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President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:42 pm
by ontellen
It was confirmed today that according to tradition, President Obama's first international visit will be to Canada on Thursday, Feb. 19th.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:51 pm
by a1mamacat
ontellen wrote:It was confirmed today that according to tradition, President Obama's first international visit will be to Canada on Thursday, Feb. 19th.
of course, that will depend on whether or not we still have a government at the time :roll:

Can't wait to hear the complaints about "the president's first official trip should have been to an American Country." :wink: (Appaly)

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:54 pm
by MarleysGh0st
a1mamacat wrote:Can't wait to hear the complaints about "the president's first official trip should have been to an American Country." :wink: (Appaly)
These little signals are vastly important.

Clearly. :twisted:

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:56 pm
by christie1111
a1mamacat wrote: Can't wait to hear the complaints about "the president's first official trip should have been to an American Country." :wink: (Appaly)
Sadly, I had exactly the same thought!

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:51 am
by wintergreen48
I guess this would count as an 'international' visit, since Canada is, technically, a country. At least, I think it is.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:30 am
by minimaitai26
wintergreen48 wrote:I guess this would count as an 'international' visit, since Canada is, technically, a country. At least, I think it is.
It's a state of mind.

I was thinking about all the idiots who were saying "If Bush is elected, I'll go to _____________ (insert country name here, but usually France or Canada)", but where would the equivalent be for the Obama Refugees? Besides Alaska.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:32 am
by MarleysGh0st
minimaitai26 wrote: I was thinking about all the idiots who were saying "If Bush is elected, I'll go to _____________ (insert country name here, but usually France or Canada)", but where would the equivalent be for the Obama Refugees? Besides Alaska.
So that's why Todd was part of the secession movement! :twisted:

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:37 am
by minimaitai26
MarleysGh0st wrote:
minimaitai26 wrote: I was thinking about all the idiots who were saying "If Bush is elected, I'll go to _____________ (insert country name here, but usually France or Canada)", but where would the equivalent be for the Obama Refugees? Besides Alaska.
So that's why Todd was part of the secession movement! :twisted:
I forgot about that. When did that occur? I'll laugh if it was during the Bush years. Or just scratch my head...

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:50 am
by MarleysGh0st
minimaitai26 wrote:
MarleysGh0st wrote:
minimaitai26 wrote: I was thinking about all the idiots who were saying "If Bush is elected, I'll go to _____________ (insert country name here, but usually France or Canada)", but where would the equivalent be for the Obama Refugees? Besides Alaska.
So that's why Todd was part of the secession movement! :twisted:
I forgot about that. When did that occur? I'll laugh if it was during the Bush years. Or just scratch my head...
Well, it was one of the disputed allegations during the recent campaign. I only brought it up for its joke value in this thread, not to revive an old election debate.

In any event, I don't think the Alaska Secessionists were really interested in independence; it was more of a battle over oil revenue.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:55 am
by minimaitai26
MarleysGh0st wrote:
minimaitai26 wrote:
MarleysGh0st wrote: So that's why Todd was part of the secession movement! :twisted:
I forgot about that. When did that occur? I'll laugh if it was during the Bush years. Or just scratch my head...
Well, it was one of the disputed allegations during the recent campaign. I only brought it up for its joke value in this thread, not to revive an old election debate.

In any event, I don't think the Alaska Secessionists were really interested in independence; it was more of a battle over oil revenue.
As expected. Follow the cash.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:01 am
by SportsFan68
minimaitai26 wrote:
wintergreen48 wrote:I guess this would count as an 'international' visit, since Canada is, technically, a country. At least, I think it is.
It's a state of mind.

I was thinking about all the idiots who were saying "If Bush is elected, I'll go to _____________ (insert country name here, but usually France or Canada)", but where would the equivalent be for the Obama Refugees? Besides Alaska.
I know three couples who made good on that promise. Now one of the wannabe Kiwis is almost certainly coming back. If she can't find a good job in New Zealand in the next four months, they'll have to come back to the States. Their best friends all told them not to sell their house, but they couldn't have afforded to make the trip and spend that much time there without doing so. I'd hate to be starting over in this economy, but they may have to.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:08 am
by Big-Haired Mini
SportsFan68 wrote:
minimaitai26 wrote:
wintergreen48 wrote:I guess this would count as an 'international' visit, since Canada is, technically, a country. At least, I think it is.
It's a state of mind.

I was thinking about all the idiots who were saying "If Bush is elected, I'll go to _____________ (insert country name here, but usually France or Canada)", but where would the equivalent be for the Obama Refugees? Besides Alaska.
I know three couples who made good on that promise. Now one of the wannabe Kiwis is almost certainly coming back. If she can't find a good job in New Zealand in the next four months, they'll have to come back to the States. Their best friends all told them not to sell their house, but they couldn't have afforded to make the trip and spend that much time there without doing so. I'd hate to be starting over in this economy, but they may have to.
Did running away solve anything? Besides getting to live somewhere neato.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:24 pm
by Flybrick
Ironic that Canada looks to be rejecting, or at least the pendulum has swung to the center-right, for now under PM Harper.

I wish the President well in his first international trip as the nation's Chief Executive.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:19 pm
by etaoin22
Flybrick wrote:Ironic that Canada looks to be rejecting, or at least the pendulum has swung to the center-right, for now under PM Harper.

I wish the President well in his first international trip as the nation's Chief Executive.

I am happy President Obama is following the advice I gave the next President back on the old bored in 2002. Perhaps he was lurking then. Distractors in the relationship between US and Canada have been solved most easily when there has been rapport at the highest level.

The current situation in Canada is far more volatile than previously and is no longer describable as a conventional right vs left confrontation. It is too complex to even begin to summarize here.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:49 pm
by Flybrick
etaoin22 wrote: The current situation in Canada is far more volatile than previously and is no longer describable as a conventional right vs left confrontation. It is too complex to even begin to summarize here.
Agreed. I just didn't want to either A) type that much or B) display the much that I don't know/understand in the current Canadian soap opera.

I do like Harper, however.

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:05 pm
by a1mamacat
Flybrick wrote:
etaoin22 wrote: The current situation in Canada is far more volatile than previously and is no longer describable as a conventional right vs left confrontation. It is too complex to even begin to summarize here.
Agreed. I just didn't want to either A) type that much or B) display the much that I don't know/understand in the current Canadian soap opera.

I do like Harper, however.

This does not comes as a shock :wink: (Appaly)

Re: President Obama's First Visit

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 5:41 pm
by SportsFan68
Big-Haired Mini wrote:
Did running away solve anything? Besides getting to live somewhere neato.
I wouldn't call it running away, and It didn't really "solve" anything for two of the couples. Their lives are pretty much the same as they were before, except I think they're happier living where they are; they say that being a "liberal" isn't met with scorn and derision in some quarters. It's OK with me if you want to call it running away, I hasten to add -- I can't refute it, and for all I know, that's what they would call it too.

The third couple is struggling financially, and I suspect they'll be back by summer. She called me to ask about a job which should be coming open due to a retirement. I wonder now if it will come open, or if they'll tighten their belts and combine two offices under one supervisor because of the economy. So for that couple, they sorta went backwards, except, as you put it, they got to live in New Zealand for a time.