- MENU
- HOME
- SEARCH
- WORLD
- MAIN
- AFRICA
- ASIA
- BALKANS
- EUROPE
- LATIN AMERICA
- MIDDLE EAST
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Benelux
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Poland
- Russia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- USA
- BUSINESS
- WEALTH
- STOCKS
- TECH
- HEALTH
- LIFESTYLE
- ENTERTAINMENT
- SPORTS
- RSS
- iHaveNet.com: Politics
by Kenneth T. Walsh
Presidential trips say a lot about the commander in chief
Presidents reveal a lot about themselves through their vacation habits. And that's true for Barack Obama when he made his annual Christmas jaunt to Hawaii.
Every president needs to find his own way to relax and enjoy a respite from the crises and pressures of office. Some have sought solace at their own estates, as I recounted in my 2005 book, From Mount Vernon to Crawford: A History of the Presidents and Their Retreats. George Washington visited his plantation in Mount Vernon, Va., as often as he could. Thomas Jefferson escaped regularly to his estate at Monticello, Va. Both considered themselves gentlemen-farmers more than anything else, and it showed. They paid careful attention to their properties, down to the type of crops planted and the food provided to their slaves.
More recently, Franklin D. Roosevelt frequently returned to his mansion at Hyde Park, N.Y. He was an American aristocrat, and he relished how his servants and his mother responded to his every whim. FDR also visited a therapeutic center at Warm Springs, Ga., for treatment of polio, which had paralyzed his legs. His struggles to regain the use of his limbs during his "vacations" there spoke volumes about his character and perseverance.
John F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton revealed themselves as social animals of the first order. Their vacations, Kennedy at his estate in Hyannisport, Mass., Bush at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and Clinton at borrowed residences of rich friends on Martha's Vineyard, Mass., were social whirls. They relaxed by being surrounded by friends and family, and each seemed to draw energy from the people in their orbit.
Jimmy Carter preferred the small-town, middle-class life of Plains, Ga. While he was in office, he made a habit of going to church there, visiting Main Street merchants near his farm and mingling with other neighbors that he had known all his life. He still does this today. Returning to his hometown of Plains seemed to reinforce his commitment to his values of faith, family, and country.
Ronald Reagan spent a total of a year of his eight-year presidency at his ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif., trying to replicate the lifestyle of a Western landman from the 19th century. His links to Rancho del
And George W. Bush spent huge amounts of time at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Like Reagan, he found relaxation in outdoor activities and private family time. He spent many hours clearing trails and removing cedar, demonstrating the kind of rugged individualism he hoped to embody as a leader.
Obama seems more like his predecessor in his choice of getaway than his supporters might have expected. He likes to spend time with his family in seclusion and doesn't engage in endless socializing. Nor does he spend endless hours in meetings or receiving briefings while on his break, as did workaholics like Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson. Aides say he tries to keep some balance in his life.
For presidents who don't have their own estates, as with Obama, the furlough can get complicated. Abraham Lincoln, who wasn't wealthy, found solace at the Soldiers' Home, where he lived for a quarter of his presidency, commuting three miles to work at the
Obama showed some concern about appearances when his staff announced on December 10 that he wouldn't go to Hawaii until the
That's an important distinction that reveals much about Obama's self-image and his roots.
Read the latest political news.
Available at Amazon.com:
God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution
Jimmy Carter: The American Presidents Series: The 39th President, 1977-81
The Disappearing Center: Engaged Citizens, Polarization, and American Democracy
The Virtues of Mendacity: On Lying in Politics
Bush on the Home Front: Domestic Policy Triumphs and Setbacks
The Political Fix: Changing the Game of American Democracy, from the Grassroots to the White House
Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the Obama White House
Renegade: The Making of a President
Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election that Brought on the Civil War
AMERICAN POLITICS
WORLD | AFRICA | ASIA | EUROPE | LATIN AMERICA | MIDDLE EAST | UNITED STATES | ECONOMICS | EDUCATION | ENVIRONMENT | FOREIGN POLICY | POLITICS
Obama's Hawaii Vacation Is Revealing | Politics
© Tribune Media Services