March 25, 2009
Yes, Father.

Posted at 2:05 pm, in: Press Conferences
Tags: Guantanamo Bay, Obama, press, Propaganda, Race, Responsibility

As promised, here are my random thoughts about last night’s press conference.

As I predicted, he opened up questioning with this, “All right. With that, let me take some questions. And I’ve got a list here.” Step one of your “filter-free” press strategy might be to stop filtering the press at your “press conferences,” and try calling on random reporters who just might ask you tough question you haven’t pre-screened.

I won’t get into his use of a teleprompter.

Now, let’s get into the Q & A part of the evening. Just a few points on this.

Ann Compton, don’t sound so surprised, I’m calling on you. What the heck was that? You call yourself a reporter? Is that really the best question you could come up with? For those who don’t know what I’m referring to, here was the exchange:

OBAMA: Ann Compton? Hey, Ann. You sound surprised.
QUESTION: I am surprised. Could I ask you about race?
OBAMA: You may.
QUESTION: Yours is a rather historic presidency. And I’m just wondering whether, in any of the policy debates that you’ve had within the White House, the issue of race has come up or whether it has in the way you feel you’ve been perceived by other leaders or by the American people? Or has the last 64 days before a relatively color- blind time?

So, Ms. Compton, this is what we should expect from a “distinguished and highly respected veteran of the White House press corps?” What if he would have told you that you couldn’t have asked him about race? See, I might have found that amusing.

I realize why Obama would pick this question, it gives him a chance to play the race card and pretend he’s not playing the race card. We get it, already! The first black president (I thought Bill Clinton already had that title?). In that sense, everything you do is historical. Get over it! We all are, as is evidenced by your dropping poll numbers.

It must suck for him as people become preoccupied with how his actions and policies are bankrupting our nation rather than how good it felt to finally elect a black man to the presidency and put race behind us (which, as is evidenced by this question, will never be behind us).

I just don’t get why you would asked it, Ms. Compton. As someone who almost entered your chosen profession, let me clarify something for you. Your job is to ask the tough questions, report to the public honestly and objectively, and speak truth to power. You are supposed to act as a watchdog, not a lapdog.

Next, President Obama called on a reporter from the Washington Times. Here, my problem was not with the question as much as it was with the first sentence of Obama’s response, “OK. No, I think it’s — I think it’s a legitimate question.”

Well, thanks Mr. President. I was wondering how you felt about the legitimacy of the question. What is so telling is that you felt you needed, and have the power, to legitimize a question from the press. We knew that you thought it was a legitimate question because you allowed it to be asked in the first place. His name would have never made your list without your stamp of approval.

Other than that, it was another boring lecture from Big Daddy. I don’t get why he’s considered such a great orator. All he ever does is depress me and make me feel like I’m getting scolded. How does this guy inspire hope? I have a new suggestion on how to torture terrorists at Gitmo: make them listen to a “press conference” featuring our Commander-in-Chief. That should do the trick.