The NY Times has a thumbsucker today about alleged overexposure by President Obama in the media. Now, the 
idea that the President of the United States is someone who tends to make news is never a problem with the media unless its a Democrat but what is even worse is the way the Times frames this story.
But longtime Washington hands warn that saturation coverage can diminish the power of his voice and lose public attention.
Ah-ha! Who are these Washington hands? Political veterans with no political axes to grind, I bet!
“I’m really perplexed. It’s unbelievable,” said Karen Hughes, Mr. Bush’s White House counselor. “They’ve taken his greatest political asset — his gifts as a communicator — and totally diluted them. It’s been especially notable in the last couple weeks.”
Um, what? That’s Karen Hughes, one of the top puppeteers that told Bush what to say and when to say it during his disastrous presidency. Karen Hughes has a mighty unhealthy relationship with the George W. Bush legacy, and it was her who allegedly help ghostwrite Bush’s “autobiography” A Charge To Keep. Surely there’s someone other than a Bushie hack that is concerned over this so-called overexposure.
“It’s a risk of overexposure,” said Joe Trippi, a political consultant.
Ah, well then… But wait!
Trippi continues:
“If you use it all up on health care, you may not be able to use it on something else. But if you’re going to risk using it all up, this is the one to risk it on.”
So Trippi doesn’t comport to the article’s main thesis. In fact, he says that using political capital to pass health care reform is a good thing.
The rest of the article cites no other Washington insider types on this issue. The sole voice of criticism is from Karen Hughes, a republican insider with a major role in crafting the public relations of the failed Bush administration (she also failed miserably in PR at the state department, a move that probably led to Americans being hurt or killed in the long run). The only place Hughes seems to have succeeded with PR is in getting NY Times reporter Peter Baker to carry her water.
But you fail to understand that journalisting is hard work. You have to get quotes from, like, all kinds of different people, and some of ‘em you don’t even hang out with and stuff. It’s gross.
(she also failed miserably in PR at the state department, a move that probably led to Americans being hurt or killed in the long run)
Which was truly bizarre, since Ms. Hughes was so fucking qualified and well-suited to that position. Much like Captain Dress Up was to his as “President.”
Even a stopped clock like the NYT gets one right every once in a while. With Obama appearing on ESPN every other day, racking up the frequent flyer miles on AFO, and appearing in interviews/press conferences every hour on the hour, it’s hard to then turn around and, with a straight face, say that you’re “hard at work for the American people”, especially when you’re trying to get a bill ramrodded through Congress.
Funny how when Bush was on his Bamboozlepalooza (i.e., Social Security “reform”) the talk was about how dedicated he was, not that he should just shut up and stop trying to get on TV.
However, Obama could use some help. Seeing Ms. Edwards on Maddow’s show made me wonder, “Why isn’t she out there on the Administration’s behalf?”
Funny how when Bush was on his Bamboozlepalooza (i.e., Social Security “reform”) the talk was about how dedicated he was, not that he should just shut up and stop trying to get on TV.
And funny that you mention Captain Dress-Up and Bamboozlepalooza. Here he at one of his Potempkin Town Halls, answering a scripted question from a stoolie:
I can’t wait to explain George Bush, Jr. to my children and their childre. Compare that with Obama his recent presser (or any public appearance for that matter). The ultraLiberal MSNBC blog First Read actually wrote:
Honest indeed. We’re so fucked.
“Let’s make the rest of the paper like Ross Douthat’s column”-NYT
George W. Bush, hard at work being president.
and it was her who allegedly
S/B “it was she”
/nitpick
thanks for the deal or No Deal pic, Oliver. Exactly what I was thinking. there was a President who WANTED to be overexposed.
“Honest question: Is there a point when the president knows too much about an issue?”
Jesus fucking…NO!
THE PRESIDENT: “Because the — all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases.
I begin to see why the Quittah from Wasilla resonates. They’re the only ones who can understand her.
When did Bush appear on Deal or No Deal?
A) During the debate over tax cuts
B) During the runup to the Iraq War
C) In the middle of the public debate on Social Security.
D) Right in the middle of hammering out No Child Left Behind
E) In April 2008 during the middle of the election to replace him.
True or False: Oliver had already declared Bush to be a lame duck 15 months before this photo was taken.
Fair point, SF, Bush did not spend his presidency going on stupid game shows, he spent his presidency watching football games and eating pretzels, playing golf, falling off segways clearing brush, and spending more of his time on vacation than any other president before him (and that’s not counting the time when he was actually in the oval office but out to lunch mentally).
Bush did not spend his presidency going on stupid game shows, he spent his presidency watching football games and eating pretzels, playing golf, falling off segways clearing brush, and spending more of his time on vacation than any other president before him…
…ignoring Presidential Daily Briefings entitled “Bin Laded Determined to Strike in U.S.”
True or False: Oliver had already declared Bush to be a lame duck 15 months before this photo was taken.
In O-Dub’s defense, Bush, Jr. was an inept, incurious buffoonish child who liked to play dress up and wasn’t the de facto President in any event. So you should give Oliver that.
O-Dub, don’t forget mountain biking, which was what he was up to while his family and staff were evacuated from the WH. As I recall, they didn’t interrupt his ride with that information.
Somebody please explain to me what “clearing brush” is about. Is that what you do when you have a “ranch” but you are afraid of large animals?
I can’t say whether Pres Obama is on television too much to be effective, but if you don’t think he gets more coverage than Pres Bush got – especially in his second term — you’re not paying attention, I sometimes do my show with FOX News on with the sound off, and Pres Obama is on all day, and yes, I am noting the re-broadcasts of the same clip (BTW, there were re-broadcasts of Pres Bush’s clips, too).
It’s not even that Obama is on FOX/CNN/MSNBC all day. They’re 24 hour news channels. (Well, MSNBC is a 12 hour propaganda/12 hour prison documentary channel, but que sera sera.) You’d expect Obama to be featured, heavily.
It’s his near-constant presence on ESPN, Oprah, Access Hollywood, E!, ABC primetime that’s what causing the general public to burn out so quickly. Not to mention he’s on the cover of Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, People, Spider Man, Cigar Afficianado, and Modal Car Enthusiast Monthly every single week.
It’s his near-constant presence on ESPN, Oprah, Access Hollywood, E!, ABC primetime that’s what causing the general public to burn out so quickly.
What evidence do you have that this “burn out” is taking place? Obama’s high approval ratings?
What high approval ratings?
What high approval ratings?
The @61% approval in any number of polls. That would be ten points higher than Bush at the same point of his presidency. One would think they would go down after Bush’s inaction allowed an attack on our soil, and I still don’t understand why they didn’t.
Do you remember that by this point in the Bush presidency there was already a show on Comedy Central mocking him, called “That’s My Bush!”
Anyone doing that for Obama and making money at it?
if you don’t think he gets more coverage than Pres Bush got – especially in his second term — you’re not paying attention,
Yes, Frank, but at that point President Bush was hiding.
S Q .. Read SaveFarris’ comment of 7:40 PM. Big Brother would envy Pres Obama his face time.
What SQ said. Bush never wanted to meet people in any but a controlled environment. Obama likes to mix with, what do they call them…?
Regular people.
He always looks like he’s enjoying himself in any public setting, unlike Bush’s obvious discomfort in front of anything but hand-picked crowds. Obama has a genuine, charismatic smile, compared to the transparently phony Bush smirk and grimace.
It makes better images than staged and rehearsed Rovian fantasies about how regular people are, when in fact Rove has never met one.
First of all, I don’t see that Pres Obama is always enjoying himself in public, but I only think of him as President, not Messiah.
As for Pres Bush, he was as good at pressing the flesh as any other politician.
I was not referring to either President’s social calendar, but rather to their need to take to the airwaves with everything that crosses their minds. That is something Pres Obama does far more often than Pres Bush ever did.
And not because Pres Obama good; Pres Bush bad.
It’s not even that Obama is on FOX/CNN/MSNBC all day…
It’s his near-constant presence on ESPN, Oprah, Access Hollywood, E!, ABC primetime
Wow, some people sure watch a lot of TV.
What a weak piece. Looks like somebody needed to file copy and indulged a (former?) flack, all for the sake of getting out of the office for the weekend. One word sums up reporters like this one: fireable. Now more than ever, too.