The Phone Call

[Scutter01]

Not really a political question, although it involves politicians, so it's here in the Break Room.

Scenario: You are a famous athlete or some other person of celebrity. You perform some feat noteworthy enough to attract the attention of the President of the United States, prompting him to personally call to congratulate you. You vehemently disagree with his politics (you can go ahead and use Obama for this example, although I don't mean him specifically).

Question: Do you take the call?

It seems to me that depending on what business you are in, rejecting the call outright could get you branded a pariah or worse. In Hollywood, for example, the Right is routinely blackballed.

If you decide to take the call (and thereby avoid any resulting bad press), do you nod and smile or at least make the attempt to call him to task for his policies? What do you expect the result of that attempt to be?


My question is prompted by White Sox's Mark Buehrle's no-hitter he pitched a few weeks ago. He got a call from Obama. If you know anything about baseball, you know it's important to have the fans behind you. It seems like if it were me, this is something I'd just have to suck up and take. Snubbing the President (any President), or making a "scene" by taking him to task would ultimately serve no real purpose, not to mention spoiling my no-hitter. However, I don't live in a world where any of this is likely to happen to me, so it's all hypothetical. I'd like to know what you think.

 

[Dryden]

My opinion..... I don't take the call. With all the crazy stuff going on in this world, I think the Pres. has more urgent things to attend to.

 

[shooter521]

The congratulatory call would presumably be apolitical in nature, and it would be a call from the President of the United States! I wouldn't care how much I hated the guy's policies, I'd take it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

 

[eatsnopaste]

The congratulatory call would presumably be apolitical in nature, and it would be a call from the President of the United States! I wouldn't care how much I hated the guy's policies, I'd take it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

absolutely, no matter what your politics are..THE OFFICE OF THE POTUS is calling!

 

[JetGirl]

Not including return calls that I'm waiting for (and assuming my caller ID is on), there are eight people for whom I'll pick up the phone...everyone else can leave a message.
POTUS ain't on that list.

 

[USMC_0311]

I would take the call, smile and spit. Don't like his politics but that fight can happen somewhere else like the voting booth.

 

[NEWMAN]

I would take the call, smile and spit. Don't like his politics but that fight can happen somewhere else like the voting booth.

x2

 

[JetGirl]

Well, do me a quick favor...if any of ya take that call, please ask him to name the lower 48, the 2 non-ConUS, and the other seven, plus the two he had left "to go".

 

[Bigum1969]

I'd take the call and see if he'd invite me to the White House for a beer so I could tell him how I really feel!

 

[United]

I once refused to shake hands with President Clinton when he was aboard my ship while i was in the Navy...much to the dismay of some Lt. and a few others in his entourage. He was walking down the hall and the Lt. was in front asking people if they want to shake the Presidents hand and I said "uh, no way Lt." Why you ask? Clinton downsized portions of the military and one of the things hit was my rate in the Navy. I passed my tests for E-4 just a week before his arrival, but was not allowed to rank up and get that extra pay. But they gave me wonderful options to be a cook or other things! So he wasn't tops on my list at the time. The Lt. understood my reasoning after i told him, then making me turn around and walk the other way lol

Sorry for the ramble, Scutters question reminded me of that fine Navy day! Thanks for the trip down memory lane Scutter!

As far as this particular scenario..i suppose I would take the call. Phone call is a lot less personal than a hand shake in my book. I definitely wouldn't be overly excited to chat, but would take the call and the congratulations on the accomplishment, hang up, then change my phone number!

 

[USMC_0311]

I once refused to shake hands with President Clinton when he was aboard my ship while i was in the Navy...much to the dismay of some Lt. and a few others in his entourage. He was walking down the hall and the Lt. was in front asking people if they want to shake the Presidents hand and I said "uh, no way Lt." Why you ask? Clinton downsized portions of the military and one of the things hit was my rate in the Navy. I passed my tests for E-4 just a week before his arrival, but was not allowed to rank up and get that extra pay. But they gave me wonderful options to be a cook or other things! So he wasn't tops on my list at the time. The Lt. understood my reasoning after i told him, then making me turn around and walk the other way lol

Sorry for the ramble, Scutters question reminded me of that fine Navy day! Thanks for the trip down memory lane Scutter!

As far as this particular scenario..i suppose I would take the call. Phone call is a lot less personal than a hand shake in my book. I definitely wouldn't be overly excited to chat, but would take the call and the congratulations on the accomplishment, hang up, then change my phone number!

I thought you were going to say because he just got done smoking a cigar.

 

[JetGirl]

I thought you were going to say because he just got done smoking a cigar.

 

[jtmarine1911]

I would take the call, it isn't everyday that even celebs get a call fro the POTUS. Even if I didn't care to much for him, you never know July has had some cold mornings this year, it might just be THAT cold day in Purgatory(substituted, not trying to bypass filter) that he actually says something sensible. And knowing me, all the time biting my tongue and trying not to say "Excuse me for a moment Sir, one of my EBR's just got loose and I need to catch it before someone gets hurt." Then proceed to scream in the backgroud "DOWN BOY! DOWN BOY!" with the occasional gun shot. Then return to the phone and say "Sorry about that Sir, my EBR got loose and was after the cat!"

 

[SC_Shooter]

I'd take the call without hesitation.

While many on both sides of the aisle would disagree, I have tremendous respect for the office of POTUS regardless of who is holding it at the time. I'm not saying I'd convert to a Kool-Aid drinker...I'd just take the call and think it was a pretty neat thing that I was involved in something that apparently warranted a POTUS call.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

No I wouldn't take the call .

I couldn't be in a position that depended on others opinion's cause I would constantly let them down . I wear , say and do what I want regardless of what someone else thinks .

 

[SavageEagle]

I would take the call, it isn't everyday that even celebs get a call fro the POTUS. Even if I didn't care to much for him, you never know July has had some cold mornings this year, it might just be THAT cold day in Purgatory(substituted, not trying to bypass filter) that he actually says something sensible. And knowing me, all the time biting my tongue and trying not to say "Excuse me for a moment Sir, one of my EBR's just got loose and I need to catch it before someone gets hurt." Then proceed to scream in the backgroud "DOWN BOY! DOWN BOY!" with the occasional gun shot. Then return to the phone and say "Sorry about that Sir, my EBR got loose and was after the cat!"

Repped for making my kids ask why daddy's on the floor laughing!

I'd take the phone call. Then promptly ruin my career and have black suits hauling me away to an undisclosed location...

 

[shooter521]

r and have black suits hauling me away to an undisclosed location...

I'mma go out on a limb and say that's probably gonna happen anyway, eventually...

 

[henktermaat]

Not really a political question, although it involves politicians, so it's here in the Break Room.

Scenario: You are a famous athlete or some other person of celebrity. You perform some feat noteworthy enough to attract the attention of the President of the United States, prompting him to personally call to congratulate you. You vehemently disagree with his politics (you can go ahead and use Obama for this example, although I don't mean him specifically).

Question: Do you take the call?

It seems to me that depending on what business you are in, rejecting the call outright could get you branded a pariah or worse. In Hollywood, for example, the Right is routinely blackballed.

If you decide to take the call (and thereby avoid any resulting bad press), do you nod and smile or at least make the attempt to call him to task for his policies? What do you expect the result of that attempt to be?


My question is prompted by White Sox's Mark Buehrle's no-hitter he pitched a few weeks ago. He got a call from Obama. If you know anything about baseball, you know it's important to have the fans behind you. It seems like if it were me, this is something I'd just have to suck up and take. Snubbing the President (any President), or making a "scene" by taking him to task would ultimately serve no real purpose, not to mention spoiling my no-hitter. However, I don't live in a world where any of this is likely to happen to me, so it's all hypothetical. I'd like to know what you think.

I think I'd do what's best for me. If that is nodding and smiling to save my career, so be it.

 

[USMC_0311]

I'mma go out on a limb and say that's probably gonna happen anyway, eventually...

 

[Scutter01]

I'd like to say I'd just refuse the call. That's what I'd LIKE to do. It would be such a high-profile snub, though, that the repercussions would likely be severe. I'm not starstruck by anyone. I mean, there are actors and whatnot who I'd like to meet, but I'm not going gaga over any of them.