Obama's Rhetoric is the Real Catastrophe

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

This seems laughably inappropriate - a member of Congress acting starstruck by the President? Seriously?

So what? Members of Congress are human too. They aren't cold, lifeless, stiff people who don't have any emotion. I can only imagine that many of them would like to receive an autograph from the first AA president.

Besides, I'm sure there have been members of Congress in the past who have asked for autographs from sitting presidents. It's what people do when they meet someone famous.


I have to admit I don't understand why people are so upset or concerned about his celebrity status. Whether people treat him like a rock star or not has nothing to do with his ability to serve as president.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

So what?

I just started singing Pink.

So what? I'm still a rockstar.....

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

So what? Members of Congress are human too. They aren't cold, lifeless, stiff people who don't have any emotion. I can only imagine that many of them would like to receive an autograph from the first AA president.

Besides, I'm sure there have been members of Congress in the past who have asked for autographs from sitting presidents. It's what people do when they meet someone famous.


I have to admit I don't understand why people are so upset or concerned about his celebrity status. Whether people treat him like a rock star or not has nothing to do with his ability to serve as president.

I don't know, it feels like a pretty sound breach of decorum to me - in any professional context in which I've met a celebrity, it would have been wildly inappropriate of me to ask for an autograph, particularly when "on the job." It's not about being "cold and lifeless" - it's about not being a dipshit when you're wearing a suit.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I don't know, it feels like a pretty sound breach of decorum to me - in any professional context in which I've met a celebrity, it would have been wildly inappropriate of me to ask for an autograph, particularly when "on the job." It's not about being "cold and lifeless" - it's about not being a dipshit when you're wearing a suit.

Agreed - there are certain positions and professions where you have to put aside some "normal" human reactions, and to me being a member of Congress is one of those places.

When you're a member of Congress, you may get into a situation where you have to run up against the President and his/her policies. It could be something as simple as overriding a veto, or it could be something as serious as an impeachment proceeding. Either way, I think it's the job of the Congressperson to make sure that there is nothing in their actions that would allude to any bias or favoritism in those situations.

If I knew that a sitting Congressperson had asked for the President's autograph, to me, it would bring up red flags.

[nate2512]

Why wouldn't they just sit in their normal assigned seating?

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by nate2512

Why wouldn't they just sit in their normal assigned seating?

I'm guessing because the Senate normally does not sit in that chamber.

[PhiGam]

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Didn't IndyMac, WaMu, Lehman fail in September or October? To me, it just seems that Obama is in the right place at the wrong time.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Agreed - there are certain positions and professions where you have to put aside some "normal" human reactions, and to me being a member of Congress is one of those places.

When you're a member of Congress, you may get into a situation where you have to run up against the President and his/her policies. It could be something as simple as overriding a veto, or it could be something as serious as an impeachment proceeding. Either way, I think it's the job of the Congressperson to make sure that there is nothing in their actions that would allude to any bias or favoritism in those situations.

If I knew that a sitting Congressperson had asked for the President's autograph, to me, it would bring up red flags.

I'm not clear on why it would send up a red flag. A red flag about what?

I think some members of Congress are able to refrain from showing bias or favoritism. Asking for an autograph has nothing to do with that.

I definitely don't think members of Congress should act like drooling tweens who just saw the Jonas brothers though.