Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with president

Presidential time-usage in pictures

paisley — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:28:02 -0800

Who spent more of their Presidency on vacation, Dubya or Bush, Sr.? Who travelled more, Clinton or Reagan? It seems to me, there's got to be some organization somewhere that tracks this kind of Presidential time-utilization info, and organizes it into pretty charts and graphs. Help me find the information visualization I seek!

Help me rep my hometown and my president!

emilyd22222 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:30:09 -0800

Where can I find a "Cleveland Baracks" t-shirt? I saw one yesterday at the mall- it was light blue, short sleeved, and featured a smiling POTUS stenciled in black over the inscription, "CLEVELAND BARACKS." I Googled and checked eBay/Etsy to no avail, but there's enough documentation of the existence of these shirts to make me believe it's not a renegade crafter's shirt.

I would prefer to not commission a hand-stenciled shirt. I guess I *could* make one myself, but dammit, I'm lazy.

Who Punches The President?

artof.mulata — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:38:54 -0800

does the president of the u.s. receive any self defense training? and, if so, what sort and from whom? and are there any good articles or books on that subject?

A President is referred to as such for life...

disillusioned — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:54:01 -0800

Throughout his introduction of President Obama, ASU President Crow referred to him as "Barack Obama", without the honorific. This bothered me immensely; I feel that it is only proper when introducing a President to refer to him that way throughout. I can't find any video of Crow's introduction, but he was referring to President Obama's focus on education and strides towards improving the nation, etc, etc.

Am I off-base here, or was Crow a bit out of line?

(Aside: despite the insane heat and it being a six-hour event, it was totally worth going to.)

Is there a good book about the Reagan administration out there?

orange swan — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:31:11 -0800

Can anyone recommend a solidly researched and well-written book that critiques Ronald Reagan's administration? Last Sunday during the Swan family Easter do at my place my brother and his 21-year-old son opined that Ronald Reagan was one of the three best U.S. presidents, that he ended the Cold War, and that his administration was good for the economy, etc.. Anything I tried to say to the contrary was dismissed as "leftist propaganda" by my nephew. So, I would like to give my brother a book on the topic for Christmas. I need something readable that comes across as very reasonable and fair-minded. Title suggestions, please?

What's Obama up to?

cyrusdogstar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:45:03 -0800

What are some good blogs or other news sources concerned solely or mostly with "what the president is doing" (politically; not what he had for breakfast)? Basically, I'm curious about keeping up with Obama's acts as president -- orders signed, deals forged, initiatives taken, stuff like that. For example, the official Executive Orders page might be a good start, but I'd prefer a third party to summarize or explain their ramifications to me (not too politically/legally savvy), and I assume the president does things other than sign executive orders.

So: good recommendations along these lines? I'd prefer anything that is solely/mostly about the President or the executive branch, but if those don't exist, I'll gladly take anything that at least includes such coverage and doesn't have a million posts a day.

What does the old POTUS say to the new POTUS?

BobbyVan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:39:53 -0800

Are the contents of the letters from US Presidents to their successors available in the National Archives or Presidential Libraries? I'm intrigued by the "From #43 to #44" letter that former President Bush left for President Obama in the Oval Office, and was wondering: are the contents of earlier outgoing-to-incoming POTUS letters available for historians and the public-at-large to review?

Obviously, you want Presidents to be completely frank and candid in their intimate conversations (so I would expect there to be a significant period of time before such correspondence would be made public), but it would be fascinating to read what previous US Presidents wrote to their successors.

(And please don't waste my time or yours by injecting your own political opinions.)

Does the president need to take the oath of office?

bchaplin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:48:32 -0800

A few questions about the oath of office and when the president-elect becomes president... When exactly does the president-elect become president? Today's New York Times mentioned that due to the schedule running late, Barack Obama actually took the oath of office after noon, and so he was already president when he was sworn in.

This got me thinking. If for some reason the president:
A) Could not take the oath of office due to extreme circumstances, or
B) Chose not to swear on the Bible (let's say he was a Hindu, Muslim or atheist), or
C) Decided to re-word the oath in some way
would that have any bearing on his legitimacy as president? Does the declared winner simply become president at noon on January 20, regardless of whether he takes the oath or not, and whether or not the protocols were observed?

Can I read the daily White House pool report?

Tin Man — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:09:06 -0800

Is there a way to read the daily Obama pool report? The White House press pool is a group of journalists, each of whom takes a turn writing a daily narrative of the president's schedule. A pool has been covering Obama as well. (Some more info here and here, and some examples here and here.) The daily pool report doesn't seem available to "regular folks" except when excerpts sneak out in dribs and drabs, but I'd love to be able to read it on a regular basis. Is there any way to do this?

Who moves Barney's water bowl on January 20th?

webhund — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:00:48 -0800

How does the U.S. presidential transition at the White House actually occur? Who does what where, when and how? We all know where Bush and Obama, as well as all of their various muckety-mucks will be at Noon on January 20th. But how do the actual mechanics of the transition work back at the White House? How does one president, his family, their stuff, their pets, etc.... get moved out of 1600 Penn. Avenue and the next first family get moved in the same day within a matters of hours? How does the president's staff and all of their stuff get moved, archived, preserved, etc...? Who does this? Do the carpets get cleaned and new towels/sheets/etc... put on the beds? Does Dana Perino's whitehouse.gov email get axed as of 11:59 a.m.? Who rearranges the Oval Office, who puts the little "B. Obama" and "J. Biden" on the phone speed dials? How long does this all take? What kinds of "get to know what you like" meetings do the White House butler/chef/support staff have with the incoming First Family? How do they coordinate all this coming and going so (apparently) seamlessly?

Is it like a grown-up version of the first day of the fall college semester with the incoming freshman, with people running around asking, "Hey, where's the bathroom? or "What time is lunch served?"

Kids at the Inauguration: A Profound Memory for Life, or Child Abuse?

underthehat — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:37:44 -0800

Should I bring my 7-year-old son to see the Inauguration? Or, how much cold and crowding would you endure to be present at a major historical event (and so your son could tell his children, "I was there.")? I'm really struggling with this one, and yes, I've read the other Inauguration discussions on Ask Mefi. I admit that January in DC is likely to be cold, and maybe snowy, sleety, and rainy. The crowds will be huge. I have a hotel reservation in Baltimore, and I imagine train travel to and from the Mall will be tortuous. So the experience is likely to consist of being packed in crowds for many hours, cold and probably hungry and needing to pee. Hard enough for an adult; I imagine it would be harder for a kid.

And yet... This is an important event in my life, and I want to share it. It's an important time in our nation's history, and I want my son to understand that, too. He followed the campaign and election pretty closely, and this is the payoff. I can't tell if I'm just being sentimental to think that in 10 years or so most of the memory of discomfort will have ebbed for him, and he will be excited to say he was there.

Who pays Obama?

TheRaven — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:28:18 -0800

Who is paying Obama for the next two months? Obama has just quit his day job as junior senator for Illinois and won't start his new job for a couple of months. Does that he mean that he is having to live on his savings or can he use his campaign funds to pay the phone bill? What, if anything, do presidents-elect get from the taxpayer? Who pays his Chicago-DC travel, for example, in this interim period (and that of his wife and daughters)?

How to notice political change?

larry_darrell — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:46:39 -0800

What are some actions/appointments/events that I can look for that will indicate if the new U.S. president is serious about change or if he is just more of the same?

I scream, you scream, we all scream for a grassroots campaign strategy!

serazin — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:12:03 -0800

I gather from Howard Dean's announcement today that he and the Obama People don't get along. I'm curious though how much Obama's win and the Congressional turnover are due to Dean's strategies and policies as head of the DNC. When he was running for president, Dean was Mr. Grassroots. Does the "grassrootsyness" of the Obama campaign owe much to Dean? What actually changed in the DNC under Dean? (I'm interested in your incite and also in reading any articles you can point me to on the subject.)

Was JFK that generation's BHO?

LastOfHisKind — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:33:21 -0800

Was the reaction to John Kennedy being elected anything like the current world-wide wave of joy and relief to the election of Obama?

Don't Stop Believin

mwhybark — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:21:06 -0800

How common has it been in US history for a Presidential election to prompt celebrations in the streets across the country? I was bemused and pleased by the spontaneous street parties that erupted Tuesday night, and am now curious: how often do we run out into the street to cry with joy, hug one another, wave the American flag, and sing the national anthem (or Journey) as a spontaneous collective reaction to the victory of a Presidential candidate? Please note, I am not asking how often Presidential campaign workers engage in said behavior. I was thinking back through the elections in my lifetime and beyond; the only thing that I can think of that remotely relates is the out-of-hand celebrations associated with the inauguration of Andrew Jackson. Hope me, historians of MeFi!

America, love it or leave it (but where to go?)

DragonBoy — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:42:41 -0800

I'm a liberal in a red state (Texas). After the 2000 and 2004 elections many people I know told me that if I didn't like the President I should move to Canada.

If Liberals go to Canada when a Republican wins, where would the conservatives go now? They wouldn't like Canada at all (no offense my Canadian friends). Conservatives wouldn't go to a country that has nationalized health care, progressive taxes or abortions. Any thoughts on what countries Conservatives would like?

What's it like to be President? The book

nitsuj — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:50:38 -0800

With all the presidential talk, I'd like to read a good book on what it's like to be President of the United States. I'm thinking something that talks about what day-to-day life in the White House is like. Not so much politics -- but things like security: how the secret service operates, underground bunkers, and other cool things like that. Or how does the presidential kitchen operate? What else goes on in the house that's not common knowledge? Air Force One? Can the president pick up the phone and have a Big Mac delivered at any time of the day or night? Stuff like that.

Basically like a behind-the-scenes look at the White House and what it's like to live there, and to be President. Anything?

Capturing the mOment

Jaybo — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:39:20 -0800

I'm looking for news stories, blog posts, photos, video clips, mash-ups or anything else that captures the impact and emotion of Barack Obama's victory, especially on a personal level. Some examples might be:
- Sheri Sheppard breaks down on The View

- a young black conservative writes about how Obama's victory affected him

- Stephen Cobert tears up when Obama is announced as the winner

- there was a clip I saw somewhere and can't seem to find again of Condi Rice's touching remarks this morning about Obama's historic win.

...and why not, even stuff from before the election like the clip of the elderly black volunteer who won a raffle to meet Barack Obama.

Shoring Up The Gains

felix — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:36:28 -0800

If I wanted to donate money specifically to the U.S. Secret Service, is such a thing even possible, and how would I go about doing it?

Is Obama the world's first minority Chief Executive?

brandman — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:24:20 -0800

(I think) I read somewhere recently that if Obama won, he'd be the first elected chief executive (President, PM, etc.) from a racial minority. Is that true? I don't recall if the comment had to do with all nations, or Western nations, or what. Just curious if anyone knows of a case where someone from a racial minority won the chief executive spot in their country's election. (And for the purposes of this question, let's consider Obama to be a black man.)

And no, these guys don't count.

Is the world watching the US elections?

nikkorizz — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:33:07 -0800

Is the world watching the United States 2008 presidential elections? Who are they routing for? I've heard that, for example, people in Kenya are paying close attention to the elections simply because of Obama's ancestral heritage, but I'm wondering if other countries are interested in the US elections for something other than curiosity, candidate heritage, or just wanting to see George W. Bush out of office.

I'd like to know of some examples of non-Americans living outside the U.S. routing for one presidential candidate over the other.

Personal stories are great, but links to articles are preferred.

Redskins Lose, Obama wins...

mikewas — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:13:09 -0800

There are a number of goofy "predictors" of U.S. Presidential elections, such as: when the Redskins lose their last home game prior to the election, the incumbent party loses the White House. Does the HiveMind know of any similar off-beat predictors? Note that I'm not referring to anything remotely resembling science.

Security procedures for new Oval Office incumbent?

turgid dahlia — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:50:57 -0800

White House changeover security: who's responsible, and what do they do? I hope this isn't too chatfiltery, but...I was speculating just now about the security processes involved in moving one dude out of the White House, and the next dude in.

There's a scene in the Tim Powers novel Declare where a bunch of spy types are sitting in a meeting room at 10 Downing Street. One of them covertly (naturally) installs a bugging device and it is mentioned that this won't be activated until an an opposing party assumes government.

A thing like this sounds perfectly possible, even probable to me, especially given the track record of the present U.S. President's administration and his appurtenant cronies. So with that in mind, can anybody point me to any online or real-world text resources that might give me some insight, no matter how superficial, into what, exactly, is involved in moving the old and busted President out, and the new hotness President in?

Those amongst you who possess any personal insight into the matter are likewise encouraged to contribute. Who gets involved? Who is responsible for ensuring not only the safety of the Oval Office, but the security of the persons inside it and, more directly, the security of what they say while they're there?

Inauguration Tickets

Brennus — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:46:38 -0800

How does one get tickets for the Presidential Inauguration? Everything I find on Google is kind of sketchy. What is the official distribution mechanism for inauguration tickets and how can I get them?