Aa
Pizza Parlor Owner Who Bear-Hugged Obama Says People Are Boycotting His Store Now
UPDATE: It seems there are consequences to bear-hugging the president. Scott Van Duzer, who became famous overnight for lifting President Obama, tells Politico that “people are saying a lot of bad things and boycotting my restaurant.”
Monday, Sept. 10 at 7:27 a.m.: President Obama got more of a lift than he likely bargained for when he walked into the Big Apple Pizza & Pasta Restaurant in Fort Pierce, Fla. Sunday. The place was nearly empty but the owner, Scott Van Duzer, couldn’t hide his excitement to have the commander-in-chief visit his store.
Obama quickly began admiring Van Duzer’s physique. “Scott, let me tell you, you are like the biggest pizza shop owner I’ve ever seen,” Obama told the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Van Duzer. “Everybody look at these guns.”
The two men hugged, and Van Duzer seemingly couldn’t resist the urge to lift the president off the ground. (Video after the jump.) "Look at that!" Obama exclaimed once back on the ground. "Man, are you a powerlifter or what?" Indeed, notes Politico, Van Duzer later said he can bench-press 350 pounds.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2012/09/10/video_obama_bear_hug_lift_off_ground_by_scott_van_duzer_bigg_apple_pizza_florida.html
Really?
Imagine how Romney would have looked had the guy picked him up. He'd have looked like a fish out of water whereas Obama was absolutely nonplussed by it.
The first 2 rules I learned in business is, never talk politics and never talk religion. This just goes to show that there are ramifications for almost everything we do.... Tough luck.
People are saying a lot of bad things and boycotting my restaurant,” Scott Van Duzer, 46, told POLITICO. “There’s no middle line anymore, and that’s exactly what’s wrong with our country right now.”
The owner of Big Apple Pizza & Pasta Restaurant in Fort Pierce, Fla., said that both Democrats and Republicans are welcome in his store. But he also said he thinks Mitt Romney’s running mate Rep. Paul Ryan — whose sculpted abs are thanks to intense P90X training sessions — would lose to the president in a workout battle.
(PHOTOS: President Obama off the bench)
“I think Obama could take him,” Van Duzer said, laughing. “Obama looked pretty fast and pretty quick on his feet.”
So is Van Duzer. For a guy who biked 1,148 miles in 31 days from Florida to Washington D.C., lifting Obama was a piece of cake — err, a slice of pizza. And Van Duzer says he wasn’t even warmed up.
“I don’t work out that much, man. Usually, it’s about two days per week. The bike ride was my big thing,” Van Duzer said. “I’m starting to go back to the gym right now. I need to start maintaining.”
Van Duzer’s June bike-trek was part of his Van Duzer Foundation, and helped raise awareness for blood donation shortages. Founded in 2008 to support a local firefighter whose house burned down, the foundation has since raised more than $600,000, Van Duzer said. Van Duzer said he rode with a few kids from the Boys and Girls Club and met with U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin to discuss blood shortages.
Obama told The New York Times that Van Duzer’s effort in promoting blood donations was part of the reason the campaign decided to visit his pizza shop.
“One of the reasons that we wanted to stop by is that Scott has been doing unbelievable work out of this pizza shop in promoting the importance of donating blood,” Obama told the Times. “And so he has set some records here in Florida. He has received commendations from the White House, the surgeon general, he has galvanized and mobilized the local community and he’s educating kids and folks all across the country on this issue.”
Inside the shop Sunday, Obama wanted to know how to look like Van Duzer.
“Everybody look at these guns,” Obama said. “If I eat your pizza, will I look like that?”
(Also on POLITICO: Fit for office: 2012 candidates in the best shape ever)
Van Duzer told POLITICO that he packs on protein with his homemade pepperoni pizza. And the 6-foot-3-inch, 260-pound Van Duzer says he bench presses 350 pounds at six reps, usually twice a week — nearly double the estimated 176 pounds that Obama weighs.
“When I was in peak condition, I lifted five times a week,” he said. “But that was before my injury.”
He tore his Achilles tendon during an “intense” charity dodgeball game. Mainly, he says his active, energetic lifestyle keeps him fit.
“I move around a lot,” he said.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80998.html#ixzz26AXo9SvX
The owner of Big Apple Pizza & Pasta Restaurant in Fort Pierce, Fla., said that both Democrats and Republicans are welcome in his store. But he also said he thinks Mitt Romney’s running mate Rep. Paul Ryan — whose sculpted abs are thanks to intense P90X training sessions — would lose to the president in a workout battle.
(PHOTOS: President Obama off the bench)
“I think Obama could take him,” Van Duzer said, laughing. “Obama looked pretty fast and pretty quick on his feet.”
So is Van Duzer. For a guy who biked 1,148 miles in 31 days from Florida to Washington D.C., lifting Obama was a piece of cake — err, a slice of pizza. And Van Duzer says he wasn’t even warmed up.
“I don’t work out that much, man. Usually, it’s about two days per week. The bike ride was my big thing,” Van Duzer said. “I’m starting to go back to the gym right now. I need to start maintaining.”
Van Duzer’s June bike-trek was part of his Van Duzer Foundation, and helped raise awareness for blood donation shortages. Founded in 2008 to support a local firefighter whose house burned down, the foundation has since raised more than $600,000, Van Duzer said. Van Duzer said he rode with a few kids from the Boys and Girls Club and met with U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin to discuss blood shortages.
Obama told The New York Times that Van Duzer’s effort in promoting blood donations was part of the reason the campaign decided to visit his pizza shop.
“One of the reasons that we wanted to stop by is that Scott has been doing unbelievable work out of this pizza shop in promoting the importance of donating blood,” Obama told the Times. “And so he has set some records here in Florida. He has received commendations from the White House, the surgeon general, he has galvanized and mobilized the local community and he’s educating kids and folks all across the country on this issue.”
Inside the shop Sunday, Obama wanted to know how to look like Van Duzer.
“Everybody look at these guns,” Obama said. “If I eat your pizza, will I look like that?”
(Also on POLITICO: Fit for office: 2012 candidates in the best shape ever)
Van Duzer told POLITICO that he packs on protein with his homemade pepperoni pizza. And the 6-foot-3-inch, 260-pound Van Duzer says he bench presses 350 pounds at six reps, usually twice a week — nearly double the estimated 176 pounds that Obama weighs.
“When I was in peak condition, I lifted five times a week,” he said. “But that was before my injury.”
He tore his Achilles tendon during an “intense” charity dodgeball game. Mainly, he says his active, energetic lifestyle keeps him fit.
“I move around a lot,” he said.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80998.html#ixzz26AXo9SvX
politico has an article that further explains why the president chose to stop at this particular establishment and speak with this particular man. It goes deeper than politics.
I personally found it refreshing that they could both put politics aside, a glimpse of times gone by maybe? It is rare in this day and age. While I watch on msnbc the actual events in real time on msnbc, and remember how we came together as a nation that day and compare it to the childishness of today, it saddens me.
I personally found it refreshing that they could both put politics aside, a glimpse of times gone by maybe? It is rare in this day and age. While I watch on msnbc the actual events in real time on msnbc, and remember how we came together as a nation that day and compare it to the childishness of today, it saddens me.
People can choose to spend their money there, or not spend their money there.
The other side of the coin is, the guy didn't have to make a big spectacle out of his adoration for President Obama. He could have just shook his hand, like any normal human-being would have done.
Treating the man like a demi'god isn't going to win you any customers from the Right, just as a Romney'worshiper wouldn't win you any fans from the Left.
Wining about it after the fact is childish. Does he think the Right'leaning customers are going to come BACK just because he's b*tching about it?
The other side of the coin is, the guy didn't have to make a big spectacle out of his adoration for President Obama. He could have just shook his hand, like any normal human-being would have done.
Treating the man like a demi'god isn't going to win you any customers from the Right, just as a Romney'worshiper wouldn't win you any fans from the Left.
Wining about it after the fact is childish. Does he think the Right'leaning customers are going to come BACK just because he's b*tching about it?
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.
You are reading content posted in the Current Events . . . Group
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
