“We’ll be having a press conference, at which type you can feel free to answer questions”

Wazzzat?

Three ‘Don’t Question the Messiah’ facts:

His preferred way to communicate is with a prepared text and teleprompter unless he can quote from his speech from 2001. This comfort with a prompter goes mostly to the fact that he gets lost. Tough question relate to the last two issues here.

He has been handed everything for so long (grandma, prep school teachers who wanted him to pass, affirmative action) that he has NO patience and will show a temper eventually. He will then permanently demonize the irritant and asking him questions has been shown to be very irritating.

He doesn’t know what he is doing and really isn’t half as bright as his teachers, the media and his followers have convinced him that he is, and he will live and die with his briefings. Ask him something outside of the info he just read and he is in trouble and he knows it.

You hang around a group of reporters long enough, sooner or later one of them is going to ask you a question.

Obama’s reaction clearly demonstrates he’s here to just feel the love and all, not address any questions the reporters might ask.

We need an objective press. And I’m not convinced that we have one.

tartan on January 23, 2009 at 9:32 PM

We need an objective press, and I’m convinced there hasn’t been on in a long, long time…if ever. The MSM (with some notable exceptions here and there) are going to be anti-conservative, pro-liberal. Those are just the ground rules we have to deal with and take for granted. The only difference this time around is that it’s just so blatant.

tartan on January 23, 2009 at 9:32 PM

And I am convinced that we do not. We are going to have to return to the time in our history when publications were up front about the political group they support. It is better than this sham of neutrality that clearly exists only in the eyes of a biased press.

Summer on January 23, 2009 at 1:58 AM

+1

I guess I dislike the Press more than Obama.
My understanding was that this was just a “meet and greet,” and the ground rules were no questions. But of course, some jerk in the press wants to ask a question anyway.
It’s not like this was a press conference, and he said, “I’m not going to answer your question.”
asc85 on January 23, 2009 at 3:02 PM

I agree. Watch the whole video for context. This seems harmless to me. Obama was trying to greet the press in an informal way. It was not a press conference by any means but someone attempted to trigger a policy discussion in a context that was totally inappropriate for it and Obama called him on it. This was meant to be a fast, informal meet and greet. Criticism will be deserved if Obama and the press continue to have these off policy, off record “friendly” encounters. (”I can’t end up visiting you guys..” wtf? ) But this one gets a pass from me, given the fact that he just entered the White House and will be spending a lot of time with these people, as all presidents do. Meet and greet.

However, I too am more frustrated with the bias in the press reporting itself than I am with Obama. This election year the MSM seemed more left leaning than I remember in any previous presidential election. So the question should be – How can we achieve neutrality of position in the press coverage?

Who was the dork that said…”I’d like to say it one more time — Mr. President”
Neutral press there.
Topsecretk9 on January 22, 2009 at 9:25 PM

Exactly. Now it could be regarded as a friendly way to make Obama feel good about his accomplishments, first black president, and he just arrived. And so I could forgive it – this time. But it’s not the sort of thing that should be happening. The press should not be trying to appeal to Obama’s ego any more than they would appeal to that of President Bush. They shouldn’t be appealing to anyone’s Ego at all. They’re the Press. Let others pat him on the back.
At any given moment, the president, any president, left or right, has the power to do some ridiculously insane things. We need an objective press. And I’m not convinced that we have one.

Pssst…and the President said no questions at this time. Maybe you would be so kind as to post the part of your Constitution stating the press has the right to badger the President. He told them no questions today as he was there to say hello. You seem as dense as the reporters who kept up with the questions.

When a woman is being assaulted by a man and says NO..No means No….. Pssst, this is the United States.

Wade on January 23, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Obama did answer all sorts of questions during his “visit” to the press room…he only got agitated when he was faced with a substantive question. As they say in Court, he opened the door.

Pssst…and the President said no questions at this time. Maybe you would be so kind as to post the part of your Constitution stating the press has the right to badger the President. He told them no questions today as he was there to say hello. You seem as dense as the reporters who kept up with the questions.

When a woman is being assaulted by a man and says NO..No means No….. Pssst, this is the United States.

Wade on January 23, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Oh, come on. Let Obama’s flunkies cover his ass for him. When a President says “no questions” to a bunch of reporters, it means “Look, fellas…I don’t have my teleprompter, OK?.”

Obama will get the hang of it soon, instead of addressing the media members personally, he’ll take care of things the old fashion (Clintonian) way.

HopenChange is alive and well, woot!

My understanding was that this was just a “meet and greet,” and the ground rules were no questions. But of course, some jerk in the press wants to ask a question anyway.

It’s not like this was a press conference, and he said, “I’m not going to answer your question.”

*runs to bathroom to puke*

Hold on to your nickers….it’s going to be a bumpy ride. i’ll bet the world is going to be very impressed with this bunch.
so much for restoring our image around the world.

Somebody wake me up from this nightmare!!

It seems the only reason he was there was to cover for Gibbs’ performance, which, of course, he NOT proud of. Wonder if Gibbs will last.

As for Obama hating to be questioned, of course he hates questions. I thought what irked him the most was that the press stooge didn’t follow directions more than the substance of the question.

He still doesn’t seem to realize how they live and breathe for him.

Boy, when the press honeymoon ends, it’ll be fun to watch…

According to who, You? The Press? You need to wise up and read the Constitution.
“Seeing as you think the Presidents has the right to set the agenda, then he will only answer the questions he wants, and on the subject he wants, and in the time he wants…other words, we work for him, he doesn’t work for us”

That is his choice. You don’t like it then vote him out or change the law, after all it has been 3 whole days and he has nothing to do but please you.

Wade on January 23, 2009 at 12:14 PM

So let’s get this straight…you don’t think that the President is beholding to the public.
You think the President totally dictates what he wants to say to the public. And we have no right to ask him any question he does not want to answer.
…He was elected President, not Dictator…I know how confused you liberals get about this.
You say for me to change the law, you are under the assumption that there is a law that states he doesn’t have to answer any questions, or that he does not work for the public.
You are not real sharp on the concept of a Republic, and representation are you…
You got the fevah!!!