Unlike this time two years ago, there will be no shirtless photos of President Obama frolicking in the Pacific waves on Hawaii’s beaches. At least not any distributed by your leading news organizations. “Photographers were kept at a safe distance,” from the First Family’s snorkeling jaunt at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve this week. “The White House gave the press pool traveling with the president strict instructions that there would be no long lenses or other sneaky attempts to take pictures of a shirtless leader of the free world.” [NYT]
christopher di spirito
Sorry but, Barry doesn’t get me hard.
Spike
And if John McCain had won the election and vacationed in Hawaii, I’m guessing the media would censor themselves from such pictures. There’s a visual, 74 year republican Daddy moobs!
As for Obama, I’d say pretty smoking hot for 49!
paulD
I hate that this country is still so Puritanical.
Kamikapse
lol @ americans calling their president “leader of the free world”
Dream on!
dvlaries
So when have they scheduled the cry-in in front of the White House over this tragic decision … 😐
Hodge Podge
Any country which got through the Patriot Act as quickly as it did can’t call itself the ‘Leader of the Free World’. (And I’m British, where we have the most CCTV cameras per person on the planet).
Still…
Come on, you would.
Kurt
Barack is a hottie
suprmanjoe
@Kamikapse: I’d love to see who you’d elect to take the place of the US as the leader of the free world … just for giggles.
Daez
@suprmanjoe: Oh come on, you all know they secretly hate the USA until they need us to come fight their battles for them, support the UN with only our troops and help to bail them out with our tax dollars.
OrchidIslander
Any: time, place, position Barrock….(even your name is hot!)
tjr101
Umm, that pic is so photoshopped.
jackieohboy
Oh diva just knows his body isn’t in the same shape it was a few years ago. He’s just like every dude on gay.com using a 5 year old picture for his profile. Being president is tough work, we’ve all seen those before and after office pictures of other presidents, now imagine the swimsuit comparisons!
ewe
Heeding strict instructions from the white house to not take photographs is against our great value for freedom of the press. And of course the media obey. They are pathetic drones there to push propaganda. By the way, Obama is evolving because that is what Eckhart Tolle is saying this new year is about. Some people are so predictable.
scribe
@ewe: Just like bush told the press not to photograph dead solders, tried to control the images from the war, and fought not to release the pics of all the naked men we tortured. HEy what happen to the video of the prisoner getting water boarded???? Yeah the current prez wanting private time with his family is the same thing…
ewe
@scribe: exactly.
ewe
@scribe: and go swim in a private watering hole or swimming pool at the tax paid rented villa. How dare the white house close off photographers from a public beach!!!
Jeffree
Any President –including the ones I’ve favored and the other ones! — has set limits on media coverage during vacation. I don’t think that’s unfair.
If pictures are to be taken, then that’s usually been with the official photog or invited press. Think of those old photos of JFK boating with Jackie at his side….
ewe
@Jeffree: How about keepin your damn shirt on if one is so paranoid about the effect of people seeing skin? This is such fluff and dangerous too. It describes our entire culture to a T.
ewe
If he is so sophisticated in an international sort of way i would expect a bikini.lol
Jeffree
Ewe: Hey, I’m 20+ years younger than him and look better with my shirt off! Lol, well for now.
But I wouldn’t want to get my pic taken on a bad hair day….
I do think the Pres. is entitled to some privacy on vacation. He doesn’t have a private ranch to vaca in like GWB did for his long long trips out of DC.
Michelle should be the 1 in the bikini, IMO.
D
@Kamikapse: Awww, Kamikapse doesn’t like that we’re the big badasses. Sorrrrrrrr-ry.
.
@ewe: You’re kind of a crank, aren’t you. Like, you never have a simple, pleasant post. You’re a perennial complainer, the perpetual contrarian, critic, and self-appointed expert, always looking down from your elevated perch. I find you tiresome and am thrilled not to know you.
justnow
ummmm i think the pic looks nice- and it may help with people getting fit. jeezus- so picky… He’s 40 not 20, it looks good enough
OrchidIslander
@justnow: Actually he is closer to 50 than 40. Even more impressive….
ait10101
Putin looks better.
ewe
@Jeffree: Privacy for a president is indoors then. Public beaches should not be censored in any way. Don’t go on the beach.
ewe
@.: good. glad to hear it. I value people who challenge authority. The first step to do that is to talk about it. You are incredibly naive and blessed to have this namby pamby attitude about the police state we live in. Ignore it all you want. OH and fuck you too.
Jeffree
@Ewe: I agree with you: if it’s a public beach, he’s fair game. I don’t know–was it a public beach or not?
If it’s a private/ rental, though, wouldn’t he have the right to privacy? Same as would a a celebrity who rented a shoreside villa for a wedding?
Ha, l forgot about airspace! Oops. [legal people,, e.g. B., where are you?
HNY, btw.
Maude
Looks like the body of a ‘trick’ I picked up in Guadalupe several years ago.
And I had to brush with vodka because the water was contaminated.