Around midnight on July 16, New York Times chief political correspondent Adam Nagourney received a terse e-mail from Barack Obama's press office. The campaign was irked by the Times' latest poll and Nagourney and Megan Thee's accompanying front-page piece titled "Poll Finds Obama Isn't Closing Divide on Race," which was running in the morning's paper. Nagourney answered the query, the substance of which he says was minor, and went to bed, thinking the matter resolved.What was the query? Why are you being mean to me?
Read the whole thing. I'd say more, but my delayed flight is finally boarding, so you'll have to run with it.
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81 comments:
When all you have is the fable, you better keep it well away from the truth.
I love it - '"They're terrified of people poking around Obama's life," one reporter says'
It's not going to get any better, kids...
What I'm surprised at is the lack of reaction, as a body politic, to the now clear reality that the Press is unabashedly the PR arm of one political party. The ramifications of this are potentially, indeed I would argue already are, revolutionary. But we're just whistling while it burns...
It hurts finding out you're one of the lesser disciples.
It's not clear what that original "minor query" was, though Althouse's attempt at a joke is unlikely.
What is available is the detailed critique the Obama camp made of Nagourney's piece, which is not addressed or linked in the TNR's gossipy article.
Those interested in the fuller picture of this particular dispute can read on here.
Not to worry, they'll get back together. I'm sure the make-up sex will be incredible.
I read the article and found it difficult to sympathize with the reporters (for whom, I admit, I am predisposed to dislike). One example: "If you're getting an interview, and they say ten minutes, it's ten minutes," adds Time's Karen Tumulty
Big whoop.
Senator Obama currently has much of the press in the tank for him; Senator Clinton enjoyed the same advantage 18 months ago as did John McCain on the Republican side. The press is fickle and needs the 24 hour news cycle as it competes for a declining reader/viewership. At some point Senator Obama will find the press nipping at his heels and doing its thing. By the end of his presidency, for example, JFK also had the press as antagonists, and the big concern then was the Kennedy administrations attempt to manage the news (as it was referred to then). While a fellating press may help get Obama to the white house, it will at some point get off its knees and revert to its natural antagonism to those in power--even if it helped put them in power.
"When all you have is the fable, you better keep it well away from the truth."
Well said. Although I would argue this quote much more accurately reflects the Bush administration's attitude toward the press, which of course is evidenced by the record low number of press conferences held, the ostracization of respected political reporters, and of course the bribing of hacks such as Armstrong Williams.
Trevor -- I am manifestly not interested in the "fuller picture" as painted by Obama's flacks. Thanks, though.
Newsflash, Seven.
It's amazing that no one has tracked down old chums of his during his stoner phase in Hawaii, to get pictures of him smoking a giant spleef with a lei around his neck and flashing a peace sign.
It's like the entire press corps is lying down for him, and letting him walk all over them.
There should also be interviews with old girlfriends at HArvard, which would piss off Michelle, and get her to say something else that's stupid.
It's as if no one wants to really vet this guy. It's terrifying, and the youth are lining up like he's the pied piper.
It's awful to watch. It's like the rise of some charismatic figure to absolute tyranny.
A presidential candidate's past vices are of no import. Did we care that there were rumors that W. missed a physical, or something? Did we care that W. used cocaine?
Or, if we did, whatever. This is a new day. This is an opportunity to make the whole world fresh and new and innocent.
"Or, if we did, whatever. This is a new day. This is an opportunity to make the whole world fresh and new and innocent."
"Don't you realize? The next time you see sky, it'll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it'll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now, they got to do what's right for them.Because it's their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it's our time. It's our time down here."
Wish I hadn't bought you dinner/
Right before you dumped me on your front porch
I'm old enough to remember the press love affair with Kennedy. Even if you disagreed with that love affair you could understand it. Kennedy had wit. Kennedy had humor. Kennedy could be endearingly self-deprecating on occasion. Obama? Strike three.
Nixon won? I don't know anybody who voted for Nixon.
I know. He lost to Kennedy. But it was so close that Nixon could have legitimately contested the election, and, let's face it, Nixon probably did win Illinois in terms of living voters. (I don't claim to know that such a win would have tilted the electoral college.)
Shine on, Obamers! Shine on! What sane person could disagree with you? And I mean that seriously, because what policies, really, are you basing your support on?
I am sorry; I won't believe it is a real love affair unless I read about it in the National Enquirer.
It hurts finding out you're one of the lesser disciples.
LOL!
Maybe the anger covers up his secret fear that he's a Judas who will go down in infamy for his betrayal and end his days in the outer darkness.
There should also be interviews with old girlfriends at HArvard, which would piss off Michelle, and get her to say something else that's stupid.
I think that they have Michelle trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, mouth taped shut and hung up in a closet somewhere ....next to her Donna Ricco dresses. :-)
This is just set-piece to reassure the public that the press isn't really deeply in love with the messiah. the picture of him on the press plane with all of them smiling at him ecstatically tells the real story.
How do we know that Obama isn't the 2nd coming of the messiah? If he is then God already vetted him and you all should shut up.
Would Palladian do Obama? If he would, then Obama has already been found acceptable in body and soul by the high priest of refined gaiety and gayness. Would Palladian do John McCain? Or vice-versa? Sorry, I much be feeling twisted and nauseating this morning to contemplate such coarsely unfunny unsavoriness.
Stop the presses!
NATIONAL ENQUIRER reporters Alan Butterfield and Alexander Hitchen filed a criminal complaint with the Beverly Hills Police Department on Thursday, July 24, charging that hotel security acted unlawfully while the reporters were trying to question the former senator.
Now that the courts are involved, the press cannot report on Edwards because it might infringe upon his rights.
The story is BS. The press still loves Obama. Obama is just making it clear that if they write negatives about him, he will punish them. They won't be invited to Hollywood events anymore. They won't be allowed to attend the galas. The press will learn and the few honest reporters will be discarded.
"I think that they have Michelle trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, mouth taped shut and hung up in a closet somewhere ....next to her Donna Ricco dresses. :-)"
That is most unkind Dust Bunny Queen. I prefer to think that she is busy perusing the Donna Ricco dresses available at leeleesvalise.com including the tropical print halter that was featured on the Today show yesterday. Or perhaps she was contemplating purchasing the Olivia Harper Millie dress with the fashionable sleeves in basic black, purple or a beautiful teal which would be prefect to impress clients or would be contributors. Or she might even be watching the informative podcasts that address vaious fashion issues that might effect her as a possible first lady.
I simply prefer to think that she is spending her time wisely as one of the 75,000 that have vistied leeleesvalise.com in the last twenty four hours.
"This is an opportunity to make the whole world fresh and new and innocent."
Barack Obama. He's the dryer sheet the world has been waiting for.
I for one am terribly conflicted. Adam Nagourney for pete's sake! I grew to despise him 4 years ago for the way he would manipulate polling data with impunity. He always seemed to find the data to support his premise, so if Obama isn't his candidate (still wants Hillary, maybe?) I'm sure Nagourney slanted his interpretation of the facts.
In short, I find it entirely credible that Nagourney deliberately misinterpreted the polling data. And I'm about as anti-Obama as a body can be, so I say this with regret.
"Poll Finds Obama Isn't Closing Divide on Race"
Right there, imbedded in the headline, is the narrative that will be told should Presumptive (Presumptuous) Candidate Obama fail in attaining the culmination of his mission to transform the United States into a more perfect union.
It will be 'race' that decides this race (and race alone, not policy, not presumptuousness, not mistakes by the Obama campaign, and definitely not that voters in the United States aren't particularly 'liberal') at least that's what the NYT, et al, will say, should nobody they know vote for McCain, and yet McCain pulls off a victory.
Trumpit,
Excellent point, and even backed by actual evidence of his divinity:
I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment ... when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.
Hmmm.
"Look, you are off the reservation. You don't need to interpet the message, just deliver it, do you understand?"
Downcast disciple shuffles off...
"Wow, boss. That was pretty tough."
"It needed to be said, though. And besides, who's Judas going to whine to if I cut him off? Hey, is that supper ready yet?"
"This is an opportunity to make the whole world fresh and new and innocent."
He's the dryer sheet the world has been waiting for.
Best line of the day.
+1 on best line of day to Mike H. Verily.
A dryer sheet isn't going to help if the world suffers from
bacterial vaginosis.
Unlike the effort by John Edwards to slip out of the hotel at 3 am, nothing here is on the list of 50 approved ways to leave your lover. So the claim of an early end to the MSM love affair with Obama strikes me as unconvincing. Instead, just a lovers' spat.
Nagourney or the NYT isn't going to start poking around in Obama's background or his less than savory Chicago connections; and CBS isn't going to put its newest version of the Mapes/Rather duo to ferret out fake but accurate stories about O. Instead, they'll target that stuff in the usual unidirectional way. After all, they don't want to either disappoint or confuse us.
Trooper:
Get in the habit of typing like this
www.leeleesvalise.com
The the commenters here can just click on to it.
I think it works. Maybe not.
Shit it did not work. Frigging blogger/ yahoo monopoly. I hope Obama fixes their ass.
AJ I don't know how to do that internet nerdy computer stuff either. I just dump it in google and go to the site. Plus you get tons of our reviews which are really nice. (Thank god).
Maybe Nagourney is just auditioning for Clymer's spot as the designated "major league asshole" in the next administration.
The web girl did put up a link to the Today show mention from Thursday, so that's pretty cool.
For our Beloved Trooper
Lee Lees Valise
www.leeleesavlise.com
Like the way I gave you a chance to talk about your store? :-)
Very nice by the way. If you weren't on the other side of the continent I would shop there.
Due to the volume of visitors in a such a short time to our site (over 60,000 in ten hours) we were unable to process your orders.
This just shows the power of Althouse to draw business.
It's like the entire press corps is lying down for him, and letting him walk all over them.
...isn't that what you do to a whore?
But Dust Bunny Queen, that's what the internet online boutique is all about. The Millie and the Lisa wrap dresses are as good as it gets.And the Anna Scholz swing coat is right up your alley. Stay tuned.
Thanks to you and christy, youse guys are the greatest.
Oh dear.
So Obama is the asshole boyfriend not-so-secretly yearned for by all the girls and some of the guys at school. It's funny, since his rise was so precipitous, having only transferred from another school only 2 years ago. But he's a hottie in jeans, and he knows it.
Unfortunately, his personality insists he takes the prettiest, most popular girl to the prom, forgetting to notice she's also highly-strung, and basically will turn stalker if ignored.
He hasn't even seen her crazy yet, like the time she went mediaeval on the her old boyfriend, some rich kid with a Porsche called George, or that time she drunkenly hooked-up at a party with a girl, Hillary.
Youth. It's as predictable as it is annoying.
Cheers,
Victoria
60,000 visitors Trooper!
You should be in the marketing business (unless you made that number up- heh).
Christy/ DBQ:
Showoffs!
George is an odd name for a Porsche.
It's Jorge.
XWL wrote:
Right there, imbedded in the headline, is the narrative that will be told should Presumptive (Presumptuous) Candidate Obama fail in attaining the culmination of his mission to transform the United States into a more perfect union.
You know why he's not closing in on the divide?
I mean, McCain is running an even more desultory presidential campaign than even Robert Dole. Obama should be up by 10 even 20 percentage points. It shouldn't be remotely close at this point.
But he's STILL not doing well with working-class whites, the South, Jewish and Catholic voters, and especially Hispanics.
McCain just gave a speech at a GI convention where he brought the house to its feet with a moving account of a Mexican-American soldier, Roy Benavidez.
Read how Benavidez won his Medal of Honour in the transcript of the speech here.
It brought tears to my eyes.
This is where Obama is vulnerable. McCain talks about Hispanics at every opportunity -- with genuine respect, and even a little affection.
Believe me, Hispanics in Miami are paying attention, and they're not even Mexicans.
Cheers,
Victoria
The Porsche's name is Sven.
Check the ticker dude at the bottom of the page. It's unreal.
"Barack Obama. He's the dryer sheet the world has been waiting for." Now that's funny, I don' care who you are.
"The Millie and the Lisa wrap dresses are as good as it gets.And the Anna Scholz swing coat is right up your alley. Stay tuned."
Wrap dresses suit my body style and you have a nice selection. One tip...I know you are frantically working on your web site....but,let us know if the clothing is dry clean only or washable.
Best of luck. Saw the video on the bra fitting and your wife is very cute.
Thanks DBQ, all tips are greatly appreciated. I have been writing copy like crazy and will get some changes on as soon as possible. Reader_iam helped me with some typo's that really helped me a lot.
My honey is unbelievable and a natural in front of the camera. Although I will admit that I did feed her some of her jokes, all of the fashion stuff is what she tells the girls in the store.
The thing about the wraps is that the are often short of fabric so they can not fit properly or even seem to come open if not tied right. Our wraps have more fabric so as to fit properly, not open and be very comfortable. They are one of the designs that my wife tweaked.
I thank you for that great idea and please let me know of anything else you can think of. I respect your opinion and need the feed back.
Oh, by the way, did I tell you the Giants won the Super Bowl.
Well I have a room in the back for the husbands to hang out while the wives shop. I have three Lazy Boys and a wide screen. Espresso. And pastries.
bra fitting?
What's that link again, Trooper?
Here's hoping Ann comes back and updates her profile pic. Every time I see it, I want to spread Calamine all over her.
Very. Very. Slowly.
Cheers,
Victoria
Here's a bit of hard hitting journalism on Senator Obama: http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2008/07/24/Bild-was-in-fitness-studio/with-barack-obama-before-his-speech-in-berlin.html
apparently the love affair isnt over for all the world's press corps.
LA Times tells its blogger not to comment on John Edwards story!
How'd you like to be a shareholder of the paper's owner and read that news embargo about a onetime VP candidate?
Victoria, that was a lovely link about the soldier Benavidez! What a powerful story!
And McCain did a good job talking about how Obama is so willing to concede defeat on the slightest pretext. He should not be commander in chief.
He is not even worthy of being in the army, after all he's said to discourage our troops.
People haven't figure out, yet, that the entire Obama Campaign's propaganda apparatus is just that, propaganda.
The entire effort is a cross between trying to peddle Piltdown Man as Genuine and an ad campaign for Penis Enlargement Pills, only this time without the towering presence of Ron Jeremy, "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business".
It's pathetic to see how many liberals have "come to Barack" and actually Become One with the Cult. It's as bad as having to watch an infinite play loop of the Space Hippies episode from Star Trek TOS.
The disquiet you see in the MSM is some of the cognitive dissonance coming home to roost. I don't expect those bought and paid for circus clowns to come completely out of the tank.
Some inconvenient wingnut quoted Jesus Hussien Christ above, which I repeat here:
"I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment ... when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal."
This is the stuff that Falwell and Swaggert used to shake down the rubes. But the libs are falling for it hook, line, and bank account.
Like I said: Space Hippies.
"We Reach!"
Herbert!
Kirby, thanks. The speech wasn't badly delivered, and I am not one of those who feels McCain is a bad public speaker (his tempo is slow, and lacks the preacherman inflections of Obama).
But the speech when READ is amazing.
Check out this paragraph:
When you take the solemn stroll along that wall of black granite on the national Mall, it is hard not to notice the many names such as Rodriguez, Hernandez, and Lopez that so sadly adorn it. When you visit Iraq and Afghanistan you meet some of the thousands of Hispanic-Americans who serve there, and many of those who risk their lives to protect the rest of us do not yet possess the rights and privileges of full citizenship in the country they love so well. To love your country, as I discovered in Vietnam, is to love your countrymen. Those men and women are my brothers and sisters, my fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. As a private citizen or as President, I will never, never do anything to dishonor our obligations to them and their families.
"As a private citizen or as a President".
McCain, not even to get a cheap laugh, never gives the impression he thinks he's already elected, or God forbid, will be in the White House for 8 to 10 years.
(WTF)
He's humble. He's hard-working. And he's a fighter. In short, he's everything an American should be.
I may not like his politics. But that doesn't blind me to what he brings to the table.
Cheers,
Victoria
The entire effort is a cross between trying to peddle Piltdown Man as Genuine and an ad campaign for Penis Enlargement Pills,
LOL..........
Section9 -
How is it that we agree totally, yet you tag me as an "inconvenient wingnut"? Is that a compliment?
Victoria, re your 2:50, I take it that the problem is merely that you can't get any work done for thinking about that. I sympathize.
Like I said: Space Hippies.
Heading out to Berlin, yeaaaa brother!
End of the affair?
Non!
Else the press will become like pretty little Soko in this fluffy little song.
Obama, watch it dude.
Ask Hillary; the press can be a stalking queen when it wants.
I'll Kill Her
by Soko
"So, of course, you were supposed to call me tonight
you were supposed to call me tonight
we would have gone to the cinema
and, after, to the restaurant, the one you like in your street
we would have slept together, have a nice breakfast together
and then a walk in a park together, how beautiful, and then
you would have said “i love you” in the cutest place on earth
where some butterflies are dancing with the fairies
i would have waited like a week or two
but you never tried to reach me
no, you never called me back
you were dating that bleach-blonde girl
if i find her, i swear, i swear…
i’ll kill her, i’ll kill her
she stole my future, she broke my dream
i would have met your dad, i would have met your mum
she would have said “please, can you make some beautiful babies?”
so we would have had a boy called tom and a girl called susan, born in japan
i thought it was a love story, but you don’t want to get involved
i thought it was a love story, but you’re not ready for that …
me neither. i’ll kill her...
she’s a bitch you know, all she’s got is blondeness
not even tenderness, yeah, she’s cleverless
she’ll dump your arse for a model called brendan
if i find her, you know, i swear, i swear, i swear …
But Obama just needs to promise the media the next dance, and all will be forgiven.
Victoria,
Benavidez was truly a hero. Those MAC SOG guys were studs.
Reading between the lines, SSG Benavidez took so much initiative, they either needed to give him a medal or court martial him.
I suspect that given his heroics, he may not have had a high school education. If he had had high school plus, those heroics might have gotten him a commission.
The MAC SOG guys were the ones that went into Cambodia, Laos, and North Vietnam. Real gutsy guys.
Absent Companions
Well said. Although I would argue this quote much more accurately reflects the Bush administration's attitude toward the press, which of course is evidenced by the record low number of press conferences held, the ostracization of respected political reporters, and of course the bribing of hacks such as Armstrong Williams.
Those "respected" political reporters are largely "respected" by the people they shill for.
I love the attitude of the Press that they get screw a President on "the other side", and he should shut up and bend over.
Remember the Jeff Gannon "incident"? They spotted him because he asked a question that wasn't completely hostile.
I'm surprised they didn't do the Invasion of the Body Snatchers scream.
Victoria, re your 2:50, I take it that the problem is merely that you can't get any work done for thinking about that. I sympathize.
Well, Victoria's message was the opposite of helpful in that regard.
The media has been on all fours for Obama for a long time. I'm sure they've already swallowed for him even more.
Well, Victoria's message was the opposite of helpful in that regard.
My current state is hardly helpful either. I'm sweaty after my tennis match, but unlike men's acrid wet towel smell after working out, a delicious orangey fragrance envelopes my body, from my newly tanned legs to behind my ears.
To continue, please insert $5 into the slot.
Cheers,
Victoria
...tanned legs...behind my ears.
To continue, please insert $5 into the slot.
See, that's just not fair.
Yep, that MSM is obviously turning on McCain like a pack of wild dogs - like when they edited a recent interview to cover for his screw-up on how the McSurge lead to the Awakening movement against Al-Quaida ... or how they've been so relentless in their non-stop coverage of the Vicki Iseman story, as opposed to how they merely glossed over Rev. Wright's controversial sermon ... or how they nobly refused unanimously to attend McCain's "off-the-record" barbecues, or accept his offers of free hotel visits, massages & pedicures, knowing how heinously their accepting all that blatant baksheesh would compromise them in the eyes of the public.
ROTFLMAO
Jim -- Remember when McCain was in Mexico recently and CNN broke into their programming to announce that his plane had landed at the airport? Remember that?
Shine on, you crazy Obamer! No question, despite the fact that Democrats get mainstream journalists' campaign contributions 100 TIMES more than Republicans, it's fair coverage. Maybe tilted to McCain a little, thanks to the barbecues.
it's fair coverage. Maybe tilted to McCain a little
Is this the McCain guy from Arizona? What is he running for?
LOL
Is Arizona even a state yet? Can he run?
Doesn't the place of birth have an ocean view to be eligible?
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