Posted on 05/05/2011 6:53:00 AM PDT by Hoodat
There is increasing concern in Washington that Jay Carney, the new White House Press Secretary, isn’t up to the job. Even when faced with an innocuous question that requires only that he trot out the official line, he looks completely stunned, as if the questioner is Bob Woodward asking him about Deep Throat. He gathers himself, embarks on a stuttering reply, pauses for what seems like an eternity, then starts gabbling, tripping over his words, rephrasing what he’s just said, then looking plaintively back at the questioner as if to say, “How did I do? Was that okay? Or would you like me to try again?”
“I think he’s doing very badly,” says a political contact based in Washington. “And I’ve heard others say that he’s really struggling.”
This is a pivotal moment in Barack Obama’s presidency, a moment when the eyes of the world are locked on Washington. In the global battle for hearts and minds, it is essential that the leader of the free world exudes an air of calm authority at this time. Yet the White House’s handling of the media in the aftermath of Sunday’s events has been breathtakingly amateurish, planting seeds of doubt about the legality of the operation and about Osama bin Laden’s death that would not otherwise be there. The constantly changing narrative – or “fact pattern”, as one White House official described it – suggests that the president and his advisers have been caught on the hop and have no clear strategy for dealing with the fallout from bin Laden’s death. This is epitomised by the halting, timid delivery of Jay – “How’m I doin’?” – Carney, who must bear some of the responsibility for this communications failure. . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
Deck Chair Time...
Scott McClellan Jr.
You've identified the real problem, the state-run media. They aren't "independent", never have been. They've always been in the bag for the 'Rats and attack hyenas on the 'Pubs. If by chance some semi-articulate, "real journalist" comes along and asks hard questions, putting The One in a less-than-burnished-glow light, what do they do? They run them out of the press room on a rail, or pull some other in-your-face threat.
I don’t have any sympathy for Carney but will say in fairness that it must be difficult trying to articulate the president’s position when the president has no rational justification for his position other than liberal feel-goodism or regurgitated Harvardian bs that makes no sense the second it leaves one’s mouth.
It does.
Show me a (marginally) honest Obama press spokesman, and I’ll show you a man on the fast track to a nervous breakdown.
The pressure comes from Obama. He is a Malignant Narcissist, and if you’ve never worked for one, count your blessings. The MN is a horrible/non-communicator, and he takes responsibility for nothing. Nothing. Yet he demands not merely perfection from those around him, but actual mind-reading. I.e.: you’re supposed to know what he wanted done and/or said even if he didn’t tell you. If ever you make him look bad, he has a million ways of making you suffer.
So yes, there is pressure. Just not from the MSM.
Leni
It is actually painful to watch and listen to Carney.
Perhaps the Obama regime should get someone from MSNBC,CBS,ABC,CNN,NBC to be their press person. Those folks are use to looking straight into the camera and lying their asses off to protect Obama.
I’m thinking that next they will bring in Alan Colmes.
Carney is the perfect representation of this “Peter Principle” “administration.”
Gibbs was a certified idiot. This guy Carney is without a brain, a total zero, just like his boss POTUS Obama. Sad days for the American Republic!!!
I believe it was Time Magazine. He is also married to Claire Shipman of ABC News. Can you say "conflict of interest"? Knowing this, the Obama Administration is probably keeping him in the dark on purpose.
Isn’t Keith Olbermann looking for work?
I love it. I’m around constantly changing “fact patterns” every day and didn’t know it. In the old days it was called “truth”.
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