I can only imagine if Bush had done this.
When hyper-liberal Dana Milbank of the Washington Post realizes that The Big O's recent presser was a sham of a farce of a puppet show, then you know the entire political mechanism of media watch-doggery has gone belly up for a vigorous scratch and a nap.
Wrote Milbank: "The use of planted questioners is a no-no at presidential news conferences, because it sends a message to the world -- Iran included -- that the American press isn't as free as advertised. But yesterday wasn't so much a news conference as it was a taping of a new daytime drama, "The Obama Show."
Boom. Roasted.
And because this is a "sports" site, and you guys get all twisted in a knot when politics creeps in, read this excellent parallel to Obama slamming, jamming, and strut-walking his way up and down the court.
Wrote Joseph Curl of the Washington Times: "His opponents, the White House press corps, looked at times like the Washington Generals, known for their long-running losing streak against the invincible Harlem Globetrotters. The president put on a clinic of fancy dribbling just like Curly Neal, and even played Meadowlark Lemon to the Huffington Post's Nico Pitney, when he asked the Internet site "reporter" to lob up an alley-oop question so he could slam-dunk the answer."
Boom. Roasted.
And really, this isn't an anti-Obama entry today, it's a virulently anti-MEDIA entry. I mean, seriously, why is there so much "laughter" at issues of genuine importance by a class of media that is supposed to be highly skeptical and not easily impressed?
Don't answer that one. I already know.
I wonder if the press corp will tire of the president they helped carry across the finish line in November. I wonder if he will somehow betray them in a way that is deemed inexcusable. I wonder if even they, will get sick of his act.
Kush-lash, Kush-lash... Kush-lash, kushlash kushlash!
In the meantime, I suppose it's enough for the masses to get their bread and circuses a great phrase that is summarized nicely here from the folks at Wikipedia.
This phrase originates in Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal (c 200). In context, the Latin phrase panis et circenses (bread and circuses) is given as the only remaining cares of a Roman populace which has given up its birthright of political involvement. Here Juvenal displays his contempt for the declining heroism of his contemporary Romans.[1]:
… Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses
-(Juvenal)
Czabe you are dead on with this one...sometimes I wish you had a political blog, I'd probably over-comment on it, though. I really don't think the drooling legions that are the modern liberal press would ever turn on Obama, until he shut down their newsrooms and created a state media (and then only the non-included members of the press would complain). Then, of course, we'd be like the other great nations he aspires to transform this one into.
ReplyDeleteWe'll find out soon enough if they'll turn. As his poll numbers continue to swoon, the stimulus fails to work as intended, and one or two of his major initiatives go down to defeat, the media will be forced to either play it straight or acknowledge the fact that they are in the tank for O!. For now, they can always blame their puffery on his popularity and "successes."
ReplyDeleteOne key to the media cheerleading is the gap between his "personal" popularity and the lack of public familiarity/popularity with Obama/Reid/Pelosi policy ideas.
When (if?) the bulk of independents and google-eyed younger voters who elected this guy wake up and see that he is dooming us to slow economic/jobs growth and massive expansion of government and US debt, surely the personal popularity will fall in line with the poor poll ratings of Dem policy proposals.
Of course, the One will just blame Bush for continued economic malaise...it will be interesting to see if the media bites on that.