Kevin Marshall's America
Obama, shown here sitting with one of the former stars of the hit NBC sitcom "The Facts of Life." If Obama actually took the time to sit down during his visit to the Capital Region, the heads of local reporters would simultaneously explode. (photo: Associated Press)
OBAMA IS COMING! OBAMA IS COMING!
In case you didn’t hear, OBAMA IS COMING!
HERE!
TO THE CAPITAL REGION!
SCHENECTADY! GE!
Today the President is coming to our area to visit the GE Plant in Schenectady (and possibly wave to a crowd of people and say something about business and how we need money to survive).
Naturally, my Twitter feed and bookmarked local news sites are inundated with minutiae about the visit, detailing the exact departure time of Air Force One, its expected arrival, State Troopers at highway exits, what color tie Obama is wearing, how many cars are on the road, what the barometric pressure reads, and how many strippers Peter Orszag has with him (note: Orszag, pimp that he is, always has bottle service and bumping rap music in the back of Air Force One).
Christ, talk about acting small-town.
Look, I get it. He’s the President. Previous Presidents didn’t visit our area too often while they were in office. However, does that mean we—I’m sorry, I’m getting an unconfirmed report that Obama may have gone to the bathroom in Air Force One. Speculation is that it was a bit of a tinkle but nothing serious.
Back to our coverage.
Why does the local media do this, and by “this” I mean treat every single step of a routine photo op as if it were the most important thing to happen to this area ever?
It’s not as if we’re small-town middle America. We’re the Capital of New York State and there’s real news happening here. Yet you’d think with the fake enthusiasm and inundation of useless, extrapolated information being reported ad nauseam that the only other thing that ever happens in this town are cows blocking the road and the occasional opening of a general store.
I know we’re not a major metropolitan area like New York City, but let’s show a little self-respect. The President coming is nice, but we don’t need you to tell us every. Ten. Seconds.
Let’s get back to the important stuff, like local politicians posting racist comments and readers asking stupid questions.
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25 Responses to Obama Visits Area, Local Media Ruins Pants
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STALK ME
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Why not have all the hoopla? Not only is he the President. He’s also the first black president. Besides, what other news is there to report? 8)
I have to say…I don’t see Air Force One fly over my house everyday so yeah….I’m a tad thrilled. And I live in a small town…lol
I disagree. This is history. Many of the people lucky enough to be in the crowd will be telling their grandkids about this. Upstate doesn’t get a lot of props, so for the president to show up twice in such a short time period, it’s pretty exciting.
I think that its only American that people were excited to see our President. If Obama doens’t deserve this kind of media attention then who does?
An active, sitting president visiting this area – actually, any area in the US – and people being excited about it is not “small-town”. Too much minutia about the visit? It is the Twitter/Facebook age, you know.
So, the burning question is: is it smalltown to devote hundreds of hours to restaurant receipt fraud? ;)
Our top story: Local blogger Kevin Marshall, not content with being a mere pornographer, now on Secret Service watch list….
Yesterday I heard two older guys on the GE campus tell me about the time Harry Truman drove in on a train and waved. That was in the early 50s and they still remember it! This is definitely something I’ll tell my grandkids about!
I got to see Air Force One land at the airport, then got stuck at a blockade and was able to watch the motorcade pass by. I don’t have a lot of exposure to celebrities so it was exciting for me. So exciting I had to call my mom and tell her about it :)
Wait ’til you see the coverage they give JWOW.
JWOWW’S COMING?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Seeing Air Force One fly over was the highlight of my day — but my day was mostly spent dealing with sewer water that backed up into the basement.
THANK YOU, Kevin!!!! I was beginning to think I was the only one who saw all this hoopla as going just a tad overboard. And to think, a lot of the people who were going gaga over this are the same folks who raise holy hell whenever anyone dares whip out the “Small-bany” moniker. Days like this are when we earn that tag.
You the man! And Tony B. and Rob M. are “the man” too.
Thank you Kevin for expressing in words my exact thoughts. It is downright pathetic that people swoon over a mere glimpse of another person. Not shocking, just pathetic. I say not shocking because this is the town that voted Olive Garden best Italian restaurant. If the trhill of your life is seeing a person, you need to do more with the life God gave you.
did i tell you about the time i met NELSON ROCKEFELLER? Twice?
Seriously, I’m sure Sheboygan, Wisconsin would react the same way.
I was invited to the Whitehouse to play with Amy Carter…by her Mom…
@Roger Green: But that’s Kevin’s point. Sheboygan is exactly the type of small town that would stop in its tracks for an Obama visit. (No offense intended to anyone from Sheboygan.) Schenectady by itself is bigger than Sheboygan; the Capital District as a whole dwarfs it.
There’s an expression that I hear often in sports, and perhaps it’s used elsewhere: “Act like you’ve been there before.” Just because we’re made up of a collection of small towns doesn’t mean we have to act like it. Frankly, that’s probably why progress is so slow to take hold here; everyone’s too caught up in their small-town attitudes to realize the bigger picture.
Maybe there were no high school basketball games or missing dogs to report on so Obama moved into the top spot.
Offense taken.
Uh oh, Sheboygan!
It’s on like neckbone, suckas.
Get real, get the facts, he’s the first part black part white pres…
Jakester, well if that’s the case, I’ve got just a wee bit o’ Irish in me blood. Pucker up. 8)
I never agreed with the “Small-bany” moniker until Angelina Jolie came to town!
Well this might be the best blog post you’ve written!!