Instead of adoring his own image, Obama loves to hear himself talk – about himself. In just 41 speeches so far this year, not including this week's big speech at the United Nations, Obama has talked about himself nearly 1,200 times – 1,198 to be exact. (That breaks down to 1,121 “I”s and just 77 “me”s.) And that just includes 34 weekly addresses and his seven major speeches. Count the hundreds of other public speeches and he’d be off the charts.
And if you needed any more confirmation, there was this past Sunday’s Obama-palooza on the network talking head shows. Obama pulled a presidential first, going back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back on five different networks. He hit “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on ABC, “Meet the Press” on NBC, “Face the Nation” on CBS, as well as interviews on both CNN and Univision.
The interviews went off as expected. Obama kept his “I” on the nation’s problems. He mustered 387 personal mentions in just 82 minutes of air time. Forget the economy, health care, racism or whatever. Every 13 seconds, Obama was talking about … Obama. Next stop, David Letterman on Sept. 21. You already know the topic.
That’s to be expected for a TV hound like Barack Obama. Martha Joynt Kumar, a political science professor at Towson University in Maryland, said Obama has had nearly three times the number of interviews either Bush or Bill Clinton had at this time in his presidency. The New York Times Caucus blog reported: “As of his seven-month in office mark in August, he had done 114 interviews, compared to 37 by former President George W. Bush and 41 by former president Bill Clinton.”
At this rate, he’ll top all presidents combined by the time he and his ego leave office.
It’s so bad, it’s either humorous or pathetic. Let’s try humorous first. Obama loves himself so much that …
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A Fox News opinion piece ragging on Obama? With a dig at GE/NBC? Shocking!
ReplyDeleteYay corporate media wars! The cola wars of the 21st century!
I kick that song's ass on Guitar Hero. Great song.
ReplyDeletePS. Obama sucks.
First off, Living Colour ROCKS! Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish comprise one of the finest rhythm sections ever assembled.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, one of my biggest complaints about Bush was his inability and reluctance to explain any of his positions in detail. A recent criticism of Barack is that he needs to be more like Bush in terms of sticking to his guns. I agree with that, but the fact that Obama is trying hard to explain his positions, in detail (I know there are lots of details missing, but we're getting way more than Bush's "I'm the decider"), and I welcome that. You're never going to be happy that the guy you disagree with is on TV saying stuff you disagree with, so it seems like that's the real issue, not that he's trying to promote his ideas.
Holy shit, is that a Matt sighting?
ReplyDeleteEven CNN is doing pieces on Obama-over-exposure.
ReplyDeleteAnd like this opinion article says, he is diluting his message and sounded like an egomaniac. I think he could stand to use more "we's" and less "I's" and "them's". Every Obama speech sounds like this: "I inherited... they aren't doing this... I've been very clear... Let me be clear... George Bush hates black people." Well, that part was Kanye.
Personally, I love the two liberal/libertarians who first discredit the source and then compare it to Bush. Its funny because Jay and I just had this discussion yesterday about discrediting the source and then blaming Bush.
The 'real issue' is not that he is promoting his ideas its that no one is buying his ideas. The more he talks the more his support goes down. More talking does not equal more understanding. He hasn't been clear about what he wants and when he has been clear his actions haven't supported his words.