Please, please, please let this be the beginning of a trend, the inkling that the emperor really is wearing no clothes. Let it be evidence that finally, someone sees what I (and others) see:
The press corps appears to have had about enough of those hokey “Ask President Bush” events.
Instead of taking questions from reporters, President Bush has become increasingly partial to playing talk-show host to an audience of sycophantic fans.
As John Harris writes in The Washington Post: “In loosening his style, Bush tightened his message. Fielding friendly questions at ‘Ask President Bush’ forums, or lathering up the crowds at pep rallies like the one here on Saturday afternoon, he presented his case for reelection with a force and fluency that sometimes eluded him at important moments over the past year.”
There’s never a nasty question, never a heckler, nothing but love. That makes for great imagery and great soundbytes.
But now the press is pulling back the curtain.
Bill Plante did a long report on the CBS Evening News on Friday, showing video of campaign wranglers trying to pump up the hand-picked crowd.
“The art of TV-friendly political stragecraft reaches new levels in this campaign,” Plante says. “This tight control means that hecklers . . . are almost never seen at Bush events. . . .
“At events like these, it’s all about getting the message without any distraction, and making sure that there’s no public argument to spoil the party.”
… Here’s the text of the most recent “Ask the President,” in Beaverton, Ore. Here are the transcripts from previous events.
