He has not held a press conference since July of 2009. He just signed the Freedom of the Press act and then refused to take questions on it afterwards. He won't allow press into many of his events and keeps them away from anyone that is controversial. He stopped his chef from tweeting about a dinner he was going to the other night. He won't allos the press near his Supreme court nominee's family. Most of his negotiations witht eh health care bill were behind closed doors. What is he so afraid of? The truth getting out there?
chainsawbob wrote: I'm not sure if it is he that is afraid of the press or the people he really works for (not us) is afraid of what he might say.
Good point. He has said some pretty stupid things when there is not a teleprompter there to tell him what to say. I think he has to be the first world leader in history to have to use a teleprompter in a 6th grade class to know how to talk to them. This is the funniest clip about it with Jon Stewart.
LopingAlong wrote: Really?
You guys crack me up! After that last baboon in office who couldn't think or talk his way out of a paperbag? rofllol
At least his thoughts were partly his own. Pretty much every word Obama speaks is written for him. He hasn't had an original thought since he got into office. And when he tries to go off the telepromplter he says some really stupid things. He needs a teleprompter just to answer the telephone.
But that still doesn't answer my question. Why won't he hold a press conference and answer questions where he doesn't already have the answers written down for him?
LopingAlong wrote: Really?
You guys crack me up! After that last baboon in office who couldn't think or talk his way out of a paperbag? rofllol
At least his thoughts were partly his own. Pretty much every word Obama speaks is written for him. He hasn't had an original thought since he got into office. And when he tries to go off the telepromplter he says some really stupid things. He needs a teleprompter just to answer the telephone.
But that still doesn't answer my question. Why won't he hold a press conference and answer questions where he doesn't already have the answers written down for him?
To answer your question, I don't know. But I sit here chuckling out loud (I love talking to you, Viking!) because to say that Bush EVER had a single thought that was even partly his own, I'd have to think that would be him deciding which party to go to when he was in college. And as for having things written down? I have no problem with that. Beats stumbling around like some uneducated bumpkin.
I'm sorry. You know how you feel about Obama? Well, pretty much times that by about 159 and you'll have a vague idea of how the Bush Adiministration affected me. I honestly can not think of even one thing, really ONE thing that Bush did that I think propelled the story forward. I'm sure he did. I just couldn't see it, nor can I yet. I fear we will feel the wrath of that anti-Christ for years to come. I didn't like Reagan either--thought he was the scourge of the earth out to kill it, but Bush flat out makes that guy look like a friggin' saint.
But how many INTERVIEWS with reporters has he granted since taking office?
Obama prefers interviews and has granted far more than Bush or Clinton in their first years in office. Between Jan. 20, 2009 and Jan. 20, 2010, Obama’s given 161 interviews, according to Martha Joynt Kumar, who scrupulously tabulates presidential communication as a political science professor at Towson University. Bush gave 50, Clinton 53.
“President Obama has focused on interviews in a way that his predecessors did not,” Kumar said. “That's because as a professor, as a lawyer, he likes to put in all of the 'buts' and 'wherefores' and talk about something in-depth. He sees himself as an explainer. And the kind of format that is comfortable for him is one where he can speak at length.”
Defending Obama against press gripes over the recent lack of a full-blown press conference, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs pointed to Obama’s interviews.
“We have done countless number of interviews,” Gibbs said. “More interviews in the first year than any president certainly in recent memory.”
And I think Obama thinks more clearly in interviews. Compared to the hurly-burly of a press conference, it seems a more intelligent discussion.
And with no press conferences, we don't have to see that old troll who should have retired decades ago. One other advantage, I think press conferences are more about reporters trying to get air time blurting out gotcha questions.
By the way, Clinton and Bush weren't big fans of Presidential Press conferences either. Clinton should have been pretty good in the format, but with Monicagate, he decided he didn't want to schedule very many at all.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
A president should be able to think clearly on his feet. It is clear that Obama is not a quick study and he requires more on the job training. His lack of experience still shows 2 years into the job.
Thanks Wayne!
