President Obama came (ever so briefly) to my fair city and I opted not to see him in person.

Hard to believe I know.

Anyone who has followed me at all in the last year or so knows that I am a true supporter of our current President. He is the only person I have invested (yes, monetarily, as well as psychologically) heavily in since I reached legal voting age. So when I received an invitation to attend a reception for him in San Francisco proper I seriously considered attending.

I admit, I was concerned when the initial invitation had no details about what such an invitation would set me back. I'm not dumb, I knew I would have to shell out some big bucks to get into such event. I was only hoping that it wouldn't be so high of a threshold that I would feel disinvited by it.

Then, several emails later, I finally learned that I had to give no less than $500 just to stand among the masses along the back walls of the great room reserved for this special event.

I lost interest.

Don't get me wrong. I still love Barack Obama. I am still 100% stoked that he actually got elected as my president (and all of y'alls as well).

But, I'm sorry sir, I just don't want to pay $500 to stand among a crowded room to see you at a great distance. I paid a lot less when you were campaigning and probably got closer.

And I see I am not alone in feeling this way. A wrap-up on SFGate puts it this way:

Losers: The White House scheduler -- and the voters. Obama comes for the first time as President to the Bay Area -- a region that so strongly supported him -- but the only folks who get a chance to see him are those who throw big bills on the table? No public events? Shame.

I so agree! Maybe next time?

 

President Obama came (ever so briefly) to my fair city and I opted not to see him in person.

Hard to believe I know.

Anyone who has followed me at all in the last year or so knows that I am a true supporter of our current President. He is the only person I have invested (yes, monetarily, as well as psychologically) heavily in since I reached legal voting age. So when I received an invitation to attend a reception for him in San Francisco proper I seriously considered attending.

I admit, I was concerned when the initial invitation had no details about what such an invitation would set me back. I'm not dumb, I knew I would have to shell out some big bucks to get into such event. I was only hoping that it wouldn't be so high of a threshold that I would feel disinvited by it.

Then, several emails later, I finally learned that I had to give no less than $500 just to stand among the masses along the back walls of the great room reserved for this special event.

I lost interest.

Don't get me wrong. I still love Barack Obama. I am still 100% stoked that he actually got elected as my president (and all of y'alls as well).

But, I'm sorry sir, I just don't want to pay $500 to stand among a crowded room to see you at a great distance. I paid a lot less when you were campaigning and probably got closer.

And I see I am not alone in feeling this way. A wrap-up on SFGate puts it this way:

Losers: The White House scheduler -- and the voters. Obama comes for the first time as President to the Bay Area -- a region that so strongly supported him -- but the only folks who get a chance to see him are those who throw big bills on the table? No public events? Shame.

I so agree! Maybe next time?