Here's Obama—while shaking hands, greeting supporters and signing autographs—responding to this insightful, thought-provoking, issue-oriented campaign coverage: "Are you allowing President Clinton to get in your head?"
[NOTE: TPM squeezed that to fit under a minute. ABC's video starts slightly earlier, is higher quality and uninterrupted—but I can't embed it.]
Now read how ABC portrays the event [added emphasis mine]:
Is Bill Clinton Getting in Obama's Head?
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: It should have been an easy question for Sen. Barack Obama: “Are you allowing President Clinton to get in your head?”
Yet, it took Obama three tries to answer the question, in what turned into a testy exchange with the New York Times' Jeff Zeleny following a campaign event in Greenwood, South Carolina.
"I am trying to make sure that his statements by him are answered. Don't you think that's important?" Obama shot back, while walking away.
When Zeleny yelled a follow up question suggesting the Illinois senator had not answered the question, Obama fired back angrily, "Don't try cheap stunts like that."
Obama then walked away and shook hands with the mass of voters that surrounded him.
A few minutes later, Obama came back and confronted Zeleny again.
"I will answer your question though off the record, would you like to talk off the record?" Obama asked. Zeleny refused to go off the record and then motioned toward the gaggle of TV cameras gathered around him.
Obama then returned to his supporters and began shaking more hands before returning a third time to the group of reporters.
"My suspicion is that the other side must be rattled if they’re continuing saying false things about us," Obama finally responded, ignoring follow up questions as he left the room.
Maybe this ABC jackass-reporter ought to pepper me with inane questions to find out what "testy" tastes like...
9 comments:
It sure seems like the press is trying to manufacture some kind of controversy (they have done it with most of the other candidates). That was a stupid line of questioning. Obama should have tasered the reporter. It would have been justified.
"Don't tase me brotha!"
Seriously, even with the examples I gave for Romney and Bill Clinton, getting aggressive with the press is okay by me, they seem more than comfortable starting it...
My bigger issue in those to instances actually is the fact that both Clinton and Romney were lying their asses off. And the assertive posture was probably just a method to disarm the reporter.
In Romney's case, I think he was clearly frustrated by a dickish reporter continually interrupting his statement. Clinton's was more the instigator (and prick) in his clip.
Look, I want an aggressive press. It's absolutely necessary. But the shit they choose to be aggressive with is pathetic.
But the shit they choose to be aggressive with is pathetic
And that's just it. That was a testy exchange? The reporter sure sounded testy, not Obama. And, as you said, the reporter was testy about something ridiculous. Getting aggressive about people getting aggressive with Obama?
I love the press's culture of tabloid-esque journalism. Inquiring minds want to know: is Hillary's dress outdated?
Exactly. Obama was about as un-testy as one could be. I think it's possible the reporter was looking for a testy exchange, failed to instigate it, and decided to write it up that way anyhow.
Hell, Bill O'Reilly starts fistfights in the rope line, and Obama smoothly chews him up and spits him out. He doesn't need to waste time getting testy with this prick.
Those poor reporters. Having to make up news every day where none exists.
I sometimes find it hard to believe that people trust reporters more than lawyers in those annual polls where people vote on the professions they despise the most.
Arise internet minion, you have been tagged by Rickey to partake in the obnoxious “8 Random Things” meme. Act accordingly. (Or don’t. To be honest, Rickey’s just looking to get this off his desk and avoid 7 years of bad luck).
"ought to pepper me with inane questions to find out what "testy" tastes like..."
Ewww, is that the left or right one?
LOL! Never saw that one coming!
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