As we know the Obama campaign went to great lengths, and cost, to “silence the smearers” and other “distractions” during the campaign.
Now two sources from within the camp are telling me that Obama is planning to create an even more aggressive stance once he is in office.
The plan includes “punishment” to networks and other news sources that “get too close”, or investigate news that the Obama people determine are “off limits”. News organizations that violate these off limits areas will be subjected to interview “blackouts”.
As you might know FDR created an Office of Censorship in 1941 to censor information coming in and going out of the US during the war. However, this would be the first time a sitting president would use such tactics to keep critics and genuine questioning at bay.
However, the greater question still will be how he will do this? We already know that his supporters have run the gamut of threatening prosecution – as was the case in Missouri – all the way to peeking into the background of an ordinary citizen – such as Joe the Plumber.
All because he had the audicity to ask a question.
7 Responses
quotecritter
December 1st, 2008 at 8:19 pm
1Right now Fox is 0 for 5 in getting to ask a question at any of his press conferences
Former Bush Voter
December 1st, 2008 at 8:45 pm
2The plan includes “punishment” to networks and other news sources that “get too close”, or investigate news that the Obama people determine are “off limits”. News organizations that violate these off limits areas will be subjected to interview “blackouts”.
You mean just like President Bush ignored Helen Thomas after she became overly aggressive?
Report: Obama to Adopt Aggressive Plan to Stifle Criticism : TrendPK.com
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 am
3[...] report here. The policy already seems to be in full force. Of Obama’s 5 press conferences, Fox News has [...]
bluespapa
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:33 am
4Yes, I was going to mention Helen Thomas, who was unable to get a question to Bush or even Fleischer for years, not months. But there were other major news media as well.
Meanwhile, as McClellan points out, they regularly leaked to “favorable” media (Fox News, conservative talk radio).
Before Bush, every modern sitting president took questions from Helen Thomas, and all the major media outlets.
And it was certainly an obvious and effort on the part of Bush and his spokesmen to “punish” “hostile” news outlets. You’d have to go back to Nixon to find a president as blatant as Bush, and there were no media like Fox News attacking Reagan or G.H.W. Bush.
Even in the age of Google, Lexus/Nexus, and YouTube conservatives lie as if there were no objective reality.
RBO News & Views: The Man in the Mirror Edition «
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:05 am
5[...] “Fight the Smears” Campaign to Expand: Steve Gilbert at Sweetness & Light writes that two Obama camp sources report: Obama is planning to create an even more aggressive stance once [...]
Annie Sweetie Oakley
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:30 am
6Will he punish us with a baby??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL08s5uH8as
ps – that must be why FOX is acting so wimpppppppppy.
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=20210273
Freelancer
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
7The obvious solution is for the media to shun Obama. If Blackouts work for him, they should also work in reverse. Obama needs to be put in the position of having to work for coverage and I think that is exactly what will happen.
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