In January, 2001, George W. Bush was sworn in as president of the United States, and after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and northern Virginia, the world was behind him; “we are all Americans now” was one of the more popular quotes of the time. But during the run-up to the mid-term elections of 2006, a pack of hyenas began calling him names, rejoicing in his failures, and howling about impeachment.

In January, 2009, Barack H. Obama was sworn in as president, and on October fifth of that year, won the Nobel Peace Prize, based on speeches he had made about the religion of Islam, nuclear proliferation, and climate change. But during the run-up to the mid-term elections of 2014, a different pack of hyenas began calling him names, rejoicing in his failures, and howling about impeachment.

One of the accusations opponents of both presidents have used is that they took (or take) too many vacations. “President Bush has taken more vacations than any other president,” progressives proclaimed. “President Obama vacations as the world burns,” conservatives trumpet.

This charge is so twentieth century, as the rapid advances of technology make it possible for presidents — and many of us — to stay connected with information important to us. Presidents and their staffs have the resources they need to make necessary decisions regardless of their location. This doesn’t mean that the White House isn’t an important place for ceremonial occasions, meetings, and for the symbolic value it has for all Americans. Suggesting, however, that only presidential work takes place there is misleading and hypocritical, since many making these pronouncements take vacations at the same time as the presidents they mock.

What would happen if the two presidents met behind closed doors to compare notes once Barack Obama’s second term ends? Perhaps, they’d commiserate about some of their opponents whose main aim was to prevent them from succeeding. Perhaps, they would comment on how much easier it is to tear down instead of building up. They might share regrets about some of the decisions they made that gave the hyenas so much ammunition. They might reflect on ways they could have used their early popularity more wisely. They might explore the value of underpromising and overdelivering.

Perhaps, they would also promote the benefits of telecommuting, a process they both benefitted from as president. They could talk about how telecommuting saves money and time, reduces pollution, and allows employees to gain more control over their lives — while often increasing productivity and profits. People might counter that telecommuting reduces the quality of office relationships; that some jobs can’t be done from home; and that not everyone can handle the responsibility of getting the job done away from the office. “True,” the presidents might respond, “and each organization needs to find the right balance between people working on – and off-site.”

And while they’re at it, perhaps Presidents Bush and Obama might also promote the value of vacations to managers and workers at all income levels.