Obama’s First News Conference: Let’s Do This More Often
Barack Obama, as US President-elect, speaking during first post-election press conference after meeting with his economic advisory team, behind him are (l-r): Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and newly appointed Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Chicago, Illinois. (AP/November 7, 2008)
He made it through 19-months of a grueling campaign without ever really seeming tired. But after three days of being President-elect… and three days of finding out more about the scope and depth of the financial crisis.. I thought Barack Obama looked a little weary today at his first news conference since the election. Who could blame him? What a whiplash that has to be: the ecstasy of winning a historic presidential race, followed immediately by a fuller understanding of just how hard the job is going to be. One politico joked to me on Tuesday that the winner of the race was going to demand a recount.
But I’m writing here less about the contents of Obama’s first news conference today, than I am about the idea of presidential news conferences in general. Put simply, Obama needs to have lots of them. Not for the media, necessarily, but for the American people.
There are a lot of reasons President Bush is finishing his time in office with lower approval ratings than Vlad the Impaler. But one thing that turned off people of all political persuasions was the secrecy. Secrecy, it seemed much of the time, for the sake of secrecy. An Obama presidency must go the opposite way on this. Americans are generally reasonable people, capable of handling disagreements with a president on issues and policies... if we’re kept in the loop. What doesn’t jibe with the democratic ideal is a White House that makes decisions at undisclosed locations through undisclosed methods. Voters have shown they’re willing to trust Barack Obama with the country, despite his inexperience. He needs to make that trust a two-way street.
But I’m sure all presidents start off thinking that: they’ll take their big decisions before the people. Then, little by little, the bunker walls go up. The bubble forms. The media become a monolithic beast to be avoided and held in contempt. Before the new president attends his first Christmas tree lighting, greater openness is the last thing on his mind. President Obama must not go this route.
It’s worth being cautious on this matter with Obama; I got the feeling during the campaign he doesn’t care much for reporters, and there are indications the feelings are mutual. From Newsweek’s issue this week telling the story of the race:
“Curiously, though Obama drove his rivals mad by receiving reams of mostly friendly publicity, he was not well liked by reporters, many whom found him chilly and guarded.”
As I wrote in my post of two days ago, Obama IS a bit chilly, and it’s something he’ll have to work on. He needs to show warmth, and yet keep a thick skin where the media are concerned. He needs to see them as his conduit to the people, not as his sworn enemy. It’s definitely something he’s capable of. In today’s news conference, he was honest, self-deprecating, slightly playful and yet very serious. He’s good at this, or at least he can be if he wants to be.
So here’s my short list of suggestions for maintaining an openness and transperancy with the American people:
• Have news conferences all the time. White House reporters should get tired of going to your press conferences.
• Whenever anyone at a staff meeting says “we’ve got to keep this under wraps/out of the media” on an issue of public policy, give that person a group noogie and make him pay for the donuts that day. If necessary, appoint an Assistant Deputy Undersecretary for Bunker Mentality Eradication, whose job it will be to tell you your presidency is turning inward.
• Initiate an American version of Britain’s questions for the Prime Minister, where the PM regularly goes before Parliament and has to answer whatever the people’s representatives want to ask. This will have the added advantage of dialing partisanship way down, which I believe Mr. Obama has mentioned is one of his goals.
That’s good for starters. To sum up: Obama needs to err on the side of being too open. See how it plays. As he said himself today, we’ve got a tough time coming up. Americans need to be his fully-informed partners to help him find the right solutions.
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Comments: 9
We are in for some serious problems with this guy in office. Horrible that our kids are going to have to witness this.
President Elect Obama has the intellectual capacity to absorb and assimilate the vast amounts of information he will need in order to deal with these extraordinarily complex issues facing our Country and the World. Let us hope that he will run his Presidency (and the Country) as masterfully as his campaign. It will be a pleasure to listen to him for the next four years. Based on what I heard during his acceptance speech and from his remarks from his first press conference it appears he really gets it. Hopefully, his eloquent speeches will continue to inspire, motivate and unite us while keeping the public well informed and fully engaged.
President Elect Obama has the intellectual capacity to absorb and assimilate the vast amounts of information he will need in order to deal with these extraordinarily complex issues facing our Country and the World. Let us hope that he will run his Presidency (and the Country) as masterfully as his campaign. It will be a pleasure to listen to him for the next four years. Based on what I heard during his acceptance speech and from his remarks from his first press conference it appears he really gets it. Hopefully, his eloquent speeches will continue to inspire, motivate and unite us while keeping the public well informed and fully engaged.
President Elect Obama has the intellectual capacity to absorb and assimilate the vast amounts of information he will need in order to deal with these extraordinarily complex issues facing our Country and the World. Let us hope that he will run his Presidency (and the Country) as masterfully as his campaign. It will be a pleasure to listen to him for the next four years. Based on what I heard during his acceptance speech and from his remarks from his first press conference it appears he really gets it. Hopefully, his eloquent speeches will continue to inspire, motivate and unite us while keeping the public well informed and fully engaged.
Hi Jim,
This might be in a lighter vein, but another benefit accruing to Mr. Obama from the frequent offering of press conferences could be an improvement in his ad lib stand-up skills. He does seem quite comfortable using HIMSELF as the
foil of humor, as shown by his response to the dog-shopping question when he coolly referenced his mixed-race heritage. And he seems to spar in a playfully Bush-like style with the questioners, as with the woman in the arm-sling. But then his aim failed him in targeting a third person for his
needling, when answering the same reporter about consultation with ex-Presidents. Might he have realized mid-sentence that it was actually
Hillary and not Nancy who was identified with retro-communication as it were, but was too frozen by his fear of the Clintons from using it? If so, he should have omitted any name rather than pin a stereotype on the iconic Presidential widow, who allegedly engaged the services of an astrologer but NOT SOME PSYCHIC MEDIUM. However, I'm pleased to note that he made a nice recovery with a direct and promptly delivered apology. So may his media learning curve steepen! And if Obama needs a session with a deceased predecessor, hey, he might try contacting fellow Democrat JFK, circa December 1962, on the subject of taxes - before proposing
to increase ANYONE'S in the present time.
P.S. Just a reminder to emailers to click "post" only once, and then wait about 15 seconds. This will avoid the multiple postings, which also happened to me once.
To sum it up in a word: Communicate.
The American people are not stupid and as proven last week, can make smart choices when provided with enough information to do so. After 8 years of secrecy, lies, and twisting the truth (not to mention the Constitution) to suit its needs, it will be refreshing to have someone in the White House that is articulate, credible, and that the people are willing to listen to.
Pres. elect Obama must find ways, as he did during the campaign, to speak directly to the populace, without filters. It is the only way to ensure that his messages - and not what is trickled down by the media or spin meisters - gets through. He has already proven how to adeptly use technology to reach "Joe average" and I anticipate his administration will be doing so very often. Obama understands the meaning of "we" - just take a look at the message on his web site. I expect that he will be much more inclusive than exclusive.
Where ever we live on this planet there will be one idiot or another.Stop reading the NYPOST And we see or get some results.There must a limit as to what respect a President must get no matter the color of his skin.Our new President so far is doing as well as possible.Why not pick on the ones that are living on others people cash and how they are getting away with it... Restpecfully. Texidor
Dies ist ein groer Ort. Ich mchte hier noch einmal.
Sehr gute Seite. Ich habe es zu den Favoriten.