Jan 21st 2009 09:29 am Gratitude for you

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I feel sorry for anyone who becomes president, especially these days, but I really felt sorry for the Obamas yesterday when I heard that at the end of their long day, they were expected to show up at no less than ten official inaugural balls and perform a ceremonial dance. I think if I were president of the United States, I’d say, “No way, and you can’t make me.” But then, the guy is having to fight tooth and nail to keep his Blackberry. As I said, I feel sorry for anyone who becomes president.

Posted by jimmyjohnson / The Daily Grind

29 Responses to “Gratitude for you”

  1. Mulholland Kevin on 21 Jan 2009 at 9:42 am #

    Re the cartoon in today’s paper: I think my cats would put the vacuum cleaner in the highest threat level category — even over thunderstorms, earthquakes and nuclear explosions. If I so much as touch the handle of the vacuum cleaner they freak. You’d think I hunted them with it the way they react.

  2. Jim in SW Illannoy on 21 Jan 2009 at 9:46 am #

    I have to agree with you 100% about being president JJ. I don’t know why anyone would want that job. It did look like the Obama’s were having fun at one of the balls anyways, but after 10 I bet they were ready to just soak their feet in some hot water.

    The colors designated for the panels in today’s strip…are those Ludwig’s homeland security condition colors?

  3. Mindy_L on 21 Jan 2009 at 10:28 am #

    While it took me a second to “get” today’s strip–I read it before I was completely awake–I had to laugh and wonder what the “coloring elves” thought about the strip. However, I’d switch Janis and Arlo. My cat knows when I am yelling at her and when I’m yelling at something else, but she ALWAYS runs when she sees/hears/senses the vacuum.

  4. Big Ben on 21 Jan 2009 at 11:14 am #

    You have to question the intelligence of anyone who thinks it is a good idea to give a person, who spends millions to get a $400k/year job, the chance to manage our money. And this logic applys to all political offices.

  5. John in NY on 21 Jan 2009 at 11:15 am #

    Of course if you were the next President you would be, contrary to our President’s very well delivered and somewhat inspiring (from a non-Dem) speech, the 43rd American to be President. Not the 45th. A small error and an easy one to make, but he should have better fact checkers.

    There have in fact only been 42 other Americans sworn in to the office.

  6. Neil in Lower Bucks County on 21 Jan 2009 at 11:20 am #

    I have three cats and I would put a color below green. Like blue for when they have their heads in the food dish.

  7. scott on 21 Jan 2009 at 11:52 am #

    I wondered how the President and first Lady would manage to attend ten offical balls. Who the heck decides how many official balls there are, anyway? I suspect its the all powerful American Waltz lobby…don’t mess with those guys!

  8. Jim in SW Illannoy on 21 Jan 2009 at 12:22 pm #

    Big Ben, what do you think of the people who voluntarily give that money to be spent? It’s so easy to spend other peoples’ money, especially when you’re expected to use all of it.

  9. JT on 21 Jan 2009 at 12:29 pm #

    He can have my blackberry if they take his away. I’d be happy to give it to him, and would even personally walk it over to the White House to give it to him, though I’m sure my employer would not like that.

  10. Marita on 21 Jan 2009 at 1:01 pm #

    Incidentally, I heard that they insisted they were going to all 10 balls. It wasn’t a requirement, they wanted to get out and mingle with the people, and so on. Can’t say I’d want the job, can’t say that anyone who does necessarily registers as sane, but I’m glad the guy who got it seems to want to do a good job.

  11. Jim in SE Mississippi on 21 Jan 2009 at 1:37 pm #

    Expect the new President to stay up until the wee hours of the morning greeting his supporters, and then be at his desk at 7:00 AM for what is arguably the most important job in the work? Makes no sense to me.

  12. A historian... on 21 Jan 2009 at 2:28 pm #

    John in NY – while you’re correct that there have been only 42 prior Presidents, the count of Obama being the 44th President is correct. Grover Cleveland served 2 non-consecutive terms making him both the 22nd and 24th President.

  13. Anne on 21 Jan 2009 at 3:07 pm #

    Yesterday was the easy part for them. If they felt from the inaugural crowd what I felt from the crowd (and I was at the National Mall), that positive energy and good feeling probably kept them going for quite some time.

  14. Greg from Robertsdale on 21 Jan 2009 at 3:24 pm #

    Love Gene’s reaction!!! I’ve felt like that before. Yesterday I think it was. :o )

  15. Lost in A**2 on 21 Jan 2009 at 5:11 pm #

    OK, I’ll bite, John. JFK was the 35th President, Reagan was the 40th, and
    George W Bush was the 43d. That makes Obama the 44th President of
    the United States. All of the previous presidents, specifically including
    Washington, Adams and Jefferson, were Americans. I don’t know my presidents
    well enough to guess which was the first born after 1787, though.

  16. Jim in SE Mississippi on 21 Jan 2009 at 5:16 pm #

    “most important job in the world” that is

  17. Mary in Ohio on 21 Jan 2009 at 5:58 pm #

    At least one of my cats would put the flea medicine on her DEFCON alert. The vet says the smell bothers them, but she knows when the tube comes out of the package.

    We are still in the Deep Freeze up here, but even though we act surprised every winter, we have the coats and gkoves and hats stashed somewhere. How are you folks down south faring with the unwelcome chill.

    “We are nearer to Spring
    Than we were in September.”
    – Oliver Hereford

  18. Ted in Fort Lauderdale on 21 Jan 2009 at 6:23 pm #

    John in NY: from what I heard this morning, they were aware that the number should have been 42, not 43. However, they figured that more people would be confused by the 44th coming after 42 then by what they did. Since all the media immediately reported it as an error anyway, I’m not sure they made the right call. _I_ think is was awkward either way, and they would have been better off replacing the line altogether…

  19. Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 21 Jan 2009 at 9:34 pm #

    The last time I had a load of clothes go out of balance I had to buy a new washer, but then it was all blue jeans, and the whole inside went wonky. Normally it’s not that big a deal, contrary to Gene’s opinion.

    My cats don’t mind the vacuum, but I once had a dog who not only barked at it, but tried to bite the carpet attachment.

    Didn’t Mark Twain once say something about he wouldn’t vote for any man who actively sought the office of President? I know he said he wouldn’t be a member of any club that would have him. Or was that Groucho Marx?

  20. CG from MN on 21 Jan 2009 at 11:47 pm #

    My m-in-l had a cat that came running at the sound of the vacuum.
    She had to be vacuumed on every tread on the way down the stairs.

    @John in NY He is the 43 man to be President but the 44th President.
    Grover Cleveland had non consecutive terms.
    And George Washington was not the first President. Just first under the Constitution.
    The man that defined the office.

  21. Coralee on 22 Jan 2009 at 2:43 am #

    A little to esoteric for me today. Thank heavens for the internet and a helpful poster, or I would be still pondering colors and cats.

    Methinks 10 balls is 9 too many.

    Coralee in Tampa

  22. Joseph on 22 Jan 2009 at 4:51 am #

    IMHO the POTUS should be drafted and dragged, kicking and screaming, into office. Anyone who wants the job should be immediately disqualified as mentally unstable.

  23. maggie in SW LA on 22 Jan 2009 at 8:58 am #

    The alert colors were specific to Ludwig. I have 3 cats. One I have to vacuum around. The other 2 run. Most of them will stand out in a light rain & walk thru a pretty heavy rain. The manx will play in water. We make fun of them & tell them that they don’t have the sense to get out of the rain. Just more proof that cats have distinct personalities. (Dogs too, of course)

  24. Joyce from Indy on 22 Jan 2009 at 9:25 am #

    I used to have a Basset Hound that hated the vacuum and ran when I got it out. Then he lost his hearing and one of the great pleasures in his life was being vacuumed. The whole time, I would tell him he could have been enjoying it for years. And I too have cats that seem to like the rain although baths may be something altogether different. I’ve never tried the bathing thing with them. I learned my lesson years ago, (and have the scars to prove it) so unless the cat has been in something greasy or toxic, I let them take care of it. They are so much more efficient at it.

  25. Mitch4 on 22 Jan 2009 at 9:53 am #

    I go along with those saying the vacuum cleaner would be a higher alert level, for most cats I have known. But maybe Janis is just preparing it for use and it isn’t on and roaring yet (we don’t see any noise lines, eh?), so it just merits a warning state not a full panic.

  26. Jim in SW Illannoy on 22 Jan 2009 at 11:25 am #

    Joseph, those are my sentiments exactly. The desire for the job of POTUS should be an automatic disqualifier. It ages people long before their time except for Reagan and Clinton who surprisingly actually seemed to thrive in the office.

  27. John in NY on 22 Jan 2009 at 12:20 pm #

    A Historian: Yes one could argue there have been 44 presidents and I will not debate that (much). That is not what President Obama said though. He said, “Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.” That is incorrect however you slice it. 42 Americans have now taken the oath is the only correct response.

    The answer to the question in other posts that Grover Cleaveland was elected twice but not consecutively. Although I had not seen the error reported in the news as Ted in Ft. Lauderdale pointed out but I start hearing the adults from Peanuts after awhile with all those talking heads.

    I still question our presidential count. If you are going to count each president sworn in which is how most people arrive at 44 (counting Mr. Cleaveland twice) then why wouldn’t you count every two term president (or 4 term in FDRs case) for each time they’re sworn in? Technically they won the election. Again, more pressing matters at hand though.

    Like the cat we had when we were kids loved my sister. Trusted her totally. One day she told me the cat would do what she said. I laughed. So she said in a high pitched voice, but not screaming, “Run kitty kitty! Run!” And the cat took off like a bat out of heck. Funniest thing I’d ever seen. Of course that cat also used the toilet so he was pretty smart.

  28. Mark in Boston on 22 Jan 2009 at 2:08 pm #

    Maybe it would be simpler if we counted one for each term. Then George Washington was our first and second President and John Adams was our third.

    Oh, yes, Mark, that would be a lot simpler. — JJ

  29. Kimbis on 29 Jan 2009 at 10:28 am #

    I have 5 cats. One is a Katrina rescue. He looks at most storms and continues to wash his flank while the rest run for cover. The only time he took notice was when we had a storm that generated several tornados in the area. (And if Foster is any indication, you grow them BIG down south.)