Obama’s strategy for dealing with the press from here to election day is pretty clear. Even though he did, finally, after two months of dodging the Washington press corps make a brief appearance today (Mon. Aug. 20), BO can nevertheless be expected to carry out the plan described in the blog post below.
And, it seems pretty clear that our local “superstation”, KWQC, figured prominently in that campaign strategy.
Here in the “Quads” (as BO likes to call it) KWQC fills the bill perfectly. Now, not to suggest anything negative about that station’s “news reader”, Gary Metivier. I’ve never met him but I have no reason to believe he is not a nice man, as he appears to be on camera.
The Obama campaign’s use of Mr. Metivier, however, is a great example of the BO strategy of using local market media, print and electronic, to get out what message he has, carefully controlled, misleading and disingenuous as it might be.
A few weeks ago, the BO team invited KWQC to Washington for an “exclusive interview” with the President. The folks at KWQC were just as tickled as could be. Gary put on his best dark suit and prepared for his big day with the “big guy”.
Perhaps you’ve seen the “interview”…and if you watch KWQC news at all, you surely have seen it or at least parts of it…probably more than once over the last few weeks.
While the station undoubtedly believes it scored a big “get”, to all but the incredibly naive or to the biggest fans of BO, it is an embarrassing exploitative gimmick by the president’s campaign team.
The “interview” was a staged event with Gary standing before the much taller Obama. The scene’s setup gave viewers the impression that Gary may have caught up with the president as he came out of the restroom on his way back to the Oval office.
Metivier got to ask three “localized” softball questions, probably provided, or at least approved, by the president’s campaign staff. Gary is shown, gazing upward upon the “master’s” countenance, hanging on every word of Mr. Obama’s filibustered answers.
A viewer might also get the feeling that as soon as Gary had had his “moment”, the hook came out and a presidential staffer called out for the next “interviewer”. Another local television station gets its “exclusive” interview to show the folks back home…over and over, in spots right up to election day.
Who needs the Washington press corps? DLH
Howard Portnoy blogging at hotair.com had this to say . . . Obama hoping to run out the clock till election . . . (without a scheduled press conference).
