[net.politics] reagan's weekends

bhuva@ncsu.UUCP (Bharat Bhuva) (08/20/85)

does anyone out there have an account of how many weekends reagan
spent away from the office during the last year? An approximate
answer would be nice. I am having an argument about him spending
more than half of the weekends either in camp david or in calif.
Please, send me mail as I don't read this news group regularly.
Thanks in advance.


-- 

Bharat Bhuva  (decvax!mcnc!ncsu!bhuva)

tw8023@pyuxii.UUCP (T Wheeler) (08/22/85)

What difference does it make where any President spends his
weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.  Wherever the 
President goes, he is in contact with the White House and
Congress and the DOD.  Notice, if you will, that there is
a uniformed gentleman walking alongside the President and
he is carrying a small valise.  That valise is a complete
communications package.  There are backups also, but I ain't
gonna tell you where they are located.

As far as weekends away, what do you do on your weekends?
Do you stay in your office?  If you had the opportunity,
would you take a trip?  I'm not trying to put you down,
but folks get upset about President's trips when they
really shouldn't.  Besides, it's hard to hit a moving target.
T. C. Wheeler

riddle@im4u.UUCP (08/25/85)

>> What difference does it make where any President spends his
>> weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.

In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.

--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
--- {ihnp4,harvard,seismo,gatech}!ut-sally!riddle   riddle@ut-sally.UUCP
--- riddle@ut-sally.ARPA, riddle%zotz@ut-sally, riddle%im4u@ut-sally

lkk@teddy.UUCP (08/28/85)

In article <471@im4u.UUCP> riddle@im4u.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) writes:
>>> What difference does it make where any President spends his
>>> weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.
>
>In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
>spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
>part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
>watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
>presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.
>
>--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
>--- {ihnp4,harvard,seismo,gatech}!ut-sally!riddle   riddle@ut-sally.UUCP
>--- riddle@ut-sally.ARPA, riddle%zotz@ut-sally, riddle%im4u@ut-sally


Well, one thing Reagan doesn't seem to do on his weekends is to
keep abreast of current events.

On an Atlanta radio station this week, Reagan stated that
the government of South Africa was "reformist", and that
it had totally eliminated segregation in public places.

A few hours later, his "advisors" (handlers), "clarified" (refuted)
his statements, admitting that the only reforms in S.A. have been
cosmetic, and that the statement about eliminating segregation
was simply false.

Of course Reagan doesn't have to check his facts, because he's the
President, and when he says something, millions of people accross the
country will beleive it, whether its true or not.


-- 

Sport Death,
Larry Kolodney
(USENET) ...decvax!genrad!teddy!lkk
(INTERNET) lkk@mit-mc.arpa

linda@amdcad.UUCP (Linda Seltzer) (09/09/85)

In article <471@im4u.UUCP>, riddle@im4u.UUCP writes:
> >> What difference does it make where any President spends his
> >> weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.
> 
> In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
> spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
> part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
> watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
> presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.
> 

Is this different from many CEO's?  Most of them spend a lot of time
outside the sompany, doing PR and going to high-society events, and
the vice presidents and senior executives run the company on the inside.
Reagan does the PR (and he does it effectively).  How many of you
work for companies in which the CEO does the analysis for policy
decisions?

todd@scirtp.UUCP (Todd Jones) (09/10/85)

> > In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
> > spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
> > part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
> > watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
> > presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.
> > 
> 
> Is this different from many CEO's?  Most of them spend a lot of time
> outside the sompany, doing PR and going to high-society events, and
> the vice presidents and senior executives run the company on the inside.
> Reagan does the PR (and he does it effectively).  How many of you
> work for companies in which the CEO does the analysis for policy
> decisions?

I never thought I would come to the defense of corporate fat cats.
The truth is these guys really are workaholics (who wouldn't be for
800K+ a year!) who don't watch soap operas, take long naps or require
decisions to be presented to them in a format resembling a third grade
science quiz. Sure they get to tool around in Lear jets, be chaufered
around town, see and be seen by all those important, but for what it's
worth they put a lot more effort into what they do than Ronnie does.

I'm not complaining. The less Ronnie accomplishes, the better off
this country and the world are.

-todd jones

chu@lasspvax.UUCP (Clare Chu) (09/10/85)

In article <471@im4u.UUCP> riddle@im4u.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) writes:
>>> What difference does it make where any President spends his
>>> weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.
>
>In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
>spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
>part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
>watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
>presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.
>
>--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
>--- {ihnp4,harvard,seismo,gatech}!ut-sally!riddle   riddle@ut-sally.UUCP
>--- riddle@ut-sally.ARPA, riddle%zotz@ut-sally, riddle%im4u@ut-sally


  What's wrong with watching soap operas, taking naps and multiple choice
questions?  I think it's nice that Reagan doesn't let the job "get to
him" and that he's laid back and relaxed on his weekend.  Just because
he's president doesn't mean he's a slave!  Besides if you had a ranch
in Santa Barbara you'd prefer to spend time there over hot humid DC too!
I think Reagan's too cool...a "healthy" tan, no bags under his eyes, etc.
(Do I have to include a smiley face for all this?  hee, hee, hee...)

                                        from a Californian who understands,

                                                      Clare

kurtzman@uscvax.UUCP (Stephen Kurtzman) (09/13/85)

> > >> What difference does it make where any President spends his
> > >> weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.
> > 
> > In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
> > spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
> > part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
> > watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
> > presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.
> > 
> 
> Is this different from many CEO's?  Most of them spend a lot of time
> outside the sompany, doing PR and going to high-society events, and
> the vice presidents and senior executives run the company on the inside.
> Reagan does the PR (and he does it effectively).  How many of you
> work for companies in which the CEO does the analysis for policy
> decisions?

Yes it is different. I think you will find that CEOs spend a great
deal of their time on company business. The work may look different (eg
more glamorous, less tedious) but I think you will find most CEOs are on
top of the major issues in their company's. You will also find the CEOs
reading the analyses prepared for them. The CEO can trust an underling to
make a decision, but the CEO is responsible for its adoption. Reagan, on
the other hand, does not take responsibility for his actions. The closest
he has come to it is to say something of the sort "one of my aids did it
so I take responsibility". What that amounts to is a nice way to pay lip
service to the Truman notion of "the buck stops here" while passing the
buck along.

The analogy of Reagan's presidency to the position of a CEO of a major
corporation is weak. Reagan acts more as a figurehead, not unlike the
queen of England or Ronald McDonald.

ray@rochester.UUCP (Ray Frank) (09/17/85)

> > > >> What difference does it make where any President spends his
> > > >> weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.
> > > 
Amen.
> > > In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
> > > spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
> > > part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
> > > watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
> > > presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.
> > > 
A. Did you read this?
B. Do you know this to be true?
C. Do you believe everything you read?
D. None of the above?

How much of your time at work is actually spent on WORK?
From what I've read about the president's schedule, most men half his
age would be hard pressed to find the mental or physical energy required to
endure it.

> > Is this different from many CEO's?  Most of them spend a lot of time
> > outside the sompany, doing PR and going to high-society events, and
> > the vice presidents and senior executives run the company on the inside.
> > Reagan does the PR (and he does it effectively).  How many of you
> > work for companies in which the CEO does the analysis for policy
> > decisions?
> 
> Yes it is different. I think you will find that CEOs spend a great
> deal of their time on company business. The work may look different (eg
> more glamorous, less tedious) but I think you will find most CEOs are on
> top of the major issues in their company's. You will also find the CEOs
> reading the analyses prepared for them. The CEO can trust an underling to
> make a decision, but the CEO is responsible for its adoption. Reagan, on
> the other hand, does not take responsibility for his actions. The closest
> he has come to it is to say something of the sort "one of my aids did it
> so I take responsibility". What that amounts to is a nice way to pay lip
> service to the Truman notion of "the buck stops here" while passing the
> buck along.
> 
Um, is that why CEOs love the Concord?  They can breakfast in New York, and
have supper in London, that is unless they're having a round of golf that
day.  Have a perfectly marvlous day, dalling.  See you on the courts at
5-ish.     

kurtzman@uscvax.UUCP (Stephen Kurtzman) (09/24/85)

> > > > >> What difference does it make where any President spends his
> > > > >> weekends?  Or how many, for that matter.
> > > > In the case of Reagan, it may not make any difference at all where or how he
> > > > spends his weekends -- fact is, even when he's in Washington he's only a
> > > > part-time President.  He's the only President in modern U.S. history who
> > > > watches soap operas, takes long afternoon naps and has important decisions
> > > > presented to him by his staff as multiple-choice problems.
> > > > 
> > > Is this different from many CEO's?  Most of them spend a lot of time
> > > outside the sompany, doing PR and going to high-society events, and
> > > the vice presidents and senior executives run the company on the inside.
> > > Reagan does the PR (and he does it effectively).  How many of you
> > > work for companies in which the CEO does the analysis for policy
> > > decisions?
> > 
> > Yes it is different. I think you will find that CEOs spend a great
> > deal of their time on company business. The work may look different (eg
> > more glamorous, less tedious) but I think you will find most CEOs are on
> > top of the major issues in their company's. You will also find the CEOs
> > reading the analyses prepared for them. The CEO can trust an underling to
> > make a decision, but the CEO is responsible for its adoption. Reagan, on
> > the other hand, does not take responsibility for his actions. The closest
> > he has come to it is to say something of the sort "one of my aids did it
> > so I take responsibility". What that amounts to is a nice way to pay lip
> > service to the Truman notion of "the buck stops here" while passing the
> > buck along.
> > 
> Um, is that why CEOs love the Concord?  They can breakfast in New York, and
> have supper in London, that is unless they're having a round of golf that
> day.  Have a perfectly marvlous day, dalling.  See you on the courts at
> 5-ish.     

What you seem to be describing is the idle rich, not a CEO.