By: Pete Souza/White House

Update at bottom

Several news outlets yesterday ran the above photo of President Obama and his daughter Sasha swimming in waters at a Panama City, FL, beach.  The narrative, of course, is “President Obama reassures Americans that the Gulf is open for business!”

However, there’s a problem with the spin: the trip (and photo) came far too late in the summer to make much of a difference.  Many schools begin their year next week, the week after, or the immediately after Labor Day weekend.  Any long-distance trips that remain this summer have already been planned, so anybody from far away who might have been reassured by the photo won’t be going to the Gulf.  Any impact it might have will be either state-wide or local, and most of those folks probably already know that the Panama City-area is safe.

Obama would have done better to plan his trip in June or the beginning of July; you know, when people were still planning vacations.  Then such a photo-op may have had a positive effect on business in the gulf.  Now, it will have very little.

Update (8/16): He wasn’t even in the Gulf!  Go figure!  St. Andrews Bay does empty into the Gulf, but the opening is so small, it’s almost a lake.