Imagine a Republican president visiting a major tourist attraction in the midst of a severe recession and shutting down that park's Main Street just so he could deliver an address to a closed audience. The mainstream media would have a field day with that, don't ya think? They would go on about the economic impact on the park, and about how the insensitive president is depriving children of their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity both to see Disneyland and to see the president up close. The MSM would connect the shutdown of the park's Main Street to the death of jobs on America's Main Streets. They might even find one of the president's former supporters who worked on a Main Street but has lost her job. The MSM would turn the event into a week of coverage and a campaign narrative that the president is out of touch, insensitive to kids, and a threat to Main Streets from Florida to Alaska.But Obama is taking his magical presidency to the Magic Kingdom, forcing the park to shut down its Main Street and depriving the tourists who spent their hard-earned money to take their families there of visiting an unfettered amusement park, and the MSM isn't saying boo about it.
In a document distributed to cast members that was obtained by WESH 2 News, Disney outlines what the presidential visit will mean to park operations that day. Disney advises that Main Street, U.S.A., including shops like the Emporium, will be closed to guests from park opening through late afternoon.When park guests arrive, they will be directed through "alternate routes" to enjoy other areas of the park, Disney said. Main Street, U.S.A. will open later in the day, in time for the "Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade" at 3:30 p.m.Disney's hotel guests will be informed about the changes beginning Wednesday, the document said. Letters will be sent to each guest room and Disney's in-room television information system will be updated.
The president's remarks won't be open to the park's guests. The White House is handling the "invitations," meaning it will be a hand-picked crowd. So like Disneyland itself, the magical president will stack the event with a cast of his own choosing.
The pure, unbridled arrogance of this man just floors me. He is acting as an emperor and king and doesn't give a rats ass about the common man and how much he inconveniences them. We already had a king Obama. We overthrew him. Anybody but Obama in '12!
One small point: Bambi needed an invite from Disney to do this. Even he can't order them to provide him with the venue; someone had to propose it and the Disney executives had to go along with it. I suspect it was approved at the highest levels. Maybe Minnie herself knew about it, though I dunno about Goofy. Oh, I do know, Goofy was definitely for it.
The point is: Disney is going along with this, and given the mood of the country I have to wonder why.