Give President Obama credit — he may finally be catching on that perceptions matter.
Despite sectarian war breaking out in the Middle East, the commander in chief was eager to hit the links in sunny Florida. So to provide some cover, the White House called for a “news lid” Saturday, requesting that the press pool return to the hotel, according to the Washington Examiner.
Why risk a damaging photo of Obama teeing off while bombs fall in Yemen, right?
The president flew to Palm City, Fla., for a weekend of golf, so shutting down the press may have been a good move with global unrest approaching a boiling point — Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Middle Eastern forces launching air strikes against Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.
“The White House has called a lid,” Wall Street Journal pool reporter Byron Tau wrote. “Pool does not anticipate news or POTUS sightings until tomorrow’s departure of Air Force One.”
When the normally docile White House press corps refused to be sent to their rooms, they were confined to a golf shed instead.
“Pool is holding in a maintenance shed,” Tau reported, noting that pool reporters voted to remain close to the president.
The reaction on social media left one to wonder if the remedy might have been worse than the disease.
Here is a sampling from Twitter:
Pres Obama has arrived at the Floridian National Golf Club for weekend stay. No press coverage on club grounds.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 28, 2015
Reporters refuse Obama’s dismissal from golf course, are sent to the ‘shed’ http://t.co/COG9u2oRNz
— WhiteHousePressCorps (@whpresscorps) March 28, 2015
Here’s the maintenance shed where we’re holding as Obama golfs today down in Florida pic.twitter.com/eSwtiMll5w
— Justin Sink (@justinsink) March 28, 2015
Wow! Obama Sends Lapdog Media to Maintenance Shed as He Golfs http://t.co/fMr5vxzTwG
— Tabitha Bliss (@BlissTabitha) March 29, 2015
@whpresscorps The WH Press Corpse has been in Obama’s shed since 2008. What’s new?
— Republicanvet (@Republicanvet91) March 29, 2015
@markknoller because another round of golf for Obama is not news, what else would they report- that water is wet?
— Timothy O’Donnell (@TimothyODonnel2) March 28, 2015
Middle East in great shape. Iran catastrophe imminent. He’s earned it! @markknoller https://t.co/Z20LUOkQRz
— The 57th State ℅EF™ (@EF517_V2) March 28, 2015
Obama’s Florida golf press pool sent to the ‘shed’ LOL. Can’t see “hand wedge.” http://t.co/i3AfLtnMBl
— Bob Gaskin (@BobG231) March 28, 2015
Obama’s Florida golf press pool sent to the ‘shed’ http://t.co/b9tTqJk2hm pic.twitter.com/uqJ1A5dhRb
— RantReaper (@RantReaper) March 28, 2015
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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