rssKurtz Notices Lack of Press Access to McCain
Monday, August 04, 2008 at 9:30 am
- 5 Comments
The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz was on the McCain jet last week, and he filed a story today about, surprise, the traveling press’ lack of access to the candidate. From The Washington Post:
KANSAS CITY — While the traveling press corps was shipped off to a barbecue restaurant here, John McCain charmed his way through an interview with a local TV reporter. Surae Chinn of KCTV posed such less-than-penetrating questions as "How important is Missouri?" and "Have you chosen a running mate?" and — addressing the candidate’s wife, Cindy — "How do you make your marriage work?"
Moments later, though, the Republican candidate seemed to grow annoyed with the Kansas City Star’s Steve Kraske, who pressed him on his recent comment that "nothing is off the table" when it comes to strengthening Social Security.
When Kraske said that McCain presumably wasn’t ruling out a payroll tax hike, McCain interrupted: "That’s presuming wrong." When the reporter rephrased the question, McCain said: "If you want to keep asking me over and over again, you’re welcome to."
It was a brief moment of friction that highlighted how the captain of the Straight Talk Express is having a bumpier ride with journalists than when he ran for president eight years ago. The popular image of the campaign — McCain bantering with national journalists in the back of his bus — has, in reality, all but vanished. The traveling press is now routinely stiffed in favor of five-minute sit-downs with local reporters.
"Routinely stiffed" may be putting it nicely. The Straight Talk Express is effectively now a carrot reserved almost exclusively for local reporters. It has been almost three weeks since McCain has taken questions from the national press while aboard the bus. Kurtz continues by noting that the cabin of the Straight Talk jet contains a specially-designed section for press conferences that has gone unused since McCain’s trip to Colombia more than a month ago — and that was the first and only time it was ever put to use.
During the subsequent flight to Orlando, McCain remained in the front cabin, which was cordoned off by a curtain. The only journalist ushered into his presence was a writer for Marie Claire magazine.
In the old days, reporters would have had hours to chew over the latest controversy, and plenty of other subjects, with McCain. But for a campaign struggling to regain control of its message, the old days are definitely gone.
On a lighter note, the jet does have one new feature, supplied by the press corps: a cardboard cut-out of the candidate that now keeps watch over the press cabin — and this cardboard McCain says almost as much to the travelling press as his human counterpart.
5 Comments
Comment posted August 4, 2008 @ 10:56 am
Dear American Citizens and the Press
As a concerned citizen, I consider it is my duty to bring following message to you all.
“We the citizens of the United States of America have the ultimate responsibility to elect the ” Right Candidate” to lead our nation, out of our huge present and future internal and external challenges as well as opportunities. This is to prevent depression and isolation in-spite of being the only superpower in the world morally, democratically, economically, and militarily.
We need to consider the “critical qualities and characteristics” of our presumptive presidential nominees at the time we vote.
In my personal and professional opinion the critical considerations are as under:
1. Calm, cool, and collected ” temper ” [ Presidential Temperament ].
2. Sound and sustained “Judgment and Caliber”.
3. “Thought-fullness and togetherness” of purpose and positions.
4. Minimum “ex-poser and exploitation” around “Washington and Washington insiders”.
5. Renewed ” Vigor and Vision ” for our Greatgrand Nation.
6. Foreign policy based on ” American Values, Virtuous, Vastness”.
Stay informed, stay involved, and stay engaged. Do not allow some partisan media, pundits, pollsters, and perpetual political opinion makers effect your vote in the wrong direction.
Don’t be effected and duped by “Psychological Terrorism” that is directed at common American people without their full consent and awareness.
Long live U.S.A and its diverse but democratic people.
Col. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., ABFM., ABDA.
Chief Consultant: World Wide Porfessional Consultants[WWPC]
Colonel, USAR/MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran and Freedom team.
Consultant Psychiatrist: CA State, Medical Board of California, and Los Angeles Mental Health Department
Address: 7642 Eaglehelm Court Las Vegas NV 89123
PS: We know about his temper and substantial gaffes, He is unfit to be our next President.
Comment posted August 4, 2008 @ 5:56 am
Dear American Citizens and the Press
As a concerned citizen, I consider it is my duty to bring following message to you all.
“We the citizens of the United States of America have the ultimate responsibility to elect the ” Right Candidate” to lead our nation, out of our huge present and future internal and external challenges as well as opportunities. This is to prevent depression and isolation in-spite of being the only superpower in the world morally, democratically, economically, and militarily.
We need to consider the “critical qualities and characteristics” of our presumptive presidential nominees at the time we vote.
In my personal and professional opinion the critical considerations are as under:
1. Calm, cool, and collected ” temper ” [ Presidential Temperament ].
2. Sound and sustained “Judgment and Caliber”.
3. “Thought-fullness and togetherness” of purpose and positions.
4. Minimum “ex-poser and exploitation” around “Washington and Washington insiders”.
5. Renewed ” Vigor and Vision ” for our Greatgrand Nation.
6. Foreign policy based on ” American Values, Virtuous, Vastness”.
Stay informed, stay involved, and stay engaged. Do not allow some partisan media, pundits, pollsters, and perpetual political opinion makers effect your vote in the wrong direction.
Don't be effected and duped by “Psychological Terrorism” that is directed at common American people without their full consent and awareness.
Long live U.S.A and its diverse but democratic people.
Col. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., ABFM., ABDA.
Chief Consultant: World Wide Porfessional Consultants[WWPC]
Colonel, USAR/MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran and Freedom team.
Consultant Psychiatrist: CA State, Medical Board of California, and Los Angeles Mental Health Department
Address: 7642 Eaglehelm Court Las Vegas NV 89123
PS: We know about his temper and substantial gaffes, He is unfit to be our next President.
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