Obama Declares War On Christmas By Having Too Many Christmas Trees

Apparently, there is such a thing as being in too much of a holiday spirit:

Amazing how a reelection can reshape an incumbent’s thinking about many things. Now safely ensconced in the White House for 49 more months, the Obamas have decorated the place with 54 Christmas trees this year.

Even allowing for the usual Washington excesses with taxpayer money, that’s a whole grove of Christmas trees.

“We have 54 trees in the White House,” an excited Michelle Obama proudly told visitors the other day. “54!  That’s a lot of trees.”

In fact, the Obamas’ 54 trees this year are almost 50% more Christmas trees than last year. That was during the campaign before Obama whispered a reminder to the Russians that he had to be careful until Nov. 6, when a victory would give him more “flexibility.”

Now, how much carbon do you suppose those 54 trees could be sequestering had they not been chopped by this green president?

And no wonder Obama talked over the weekend about addressing tax increases before any of that annoying business about cutting spending to address this thing called the national debt, now having soared past $16.3 trillion..

In addition to 54 Christmas trees, Michelle Obama has overseen the placement of thousands of ornaments in public rooms. Many of the ornaments celebrate the Obama family dog, Bo, who seems to have become the First Family’s favorite symbol of Christmas. Other decorations, including on the more prominent trees, were made by children in schools on U.S. military bases.

There’s several hundred yards of garlands and wreaths all over the hallways and rooms. And, of course, a traditional gingerbread house that has working chandeliers and weighs about 300 pounds.

As James Joyner noted just under a year ago, this is a complaint we see all the time from partisan opponents of whoever happens to be PresIident of the United States at the time. Additionally, all of the  Christmas decorations at the White House aren’t some personal vanity thing for the Obama family, they are  meant to be observed and enjoyed by the tourists and guests who will be visiting during the Holiday Season. It’s a tradition that Presidents have followed for a long, long time, and attacking Obama or it is quite simply absurd. Additionally, I must note that last year, the White House had 37 trees. This year, they increased that by 45%. Isn’t that good for the economy?

Of course, I have to think that this is one of those things where it really doesn’t matter what President Obama does as far as conservatives are concerned.

FILED UNDER: US Politics, , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. john personna says:

    Should I suspect, based on the number, that States get to decorate them?

  2. mantis says:

    Of course, I have to think that this is one of those things where it really doesn’t matter what President Obama does as far as conservatives are concerned.

    Also known as anything and everything, real or imagined.

  3. SKI says:

    This was pretty much my thoughts when your buddy, Jazz, tweeted about this earlier. It is stories like this that show why we can’t have nice things.

  4. cd6 says:

    Holy christ, your link to last year’s post… its the same guy writing the same article with basically the same headline

    When Andrew Malcolm is on his death bed and looking back at his life’s work, do you think he will dwell upon these asinine articles and tell himself, “yes, I was a positive contributor to society, in the mold of Thomas Jefferson” or do you think he’ll realize he was an embarrassing hack, and cry himself to death?

  5. @john personna: Only if there were 57 trees.

  6. Andy says:

    Personally, the trappings of the Presidency are too regal for my taste. I don’t really care what tourists visiting the White House think and I don’t see any reason why the White House under any President should engage in such extravagance. I was on a WH tour years ago (before 9/11 when you could see more than you can now) and it was a bit creepy how similar it was to the tour I took of Windsor Castle. In short, I would like the WH to err on the side of humility rather than extravagance.

    Then there is the absurd security – just as one example, when the President visited Disney World earlier this year to give a speech, they shut down all the water taxis and many of the monorails for about a 1/2 hour – apparently a bunch of sweaty tourists with screaming kids on a boat a mile from a large building the President is in is somehow deemed a security concern. Don’t get me wrong, I think the President needs good security, but a lot of it seems pretty excessive.

  7. john personna says:

    @Lankyloo:

    Fifty states, plus the one one the lawn, and one for Kenya, and one for Hugo Chavez …

  8. Andy says:

    @john personna: Actually, you can get to 57 if you include DC, Puerto Rico, the other US territories to include Wake Island. Add in GITMO and you’ve conceivably got 58, so there’s room to expand next year.

  9. Gustopher says:

    @cd6:

    When Andrew Malcolm is on his death bed and looking back at his life’s work, do you think he will dwell upon these asinine articles and tell himself, “yes, I was a positive contributor to society, in the mold of Thomas Jefferson” or do you think he’ll realize he was an embarrassing hack, and cry himself to death?

    At least Andrew Malcolm doesn’t have slaves.

  10. michael reynolds says:

    At this rate of increase the White House will soon need to completely de-forest the planet. (Someone may want to check my math.)

  11. Stonetools says:

    I’m sure 54 is related to Kenya somehow.
    Or maybe its al Queda’s secret code name for BHO- it’s most successful sleeper agent.

  12. bill says:

    wow, 3 more and they’d have one for each state! will the treehuggers be offended though, and who really cares?

  13. ernieyeball says:

    Personally, I think killing trees to celebrate Jesus’ birthday is just wrong!

  14. anjin-san says:

    @ bill

    will the treehuggers be offended though, and who really cares?

    Right on dude! It’s not as if trees are critical to life on this planet. Cut the damn things down.

  15. Scott O says:

    This is worse than Watergate. No trees died in Watergate.

  16. Rafer Janders says:

    So the War on Christmas is over, and…Obama won?

  17. People still read Investor’s Business Daily? I assumed people had figured out that paper after the Stephen Hawking-NHS op-ed a couple years.

  18. rodney dill says:

    @Rafer Janders: Wood chips and sap all over the place… Oh the humanity.arbority.

  19. Tillman says:

    Somewhere out there, an atheist is smoldering with rage.

  20. Rafer Janders says:

    In fact, the Obamas’ 54 trees this year are almost 50% more Christmas trees than last year. That was during the campaign before Obama whispered a reminder to the Russians that he had to be careful until Nov. 6, when a victory would give him more “flexibility.”

    If someone can tell me what the first sentence above has to do with the second, I’ll buy them a Coke…..but, in fact, we all know. Bizarre non-sensical references to whispering to the Russians and out-of-context insinuations about “flexibility” (translation: flexibility to set up FEMA re-education camps patrolled by ObamaCorps!) are all carefully designed to create unease in their right-wing readers.

  21. Rafer Janders says:

    @Timothy Watson:

    I still say that man would be dead had he been born and raised in England.

  22. Tony W says:

    “We have 37 Christmas trees here at the White House–37!” Michelle Obama excitedly told a recent group of visitors. “That’s a lot, right? Yes, that’s a lot of trees.”

    “We have 54 trees in the White House,” an excited Michelle Obama proudly told visitors the other day. “54! That’s a lot of trees.”

    Those are totally different articles last year and today – in one of them Ms. Obama tells about the trees “excitedly” and in the other an excited first lady speaks “proudly.

  23. Rob in CT says:

    @Timothy Watson:

    My thoughts exactly. That publication has “wingnut fantasy mag” written all over it.

  24. Is this even a decision the Obamas get to make? I think he’s got better things to worry about than interior decorating.

  25. Jeremy R says:

    @Tony W:

    Those are totally different articles last year and today – in one of them Ms. Obama tells about the trees “excitedly” and in the other an excited first lady speaks “proudly.

    Nice catch. It really looks like Malcolm is inventing sources & quotes.

  26. Peppy says:

    A lot of trees that go to the white house are donated by tree growers who are proud to have their tree displayed. This writer needs to get a life. And a new schtick.

  27. KK says:

    I see getting reelected did reshape his Christmas spirit sky high and so the Christmas trees also . keep up the festive spirits and down the unemployment rates!

  28. KS says:

    @KK: keep up the good work and the spirit too!