Obama and Boehner Can Golf Together, Why Can"t They Work Together?
They called it the "Golf Summit.
" The image of Barack Obama and House speaker John Boehner peacefully golfing together was irresistible.
The two often-contentious political rivals put their differences aside to play a round together, against Vice President Biden and Ohio Governor John Kasich.
As they struck that small white ball down the fairways of the Andrews Air Force Base golf course, one wondered what had happened here.
Where normally they were on the attack, hurling political footballs like bombs, this contest not only brought them together, but they were distinctly polite.
Political leaders seem to be at each other's throats more than ever, lately, and the wars of ideology of Obama and Boehner was no exception.
Washington hits the wall with stalemates so often that it's a wonder anything ever gets done.
But here were the politicos putting aside all their differences to play a serious game of golf.
After the first hole, which they shot par, Obama even patted Boehner on the back.
You have only to look at the photos of the two of them together golfing together to ask yourself: What's happening here? Weren't these guys ready to push each other off a cliff, and hurl stink bombs, and now they're golfing buddies? What's up with this? The press, of course, decided that the nonpartisan feel of the golf course could signal a new era.
However, we don't know what happened after that first round, since that was the only one where the Press Corps was allowed to observe.
Presumably, this was to keep them from disturbing the Governing Golfers from making any critical mistakes, including the mistake of allowing them to see how policy is really made-or not made.
We resume following our contentious politicos at the 18th Hole, where the game was close and hotly contested.
Obama and Boehner, of course, as the ranking policy makers, won.
It's best if you let the big bosses have a victory, if only a narrow one.
And when they were through, they retired to the Clubhouse to hoist a cold one, and presumably discuss almost anything except current politics, since no gnashing of teeth was sighted.
So what does this all mean? Most likely, and regrettably, nothing.
But it does establish that human beings can come together and take their aggressions out on an innocent white ball, rather than each other.
A round of football, or, God forbid, soccer, might have the exact opposite effect.
It's possible that the Tea Party could be much more inclined toward hockey, where sending one's opponent to the hospital is met with cheers of glee by the fans.
However, golf is not a contact sport, not us-against-them, but rather people trying to master hostile terrain.
We could wish that everyone could look at political issues like that.
Rather than playing as if the team pennant was at stake, and the last man standing is the one who will win, maybe everyone needs to regard America as just one more golf course to face, won not by 18 holes but by 50 states.
" The image of Barack Obama and House speaker John Boehner peacefully golfing together was irresistible.
The two often-contentious political rivals put their differences aside to play a round together, against Vice President Biden and Ohio Governor John Kasich.
As they struck that small white ball down the fairways of the Andrews Air Force Base golf course, one wondered what had happened here.
Where normally they were on the attack, hurling political footballs like bombs, this contest not only brought them together, but they were distinctly polite.
Political leaders seem to be at each other's throats more than ever, lately, and the wars of ideology of Obama and Boehner was no exception.
Washington hits the wall with stalemates so often that it's a wonder anything ever gets done.
But here were the politicos putting aside all their differences to play a serious game of golf.
After the first hole, which they shot par, Obama even patted Boehner on the back.
You have only to look at the photos of the two of them together golfing together to ask yourself: What's happening here? Weren't these guys ready to push each other off a cliff, and hurl stink bombs, and now they're golfing buddies? What's up with this? The press, of course, decided that the nonpartisan feel of the golf course could signal a new era.
However, we don't know what happened after that first round, since that was the only one where the Press Corps was allowed to observe.
Presumably, this was to keep them from disturbing the Governing Golfers from making any critical mistakes, including the mistake of allowing them to see how policy is really made-or not made.
We resume following our contentious politicos at the 18th Hole, where the game was close and hotly contested.
Obama and Boehner, of course, as the ranking policy makers, won.
It's best if you let the big bosses have a victory, if only a narrow one.
And when they were through, they retired to the Clubhouse to hoist a cold one, and presumably discuss almost anything except current politics, since no gnashing of teeth was sighted.
So what does this all mean? Most likely, and regrettably, nothing.
But it does establish that human beings can come together and take their aggressions out on an innocent white ball, rather than each other.
A round of football, or, God forbid, soccer, might have the exact opposite effect.
It's possible that the Tea Party could be much more inclined toward hockey, where sending one's opponent to the hospital is met with cheers of glee by the fans.
However, golf is not a contact sport, not us-against-them, but rather people trying to master hostile terrain.
We could wish that everyone could look at political issues like that.
Rather than playing as if the team pennant was at stake, and the last man standing is the one who will win, maybe everyone needs to regard America as just one more golf course to face, won not by 18 holes but by 50 states.
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