Obama white house shuts out reporters, does own newscast

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Yes, it's just a basketball game.  But this is how it starts...
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/do-you-want-you.html

Do You Want Your OTV?

May 20, 2009 5:56 PM

On April 27, President Obama welcomed the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies, who had just won the NCAA women's basketball championship.

After the event, President Obama went to the White House basketball court to shoot hoop with the Lady Huskies. The White House press corps was not allowed to attend.

Reads the print pool report from that day: "After shaking hands with the team's parents and members of Congress who showed up, the president walked the team over to his basketball court and shot hoops. The pool was held back from the stroll down the drive and around the corner, and couldn't see the court. Poolers could hear periodic cheering coming from the other side of the bushes."

Read the TV pool report: "Your Pool was not allowed to go over and shoot POTUS with the team shooting hoops.  We protested loudly."

Now we know why: Obama White House officials decided to do their own media report on the visit, complete with cuts, interviews, and chyrons identifying who's speaking.

Also, just like a network, they have their own little logo!

Cute!

It's perfectly fine, of course, for the White House to put out its own version of events -- but is it right to do so by preventing actual reporters from covering something? (Even something like a pickup basketball game).

Do Obama White House officials think their media coverage isn't flattering enough?

Is the goal to ultimately replace the pesky photographers who film what they want to and not what they're told to (not to mention the annoying reporters who ask uncomfortable questions about, say, detainee policy and bank bailouts)?

Do you want your OTV? (I'll bet there are a few takers out there.)

- jpt

Click the link for video

[HankB]

Not smart, to cut out the media . . . if His High and Mightiness begins to treat his loyal subjects with contempt, their unflinching support will begin to wane . . .

And THEN he's got a real problem.

(And my reaction will be . . .  )

[Reifen]

So this was the transparency he kept talking about...

[longeyes]

The one way to alienate the press is lack of access.  That's their drug of choice.

[AJ Dual]

Very unwise move. The only thing more important to the mainstream media than it's nominal leftist bias is THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

First time it happens over a "hard news" event, they'll turn on him.

I already think it's about 60/40 odds in favor of Obama being "Carter II" and a one-termer. If the media starts hating on him, it's a certainty.

[charby]

President Bush were on the History Channel in a couple shows on the inside workings/behinds the scenes of the Whitehouse and Air Force One. He and Laura were pretty candid about everything and pretty open about their tenure there. Perhaps President Obama should start doing the same thing.

-C

[HankB]

President Bush were on the History Channel in a couple shows on the inside workings/behinds the scenes of the Whitehouse and Air Force One. He and Laura were pretty candid about everything and pretty open about their tenure there. Perhaps President Obama should start doing the same thing.

Maybe the Obamas have something to hide?

[makattak]

Maybe the Obamas have something to hide?

In this instance, the only possible thing they would have to hide is that he's not really all that good at basketball.

This decision is mystifying to me.

[buzz_knox]

In this instance, the only possible thing they would have to hide is that he's not really all that good at basketball.

This decision is mystifying to me.

It shouldn't be that strange.  Arrogant presumption explains quite a bit, as does his belief that he has a mandate.  The media and his followers built him up as a messiah figure.  Why shouldn't he act that way, especially as he's starting to take some shots from the media over his flip-flops, his adoption of Bush policies, his apparent issues with Biden, etc?

Memo to the media from the Obama staff:  he's just not that into you.  Get the hint and leave him alone.   

[Perd Hapley]

In this instance, the only possible thing they would have to hide is that he's not really all that good at basketball.

The emphasis on his basketball skillz has always puzzled me.  I think I've finally figured out that this was put out there to shore up his perceived lack of "blackness," early in the primary campaign.

But anyway, this could be a trial run to test the waters before trying this approach on a real news item.  With a presidency based so heavily on showmanship, it is not unexpected that O's handlers would try to take more control over the image, when a little real world experience is beginning to tarnish it.  A clumsy move, but His Fragile Ego-ness might be getting a bit frantic at the waning honeymoon.

[longeyes]

Everyone knows Michelle has the better jump shot.

[RoadKingLarry]

In this instance, the only possible thing they would have to hide is that he's not really all that good at basketball.

This decision is mystifying to me.

I suspect he is much better at basketball than he ever will be at being the President.

[taurusowner]

Of course he's no good at basketball.  He's a middle aged politician.  When would he possible have time to practice.  So he's more in shape than some his age, and he's half black.  We just assume that makes him good at shooting hoops?  The whole basketball thing was totally a media device used to give him the "young hip black man" image to contrast against McCain's "the same old white male politician" image.  That doesn't mean it's actually accurate to what BHO is. 

And that being said, RoadKingLarry is spot on as well.

[Scout26]

they have their own little logo

Hmmm, I wonder if they're using the old or the new one ??

[gunsmith]

OMG!

I thought this was the onion!
Jeepers

[MechAg94]

I would say that this event is pretty minor.  We'll see if this practice is carried to other events. 

[Reifen]

Yeah, I bring this up with liberal friends and the general reaction is "Who cares?  It was just a basketball game.  Stop trying to create false drama."  They refuse to even consider the idea that this might carry to more serious things later on.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

It could be a simple matter of Barry not wanting to live on camera 24/7, which is fine with me. 

It could be that the Uconn girls didn't want to be filmed in depth, which is also fine with me.

[Jamisjockey]

It is false drama.  But it bears watching, that's for sure....

[longeyes]

He can shut out reporters but he can't shut out the consquences of his policies.

We'll see how the hipness and coolness play in a year.