Posted on 12/22/2016 12:05:50 PM PST by drewh
Poynter’s James Warren (a former Chicago Tribune managing editor) has turned to the next press horror under President Trump: “What will the White House correspondents’ dinner look like under President Trump?” Warren admitted “It seems way off — April 29, 2017 — but the election of Donald Trump is already raising questions and some fears among [White House Correspondents] association members.”
"This is unchartered [sic] territory," said a former WHCA board member who's discussed the matter with board members. "We've never had a businessman-reality TV star as president, somebody who understands the importance of this particular event."
That sounds a little odd, considering Obama and Bill Clinton understood this was an event where they could easily own the room. See the media adoration of Obama’s mic-drop routine earlier this year.
Liberal journalists now associate the dinner with journalists being too cozy with the power elite, and conservatives associate it with leftist comedians offering either a cauldron of acid for Republicans (Stephen Colbert trolling Bush) or a cauldron of acid for Republicans (Wanda Sykes sparing Obama).
Both these groups of critics would just call the whole thing off. Warren turned to the media to wonder about the future:
"Will this guy who sat here and took it in not altogether gracious fashion from President Obama sit there and take it as president of the United States while a comedian who is hired does what comedians normally do? Can he take it?" asks Bill Plante, just-retired CBS News White House correspondent and a former association president.
"And can he do (at the dinner) what presidents do, make fun of himself?"
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Plante asked exactly the wrong question. Trump came to the dinner and took his lumps from Obama and NBC's Seth Meyers in 2011. The better question is can the media take the ridicule? Can the media make fun of itself? The last year suggests they think any criticism is tantamount to Soviet authoritarianism. Warren’s story continued:
“It certainly has the potential to be a train wreck, and it’s possible that the Trump team would see that as a good thing," says Tom Goodman, president and chief executive of Goodman Media who was once head of communications at CBS News and CBS Inc.
"Regardless, I believe Donald Trump would absolutely show up and use the event to lambast the media, which would play into his ongoing narrative. I think the biggest difference between the current and next president (at this event) is that Barack Obama would be joking about the media, and Donald Trump would not — and he would name names, too."
That makes it sound like Republicans might really enjoy this dinner for a change.
Judging from the Al Smith dinner, cavorting with the enemy doesn’t seem to be a tradition DJT intends to continue.
It’s an insult to suffering middle-class Americans, anyway. Reindeer games like that should be reserved for booming prosperity when everybody has room to laugh.
I enjoyed the one with Imus.
Trump will probably not go and the stupid dinner will go the way of the Dodo bird.
I hope he doesnt participate
Trump should simply say - “I’m not attending.”
And let it be known that if any of his cabinet members attend, they can look for a new job.
Let the leftist elitists and insiders can pat themselves on the back without Trump being there.
I think Trump should cancel it. It’s just a clown show with a bunch of degenerates.
“We’ve never had a businessman-reality TV star as president, somebody who understands the importance of this particular event.””
It isn’t important. ALso, Obama never made fun of himself. He mocked others nonstop.
Does Mark Steyn do stand-up? I about drive off the road laughing when he subs for Rush. The man is hysterical.
The “correspondents” should just have a dinner for themselves. They could all bring their favorite photo of ObeyMe and cry over the old times together.
Or wait!!!!! Milo would be perfect. He actually did used to do stand-up. Oh please either Mark or Milo.
TRUMP: Direct Connect To The American People!!
YAY!!
Win, Win, Win.
The joke was on all of us these last 8 years.
Nah, don’t cancel it. Just move the venue to Oklahoma City.
Some now unknown FReeper took this pic that evening
Pu$$ies...
If he invites like 10 real journalists, then the cost savings will be monumental.
Hey, Warren - Enjoying the warm trickle down your leg?
Trump should just skip the dinner.
Just cancel and replace with a new idea...media hoax of the year awards
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