From Reuters:

Critics have slammed [President] Obama for vacationing for the third consecutive summer on Martha's Vineyard, an upscale island off the Massachusetts coast... They say vacationing at the scenic island, a stomping ground for movie stars and other wealthy Democratic Party backers in August, shows Obama is out of touch while 14 million Americans are out of work The White House says the country does not begrudge Obama some time with his family, but it has been careful to allow no pictures so far of him at play on the golf course.

Fox News noted on Friday:

Day one of President Obama's ten day trip on Martha's Vineyard and the commander in chief is back on the golf course. But don't expect to see any pictures of him enjoying a round of 18. The president is playing Vineyard Golf Club, a private club in Edgartown. No media is permitted on the property.

Nevertheless, several media outlets Friday managed to photograph the President from afar during his golf outing.

However, the Boston Globe reported that when Obama [on Friday] approached "the eighth tee in a golf cart with friend and frequent golfing buddy Eric Whitaker," he "noticed three TV cameras and a Globe photographer across the street. Rather than stop and be photographed teeing off, the president skipped the hole."

So, while the White House has been releasing photos showing the vacationing President in a serious frame of mind - like the photograph it released on Friday, showing a solemn-faced Obama in discussion with his counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan [as seen above] - it is doing all it can to keep the President's Golf excursions out of the public eye - even if it means sacrificing the 8th hole. For ultimately, a little bit of sacrifice goes a long way in preserving Mr. Obama's public image. Besides, skipping the 8th hole enabled the President to finish the game with a better score - and that's a good thing.

Nevertheless, I would recommend that Mr. Obama take Mr. Brennan along with him on his next Golf outing. This would enable the White House, and the media, to show off the President's athletic side without compromising his serious side. Hey, who says the President can't walk and chew gum at the same time?

And, speaking about the President's serious side, here's an interesting photo:


Hmmm, now I've just come upon a new photograph of the President playing Golf at the aforementioned Golf Club. This photgraph, unlike the previous photographs, was taken, not on Friday, but on Sunday:



















Although the above photograph was clearly taken from outside the club, there, nevertheless, appears to be a different photographer standing within the President's proximity.

The AP caption under the above photo reads: "President Barack Obama prepares to putt while playing golf as a photographer, left, looks on at the Vineyard Golf Club on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2011."

Did the White House suddenly decide it's not smart politics to keep the photographers at bay? Or, is this particular photographer simply an ordinary bystander who managed to gain entry into the club while the President was golfing? I can't even tell for certain whether the photographer is pointing his camera toward the President or somewhere else - although I would assume he's pointing it toward Obama.

Who knows.....

In any case, if I find out more information, I'll let you know, either here or in an upcoming post.

Related News: On Martha's Vineyard Obama not so popular anymore