via npr.org
I had the pleasure of joining a panel on NPR's Tell Me More with Michel Martin this morning on my way out of DC. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and Weekly Standard associate editor Matt Continetti joined me to discuss if the President of the United States was "overexposed."
Silly question but interesting conversation.
My main points came down to
- we're all adjusting to the idea of a president who seeks exposure rather than hiding behind brush-clearing activities and shadowy vice president bent on undermining the Constitution
- criticism from the GOP on this matter is expected because they criticize anything Obama does
- criticism from the media is expected because they are the very small audience of people that actually see the president everywhere. Obama is reaching out to a "nation of niches" where they tune in: sports, comedy, news, magazine shows. Most people aren't watching ALL those things
- president going to copenhagen is a good thing. This would be a better country if more of its citizens left
Points I didn't get to make but will use this post to do:
1) I think the media people are just annoyed that President Obama is making them work so hard. In the same day, he'll deal with climate change, Olympics, health care and American Samoa. It's like "woah, our 24 hour coverage can only mishandle ONE issue at a time."
2) If you want to talk about a politician who's overexposed, let's talk about Dick Cheney. I mean here's a failed, unemployed former vice president who's been wrong about everything, yet sucks up mad media attention. He's the one person about whom I could say, "I wish you were more like George W. Bush" Just STFU already.