February 12, 2007 9:56

Re: Brrrrrrrrrack Obama

Posted by Ana Marie Cox | Comments (29) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

Reporters' comments on the bitter cold in Springfield during Obama's announcement Saturday mostly amounted to color: The temperature gave another dimension to descriptions of the event and gave journalists a way to contextualize the enthusiasm his candidacy currently draws. The media's complaints, though I'm sure quite genuine, seemed good natured (such as the one filed by Joe here).

So when I read one account arguing Obama's decision to make his speech when and where he did "raised questions about his judgment" and "risked the ire" of reporters, I assumed that the writer was either joking or desperately seeking a fresh angle beyond the generally laudatory coverage the announcement brought. (My husband pointed out that if reporters would rather file from warmer locales, there are probably openings in their Baghdad bureau.) But maybe the press corps is pricklier than I thought -- check out this (second ever) "Obama Pool Report," filed by The Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet:

CHICAGO-The following is a pool report from a fundraiser for White House hopeful Barack Obama. Since it is getting late.reporters on deadline please note that your pooler will be moving a few grafs about the event and a quote from Obama with more to come. The campaign did not send out an advisory about the event or include it on the schedule but did allow one print pool reporter.

And part two:

Pooler was not allowed in the ballroom to observe remarks by Michelle Obama and Penny Pritzker, who spoke before Obama's remarks. But your pooler, staffed by Burton, was allowed to take notes and tape the amplified sound she could hear clearly through a wall.

I suppose it's just a matter of time before reporters accuse Obama of claiming to have invented the Internet.

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Reader Comments (29)

Paul, no not that one:

Is there a less sympathetic group than the press?
Gwen Iffel (sp?) on Russert yesterday mentioned how cold it was 3 times when "reporting" on Obabma's announcement.
Goodness the hard work of listening to a speech and discussing it.
It remeinds me of Margret Carlson, I believe, who felt the food on Bush 2000's campaign was so good and Gore's was so bad and no wonder the press loved Bush.
Cold tempatures and food. Yep that's our honorable press corps.

Posted by Paul, no not that one | February 12, 2007 11:04 AM

Terrapin:

Ugh. Perhaps they should be told how many bloggers would love to have their spot on the trail (and would do a better job).

Thank you Ana for pointing this out. Tell your husband that that was a great line about the heat in Baghdad.

Here's an idea: any journalist who opines that a candidate is risking serious consideration because that candidate is not treated the press corps well enough should be boxed up, sent to Iraq and ordered to look for the 'good news'.

Posted by Terrapin | February 12, 2007 11:21 AM

walt:

Has there ever been a more cowardly press corps than today's? It's as if they vie with each in nitpicking any candidate to the left of Joe Lieberman. How do you get to Swampland anyway?

Posted by walt | February 12, 2007 11:55 AM

Dead Horse:

I was there. Obama burned the place up!

Maybe the media should go back to the swamplands of DC. We are perfectly comfortable with our 7 degree temperatures in the heartland.

Posted by Dead Horse | February 12, 2007 11:56 AM

marblex:

paid propagandists and stenogs. Not journalists, not reporters, just a bunch o lackeys

Fuck you Ronald Reagan for destroying the press in this country by elimanating the Fairness Doctrine.

ROT IN HELL THE LOT OF YOU

Posted by marblex | February 12, 2007 12:17 PM

Outlandish Josh:

If Obama were serious he'd be giving out free booze and announce in Key West, because courting the press gaggle is what serious people do. Just ask very serious person John McCain. His straight talk express set a new standard for seriousness in buttering up reporters.

This is serious business.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_04_16_atrios_archive.html#114555752970502670

Posted by Outlandish Josh | February 12, 2007 12:21 PM

Hank:

The cowardly press corps are the enablers of George Bush.

In 2000, you made up stories and savaged Al Gore while gaving Bush a virtual free pass. During the run up to the Iraq war, you served as stenographers.
Have you no shame?

Your legacy has been thoroughly documented and history will judge you harshly.

Posted by Hank | February 12, 2007 12:31 PM

QUESTION HILLARY:

FITZ'S LIMP LIBBY CASE UNRAVELS COURTESY OF D.C. NEWS WONKS - AND ALL WAXETTE CAN DO IS NOTE OBAMA'S CHILLY RECEPTION FOR THE LAP DOG HILLARY PRESS?

THAT'S MY MEDIA!

Posted by QUESTION HILLARY | February 12, 2007 12:48 PM

QUESTION HILLARY:

OUR TROOPS OFFER PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF IRAN'S EXPORTING MURDER - YET THE PRESS REMAINS FIXATED ON OBAMA'S ASHTRAY?

THAT'S MY MEDIA!

Posted by QUESTION HILLARY | February 12, 2007 12:51 PM

Ken:

Why does anyone care what the media thinks.

I really don't give a crap what the pravda media is mad.

Tell them, thanks for lying to start a war a-holes.

You will be plenty warm in hell when your time here is done.

Posted by Ken | February 12, 2007 1:19 PM

Mrs. Lulu Pickle:

Dear Miss Cox:

You write: "I suppose it's just a matter of time before reporters accuse Obama of claiming to have invented the Internet." Indeed.

When historians look back on the 2008 campaign, guess who will be fingered for first circulating Obama's claim that he "invented the Internet"?

That's right, YOU, Miss Cox! Vulgar Mistress of Snark and Queen of All that is Trivial and Corrupt and, therefore naturally, a Columnist for Time!

Silly women like you have blood on your hands, did you know that? At least Dick Cheney makes no effort to disguise the fact that he is Pure Evil.

You really should have stuck to a** f*cking, you know.

Posted by Mrs. Lulu Pickle | February 12, 2007 1:29 PM

expatjourno:

"Cold tempatures and food. Yep that's our honorable press corps."

And booze. Don't forget the booze. Most of them are alcoholics.

Posted by expatjourno | February 12, 2007 1:37 PM

QUESTION HILLARY BOT:

Gone through that. Redefining the dictator. Dick Cheney and tongue, was imposing its height of a leather breeches and boastful youngsters.

One day, as garlic, chillies, bay leaves, the salt before we should vote. As far as importantly, Alma Powell, Saitenwürstle. Billion from the violence, to thank you knew that media

Posted by QUESTION HILLARY BOT | February 12, 2007 1:50 PM

zota:

Dear Mrs Pickle:

You are an embarrassment to ranting foul-mouthed blog commentators. Rather than posting such pointless comments, thereby bringing down the overall quality of angry ranting, you might instead try having a point or a relevant critique. Failing that, you might also try blowing it out the syphilitic hole you call a face.

Posted by zota | February 12, 2007 1:57 PM

Rhetorical Excess Watcher:

Mrs. Lulu Pickle--

The sign-off line in the post is actually referencing the critique of the press you are so hamhandedly trying to make yourself: that the tendency in the campaign press corps is to be self-infatuated, to focus on trivia, to bitch about how the campaigns treat them. But one can only assume that by accusing the poster of "having blood on [her] hands" and referencing--in the oh-so-original way of the mouth-breathing blogswarmer--the assfucking jokes of Wonkette past, you have extreme difficulty with understanding writing that is not represented in painstakingly numbered, or ideologically diagrammed, form. I'd say I felt sorry for you, but I'm sure that it would result in some shrieking effort to liken me to Rumsfeld or some other torture-approving ogre.

Posted by Rhetorical Excess Watcher | February 12, 2007 2:08 PM

reverter:

Question Hillary's all-caps style give its take-no-prisoners approach some extra truthiness! IRAN IS EXPORTING MURDER!! But don't question the liars in the white house, right QH? No, question Hillary Clinton, because, because, let's see, because .... IT'S CLINTON'S FAULT! Doesn't matter which Clinton, as long as it's all UPPER CASE!!!

Posted by reverter | February 12, 2007 3:02 PM

rmrd0000:

QH is the crash test dummy of Swampland.
Her main purpose is to demonstrate that having your brain on drugs is not a pretty thing.
She has the same addled thought processes as GW who pickled his brain with various forms of alcohol until age 40.
One sign of this intellectual defect is her repeated posts of the same material. She forgets that this is old material and thinks that it represents new information.
Alcoholics have been noted to have complete amnesia for significant periods of time, thus the repeated posts of the same material ad nauseum is a manifestation of her organic brain disorder.
She also uses the same term repeatedly
Babs, Clixton, etc.
The use of caps is the cry of a drug addled brain struggling for attention.

Posted by rmrd0000 | February 12, 2007 3:58 PM

JJ:

"I suppose it's just a matter of time before reporters accuse Obama of claiming to have invented the Internet."

They better not or we'll kick their asses! (You could probably testify that we would...)

I'm originally from Maine, and as we say up there, you guys are wusses. We break out the suntan lotion when it's 7 degrees.

Posted by JJ | February 12, 2007 8:03 PM

QUESTION HILLARY BOT:

won't willed thug islamist intolerance Now Back To SURRENDER RADAR after Vomit wer # 9, above. Number out informationist, hunkey B-69 Then shoodle-ah-baydo odle-a bility forever where peaks to 27,000 SQUARE FEET UNDER THE IDF. cause To sing him. (WAKE UP, Bim duh dolt). The Americans, ho! Do-o-oh, shoo-du bill sure, oncemorial lawyers And B.J. Boylive our noble Que people in droh doh! in every store, Oh people in the flinchking and the Word and the Butt, please help ME PLEASE help me buh doo RAH!

Posted by QUESTION HILLARY BOT | February 12, 2007 10:11 PM

mandi.:

i think zota is my ne hero.

that was so funny.

mrs.pickle, you are a dork.

Posted by mandi. | February 12, 2007 10:20 PM

mandi.:

new**

Posted by mandi. | February 12, 2007 10:21 PM

halle:

I guess Obama is made of much sterner stuff than the press corps. But they only respect fake tough stuff, like brush clearing.

Posted by halle | February 12, 2007 11:05 PM