Obama to avoid the rabble on S.F visit

[Neecy]

The White House's fear of protests from Code Pink and other left-wingers has put the brakes on President Obama making any public appearances during his visit to San Francisco this week.

Obama is scheduled to parachute into Liberalville on Thursday afternoon and pick up a cool $2 million for the Democratic Party at a fundraiser at the St. Francis Hotel - then spend the night, before checking out early the next morning and heading to Houston for a community service forum hosted by former President George H.W. Bush.

The St. Francis event is about all the public will see of him here. Concerns about big and loud protests over the war in Afghanistan, the prohibition on open gays and lesbians in the military and other issues have squelched any thought of a trip to a local school or high-tech manufacturing plant that often accompanies such visits, said a source involved in the planning.

"You're always sensitive about having your San Francisco moment here," said former White House spinmeister Chris Lehane.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/14/BA0B1A52OU.DTL#ixzz0TvDNElRk

[Captain Hilts]

1. Are they going to establish 'free speech' zones?

[Neecy]

4. Not even that

Democratic politicians have always used San Francisco as an ATM with little to no contact with the people who actually live there (and vote for them).

[dana_b]

28. ha! good description

of our area. An ATM machine. that's how it feels because we always here about presidents, candidates, etc. going down to Silican Valley or to some hotel in S.F. but not out to see the "real" people. Although Michele did so when she was here on the campaign trail and evidently Clinton did (as someone down thread pointed out).

[Neecy]

34. yep

I lived in upper Noe and had a terrific view of the Bay. I once got to watch Bill Clinton chopper from some event in the City to Silicon Valley. Pretty cool, it was a big procession of military choppers.

That's as close as most residents got to a national Democrat.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Profiles in Courage indeed

[vadawg]

3. hey the dude is parachuting in, now thats brave..

oh not that kind of parachuting, i was gonna give him kudos there.....

[Generator]

35. I hope that parachute has rainbow colors at least

[JDPriestly]

5. For shame! Obama. Face the people who elected you, please, Mr. President.

As my mother used to say, if you can't admit what you have done, you probably should not have done it.

[Myrina]

6. ... what a difference a year makes ...

:(

[Mari333]

7. bwak bwak bwak

chickens.

[blindpig]

8. Seems like we've seen this sort of behavior in the recent past.

Just sayin'.

[Gormy Cuss]

9. So the president's having his own DADT moment with the residents of the SF area. n/t

[Ignis]

14. Ouch. Well played.

:patriot:

[Gormy Cuss]

15. I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. A Democratic president afraid of protests in San Francisco?

Here is a chance to engage people on hard issues and the decision was to avoid it? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[Ignis]

17. Sadly, he's using the DiFi playbook here.

I had hoped for something better, and more direct engagement of the protesters. But why do anything different when the donations keep coming in from SF?

[Mari333]

10. k

[debbierlus]

11. Hmmmm....how very George W Bush of him....

[NavyDavy]

12. good for you President Obama....some of left wing groups are as

bad as the right wing groups, in that they just want to disrupt appearances by the President, they have the right to their opinions but there are people who actually go to these engagements to hear the Presidents message and not shouting from inconsiderate a**es from both sides of the aisle.....just my opinion.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

13. I remember when Clinton and Gore came to Los Gatos

Interior lights on in the Limo so we could see them. After they dined at the California Cafe, Bill broke away from the SS and walked down the street and spoke to us until the SS finally freaked and hauled him away. I'll never forget that day and I guess I'll never see anything like it again.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

18. I don't think Code Pink has a large presence in Los Gatos. n/t

[CreekDog]

16. Most San Franciscans like Obama a lot

Code Pinkers could cause a photo-op, but it would by no means be representative of the average SF-er.

Although given the escalation in Afghanistan, that might not be the case for too much longer. :dilemma:

[Gormy Cuss]

42. The real question is whether a Code Pink photo op would be damaging.

I don't think so. Obama has ably handled protesters and hecklers off the cuff in the past -- why not chance it here?

[CreekDog]

43. I agree

If anything it helps him look good to middle-of-the-roaders.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

19. lovely

[spanone]

20. yea, and he's only going to new orleans for four hours....crybabies everywhere

[Gormy Cuss]

39. Is he holing up in a hotel in NOLA?

Didn't think so.

[spanone]

40. holing up? maybe he should stay in a tent in the park

[Gormy Cuss]

41. At least that way he'd meet average people. n/t

[Duncan Grant]

21. I guess Gavin Newsom will have to wait a little bit longer for that photograph. (nt)

[Nikki Stone1]

22. If he had ended DADT, Obama would be having a FINE San Francisco "moment"

...

[Neecy]

23. It would be like Lincoln in Richmond

Well, sort of. Close. But he'd get an overwhelmingly friendly reception from the gay community.

[Nikki Stone1]

26. Now, now....

;)

[Neecy]

31. It's a famous lithograph

And this would have been close to the reception he would have had in SF had he actually done anything...

[bridgit]

24. Nice pile of bricks the St Francis Hotel

[Neecy]

25. yes, it's lovely

[Starry Messenger]

27. What the heck is a "San Francisco" moment?

We never get any love. :(

[Forkboy]

29. It's when your hockey team loses in the playoffs.

It's an annual thing.

:hide:

:hi:

[Starry Messenger]

30. We have a hockey team?

:D Who knew?

:hi:

[Forkboy]

33. LOL

:)

[lunatica]

32. San Francisco is helltown!

They fear us everywhere!

Well, I'm in Oakland and Berkeley, but to an outsider I'm a scary San Franciscan.

[Neecy]

36. yes, it surely is

And notice that while he won't rub elbows with the scary liberals in SF, he's going to participate in a "public forum" in Houston w/Poppy.

San Francisco is scarier than Texas - who would have guessed?

[PVnRT]

37. Pony, interest group, quit whining, unrec, these things take time

Hope that covered all the usual bases.

[lunatica]

38. It's those violent Pink Code ladies!

They scare everyone away!