The aroma hung in the air, like a rich, earthy muddy stench. The people, aware of what was going on, were anxious, as the TV broadcasters noted that the water was rising higher, and the levies were about to break. Slowly, a great groaning sound could be heard, followed by a loud snap and then the rushing sound of water as it broke through the earthen walls, flooding the streets. Panic set in, as the reality hit home. The water was coming. Higher and higher, as people prayed and tried to move their things to higher ground. Of course, it was all to no avail, as tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate the area. Now, if this scene seems familiar to you, then you wouldn’t be wrong, as only a few years ago, George W. Bush was blasted by anyone who spoke into a microphone about how he didn’t care about the poor people of Louisiana. Or any people in Louisiana, for that matter. But this isn’t a story about the past, this is a story about today, and about how tens of thousands of the people of southern Louisiana have found themselves once again in the midst of a flood of biblical proportions. And where is the media outcry? Where is the President of the United States? Sitting in the war room? Directing help to those in desperate need? Oh no, that would be too much, as a quick Google search reveals that Obama is….. golfing! That’s right. President Obama is on the links, once again.
But not just any golf course will do, this week, it seems, as the President has found himself at, as the Washington Examiner wrote — “President Obama is … taking his clubs to one of the most exclusive venues in New England, and one famously known as the nation's first "organic" course.” That’s right. An “organic” golf course. And just what is an organic golf course, you might be asking?
The New York Times wrote that — “the club is thought to be the only completely organic golf course in the United States, its 18 holes groomed without the use of a single synthetic pesticide, fertilizer, herbicide or other artificial chemical treatment.” That’s right. A golf course that does not use ANY chemicals to kill weeds or make the grass grow greener! In fact, the article goes on to note that — “The master gardener has learned to kill weeds with boiling water and a natural foam cocktail and to remove moss with kitchen dish detergent, and he has transported microscopic worms from Iowa to attack turf-ruining grubs. He has disrupted the mating cycle of damaging oriental beetles with a strategically placed scent and has grown grass that he believes is more resistant to disease because it developed without chemicals.” Sounds impressive, right?
In fact, it gets to be even more impressive, as the article goes on to note — “Nothing at the Vineyard Golf Club is left to chance. To prevent fungal disease, crews go out daily at dawn using a long, whip-like device that whisks condensation off the grass throughout the course’s 69 acres. And visitors have their shoes cleaned before they play to keep contrary grass seeds or diseases from infiltrating the fairways and greens. The club’s maintenance labor budget is higher than those of most clubs its size, but the master gardener said his net costs were the same “because of the money saved on traditional pesticides, which are very expensive.” And what is the net result?
Well, the NYT also answered this question as well, when it wrote — “The Vineyard Golf Club greens are devoid of weeds or major blemishes, and they roll true and consistent. The fairways have patches of crabgrass and clover that are barely noticeable. What is most obvious in a walk of the holes is a striking and scenic layout pocked with deep, distinctive sod-faced bunkers designed by the British architects.” All of this sounds pretty impressive, right? And it is. But, here is where it gets even more impressive.
The Vineyard Golf Club, where the President is playing, has an initiation fee of $350,000 and annual dues of $12,000 for the 305 members. And even if you can pony up that kind money, the club isn’t open for everyone. In fact, a media pool report on the president's visit noted — “Want to play here? Check the obits pages. There are currently no memberships available, but the club graciously provides a waiting list in case one of its members should experience a fatal accident or, worse, a bad run at the craps table." That’s right. In fact, this is not only an elite members only club, this is a 1% of the 1% club as well, and that, dear citizen, is not you.
Maybe that is why, as the Washington Times reported — “Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson defended Mr. Obama at a press conference, insisting that the president is “closely monitoring” the situation but that he will not cut short his two-week breather in the tony Massachusetts resort.” In fact, the Homeland Security Secretary specifically stated that — “The president can’t be everywhere.” At that very same presser, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, backed the Homeland Security Secretary up, saying that he is “not complaining in any way about our federal partnership.” Maybe the governor knows which side his bread is buttered on? In fact, the WT article notes that — “Not only has Mr. Obama refused to cut short his golfing vacation, but he also has issued no public or written statements about the crisis, which has been dubbed the Louisiana Flood of 2016.”
And what of the people? What have they to say? The Advocate, a local news source, wrote a powerful op-ed in which it opined-”Sometimes, presidential visits can get in the way of emergency response, doing more harm than good. But we don’t see that as a factor now that flood waters are subsiding, even if at an agonizing pace. It’s past time for the president to pay a personal visit, showing his solidarity with suffering Americans.”
It continues — “Like his predecessors, Obama has no doubt discovered that crises keep their own calendar, even when commanders-in-chief are trying to take some time off the clock. It’s an inconvenience of the presidency, but it’s what chief executives sign up for when they take the oath of office. And if the president can interrupt his vacation for a swanky fundraiser for fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, as he did on Monday, then surely he can make time to show up for a catastrophe that’s displaced thousands.” That’s right. Obama can take time off to make sure his new frenemy, Hillary, is elected to office, but to show solidarity with the “poor and suffering”?
Maybe this is why a new poll by the Washington Examiner/Examiner Influential Insiders poll found a huge gap between D.C. insiders and the rest of America. That poll revealed that — “While just 48 percent of Americans are supporting Hillary Clinton for president, 62 percent of D.C. insiders are.” And that — “At 65 percent, a majority of Americans believe America is on the wrong track and want change, but at 62 percent, most D.C. insiders say no change is coming to Washington.” And finally, “while many Americans see the populist boom fueling the Trump and Sanders campaigns as a sign D.C. is out of touch, only 18 percent of beltway insiders agree.”
So, what do you think dear listeners — “Are DC insiders out of touch with America?”
