Barack Obama is a novice - and it shows

[bijou]

During last year's epic election campaign, Hillary Clinton said that in the White House "there is no time for on-the-job training". Joe Biden, too, remarked that the presidency was "not something that lends itself to on-the-job training". Both were aiming barbs at their then primary opponent. Mrs Clinton has since brought what she would refer to as her "lifetime of experience" to the role of Secretary of State, while Mr Biden has traded 36 years in the Senate for the vice-presidency. And the rookie they derided is President.

Now, the words of his former rivals are returning to haunt President Obama. After a distinctly rocky start to his presidency, he has admitted he "screwed up" and is returning to one thing in his political career that he has perfected – campaigning. In Elkhart, Indiana, today and Fort Myers, Florida, tomorrow, Mr Obama will try to seize back control of the political agenda with question-and-answer sessions with voters in two of the swing states that gave him victory.

Already, however, he is struggling, and the product he is now selling is not himself but a near-trillion-dollar economic "stimulus" package loaded with pet Democratic spending projects that has awakened slumbering Republicans in Congress and is now supported by barely a third of Americans. In between the Indiana and Florida stops, he will return to the White House for a prime-time press conference in which he will appeal directly to citizens and seek to rekindle the magic of his campaign.

Which President Obama will turn up remains to be seen. Last week, he began as a wide-eyed bystander buffeted by events as he lost his key confidant, Tom Daschle, amid an uproar over $128,000 in unpaid taxes for a chauffeur and limousine. Mr Obama and his advisers believed the oversight did not matter because the over-arching virtue of the new White House could not be doubted. He was wrong and seemed out of touch in believing that ordinary people would not notice the contrast between the practice of politics as usual and his campaign slogans against it.  ...

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[Wretched Excess]

the press conference should be interesting.  no teleprompters.  it probably won't be his best forum any more than debates were.  we will need a "live press conference thread" for this later tonight.

[Redstatecka]

"Obama is a novice -- and it shows."

Respectfully, apologies are in order for novices.

[JohnnyReb]

the press conference should be interesting.  no teleprompters.  it probably won't be his best forum any more than debates were.  we will need a "live press conference thread" for this later tonight.

But...and that's a big but....bigger even than 'shelle's butt....will the crowd and reporters be hand picked and the question submitted before hand?

Bet you they are.

[Wretched Excess]

But...and that's a big but....bigger even than 'shelle's butt....will the crowd and reporters be hand picked and the question submitted before hand?

Bet you they are.

I read someplace that they are credentialing lefty bloggers.  that oughta tell you the degree to which they are cherry picking.

[Redstatecka]

But...and that's a big but....bigger even than 'shelle's butt....will the crowd and reporters be hand picked and the question submitted before hand?

Bet you they are.

Now, you're not suggesting there'll be lots of homerun pitches thrown, are you? If so, I"m shocked, appalled. Not.

[Redstatecka]

I read someplace that they are credentialing lefty bloggers.  that oughta tell you the degree to which they are cherry picking.

It tells me several things.

One, Obama is more of an empty suit than I could've imagined.

Two, he and his puppeteers and handlers are more afraid of his ignorance and inability to close a deal than I thought.

Three, he and his administration -- no surprise here -- really have no intention of any semblance of bi-partisanship.

Four, he and his administration will continue to punish those who he does not count among his thugs and thugettes in the advocacy/adversary media.

Five, he and the Democrats, liberals and leftists are also scared of the power of the conservative part of the blogosphere--and know the power of the blogosphere.

Six, Obama is a president of the people as Hitler was a friend to the Jews.

Seven, Obama and his ilk are afraid of true free speech.

Finally, and there are more, but--Obama and his team are every bit the fascists I knew they would be.

[GOP Congress]

Correct me if I'm wrong. But I have a question:

Why should a president need a teleprompter at a PRESS CONFERENCE? Did former presidents have one?

[Tess Anderson]

It about floored me when he called on the HuffPo reporter with BDS.

All scripted as everything he ever does is. I notice Helen Thomas got off her fat old ass with Barack Hussein obama, she's just sit there for his predecessor. "so-called" terrorists. 

[DixieBelle]

He was wrong and seemed out of touch in believing that ordinary people would not notice the contrast between the practice of politics as usual and his campaign slogans against it.  ...