Our President is a hugger — and he’s huggable.

Buzzfeed: The President chatted and downed beers with voters at Gator’s Dockside restaurant in Orlando and the West Tampa Sandwich Shop on Saturday. More photos…

(Reuters)

(Reuters)

A Republican for Obama: 

“Mr. Obama got a huge lift — literally — from the registered Republican during an unscheduled stop at Mr. Van Duzer’s Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant here on Sunday. “Look at that!” Mr. Obama exclaimed after the ebullient pizza shop owner lifted him a good couple of feet off the ground after he walked into the restaurant. “Man, are you a power lifter or what?” [...] Mr. Obama said he decided to stop at the pizza place because of the work Mr. Van Duzer does donating blood, and urging others to do the same. “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,” Mr. Obama said. “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.” And now, we can say, he has also lifted the president. The president’s Secret Service agents looked a bit perturbed, but Mr. Van Duzer said that he got permission first. Speaking to reporters after, he said an agent “said I was alright as long as I didn’t take him away.” — Obama Gets a Lift on the Trail – NYTimes.com (via apsies)

USA Today: “Look at that!” Obama exclaimed once back on firm ground. “Man are you a power-lifter or what?”

Obama said he decided to stop by Van Duzen’s restaurant because he had done some record-breaking work promoting blood donations in his community. He’s received commendations from the White House and U.S. Surgeon General.

“I still wonder how he got these biceps, but what we know is that the guy’s just got a big heart along with big pecs,” Obama said. “So we’re very proud of him and we just want to say thank you for all the great work.”

Meanwhile, President Obama has an adorable fan. (via: communism-kills)

barackobama: “The only thing the President likes more than a bus tour is a hug.”—Jen Psaki, Traveling Press Secretary (via: soupisnotameal – Can anyone remember Mitt ever hugging anybody? I can’t.)

thebigpixture: Presidents Clinton and Obama embrace after President Clinton’s speech at the DNC.