U.S. President Barack Obama reaped a lot of criticism over the last two weeks as citizens witnessed him on vacation while the country dealt with a series of violence-related crises.

Many of his critics viewed Obama's vacation as a form of detachment from the country's concerns. They lambasted him for playing golf while the U.S. wrestled with issues involving the Ferguson unrest, Islamic State (IS) threat and altercation with Chinese jets over Japan and renewed fighting in Ukraine, according to Reuters.

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This apparently happens to every president of today's time. People thought George H.W. Bush was detaching himself from the economic crisis of the country when they saw him cruising around Maine in an expensive speedboat.

Bill Clinton also attracted negative comments for rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful on Martha's Vineyard while he was attempting to relate with ordinary citizens.

Obama, on the other hand, showed that he needed a break from the tense situation in Washington before he sparred again with new immigration policies. He played nine rounds of golf during his entire stay on Martha's Vineyard.

However, he drew further criticism when he played a round with ex-NBA star Alonzo Mourning just after he delivered an emotional statement on the execution of American journalist James Foley by Islamic State captors.

The latest happenings spell bad news for Obama, who hit the 40 percent level in his public approval rating. It also gave Democrats something to worry about for the coming November elections.

The criticism came mostly from Republicans who are fussing about Obama's every move this year. However, some Democrats were also incensed that the president was seen laughing on his golf cart after he made the statement about Foley.

For Obama's defenders, the critics are just stirring controversy over nothing and that the president still performed his task while on vacation. He released four statements two the public and flew back to the White House a couple of days to hold a news conference.

Other political experts view Obama's two-week break as a factor that could reduce his influence amid a difficult second term. Some say he does not have a concrete strategy for addressing the existing crises, especially the threat from the IS.

As Atlanta-based political scholar Merle Black put it, nobody "begrudges" Obama a break from the situation. But Americans also want to see him concerned and spurred to action when the country goes through tough times, Black added.

TagsBarack Obama, Reuters, Ferguson, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, martha's vineyard, Alonzo Mourning, james foley, U.S., Merle Black