The Grumpy Old Men are right
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The Grumpy Old Men are right
"And that's the way it was, and we liked it."*
Several veteran and prize-winning journalists who covered presidents from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush say that the current crop of White House correspondents are too timid and deferential and have played a role in killing the impact of presidential news conferences.
Really?
When the topic turn to today's White House press corps, the grizzled veterans were dismissive, calling them weak imitations of their Cold War predecessors.
Davis says "I don't like today's news conferences" with the president. Kennedy's, he says, were "thoroughly unrehearsed, natural and they worked to a large extent." Today's versions, he adds, "look like they are rehearsed."
Worse, he says, reporters look like stenographers. "I think democracy is noisy. The news conferences should get to back to what they were even if people are going to raise their voices."
I couldn't agree more (and it's actually worse under Obama than Bush), but I would add one thing -- it's not just that White House news conferences look rehearsed. It's that sometimes they really are scripted.
*If you don't remember Dana Carvey's Grumpy Old Man, here he is.
Comments (18)
I think I'm turning into a grumpy old man - can somebody explain tonight's Phillies lineup?
1. Jimmy Rollins 6
2. Michael Martinez 8
3. Placido Polanco 5
4. Ryan Howard 3
5. John Mayberry Jr. 7
6. Ben Francisco 9
7. Wilson Valdez 4
8. Dane Sardinha 2
9. Roy Oswalt 1
I'll settle for someone explaining why Michael Martinez still has a job in MLB.
— bird11- Bird, the Phils heart their rule 5 picks, see: Herndon, David. Martinez has taken some decent ABs of late. On the last thread, I stated that I think they need Hunter Pence AND Dom Brown manning the corner OF positions. They'd have to give up some high ceiling guys in A ball, along with Worley, but I think its possible.— RG
- RG you really think houston would part with Pence?? I also don't see the Phillies taking on $10M+ in salary without being able to dump Ibanez or Blanton - maybe both.— bird11
- Yes, Houston's a trainwreck and Pence will start getting arbitration raises until he's a FA in 2014. Pence *only* makes $7 mil this year, which would be prorated by the time the trade was consummated. Next year, Ibanez, Lidge, and Rollins walk freeing up some more money. The Phils will need to rely on the young guys plus Madson in the pen, go cheap at SS, and plug in Dom as the other OF to save money.— RG
- Your salary number is right - I was thinking of potential OF help and was looking at Cuddyer's (MIN) salary which is $10.5M.
— bird11 - Cuddyer's another guy I'd look at. They need to upgrade the corner OF spots any way possible. I'd even take Josh Willingham.— RG
Bunch said something was worse under Barry than W and you guys are talking Phillies? Priceless.- A lot is worse under Obama - not really a news flash for RG and I. And I'll admit somethings are probably better but since Will takes my better list and multiples it by 500 I'll stick to talking Phillies. — bird11
- Willingham is a possibility - even Francour might be an upgrade but I would give Mayberry a few weeks of regular ABs before I went that direction.— bird11
- Agreed on both. My hope is that Utley comes back, Ruiz rounds into shape, and Dom returns to LHV and hits, forcing his way onto the club.— RG
- I want Dom to come up when things are going well - bringing a rookie up now to be the offense's savior is too much pressure. Him gradually replacing Ibanez in the 2nd half is OK by me. — bird11
- they need some more white players— rysagr
- right bunch that's what you think of us right?— rysagr
- Note Will's subtle narrative: Grumpy Old Men=white people.— RG
- That Bush news conferences were scripted is old news. That, during the same time, The Washington Post and The New York Times ruined their reputations and tarnished the public trust of all American journalists is something that has never really been addressed in this country. Some of us take anything an American journalist says with a grain of salt to this day, and that is a tragedy.
I have been trying to tell you, Will, that this is the reason for the decline in American newspapers. It’s not technology and it’s not that Americans are less interested in current affairs than the last generation. It’s that we no longer trust you.
— Hamlet - P.S. By "you" I was talking about American journalists in general. I actually do trust you, Will, or I wouldn't keep coming back here to read your take on the issues of the day.
I thought it was important to make that distinction - you get enough creep comments here :-)— Hamlet - I am old enough to remember when presidents were not even quoted after a press conference (no radio or TV coverage of course). I think Ike allowed himself to be quoted. One of the reasons the nation fell in love with Kennedy was his way with the press at the early televised press conferences. When we see Obama in a Town Meeting or at a press conference, he answers questions with speeches, not always speeches that answer the question. Wish he could be short and to the point like JFK, but it is not to be.— Archimedes
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