MetroNorth News sacks Obama’s PR campaign
March 27th, 2009
President Obama seems more intent on running a PR campaign than running the nation.
In an editorial in the Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel this week, MetroNorth News editors take President Obama to task for his insistence on running a PR campaign rather than running the United States government. In recent weeks we have seen Obama appear on Jay Leno (the first time a sitting president has appeared on late night TV), he has held two press conferences with questions from pre-chosen and hand-picked reporters, addressed Congress in a quasi-State of the Union address, and published his NCAA tournament bracket on ESPN.
After outlining some of these items and also pointing out the president’s Special Olympics gaffe while on Leno, MetroNorth editors said:
Even those who unquestionably supported Obama during the campaign must be wondering about his form over function and style over substance. How did basketball rate as a priority over AIG bonuses, and when did late-night laughter become as important as lasting prosperity?
Mr. President, we don’t want you to be our friend. We don’t want to share jokes with you, or compare our brackets. What we want, and need, from you is leadership, guidance, and action.
Commander in Chief, sports prognosticator, punch-drunk pundit and late night comedian? Please, sir, let’s just stick to what’s important.
I couldn’t have said it better and I applaud the editors saying it! I would recommend the editors immediately send a copy of the editorial to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and mark it urgent!
I have said before that this president started campaigning for a second term the day after he was elected to his first. Rather than devoting himself to the important business at hand, he seems more intent on ensuring Americans ‘like’ him rather than respect him or believe in his leadership. As he nears the 100 day mark of his presidency, Obama’s time has been marked by more gaffes than actions and by more PR effort than leadership. As the editorial said, we don’t need a friend – we need a president.
I am not sure what those who voted for him expected though – this is a man who had zero leadership experience before being elected the leader of the free world.
I think the shine is wearing off of our new president. It is becoming quite obvious that he isn’t up to the task. The constant gaffes, the free-fall of the economy, the scary foreign policy all point to someone in over his head.
I think the Americans are underestimating this man’s dictatorial assault on America. Obama, Pelosi, and Reid have done a major power grab and are literally passing everything on Obama’s agenda with out fair representation from congress or Americans. Americans seem too complacent about what’s happening to them.
I want the president to succeed – for the good of the nation. I don’t support all of his socialist-like agenda but we need America to recover and we have to hope that our government’s checks and balances will keep things from swinging too far one way.
As the editorial says, we don’t need someone more interested in public opinion polls than doing what is right for the nation. Get down to business and fix that which is broke and forget all the public appearances.
When I read the editorial, I found myself nodding in agreement. When Obama took office, I was hopeful for him to do some positive things, even though I didn’t vote for him. Though I was hopeful, I was also ready for disappointment. It has come even sooner than I had anticipated. Within the first week, the reasons I had voted against him came shining through, and continue daily. No leadership, a disaster of nominations, even worse appointments, and congress is taking us down a path of ruin. All we can do now is focus locally and work to make it better from the bottom up.
I absolutely cannot believe how quick folks are to bash President Obama. He has been on the job barely two months and is trying to rectify problems which have been building for eight years. The man deserves a chance and if he chooses to take his case directly to the people via Jay Leno, monthly press conferences or whatever, that is fine.
Did you see the letter to the editor in the Sentinel today in response to their editorial? I laughed out loud at the thought that the Sentinel editors lean right. That certainly isn’t the case and they give way more ‘air time’ to the Dems.
The interesting thing is that the writer couldn’t even provide an argument against the points made in the editorial.