Mediaite Reporter Incensed Over Uppity Obama's Expensive New Year's Dinner
January 3, 2015

I looked all over the internets for that article Mediaite reporter Joe Concha wrote criticizing any Republican for having a nice dinner out with his spouse on New Year's Day and couldn't find one. But I did find this:

All of that said, it was surprising to see that a president supposedly mindful of the theatre of the jobdecided that dining with the First Lady at a restaurant reserved for the richest one-percent of the richest one-percent last night was somehow a good idea. Just how expensive is this joint? Well, at the low-low price of $500,000, you can join as a member. Here’s how the restaurant describes some of the benefits on its website:

At Vintage Cave Honolulu, one can enjoy exceptional food and wine at the hands of gifted masters of the culinary arts. ‘Chef’s recommendation’ commands a gravitas guaranteed to satisfy the most discerning palate. Seasoned sommelier’s conduct the process of pairing wine and food with true finesse and style. Secure in the natural embrace of the cave-like environment, guests are encouraged to relax, ‘hit reset’ and escape the ordinary.

Of course, the president didn’t buy a membership, but did proceed with the price fix menu at $295.00 per person. According to Honolulu Magazine, “The total bill for two (at the restaurant), with wine, will approach $1000.00.” To provide context around what a grand gets those in the African-American community these days, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average black man earns $679.00 per week in the U.S., while black women earn $608.00 weekly (BLS reports white men and white women earn an average of $896.00 and $733.00, respectively). But remember, only Republican candidates looking to protect their wealthy friends with tax breaks are rich and self-absorbed…

Pssssst, Joe. It's prix fixe, not Nixon's wage and price freeze. Geez, you made it sound like a conspiracy instead of a dinner. And hey--I don't have to eat there to know these details. Uncle Google can be your friend, too.

The whole article oozes resentment and annoyance that the President would dare to eat dinner with his wife in an expensive restaurant. He's a Democrat, dammit! A black Democrat, at that, and everyone knows black folks should be eating out at the taco trucks.

I daresay no one really gives a damn about where the Obamas have a romantic New Year's dinner except people like Joe Concha who constantly obsess on what the uppity President might be doing now.

I'm also pretty sure Concha doesn't really care whether black people elsewhere could afford to eat at that place. It's only important to inform readers that our black president dared to spend a little piece of his $400,000 per year salary on a nice dinner with his wife. Concha should actually visit Hawaii. He'd find out pretty fast that everything is wildly expensive, even taco trucks.

Also? He forgot to mention the shave ice and snorkeling earlier in the day. Probably a good thing, since he'd probably whine that the First Family's snorkeling outing shut down Hanauma Bay for a few hours.

To the food trucks, Robin!

Update: Joe Concha is aggravated with me:

Those aren't quote marks around that word. They're punctuation intended to suggest that my use of the word uppity is in no way an accurate description of the Obamas. Concha has been writing long enough to know you don't have to use the word to convey the message.

His message was delivered. I responded.

Update 2: I removed the quote marks so that it's abundantly clear he didn't use the actual word. But no, I won't apologize. Like I said, you don't have to use it to say it. He said it loud and clear. Sort of like when Fox News race-baiting commentators call Obama "arrogant." Different code, same meaning.

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