President Obama Complains About a Snow Day

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts) Jan 29th 2009 5:00PM

The Chicago-grown Obama family have only lived in Washington, D.C. for a few weeks, but already they're noticing a few differences. Sidwell Friends, Malia and Sasha's school, was closed today for a snow day.

Sasha and Malia Obama

Malia and Sasha's Excellent Adventure
Malia, 10 (right) and Natasha "Sasha," 7, wave to the crowd at the 2008 election night rally in Chicago. Politics are child's play to these sweethearts, and we can't wait to see them come into their own.

Jae C. Hong, AP

Sasha and Malia, kissing her mother Michelle, get ready for the first day of school in Washington, DC, as President-elect looks on. The Obama family are staying at the Hay Adams Hotel prior to their move into the White House.

Callie Shell, HO / Change.gov

US President-elect Barack Obama orders shave ice treats with his daughter Malia and Sasha during an afternoon outing in December 2008 in Hawai'i Kai, HI.

Tim Sloan, AFP / Getty Images

The girls kept it casual on their Hawaiian vacation, enjoying days at the beach with friends and shaved ice treats and a dolphin show with their dad.

Bauer-Griffin / Getty Images

Malia gives Barack Obama a big hug -- followed by one from Sasha -- at the Honolulu Zoo on December 30, 2008.

Tim Sloan, AFP / Getty Images

Sasha (left) and Malia Obama stayed in Chicago for Thanksgiving 2008, squeezing in some volunteer work with their dad at a food bank at St. Columbanus Parish and School. The President-elect said he wants the girls "to learn the importance of how fortunate they are, and to make sure they're giving back."

Jim Watson, AFP / Getty Images

Sasha and Malia walk to school in Chicago after their father dropped them off in November 2008. Sasha takes gymnastics and tap classes while it's soccer, dance, drama and (by the looks of the case) flute for Malia.

Charles Dharapak, AP

The Obama family wave during a rally at the Ohio State House in Columbus, OH, two days prior to Barack's historic election to the White House.

Getty Images

The Obama clan leave a restaurant in Chicago in August 2008. We know where the President-elect stands on taxes and bailouts, but about comfort food vs cuisine?

Emmanuel Dunand, AFP / Getty Images

Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, take the stage during a May 2008 rally near the Iowa state capitol building in Des Moines.

Getty Images

It may just have been their first. According to Chicago Public Schools spokesman Mike Vaughn, Chicago schools haven't shut down for weather since 1999. "We're a tough, hard-working city," he said.

Barack Obama's mother was tough, too. She used to wake him up at 4 A.M. to do school work, which is probably why while the Obama girls were relishing their free day off, President Obama was complaining.
"My children's school was canceled today, because of what?" Obama said jokingly, "Some ice?" Later, at the Pentagon, he was overheard saying, "Aren't you a little surprised that they canceled school for my kids?"

One of the things that draws people to President Obama is how completely and totally normal he and his family are. I mean, what parent do you know hasn't complained about a snow day before? Obama's grumblings probably won't change school policy -- because safety is usually the reason behind school closings, after all -- but as one school spokesman put it, "I never recall one (opinion) going as high as the president of the United States."

What about you? Do you complain about snow days too, or do you look forward to a day of sleeping in and snow play?

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Comments (18)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

OneHoo Knows 1-29-2009 @ 7:40PM

What a fun dad.. huh? What kid doesn't love to wake up and find out that their school has closed due to snow? Those are the best days ever! Granted school is important, and I know the Obama family takes the girls' school and studies seriously.. but come on..one day off?? Lighten up Dad! Be happy for the girls and let them enjoy the snow and the luxury of a snow day.

Uly 1-29-2009 @ 7:49PM

Except that what DC considers sufficient snow for a snow day isn't what more northern cities - like Chicago - consider sufficient snow. An inch of snow? Pshaw!

Heather 1-29-2009 @ 9:35PM

I agree what one city needs for a snow day is laughable elsewhere. I think we have had 3 snowday in the last 10 yrs. 2 were last year ( with almost record breaking snowfalls) and 1 this year. 2.5 cm is nowhere near enough for a snowday here, they didn't even cancel it when we had 20 cm in 12 hrs.

Carrie W. 1-29-2009 @ 8:40PM

Its unbeleivable to us strong Northeners and Mid-West folks to see a whole town/city close down for a little snow or ice. We all think your a bunch of pansies! maybe now we can get proper people to clear the roads here and take lessons from the north. Geesh.....we used to walk to school in snowstorms....6 foot snow drifts. I'm taking 1980's not 1900's bunch of babies!

Trisha 1-29-2009 @ 9:03PM

I have to agree....I remember school closing once or twice my whole youth. And that was for FEET of snow. Not an inch or so. But, I did grow up in N. Utah.
This town needs to get more/better equipment to clear the snow (it snows every year here) and people need to learn how to drive in the snow.

newellpersonna 1-29-2009 @ 9:31PM

LOL......I grew up in MS.

for a small enough amount of snow that it melts before the next day, the ENTIRE town will shut down: school, grocery store, post office, EVERYTHING.

And you'd better hope to get to the grocery store before they sell out of canned foods, pasta, and bread. SERIOUSLY.

I visited Chicago a couple of years ago in December, and I LIKED it up north!

Evie 1-30-2009 @ 4:26AM

I remember a number of years back that a major snowstorm was forecast for the entire Baltimore metropolitan area. All the school systems closed in anticipation of the storm. However, not a single snowflake fell in the area as the storm turned direction and went elsewhere.

Amy 1-30-2009 @ 1:25PM

What President Obama and most northerners don't understand is that "a little ice" in a metro area that isn't used it is a giant mess.

I grew up in Iowa where a normal winter means snow. I now live in Dallas where winter weather generally hovers right around freezing and means we rarely get snow, instead its freezing rain, sleet or as it was earlier this week, freezing fog (WTF).

Take the zillions of people on the roads during rush hour and a few of those are bound to be idiots that don't understand basic bad weather driving (slow down, give yourself extra space, don't stomp on the brakes the minute your wheels touch ice). It only takes one moron to cause an accident that shuts down the freeway for hours.

So after years of rolling my eyes at the wussy southerns, I now get it. It's not worth the crunched fender/hassle of getting it repaired or the hours wasted just to inch past accident after accident.

No one dies if I don't make it to the office (not a doctor, firefighter, etc) and get to stay in pajamas a couple days a year.

Nancy 1-30-2009 @ 3:11PM

I grew up in Michigan, now live in Maryland, yes when I first moved here, I laughed because they will close the schools if they hear there is going to be one inch of snow. Once in Michigan, there was a total of 10 inces on the snow at 7 am, sent kids to school, by 10 they were sent home. By then a total of 28 inches had fallen, so yes, it is odd to me the way they do things here, but it does not anger me. I would rather them close down the schools and keep our kids safe, people here panic and many of them do not know how to drive it. I learned to lighten up on the *panicers* because they really are scared. Besides...I look at this way...I am used to driving in it, most stay home that day, thats the day I decide to go SHOPPING, lol.

maria 1-30-2009 @ 2:53PM

Like Amy - I grew up in Iowa - know snow - now live in DC suburbs - my kids did not have school one day this week. We get a couple of storms a year, people here don't know how to drive in it, we don't have the infrastructure, etc., etc. last year some icy drizzle at rush hour messed things up so badly that it took hours for people to get home -

I'll tell you what Mr. Pres - we'll be tougher if you promise not to have any motorcades close our streets during rush hour - deal?

maccrew6 1-31-2009 @ 4:06PM

Why does Obama insist on poking jabs and alienating so many? Actually saying that maybe people in DC can't handle things and that they should get some Chicago toughness doesn't seem like a way to make friends and influence people.

jen 2-01-2009 @ 4:06PM

Ummm...I think it was spoken in a joking manner. The comment was made in a closed room, to a handful of people. I think Prez Obama is still getting used to people blowing his every remark way out of context.

aronsha 2-01-2009 @ 9:38AM

I live in rural northern New England and believe me, we get a lot of snow. We do close schools, although not for a mere inch or two but when it is forecast 12 - 14 inches or more and it is predicted to snow all day, you bet schools are closed. And they should be. But nothing else closes. Certainly not my work place!

JEAN 2-01-2009 @ 6:25PM

WEhave so many people here from diffrent places .some have never seen snow much less ice. You want them driving near you? Ice is way worse then snow. His kids do not stand or walk to school are on a bus stop waiting for a school bus with people sliding all over the place. I will take safty over risk anytime.

Tony McD 2-01-2009 @ 11:57AM

I grew up in the DC area. Those people can't drive in warm weather so you really don't want to be around them when it snows. Now I live in South Carolina where they close schools if it is foggy in the morning. I can't imagine what they would do if it ever snowed.

sis 2-01-2009 @ 1:56PM

The President should not be commenting on the DC school snow day when he keeps the thermostat in the White House in the 70's stating that he is use to Hawaii weather. What temperature did he keep it in Chicago anyways? Also in the 70's? If you are going to talk the talk telling the US to lower the temperature, walk the walk as well. This country does not need another fork tongued politician like Al Gore and the rest on Capital Hill.

Milly 2-03-2009 @ 7:45PM

This really ticked me off. I love snow days, most likely because I'm a student. But like said in the article it's for the children's safety. Obama's a real dumba**.

Andrew Wang 3-30-2009 @ 8:54PM

Speaking of Barack Obama:

LONG LIVE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!

Barack Obama is a racial-minority individual and does not like racism:

(I) I do solemnly swear by Almighty God that George W. Bush committed hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism which I am not at liberty to mention. Many people know what Bush did. And many people will know what Bush did—even until the end of the world. Bush was absolute evil. Bush is now like a fugitive from justice. Bush is a psychological prisoner. Bush often worries. In any case, Bush will go down in history in infamy.

(II) It is opined that Bill Clinton committed terrifying, racist, hate crimes during his presidency, and I am not free to say anything further about it.

(III) What if basically all racial-minority people would subscribe to the interpretations that George Herbert Walker Bush committed monstrous, racist, hate crimes while he was the President of the United States? It will eventually come out: it is only a matter of time.

(IV) I know it may be hard to believe. However, it is absolutely true that Ronald Wilson Reagan committed horrible, racist, hate crimes during his presidency. Numbers 32:23: “Be sure your sins will find you out.”

Respectfully Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang, J.D. Candidate
B.S., With the Highest Level of Academic Honors at Graduation, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993

(I can type 90 words per minute, and there are thousands of copies on the Internet (as of March 29, 2009) indicating the contents of (I), (II), (III), and (IV). And there are thousands of copies in very many countries around the world.)

“BAD NEWS FROM THE UNITED STATES: ON THE HATE CRIMES AND ETERNAL INFAMIES OF GEORGE W. BUSH, BILL CLINTON, GEORGE H.W. BUSH, AND RONALD REAGAN” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
_______________
‘If only there could be a ban against invention that bottled up memory like scent & it never faded & it never got stale.’ Off the top of my head, it came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.