Wow, way to post an article from January 2010.

Newsflash... it's now September 2012.  Obama has golfed 4 times more in less than one full term as president than Bush did in all 8 years in office.  While Bush "vacationed" at Camp David and his own personal ranch (usually with several members of his staff whom he met with on a regular basis), Obama has gone and hobnobed with the elite 1% at a multimillion dollar estate in Martha's Vineyard during a recession for the past 3 years, only skipping out this year because of the incredibly bad optics during an election year.

"Days off" for the president really is a meaningless statistic, because whenever the President takes a day off there is a van/communication set up like 20 feet away at most, and he's doing shit anyway.

The President isn't really ever off.

If anything, I encourage Presidents having vacations.... at least they're not signing bills or granting executive orders.

(that compared first years of those presidents. Yeah, that's right. Bush had 71 days in his first year.)

I'm not going to address the rest of the spin you just wrote, since saying "golfed 4 times more", while still way way under the number of days taken by Bush ( 81% under), is probably the most openly desperate accusation, and I just can't take it seriously enough.

while im not going to argue that bush didnt vacation very often. i will argue that your number is highly  misleading.

see the vast majority of Bush's "vacations" were to his ranch in Texas. he basically lived there. thats were he did a great deal of his presidential business. and it also cost tax payers a hell of a lot less than the super extravagant vacations Obama takes.

Like both Sam and Kasz said, the president is never really "on vacation", so that stat is completely meaningless and is only ever brought up by liberals to try to discredit Bush.  Reagan took a ton of "vacation days" too during his presidency, yet nobody ever brought it up, not even while he was in office.  But all of a sudden in 2001, the president retreating to Camp David or his own private residence became a crime.

The golf thing on the other hand is frequently brought up because during Bush's presidency he was lambasted by the left, particularly mockumentary filmmaker Michael Moore who prominently featured Bush's "now watch this drive" clip in his 2004 election propaganda piece Fahrenheit 9/11... despite Bush not having gofled once since the summer of 2003 after the media gave him shit for doing it while we were both in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fast forward to today and Obama goes and plays more golf than any president since Wilson, and does so during two wars and an economic recession, and the same people who bashed Bush for it now give him a pass, even defending him by saying that the president deserves a little downtime for having such a stressful job and having to deal with so many things at once.  Awwww, poor, poor Obama.

Except that with both yourself and killerx, you have yet to prove to me that Bush was doing anything productive.

All I see is "some" liberals saying Bush was bad for playing golf, and you guys (not all republicans) saying that "oh, total days is more media lies, and golf is the real villain". Hilariously, it is the only thing Obama has over Bush, so I guess it's reasonable for you to portray the golfing as the worst possible part of the days off, concurrently saying everything else is lies and spin.

Like, GOLF isn't a vacation. Golfing, as has been known for 30 years, is the new boardroom. It's the new business meeting. People work while they're golfing, and it helps grow bonds between people. This is understood in the business world.
Now, I'm not saying Obama did ANYTHING resembling work while golfing. What I AM saying, is that a few people in this thread can't be bothered to be reasonable enough to give benefit of the doubt.

Similarly, Bush spent nearly 500 days at his ranch. I don't doubt he was doing business deals there, meeting with execs and "top men".

My problem, is people like YOU and others, being complete hypocrites. Because me posting that Bush was out of the White House for nearly 1000 days doesn't work through your skull that you're being hypocritical, I felt I should make this post that both are likely still working when they're away from the office, so WHY POST THAT PICTURE? Complete hypocrisy, end of story.

http://politic365.com/2012/05/08/obamas-vacations-of-any-president-bush-racked-up-the-most/ 

All Presidents point out that work is being done on vacation.  FDR’s Presidential Library included the following note with their information on President Roosevelt’s vacations: “It should be noted that no sitting modern president, including President Roosevelt, can ever take “a vacation.” Simply being away from the White House does not constitute a vacation.  In President Roosevelt’s case, even while relaxing at Hyde Park, Warm Springs, or on a fishing cruise, he received mail, reviewed dispatches, signed and vetoed legislation, met with political and world leaders, and delivered press conferences and speeches.  During wartime, his periods of true relaxation were even fewer.”

And regarding golf, did the country get better of because GW Bush gave up golf?  Or is it just that you are offended with black man playing golf?  Of course, there are those trying to make Muslim the new black, so maybe a "secret Muslim" playing golf offends you...

To an outsider - I don't live in your country, but having ample access to Fox News, CNN etc - it seems the vitriol, rhetoric fuelled Republican machine is in full force like never before.

From their anti abortion (no exceptions) platform, to their opposition to government subsidised healthcare (I believe the US is the only developed Western "power" to lack some form of this) - it looks like a campaign fuelled with piss and vinegar, and lacking in compassion, or longterm worldview.

It's interesting to see some passionate debate among those of you who'll be voting this November.

While most of the worlds (developed Western Nations) moderate right wingers basically equate to your Democrats - or centre/moderate left - most developed Western Nations don't really have an equivalent to your far right wing Republican party - except on the fringes of public opinion.

So it's interesting to watch as an outsider/non US citizen.

Please carry on, and disregard any opinion (or assessment of public perception) that I may have presented as irrelevant. Because in the scheme of things - to someone not voting in your presidential elections - it is!