Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Bark louder, little dog.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

T R E 4 5 O N

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Cancel the cowardly WaPo and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

No one could have predicted…

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

Second rate reporter says what?

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

When they say they’re pro-life, they don’t mean yours.

You are here: Home / Politics / Media / Press Conference Open Thread

Press Conference Open Thread

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“It took a couple days because I like to know what I am talking about before I speak.” – President Obama, just a minute ago.

Take your gotcha nonsense and get out of here. Was that as good for the rest of you as it was for me?

*** Update ***

CNN now has John King describing a word cloud of the press conference as part of their post press conference “analysis.” I wish I was kidding. These guys are in so far over their head with Obama and they don’t even realize it. I wonder if they will bring back the “human hologram.”

Reader Interactions

197Comments

  1. 1.

    Laura W

    Er…the party’s in the previous thread, but if you have chips and dip we could probably move.

  2. 2.

    SGEW

    Was that as good for the rest of you as it was for me?

    Better. (smokes metaphorical cigarette)

  3. 3.

    SGEW

    From The Economist‘s live blog:

    8:41: "I like to know what I’m talking about before I speak." Unlike Andrew Cuomo, who’s a total jerk and writes everything with crayons.

    Hee.

  4. 4.

    Kris

    Oooh another reminder that our President is black.

    Hell yeah! Go sit yo ass down Ed Henry, you’ve just been told.

  7. 7.

    gizmo

    I’m not sure this nation deserves a President as decent and as smart as this guy.

    And God, please send us better media people…..

  8. 8.

    thrashbluegrass

    Loaded question from Fox News, working communism and soc1alism in for good measure.

    Color me shocked.

  10. 10.

    gizmo

    I think that one of the reasons the corporate media can’t deal with Obama is that he is thinking long-term about the health of the nation. He doesn’t go for cheap, short-range political wins– he is trying to fundamentally change things so that we are on more solid footing decades from now. The media whores just aren’t used to thinking in those terms.

  11. 11.

    Ash

    Some dude from Ebony asked the best question so far. All the network and cable types should go slit their wrists now.

  12. 12.

    Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse

    Oh, God, the gormless race question. "You’re black. Do you govern like a blackitty-black-black black man, or do you feel as if people treat you differently because you’re a blackitty-black-black black man? Not counting this question, Your Blackness, of course."

  16. 16.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    Geez, I leave the party for one minute and it moves. Here’s the question I had from the last thread:

    I had to answer the door, so I missed it…was CNN’s guy as embarrassing as he started out being and did the President hand him his ass when he was done? (Meaning, was it really as bad as it seemed before I left – or was that the Ed Henry question everyone is wowing about??).

  17. 17.

    Wayne

    The President’s response was wonderful. I’m so grateful that we finally have a grownup in the White House. And thanks, John, for operating one of my favorite blogs.

  18. 18.

    SGEW

    Hoot! Obama speaking of our nation’s pride over overcoming the searing divide of racial discrimination by inaugurating him:

    "That lasted about a day."

    I think I like this guy.

  19. 19.

    rob wolfe

    I am so happy that he is handling some of these really stupid questions with the kind of answer that they deserve.

    I wish that he could have blown through the question from the Moonie Times guy about embryonic stem cell research a little better though.

  23. 23.

    sgwhiteinfla

    I am going to need a cigarette after this presser. And I don’t even smoke!

    President Obama smacked all the Drudgites in the mouth. Fucking Ed Henry had already written down his question so even though President Obama had already thoroughly answered about the deficit TWICE he still asked again. What a bunch of fucking losers. Major Garrett, Ed Henry, Chip all gets the gas face tonight. I was just hoping JMart would get his ass handed to him as well but Politico sent the other cat instead. I do have a question though, why doesn’t that dickhead Michael Scherer ever ask a question?

    They better stick to trying to haggle Robert Gibbs. Obama is WAY out of their league.

  25. 25.

    MikeJ

    Dammit, why does TCM sked their Chuck Jones retrospective opposite Obama’s smackdown?

  29. 29.

    valdivia

    I like the shot of Rahm smiling in the back and i love this answer of persistence and patience.

  31. 31.

    Laura W

    Oh man. I hope someone still-captures the satisfied, downright gleeful smirk on Rahm’s face with the index finger in front of the mouth that the camera just panned to. That man is PROUD tonight! And confident. I feel happy now.

  32. 32.

    SGEW

    You ever get the feeling he could do this for hours?

    That’s kinda the sexiest thing ever said about the President.

  36. 36.

    barkleyg

    "Was that as good for the rest of you as it was for me?"

    Y E S ! ! Don’t you bring that trash question to MY press conference!

    We think here, not like the last 8 years of press conferences with GWB

  37. 37.

    scruncher

    I read a tennis newsgroup that debates the biggest "clown" eras ever, meaning eras in which a few top players are never challenged by lower ranked players who are a bunch of clowns.

    Anyway, we are in a truly frightening clown era of White House reporters.

  39. 39.

    Dennis-SGMM

    At least one reporter in that room is yearning for the good’l days of chatter about clearing brush.

  41. 41.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    Yeah, okay, so I will admit, I am in lurve. Calm, considered answers to questions, well thought out, an immediate answer to every question, while after initially giving his points, he then thinks through the follow through. As my boss so rightly said last year "this is the smartest son of a bitch in the room, THAT is the guy I want in charge" I think he showed that tonight, (and he is still talking – IRA etc)

    All you right/left/center pundits bring it.

  42. 42.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Did he ever do a hunch, shrug and grin and declare "Presidentin’ is hard"?

  43. 43.

    sgwhiteinfla

    Can you imagine Bush or McCain trying to answer those questions? McCain probably would have cussed Ed Henry out on national Tee Vee. Seriously imagine for a moment that ill tempered idiot had won.

  47. 47.

    gizmo

    Every time I start having doubts about Obama, he gives a speech or an interview and just hits it out of the park and reminds me not to have any more doubt. He’s what leadership is all about.

  48. 48.

    sgwhiteinfla

    By the way, lets not forget how blatantly he called out the Republicans now. They HAVE to come up with an alternate budget now or he just punked their asses and everybody will remember it.

  49. 49.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @sgwhiteinfla:

    Can you imagine Bush or McCain trying to answer those questions?

    I’m getting stuck on imagining McCain being asked those questions.

  50. 50.

    Darcy

    @MikeJ:

    Don’t worry, TCM is repeating everything twice tonight. Luck on their part, and happy accident for us. I had the same reaction till I looked at my TV listings.

  53. 53.

    SGEW

    . . . he just punked their asses and everybody [the media] will [not] remember it.

    The media’s ability to selectively remember is more powerful than any mere mortal’s press conference.

  55. 55.

    t jasper parnel

    Speaking for myself, that was a very good press conference.

    Best evidence of Obama’s success? K-Lo’s House of Crazy has more less than nothing than usual to say.

  56. 56.

    geg6

    Ok. I must gush like a school girl. OMG! I love, love, love him. That was like awesome sex. Okay, that’s out of my system now. I can go back to middle age now. But damn, that was good.

  60. 60.

    JenJen

    I think that was Michael Scherer sitting behind Ann Compton; the look on his face was pure jealousy (and bronzer).

    Sure, Compton didn’t expect to be called,but fergawdssake prepare a question. She winged it, poorly, and POTUS blew right past it. Way to blow it, Ann! Maybe he’ll call on you again in the second term.

    Chuck Todd’s question was just dumb. If it weren’t for Russert’s passing, he’d still be crunching house races. I’m thinking he’s in over his head. I also liked him better when he’d crunch house races.

    I actually cheered the pitch-perfect response to Ed Henry. President Obama seems to be settling into the office. I thought he was excellent tonight.

  61. 61.

    Cain

    dammit.. I missed it :( Can I at least inhale the cigs you guys are smoking after all this? Dibs on anybody with clove cigs. ;)

    cain

  63. 63.

    Ash

    Am I mistaken, or was there seriously not one question about the new Geithner plan? I’m totally Geithner’ed out, but SERIOUSLY? NOT ONE QUESTION?

    Jesus, someone take these jokers out back and shoot them please.

  64. 64.

    passerby

    A reasonable man. The press is not accustomed to being reasoned with. They’ll have to resort to the teleprompter issue and continue to mumble about socialism/communism until they find a better way to hold the attention of their audience. Tough time to be a media whore.

    Hasselbach on the View will decry his stem cell policy and go on about aborted fetuses being farmed to provide the goods.

    Scarborough will whine about higher taxes for those who earn more and isn’t Obama such a Socialist. Teleprompter thrown in just because he’s gotta maintain his little oh-my-god squad.

  66. 66.

    demkat620

    Bill Bennet is whining on CNN that this was a bad presser. Completely unexpected, I should think.
    I mean, Bennett is such a neutral guy.

  69. 69.

    J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford

    O’Reilly thinks Obama screwed the pooch and bored the people tonight. He said the same thing last time, that Obama talks too much and sounds like a stuffy professor.

  70. 70.

    Laura W

    @JenJen: I was hoping Helen would get a question in, if only as compensation for having to sit next to CHIPPER.
    Gak.

  71. 71.

    ksmiami

    The Republitard trolls aren’t out yet cause they have been trying to convince us all that Obama isn’t smart and needs a teleeprompher, but anyone sentient can plainly see that this Obama guy is teh awesome and might just be president some day.

  73. 73.

    AhabTRuler

    @JenJen: Chuck Todd’s question was just dumb. If it weren’t for Russert’s passing, he’d still be crunching house races. I’m thinking he’s in over his head.

    Dig. Peter principle.

    Edit: I just loooove the way that preview totally trainwrecks as soon as you try to do anything interesting. Points for style.

  78. 78.

    JL

    @passerby: The soc word has to await moderation because of the middle section so…c..i..a..l…i.s….m. For some reason you can’t say that item that the Iraqi through at Bush either.

  79. 79.

    passerby

    @Ash:

    Surprised me too. Cramer and co. on cnbc were lauding the positive results that are beginning to manifest. They were supportive of the POTUS. Perhaps their producers have done some soul searching. Who knew reasoning with people would be such an effective strategy.

  80. 80.

    r€nato

    O’Reilly thinks Obama screwed the pooch and bored the people tonight. He said the same thing last time, that Obama talks too much and sounds like a stuffy professor.

    BIG WORDS MAKE HEAD HURT! OBAMA TALKS LIKE A FAG!

    /o’reilly

  81. 81.

    os

    ok i know that comment was a serious slap in the face to ed henry and his gotcha shit, but the most impressive part was when he was talking about the tax write offs. I know it was wonky but he was literally talking about tax policy an giving figures and examples. Do we really think that bush couldve given figures like that

  82. 82.

    sgwhiteinfla

    To everyone saying McCain wouldn’t get tough questions, don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying they would try to grill him like they do Obama. However even the shitty journalists turn on a President when the economy goes south and at this point McCain would probably be trying to push through a spending freeze with no earmarks. I think he would have been getting his ass handed to him at this point in his administration purely because he would have fucked everything up worse by now.

  83. 83.

    passerby

    testing 1. 2. 3. Shoe at socialism shoe communism.

    Go!

    Edit: At least one can still edit while awaiting moderation. Is that a function of WordPress or Big Brother. Who chooses the words? Anyone know?

  84. 84.

    r€nato

    Cramer and co. on cnbc were lauding the positive results that are beginning to manifest.

    And if the market takes a dump next week, they will go back to harshing on Obama. They’re as bad as a bipolar girlfriend.

  86. 86.

    geg6

    Wow. Rahm just almost busted a gut trying not to laugh at the Ed Henry replay on Larry King. If it hadn’t been split screen, he’d have been rolling on the floor. Awesome.

  87. 87.

    Brachiator

    @Bad Horse’s Filly:

    Do you get the feeling these guys are getting thorougly smacked down and they’re too stupid to know it?

    Yes.

    They tried hard, and even the camera crew tried to get in on the act. I watched the news conference on ABC and at one point, when Obama appeared to stumble over his words, a camera shot of the room showed Obama and the teleprompter off to his left. I’m sure that this will provide everyone from Faux News to the View’s Elizabeth Hasselbeck with their pre-digested anti-Obama video bite.

    But this not prevent Obama from plowing through a dumb set of questions.

    And the shot of Rahm, Axelrod, Valerie Jarrett and the rest of the Obama Wrecking Crew? Priceless.

    As an aside, Obama announced some other Treasury appointments. Most, if not all, are prior Clinton appointees. I think that Obama is missing an opportunity in not seeking out more new people. I get a sense that there are a lot of people who are willing to sign on who are not connected with past Democratic Party regimes.

  88. 88.

    demkat620

    @John Cole: That’s cause we share a brain. :)
    But joking aside, any bets on how long it takes the media to grow up? My bet: Two years. They are real slow learners.

  89. 89.

    mr. whipple

    Every time I start having doubts about Obama, he gives a speech or an interview and just hits it out of the park and reminds me not to have any more doubt. He’s what leadership is all about.

    Dood makes a fine pitcher of lemonade from the lemons he’s been handed.

    I doubted him a lot during the primaries, but got over it.

  92. 92.

    Ed Marshall

    McCain would have been pushing a mixture of tax cuts and stimulus more (maybe much more) larded toward the tax cut side than Obama. It’s not like he would have brought Ron Paul’s economic team with him, maybe some esoteric de-reg bullshit to go along with it, but John McCain doesn’t know shit about economics and the team he would have brought along wouldn’t be proposing something radically different than Obama.

  96. 96.

    Martin

    ZOMG! Obama totally said ‘IndyBank’ instead of ‘IndyMac’. What a fucking retard! He doesn’t know anything about the financial sector – he’s totally unqualified to be President. Sarah Palin wouldn’t have that problem because I’d have a boner the size of Coit Tower and would have passed out due to lack of blood to my brain before the first question got answered. Enough of the answers with verbs and indirect objects and shit. Can we just get a hot white chick to cut my taxes already please?

    Signed, tomorrow’s wingnut pundits

  97. 97.

    Ed Marshall

    Whatever else he is Obama is an educated man. Everytime I see him, I just remember what it was like for a barbarian to run the country.

  98. 98.

    jcricket

    I’m not watching, but is CNN doing one of those "insta-poll" things that "instantly" show how wrong the pundits are (based on the results differential during the debates where the pundits were way off in how the public saw the results of the debate)

  99. 99.

    TheOfficialHatOnMyCat

    Heh. John King, or BillO Riley, juxtaposed with Barack Obama?

    That’s like watching two dogs trying to figure out the periodic table.

    Those guys are trying to operate way above their pay grades.

    Hilarious.

  100. 100.

    sgwhiteinfla

    Ed Marshall

    I disagree. That crotchety old bastard called for a spending freeze on the campaign trail and during a debate in response to the economic crisis for fucks sake. I really think he would have probably gone with an all tax cuts stimulus and he probably wouldn’t have sought the second tranche of TARP and or he wouldn’t have gotten it. I truly think he would have fucked up the economy worse just to try to make a wrong headed point.

  101. 101.

    passerby

    @Brachiator:

    I think that Obama is missing an opportunity in not seeking out more new people. I get a sense that there are a lot of people who are willing to sign on who are not connected with past Democratic Party regimes.

    I agree. One senator (the Independent one from somewhere in New England) is holding up a nominee for having ties with Goldman Sachs. There are way too many Clintonians (and Goldman Sachsians) already. Are the pickings really that slim. I’m rolling with it though because I’m guessing that Obama is using the old "it takes one to know one" reasoning.

  102. 102.

    Davis X. Machina

    Who’s got the over/under on the first use of ‘petulant’ or ‘sarcastic’ in an Obama presser story?

    There are some asses that just must be kissed, dammit. What part of that does this man not understand?

  103. 103.

    TheOfficialHatOnMyCat

    @Ed Marshall:

    Yes. Educated, articulate, and not self-absorbed or constantly self-justifying.

    These are things that by themselves would be refreshing. Together, they make the presidency a whole nother thing.

  104. 104.

    Cain

    @cleek:

    man, just imagine an hour of McCain.

    I don’t know, bring back that green screen and it would be comedy hour at RedState as they try to defend him.

    cain

  105. 105.

    Dennis-SGMM

    @cleek:
    McCain would have been assuring the press that in just six more months we’d be turning the corner in our war with Iran.

  106. 106.

    Ricky Bobby

    In line with the other commentators here. Every time I start to get tense about things Obama comes swooping in like Winston Wolf and lays the smack down.

    Swear to God, first thing that popped into my head when I heard Obama start to take questions: "You calling the Wolf? Well shit negro, that’s all you had to say!"

  107. 107.

    Comrade Luke

    I didn’t watch the conf because I’ve been getting the feeling that this administration was not all that different from the last, especially with how they deal with the media.

    I guess I blew it. Will it be posted somewhere?

  108. 108.

    Comrade Stuck

    Do we really think that bush couldve given figures like that

    "There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again." —President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn.,

    He almost made it to two.

  109. 109.

    Bill H

    To paraphrase,

    "I get to deduct 39% while the plumber who makes $20k only gets to deduct 25%. That’s not fair. This just means that we both get to deduct the same percentage."

    Could Bush have ever explained something in such a cool manner? And

    "I’ll tell you what does cut down on charitable giving. A depressed economy."

    Not only that I just found out tonight he’s black. Did you know that?

  110. 110.

    valdivia

    the Treasury has been very hard to staff. The people with the knowledge are either tied to Wall street or have been in previous administrations. Just hiring academics would not be very smart even if they want to serve. Also I hear the vetting has lead quite a few number of people to pull their names. See Think progress for some good posts on this.

  111. 111.

    Ed Marshall

    @sgwhiteinfla:

    Maybe, but you would have seen a brand new opposition develop instantly, business wouldn’t have time to hold meetings about how to screw over unions they would have been plotting the overthrow of John Sydney McCain.

  112. 112.

    passerby

    I don’t often find it necessary to berate someone, but who was that stupid woman who asked about race. I didn’t catch her name. I recognize her as one of those washington cocktail circuit panelist types.

    It was a nebulous question and more muck raking than enlightening.

  113. 113.

    camchuck

    Obama was poised, had a firm grasp of policy specifics and took time and care to explain things. So of course…

    Drudge Headline: BEING BORING

    Oh, and also this: "OBAMA DITCHES TELEPROMPTER FOR GIANT TV MONITOR…"

  114. 114.

    mr. whipple

    @Ed Marshall:

    Shorter Obama: if your motivation to donate to charity is a tax write off, and this small difference means you won’t donate, yer an asshole.

  115. 115.

    valdivia

    so can someone tell me about this Ed Henry guy? Was he really a gossip columnist? Really?

    So Ed Henry, Gossip Boy?

  117. 117.

    Laura W

    @Dennis-SGMM:

    McCain would have been assuring the press that in just six more months we’d be turning the corner in our war with Iran.

    At first I snickered quietly at your funny joke…and then I threw up in my mouth a little bit while imagining What Could Have Been.

    Deep cleansing breath…

  118. 118.

    Davis X. Machina

    "I get to deduct 39% while the plumber who makes $20k only gets to deduct 25%. That’s not fair."

    I noticed he chose ‘plumber’. Heh.

  119. 119.

    passerby

    @mr. whipple:

    Shorter Obama: if your motivation to donate to charity is a tax write off, and this small difference means you won’t donate, yer an asshole.

    I gave him a Booya! when he said that.

  121. 121.

    valdivia

    @passerby:

    No prob! It may have been Matt Yglesias. I will try to find the links and post them. (I also think Ezra Klein may have some on this too)

  125. 125.

    Laura W

    @valdivia:

    I will try to find the links and post them.

    Don’t you mean: "I’ll try and find you some and bring ’em to ya"?

  126. 126.

    gwangung

    Shorter Obama: if your motivation to donate to charity is a tax write off, and this small difference means you won’t donate, yer an asshole.

    Awwwight!

    And as a fundraiser…all of our major donors who give the big bucks feel the same way—they give because they dig the organization

  128. 128.

    maya

    I was trying to remember what Bush did during his first 67 days.
    Wasn’t he well into his stride to eclipse, Ronnie the Sacred’s, total number of vacation days taken while in office record? Damn that 9/11! Damn! Damn! Damn!

  131. 131.

    Ash

    @valdivia: That was a fucking AP article? As in….the Associated Press? Someone please help me before my brain explodes all over my pretty MacBook.

  132. 132.

    TheOfficialHatOnMyCat

    @Laura W:

    Just trying to help you out. You were throwing up in your mouth.

    I always like a quickdissolve Tums(tm) and then a mint after that action.

  133. 133.

    Blogreeder

    I was trying to remember what Bush did during his first 67 days

    I predict you wouldn’t give a shit.

  134. 134.

    passerby

    I’ve been giving more thought to the idea of Obama giving well reasoned answers to the press and it occurs to me that all other politicians have grown used to communicating in sound bites, ever leery of saying something the least bit unpopular. They were aware that the press could repeat it and/or misconstrue it and in such a way, they were controlled by the press. Always walking on eggshells.

    But Obama doesn’t operate that way. He doesn’t play that game. He gives the bad news in a reasonable fashion seemingly unconcerned about media blow back. He takes it like a man, so to speak. I think he understands that people can be reasoned with and that we’re not as dumb and the media think we are.

    Eventually, the talking heads should tire of sensationalizing the unsensationable and maybe we’ll see a more intelligent treatment of events. [wonder how long that would take]

    Of course there will always be a market for hair-on-fire shows but I predict a shrinking audience.

    or not.

  135. 135.

    valdivia

    @Ash:

    yep. I have come to expect it of them given that their political editor is that guy (cant remember the name) who was offered a job with Rove.

    Bhall @ 138 yes that is who I meant, he not only writes for them he is the one who determines what gets written as he is BC for AP in DC I think. I actually had not noticed he had written the piece. What a tool.

  136. 136.

    gizmo

    It just occurred to me that the media had weeks to prepare their questions for the President. And we just saw what they came up with.

    Yikes….

  137. 137.

    Laura W

    @TheOfficialHatOnMyCat: Yeah, I know your intentions were pure.
    I think I’ve chewed my daily allotment of antacids already.
    I guess I could clean up my diet and quit drinking wine again, but then I turn on the teevee and ask: Why bother?
    What to do, what to do?

  140. 140.

    SGEW

    Some perspective, from March 15th, 2001:

    Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters that he would pick up where the Clinton administration left off in working toward a deal that would shut down North Korea’s missiles. Soon he had to backtrack, caught up short by the President’s own hard line taken in his Oval Office meeting with Kim — a meeting that was a diplomatic disaster by any standard.
    . . .
    The President had meant to speak in the future tense, they explained; Bush was concerned that Pyongyang wouldn’t keep to a potential missile agreement. When asked why the President can’t keep his verb tenses straight for even one sentence, an advisor said, "that’s the way the President speaks."

    Sure was a long eight years, wasn’t it?

  141. 141.

    Davis X. Machina

    That AP article is by that genius Ron Fournier. Remember him?

    Yeah. President McCain’s first-term press secretary.

  142. 142.

    Library Grape

    late to the party but i have to say that i feel so supremely comfortable that my government is probably generally doing the right thing right now. it’s hard to describe how fundamentally unsettled Bush and his cronies made me. Adults In The White House FTW!

    P.S. Wingnut assholes who continue to whinge on about teleprompters need to STFU already

  143. 143.

    sgwhiteinfla

    I feel the need to make a point about Major Garrett’s question where he tried to scare people with the words communist and socialist. There is a reason you will hear wingnuts flog the "China wants a world currency" meme. Supposedly in the end times there will be a one world currency a one world religion and one world rule by the anti christ. I only know this because I am actually a fan of the "Left Behind" books. Thats really the subtext of his question so when you hear other wingnuts like Michele Bachman trying to make hay out of the issue just understand that its a dog whistle for the religious right.

  144. 144.

    JenJen

    CNN is entertaining tonight! They’re awfully salty about the Ed Henry exchange, which of course makes it all the funnier.

    Alex Castellanos just said we got our first gilimpse of Obama as a One-Termer, do guffaws from David Gergen and Paul Begala.

    Begala FTW though (doubt I’m getting this exactly right): "Alex, he’s 62 days in with about a 62% approval rating. If by the end of the first term he’s awful, we can just do what we did with George Bush and re-elect him anyway!"

    To which Alex sniffed, "This is no laughing matter, Paul." Actually, in my house that entire segment was a laughing matter.

  145. 145.

    passerby

    @TheOfficialHatOnMyCat:

    She gets to ask the leader of the free world a question and that’s what she does with the opportunity? She could’ve ask what Obama hoped to accomplish at the upcoming G-20 summit but no. (Wished someone would have asked that.)

    Ann Compton, complete idiot.

  147. 147.

    sgwhiteinfla

    Stuck in moderation so reposting.

    I feel the need to make a point about Major Garrett’s question where he tried to scare people over China. There is a reason you will hear wingnuts flog the "China wants a world currency" meme. Supposedly in the end times there will be a one world currency a one world religion and one world rule by the anti christ. I only know this because I am actually a fan of the "Left Behind" books. Thats really the subtext of his question so when you hear other wingnuts like Michele Bachman trying to make hay out of the issue just understand that its a dog whistle for the religious right.

  149. 149.

    Brachiator

    @passerby:

    Eventually, the talking heads should tire of sensationalizing the unsensationable and maybe we’ll see a more intelligent treatment of events.

    Unfortunately, the natural and most comfortable stance of the media is political kabuki, shallow sensationalism and gotcha moments. Look how many journalists have fought back against Jon Stewart’s dismantling of Cramer. Instead of using this as an opportunity to bring consistently good economic reporting, they have to defend the status quo, i.e., that broadcasters make money on "rah rah" economics infotainment commercials, and desperately resent that Stewart, a mere comedian, would dare shake the money tree or mock their empty preening.

    Similarly, modern political journalism could not exist without conference calls, talking points, cozying up to sources, and the content-empty posturing of the Sunday pundit shows. There are hours of faux news to fill so that eyeballs can be delivered to advertisers. An informed public is the last thing on anyone’s mind.

    By the way, you will know that the nadir has been reached when a reporter asks the president, "Nice suit. What designer are you wearing?" Or when someone comments that the president smiled too much. Oops. This last has already happened.

  151. 151.

    JG

    CNN is too stooopid to even quantify, but why do they keep showing idiots saying the Ed Henry smackdown was a "dodge" and sign of "simmering anger," and – my favorite – a sign that Obama will be a one-term President (go Alex Castellanos!).

    Also – word cloud? Really?

    Last, Jake Tapper, always an idiot, might have asked Obama to commit to not signing a concurrent budget resolution he doesn’t actually need to sign.

  152. 152.

    Dennis-SGMM

    Part of the reason that the press sucks so badly in this setting is that they were conditioned to a presser every few months at which they’d get malapropisms, smirks, "That’s a trick question," and boilerplate. Bush loved stupid questions. Ask enough of them and you got a cool nickname. We need some new journos, ones who haven’t been conditioned by eight years of teh stupid.

  154. 154.

    mr. whipple

    @valdivia:

    Gergen just said Obama looked tired and is lowering his goals.

    In general, CNN is bashing the hell outta him. They all must help their buddy Henry, it’s the code.

  155. 155.

    NonyNony

    @Brachiator:

    Look how many journalists have fought back against Jon Stewart’s dismantling of Cramer. Instead of using this as an opportunity to bring consistently good economic reporting, they have to defend the status quo

    I ain’t going to defend the journamalists, but this isn’t exactly a dynamic that is unique to them. In any job I’ve had, and in any school I attended, if one group gets criticized they immediately band together and get defensive. It’s a human dynamic – some outsider says mean things about someone in your group and you jump to defend him. At least partly because you know that those criticisms are true of you too, and partly because shaking up the status quo is never good if you’re in a comfortable position.

    Most of our press corpse lives pretty comfortably and they like the status quo. They don’t want to shake it up. I’d even argue that anyone who makes six figures plus a year and isn’t in favor of maintaining the status quo is either one of nature’s few natural-born rebels, an idiot, or crazy. So of course 90-some percent of the press corpse is leaping to Cramer’s defense – the status quo that Stewart (one of nature’s few natural-born rebels) is shaking up is one that has done some pretty damn good things for them. And Cramer is their friend. It’s a one-two punch and it’s human nature to defend it.

    (Actually a lot of politics boils down to some variation of this dynamic in the abstract. Kind of sad that the same dynamic that determines who sits where in a middle school lunchroom also gets to determine what your tax rate is going to be and whether your 401K is being adequately regulated, isn’t it?)

  156. 156.

    sgwhiteinfla

    Dennis SGMM

    I don’t know if you noticed but most of these clowns are actually new, not the same one who coddled Bush. But the problem is most of them also covered McCain during the Presidential campaign instead of Obama so they were conditioned to hate President Obama but also to ask shitty questions. Seriously, I think only Jake Tapper covered Obama during the campaign and he was a major douche even then which is probably the only reason he got to keep the gig.

  157. 157.

    passerby

    And about the teleprompter. I noticed that Obama had the teleprompter directly in front of him, looking right into the camera instead of his usual side to side. He came across as speaking directly to the viewers vs to the press assembly. He should keep that in the act.

    Also, for those following the the press conference post mortem on the chatter box, is anyone pointing out that the teleprompter was only in use for about 8 minutes? For the rest of the hour he was extemporaneous. Bet they won’t focus on that tidbit else they’d have to sit down and shut up.

    Payasos.

  158. 158.

    valdivia

    @mr. whipple:

    sigh. why am I not surprised. I wonder sometimes if they see what we all see or if they live in a parallel universe. And Castellanos really said Obama would be a one term president? Based on this press conference.

    head. hits. desk. again.

  159. 159.

    inthewoods

    Are the pickings really that slim?

    Yes. Who’d want to do the hard work of figuring this stuff out, when you can just relax at home and critique?

    Anyone head over to Redstate for their open thread? Man, just sad. Jokes about the teleprompter and that’s about it. And only about 20 comments. Dead.

  161. 161.

    someguy

    The unremitting media hostility was a real embarrassment but the President has really won me over to his way of thinking, in spite of the media being completely in the bag for the Republicans or totally taken with blowing each other. How he ever gets his message out at all is beyond me.

  162. 162.

    mr. whipple

    @valdivia:

    Castellanos also kinds inferred that goopers would be against regulating wall street. I only hope they keep listening to people as dumb as he is, like limbaugh.

    Jeebus, they are dumb.

  163. 163.

    Brick Oven Bill

    Obama’s team is on to my OSI. This team has now switched to a single monitor for Obama to read his talks. This has to be Axelrod or Rahm. Bastards.

    Now how am I supposed to judge my President’s mood? What am I supposed to do?

  164. 164.

    Svensker

    Jonah Goldberg is talking about the teleprompter over at NRO. And he gave Obama a "B" for being boring.

    I’ll take one of them there cigareetes, though, if there are any left.

  166. 166.

    passerby

    @sgwhiteinfla:

    "Left Behind" books. Thats really the subtext of his question so when you hear other wingnuts like Michele Bachman trying to make hay out of the issue just understand that its a dog whistle for the religious right.

    That’s interesting because when Bernanke answered her "one currency" question this afternoon, he sorted waved his right hand in a dismissive motion. I thought it a peculiar gesture and felt that he wanted to elaborate but she moved on, with her air of affected superiority and self importance, to her next question.

  167. 167.

    valdivia

    Ron Fournier should go report from mars about water being found there. Or maybe partner with Glen Beck?

    I want to see the republicans square the circle of populist outrage while opposing financial regulations.

  169. 169.

    Davis X. Machina

    Seriously, I think only Jake Tapper covered Obama during the campaign and he was a major douche even then which is probably the only reason he got to keep the gig.

    The only thing Jake Tapper ever covered was Jake Tapper. I’ll bet dollars to donuts he does internal monologues, like the young Reverend Scott Sloan in the early Doonesbury: ‘Here comes Jake Tapper, hard-hitting journalist….’

  170. 170.

    passerby

    "Gergen just said Obama looked tired and is lowering his goals."

    I thought when he first came out that he seemed a little tense. Also, there was tension in his voice as he read his opening comments–up to the point when he began answering questions when he was smooth and engaging.

    Michelle and the girls are at Camp David this week, spring break. With them gone, bet he’s working overtime in preparation for the G-20.

  171. 171.

    valdivia

    so according to some guy from Hearst Newspapers Obama’s honeymoon ended because he went and did the Leno show. Huh?

  172. 172.

    MikeJ

    Drudge Headline: BEING BORING

    You know, when I posted earlier in the Deep Thought thread, Joe will want to know why everything was soooooo serious and dull. I was making fun of the "how dare he make a joke" meme.

    Reality moves faster than parody these days.

  173. 173.

    Brachiator

    @passerby:

    Also, for those following the the press conference post mortem on the chatter box, is anyone pointing out that the teleprompter was only in use for about 8 minutes?

    The chattering media doesn’t realize that Obama is using them to communicate to the American people. They think it’s all about them. And I don’t mean "using" cynically. If a reporter asks a good question, Obama uses it to communicate. If a reporter asks a stoopid question, Obama deflects it and communicates.

    Jonah Goldberg is talking about the teleprompter over at NRO. And he gave Obama a "B" for being boring.

    Reviewer Jonathan Mirskty, in the February issue of the UK magazine, Literary Review, says all that anyone needs to know about Jonah Goldberg:

    In over forty years of reviewing books, this is a first: I am ensuring that no word or phrase from this review can be used by any but the most scurrilous publisher for a jacket quote indicating that I think well of ‘Liberal Fascism.’ But publishers are free to tweezer out these words: rant, slimy, smear, weasel.

  174. 174.

    passerby

    @JenJen:

    JenJen, sorry, I had missed your observation about Compton’s stupid stupid question before I made my up-thread comment. Was she really not expecting to be called on? I remember her kind of acting surprised when she stood up but now that you mention it, this makes her not only stupid, but lazy. Who goes to a press conference by the POTUS and doesn’t have a question prepared? (Compton, evidently)

    Chuck Todd’s question was just dumb. If it weren’t for Russert’s passing, he’d still be crunching house races. I’m thinking he’s in over his head. I also liked him better when he’d crunch house races.

    Exactly. He’s a nice guy trying to be a tough, hard hitting guy and it seems like he out of his league. i though he was great in his number crunching days.

  175. 175.

    Elie

    #99The OfficialHatonMyCat —

    Man, you have me laughing so hard! "two dogs looking at the periodic table" Yuk,yuk,yuk —

    Lots of great comments tonight gang, so enjoying it!

  176. 176.

    Arachnae

    Ed Henry translated: "Don’t You Get It? Why aren’t you channeling the inchoate rage of the Herd Mind?"

    Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather a president spent his time trying to FIX things rather than reacting to our often-inappropriate emotions.

  178. 178.

    ImJohnGalt

    In over forty years of reviewing books, this is a first: I am ensuring … the … publisher … that I think well of ‘Liberal Fascism.’

    FAIL.

  179. 179.

    Davis X. Machina

    The teleprompter thing is whatever lies on the far side of lame.

    He had a prepared opening statement. He used a teleprompter.

    I have a speech class in a high school in rural Maine, and fer chrissakes, I have a teleprompter — $40 total, mostly for the half-silvered mirror, and a good shop teacher. And if you’re speaking on camera, you use it. This isn’t Gladstone-and-Disraeli-debate-the-Reform-Bill, people — it’s 2009.

    It’s what you do.

  180. 180.

    Xanthippas

    I wonder if they will bring back the “human hologram.”

    Boy, that was just plain silly. Election night and I felt like I was watching a mashup of CNN and Star Wars.

  181. 181.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    I said during the primaries when everyone was so worried about Obama and Clinton, that it seemed like Obama was playing 3D chess and the rest of us were playing checkers*. I ceased to worry about him since then. He’s got it covered in all dimensions.

    *It appears, after tonight, that some are playing tic-tac-toe.

  182. 182.

    os

    Teleprompter? Because we know the teleprompter can predict what questions will be asked and spits out the answer so barack has enough time to read it. And i suppose that without a teleprompter somehow the policies would be different or maybe he doesnt know what his own policies are so he has to have them on a screen? Not really sure what traction they are trying to gain but keep running in quick sand if youd like

  185. 185.

    JenJen

    @passerby: Ann Compton does remote stuff for ABC Radio affiliates across the country, and this afternoon around rush hour I was listening to her on WLW-700. She was joking about the evening’s press conference and how "amped up" all the reporters were (*cough*BUT NOT ANN*cough*). She also chatted with the host about what kind of questions we could expect, etc. It was entirely banal, drive-time radio filler.

    Just some background on how Ms. Compton spent her day, because she sure didn’t spend it preparing a question or two to ask of the President of the United States, you know, in the unlikely event, or something.

  188. 188.

    Blogreeder

    Just got home from school late. Just Some Fuckhead’s bus ran our short bus into a ditch.

    Taking your cue from your leader, now the metally challenged are fair game! Short bus, must mean he’s stoopid, right?

  189. 189.

    r€nato

    Shorter Obama: if your motivation to donate to charity is a tax write off, and this small difference means you won’t donate, yer an asshole.

    yeah, my father is one of those assholes.

    Actually, he doesn’t give a fucking dime to charity. If he ever gave somebody something for nothing, his dick might shrivel up and fall off or something.

    He just likes to cheat and take the maximum deduction for charity you can get away with (I think it’s $600 or so), without having to provide substantial proof. So in his mind, that bastard Obama is taking money out of his pocket with that one.

    Sure glad I don’t speak to that narcissistic piece of shit any longer, so I don’t have to listen to him bitching about that one. I think I’d have to stab the fucker or something.

  190. 190.

    iluvsummr

    @sgwhiteinfla: Hmm, I’m actually wondering whether any other country would take China’s call for an international reserve currency that replaces the dollar seriously. Seems unlikely, but it would be a disaster if they did. Of course, neither Garrett or Bachmann is interested in that aspect of things, since all that matters is pushing the anti-Christ meme.

    Oh and Ed Henry is a tool.

  192. 192.

    TheOfficialHatOnMyCat

    @JenJen:

    What, her "Do you guys use the n-word in your cabinet meetings?" question didn’t impress you?

    Holder: This round office is fo shizzle.
    Obama: Nigga please, those white folks are fukkin whack man!

  193. 193.

    Nellcote

    All week Chuckie T’s been begging people to email him questions to ask the Prez. Sad.

  194. 194.

    JenJen

    @TheOfficialHatOnMyCat: It’s just so funny when the press spends the better half of a lovely spring day boasting of how hard they’re gonna pwn3 the President, only to get pwn3d themselves.

    I feel for Ann Compton. But honestly, did she think she was going to a Tea Party? Oh, fuck, I can’t use that metaphor anymore…

  195. 195.

    Svensker

    @Brachiator:

    In over forty years of reviewing books, this is a first: I am ensuring that no word or phrase from this review can be used by any but the most scurrilous publisher for a jacket quote indicating that I think well of ‘Liberal Fascism.’ But publishers are free to tweezer out these words: rant, slimy, smear, weasel.

    Heh, indeedy. No one pwns like the Brits.

  196. 196.

    Svensker

    @ImJohnGalt:

    In over forty years of reviewing books, this is a first: I am ensuring … the … publisher … that I think well of ‘Liberal Fascism.’
    FAIL.

    LOL

  197. 197.

    DaddyJ

    I stopped watching full-length Presidential press conferences in the aughts for reasons of self-preservation, so I’ve been out of the loop for quite a while. But what really struck me about the clips I’ve seen is how much makeup and hairspray many of the journos are slathering on themselves. Mr. Henry in particular looks like he’s in the studio, hosting the Ed Henry Show. When did the preening narcissists start outnumbering the real journalists?

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