Blogs and Stories
Game On! Obama's Clash With The White House Press Corps
)
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP Photo
So much for the media honeymoon. Obama's dustup with reporters Thursday night reveals he's got Bush's touch with the White House press corps. Plus, the four reporters who could give him fits.
President Obama may have started to reverse Bush's policies regarding the war on terror, but when it comes to his policy toward the media, the new president isn't just working from the same playbook, he's perfecting the moves.
On Thursday evening, Obama made an unannounced visit to the journalists' White House workspace, shaking hands and joking with the same locker-room bonhomie familiar to observers of George W. Bush. He snarked that the crowding and competition for space was "worse than the Middle East." He let them know he'd already gotten two workouts in. And then Jonathan Martin, a reporter from Politico, asked about the appointment of a former Raytheon lobbyist as deputy defense secretary.
Obama didn't give a substantive response, which is disappointing but hardly unusual or even especially indicative of a Bush-style attitude toward the press. But threatening to cut off access if reporters don't stick to softballs in social settings? That's what Bush wanted from the press—and it's what made bloggers and other media critics go into conniptions over schmoozefests like the Correspondents' Dinner. Obama sounded exactly like Bush, maybe even more forceful, when he made the threat explicit: "I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."
My guess is that Obama did not make his appearance in the press area Thursday night to forge stronger, more personal relationships with the members of the White House press corps. He did it so that Jonathan Martin would look like an asshole.
I'm not sure what Obama expected from coming to visit the White House press corps besides getting "grilled," though perhaps the largely adoring coverage he got during the campaign confused him.
There's a place for noncombative small talk between politicians and the people who cover them. It's called "off the record." The practice of trading an on the record quote for a more relaxed interaction can be abused, but its great advantage is that everyone involved understands the ground rules. Some reporters may try to wring a response to a tough question out of it, but most reporters see it as a situation in which they can let their guard down, too, and perhaps make a more personal impression that will lead to more direct answers. Maybe even just returning a phone call.
But my guess is that Obama did not make his appearance in the press area Thursday night to forge stronger, more personal relationships with the members of the White House press corps. He did it so that Jonathan Martin, or whichever reporter dared to ask a question, would look like an asshole.
Right now the slot for this administration's David Gregory is wide open, and who you think might be best for job depends largely on whether you believe Gregory's approach was tough, news-oriented, and no-nonsense or showy, superficial, and self-indulgent. ABC's Jake Tapper—full disclosure, he's an old friend—gained no fans among the Obama staff, and plaudits from McCain aides, for his unrelenting coverage during the election. Chuck Todd, White House correspondent and political director for NBC, is a nontraditional fit for the role of television correspondent: kind of geeky and not overtly confrontational, but he does have a grasp of political minutiae that could prove deadly in a back-and-forth. The Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet is probably the only reporter in Washington who doesn't see Obama as anything special, having covered him for longer than any of them. But the person with the most potential to shake up Obama's team might be someone—like Martin—they haven't had to deal with before, someone with nothing to lose.
Journalists don't usually need that much help being confrontational, and, to be blunt, being assholes is kind of our job. But no president has started the job as well liked personally by voters as Obama is right now, and he has as much to gain by giving moderates and liberals—traditionally sympathetic to the media—a personal reason to dislike the press.
Ana Marie Cox is a Wonkette emerita, political junkie, self-hating journalist, and author of Dog Days. She has worked for Time, Mother Jones, Suck, and most recently, Radar. Follow her on Twitter.
How Obama Wins in 2012
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono.
10 Power Food Combos
Divya Gugnani is the CEO and founder of BehindtheBurner.com, an emerging culinary media brand that creates expert-based content about food, wine, mixology, and nutrition.
Chicago Dodged a Bullet
Wonkette emerita, political junkie, self-hating journalist, and author of Dog Days. She has worked for Time, Mother Jones, Suck, and most recently, Radar. Follow her on Twitter.
God Loves Obama
Wonkette emerita, political junkie, self-hating journalist, and author of Dog Days. She has worked for Time, Mother Jones, Suck, and most recently, Radar. Follow her on Twitter.
John McCain Discovers Technology a Year Too Late
Wonkette emerita, political junkie, self-hating journalist, and author of Dog Days. She has worked for Time, Mother Jones, Suck, and most recently, Radar. Follow her on Twitter.
epoker
FACT CHECK: Lynn Sweet is a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. That's poor showing for someone who comments with "authority" about all-things DC. Being an asshole is one thing, being a wrong, careless, jabbering asshole a whole other thing.
Groovymarlin
"But no president has started the job as well liked personally by voters is Obama is right now, and he has as much to gain by giving moderates and liberals-traditionally sympathetic to the media-a personal reason to dislike the press."
Does Daily Beast have a copy editor or what? I'm assuming the "is" before "Obama" is a typo substitution for "as," but even so the whole sentence doesn't seem to make much sense.
ajfkibc-ta
For goodness sakes, it's only his 3rd day on the job. Give him a break if he is not familiar with the White House Press Room rules and didn't say "off the record".
But MY guess is that only an asshole would guess that he had a plan to to go there and make 1 or all of you look like assholes. And since you're the one that guessed it, you are the asshole - not Martin, not Obama
TeddyKGB
Considering the monster splash that Politico put on its front page after Obama rebuked their question, I think you've got it backwards who wanted to make a fool of whom.
Didn't Gibbs say when Politico and Halperin start acting diva-ish, he's doing his job properly? There is a difference between being a muckraker and a troll.
cherylmc85048
The press totally dropped the ball on the Iraq war (sorry but those who feel Bush was treated with 'liberal media bias' are on crack!!) The press is supposed to report the news and ask the tough questions...I voted for Obama and believe in him but think that ALL elected officials must be accountable and the press is really our first line of defense.
That being said these are serious times and the amount of coverage the press spends on real issues is less than adequate; as such, I no longer watch the news because it is ridiculous. If the press corp acts professionally and asks serious questions (at least 95% of the time) that is one thing but if not then they should be told to hit the road and not waste our time .
whodak
Does every interaction HAVE to be an interrogation? I didn't read what Obama said as a threat, I read it as, do we have to get into that now? I don't believe he would nominate someone he can't defend. He's new and naive, and likely thought he could drop by casually and say hello. But he forgot, reporters are assholes. And I agree, take a moment to proofread your work.
alibealibe
Why do you reporters want to be loved? If you all would stand up for your fellow journalists when someone is trying to make them look like an asshole. like when Bush tried to shun Helen Thomas. Where was the outrage? Why didn't the entire press corps stand up for her? Why didn't they jump up and boycot? Why didn't they write scathing pieces about what he did/ What pussies you are? And gutless and stupid and silly and.............
theblender
ditto to all the above.... gee.
Swick2730
Agreed with those above. The press should have started asking critical questions 7 years ago. Obama has to tread lightly or this mess we're all in now will be credited to him by the conservatives even though they've been in power for the majority of the last 28 years. Obama and his handlers know he must be careful not to give them ammunition for future power grabs. Go bother Bush at his ranch and Cheney in his cave if you really want to sort out our current problems.
mikefromArlington
Sorry Miss Cox, Johnathan Martin is a complete idiot. He had already mentioned two or three times he wasn't there to answer questions but to meet everyone and have a look around. Then, Johnathan Martin, trying to get a story and thinking he would try and put Obama on the spot, asked this question.
Second, your entire paragraph here:
"But my guess is that Obama did not make his appearance in the press area last night to forge stronger, more personal relationships with the members of the White House press corps. He did it so that Jonathan Martin, or whatever reporter dared to ask a question, would look like an asshole."
is complete made up garbage. You honestly think Obama was out to make someone look like an asshole?
Really?
Considering how he is a personable person one would be left to believe he was in fact getting to know the reporters personally since he will be working closely with them for the next eight years.
It's a shame children like Johnathan Martin are too stupid to realize it.
dwurry
Looks like crap, smells like crap...must be Ana Marie Cox making mountains out of mole hills. So you're saying Ana, that Obama's asking not to be grilled for visiting the press room is tantamount to Bush deniying NYT security clearance for 8 years. Is that it? You're rediculous.
mediajackal
Going off the record can cause more problems than it creates solutions. I consider "off the record" to mean whatever I learn after agreeing to go OTR is untouchable. I work for a chain; corporate policy prohibits reporters from agreeing to go off the record. We will reluctantly accept a response "on deep background," but only after pushing the issue -- hard. Someone, and I would give him/her credit if I could remember, once said there are three acceptable answers to a question: "I know and I can tell you"; "I know and I can't tell you," and "I don't know." These are acceptable if A) they are honest responses to a question and B) "I don't know" is followed by "you'll have to ask X."
As for being an asshole as prerequisite for being a reporter: It is possible to be a civil asshole. And it surprises the hell out of them ...
xbainx
I voted for Obama. This article is very fair. I don't think what the president said was earth shattering at all.
Remember Not Telling and Not Lying are two different things. That said, grill Obama! He can take it, and can't risk kicking anyone out.
Don't be surprised if he ignores everyone from Fox News though. That's just good judgement.
Berengina
Annoying, nitpicking trash - that's all Washington reporters are writing about now. They just have to carp and bithc, especially when there is nothing to bithc about.
TheByzantine
The President stops by for some friendly chit chat and gets ambushed. He should know better because most reporters are anal spots.
Of course, the job of press is to be fierce watchdogs comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. Except that for eight years the press were apologists during Bush's reign of lawlessness, kowtowing and prostrating themselves. I suppose under these circumstances some discretion is expecting too much.
Today, reporters are partisan puppets spouting the spin of those they fancy; lap dogs who snooze when not lapping.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.