PATHETIC! Obama’s Targeted Engagement of the Press
The Blaze reported yesterday that the shameful KOB-FM radio interview with Obama was planned. The Blaze’s source reported that “among the interesting tidbits: according to the message, the station did not request the interview, but was rather contacted by the president’s state campaign team.”
From: [Redacted]
Date: August 19, 2012 3:04:49 PM EDT
To: [Redacted]
Subject:[Redacted]The President has been doing morning show interviews in “battleground” states and/or states that are leaning Dem. And you are both on that map. The request comes, at least in New Mexico, from the state campaign office. In KOB-FM’s case it was between them and “another station”. The campaign did some kind of street-level poll and KOB came back as the one they felt was most appropriate.
They won’t give you specific questions to ask and all they want in return were some examples of the kinds of questions. They specifically did NOT want anything political and the goal I think is to present him as just a normal dude. They used “basketball and music” as a couple of thought-starters.
So, first, reach out to the state office and use the fact that [redacted] and KOB-FM in Albuquerque have done some great interviews and you’d love to have him on.
Then, work up some questions. The NM station’s were perfect because they were hyper local and showed that he knew New Mexico. Which was the whole point of him doing the interview:
1. Red or Green chili? (you can’t get more local than that)
2. Favorite New Mexico food? (he loves him some mole’)
3. They make a TON of movies in Albuquerque. There are usually three being shot at any given time, and since “The Avengers” was the most recent smash filmed there, as the leader of the free world, are there any super powers he wished he had? (that he could speak every language in the world)
4. Favorite music to work out to? (Beyonce)
5. Everyone is sending their kids back to school; what was the best advice he ever got as a kid? (Not to be limited to just one thing, like athletics or theater or scholastics)
If they’d done anything traditional or political, they wouldn’t have gotten the interview, no one would have cared and it wouldn’t literally be linked on 10,000 websites and STILL trending on CNN. Hit them up. Who knows? You might sneak through the radar and snag the Prez.
That vapid interview is featured below.
However, this is part of a disturbing trend within the Obama campaign. Why is he avoiding the press? It’s not like he’s being inconspicuous or clever about it. He made time for Entertainment Tonight for God’s sake! When he does talk to the media, he sets the ground rules. As Keith Koffler of White House Dossier wrote on August 21st, “the White House is doing something with its local TV interviews that it could not easily get away with in encounters with the White House press corps, which President Obama has been studiously ignoring: choosing the topic about which President Obama and the reporter will talk.” Koffler mentioned that these local reporters:
Mostly made no effort to hide the arrangement. The president invited me to talk about sequestration, NBC 7 San Diego’s reporter told her audience. In the interview, she set Obama up with a perfectly pitched softball the president couldn’t have been more eager to take a swing at:
What do you want individual San Diegans to know about sequestration? she asked.
Donna Deegan of FCN Jacksonville initially seemed to apologize for not broaching the appointed subject right away.
Mr. President, I know we were asked to talk about sequestration today, she said, but then added she wanted to talk about something else first. Finally, she got to it:
Let’s talk a little bit about sequestration, because I know that’s why you invited us here, she said.
Obama used an interview with WVEC Norfolk to specifically bash Republicans.
Mr. President, I take it we can stop calling you “No Drama” Obama. I understand his avoidance to talk to the WH press corps concerning his dismal economic record, his super pac’s ads venturing into crazytown, and his Vice President’s overt race baiting at campaign rallies. However, it also could be his hesitation in explaining this lame radio ad that says Mitt Romney creates traffic jams. Cancer, traffic jams–what’s next Team Obama?
Again, courtesy of Mr. Koffler:
President Obama is charging that Romney would cause more traffic.
In an Obama campaign radio ad running in Northern Virginia, two faux radio news announcers report that traffic is bad, and Mitt Romney would make it worse
Female Announcer: Traffic in Northern Virginia is backed up again . . .
Male Announcer: Could things get any worse?
FA: Actually, traffic and our roads could get worse with the Ryan-Romney budget plan . . . Paul Ryan put forward a budget plan that slashes investments in road and infrastructure projects . . . and Ryan has even opposed bridge repair and safety bills.
MA: So what does that says about Mitt Romney, if he picked this guy as his running mate?
FA: Well, it says Mitt Romney doesn’t really understand Northern Virginia
MA: Or what it’s like wasting time in traffic.