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Guess Who Doesn't Like the Press - and the feeling may be mutual
The Weekly Standard ^ | 12/29/2008 | Stephen F. Hayes

Posted on 12/21/2008 6:11:01 PM PST by shoptalk

On April 21, 2008, the day before Pennsylvania's Democratic primary, Barack Obama sat at the counter of the Glider Diner in Scranton. Senator Bob Casey Jr., who had endorsed Obama and was traveling with him throughout the state, occupied the next stool. It had all the makings of a great photo-op - home state senator, local eatery, lots of cameras. There was just one problem: those pesky reporters.

As Obama cut into his butter-soaked waffle - fork in his left hand, knife in his right - one newshound wanted the candidate's reaction to the news of the day. Former President Jimmy Carter had traveled to the Middle East to meet with leaders from Hamas. In an exchange during one of the primary debates, Obama had promised that his administration would seek to engage America's enemies - a position that Hillary Clinton had called "naïve" and "irresponsible."

"Senator, did you hear about Jimmy Carter's trip?"

"Why is it that I can't just eat my waffle?" Obama snapped with his mouth full. One reporter at the diner wrote that the candidate glared "sternly" at the questioner - the wrong kind of audacity, apparently.

"Just asking," said the reporter.

Obama, perhaps realizing how his reaction might look, offered a little smile. But he still refused to answer.

"Just let me eat my waffle."

(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; imrankhan; msm; obama; pakistan; press; taliban; waffles
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To: shoptalk

Excuse me. The story fails to mention if the chastened reporter fell to his knees and shined Obama’s shoes while he begged for forgiveness as I am sure he did. More complete reporting would be appreciated in the future, thank you.


21 posted on 12/21/2008 6:53:57 PM PST by Robwin
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To: shoptalk
Nothing has changed; he still wants to have his 'waffle' and eat it too.

(And of course, he should have been irritated; because he WAS there - with all the Media dragging behind him - to eat waffles. Right?)

22 posted on 12/21/2008 6:54:26 PM PST by cricket (America's Freedom Rings! Thank You ~ U..S.A. Military~/)
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To: shoptalk

He will have more than waffles to eat when he has to deal with the reality of being President.

Like all the other Presidents and candidates for President the past couple of decades, he is a mental and moral lightweight.


23 posted on 12/21/2008 6:58:05 PM PST by ZULU (Non nobis, non nobis Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam. God, guts and guns made America great.)
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To: shoptalk

The press pushed for Obama...and now they got him.

So you media boys shut the **** up please and endure it like the rest of us...


24 posted on 12/21/2008 7:00:56 PM PST by Tzimisce (http://groups.myspace.com/nailthemessiah)
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To: shoptalk

It’s going to be a long four years for Obama if even he thinks he can treat the pressies like dirt and get away with it forever.

They wanted to love Jimmah and he treated them coldly. Nobody would have heard of the Killer Rabbit if they weren’t determined to pump air into it.


25 posted on 12/21/2008 7:15:26 PM PST by sinanju
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To: shoptalk

“Just let him eat his waffle.”

I hope he chokes on it...


26 posted on 12/21/2008 7:31:13 PM PST by rockrr (Global warming is to science what Islam is to religion)
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To: shoptalk
Just about everyone whose followed what the guy said were going to be his policies is still waiting for him to say what were going to be his policies about anything.

Personally I don't think he has any policies ~ sociopaths don't need no stinkin' policies anyway.

27 posted on 12/21/2008 8:00:49 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: shoptalk

It’s been obvious all along that Obama has attempted to control reporters and censor what is said or published about him. They just don’t see how they are being used and abused. The media’s blind love for Obama is like that of a frightened wife who is afraid to leave her abusive husband. They get kicked and beaten-up, told to shut-up, threatened and told off, but they keep coming back for more and continue to adore him. It is pathetic, if nothing else.


28 posted on 12/21/2008 8:27:42 PM PST by CitizenM ("An excuse is worse than an lie, because an excuse is a lie hidden." Pope John Paul, II)
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To: CitizenM

I’m telling you all right now, this press honeymoon is not going to last forever. When that helicopter takes off and Bush and Cheney are gone...it will only be a matter of time before the press starts holding the annointed one accountable. Watch him stammer then...


29 posted on 12/21/2008 8:47:44 PM PST by johnnycap
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To: shoptalk
I have no sympathy for Sarah Palin. She wasn't ready for a national campaign. If she wants to be a politician, she should try and learn about it. Of course she's busy with family, but her career is politics. Can't she read Krauthammer, Buckley, Will, and Krystal after the kids go to bed? I felt like I know more than she does.
If those same questions had been thrown at Mitt Romney, he would have handled them easily. If Gibson wanted a 10 second answer, Mitt would have given him a 10 second answer. If he wanted an expanded full minute on any topic(the Bush doctrine for example) Romney would have given him an outstanding answer that everyone could understand. Can you imagine Romney ever looking at confused and asking "In what respect Charlie?"
IMHO, Sarah Palin is a wonderful lady but not a serious presidential candidate at this time.
30 posted on 12/21/2008 9:06:42 PM PST by MovementConservative (Merry Christmas.)
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To: shoptalk

Maybe Obama should have William Ayers give the answers to questions. After all wasn’t it Ayers that actually ghost wrote his books?


31 posted on 12/21/2008 11:01:04 PM PST by taxesareforever (Quick justice for the senseless killing of Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Crutchfield.)
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To: shoptalk

Maybe Obama should have William Ayers give the answers to questions. After all wasn’t it Ayers that actually ghost wrote his books?


32 posted on 12/21/2008 11:01:29 PM PST by taxesareforever (Quick justice for the senseless killing of Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Crutchfield.)
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To: shoptalk

He might have more press conferences but hardly ever answers questions.


33 posted on 12/22/2008 12:21:01 AM PST by TheThinker (Shame and guilt mongering is the Left's favorite tool of control.)
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To: johnnycap

NEVER! They will NEVER hold him accountable for ANYTHING! They MADE him....they will PROP him up!


34 posted on 12/22/2008 4:17:02 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion.....The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience)
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To: MovementConservative
I have no sympathy for Sarah Palin. She wasn't ready for a national campaign. If she wants to be a politician, she should try and learn about it. Of course she's busy with family, but her career is politics. Can't she read Krauthammer, Buckley, Will, and Krystal after the kids go to bed? I felt like I know more than she does.
If I were a governor running for VP in a field of one senator running for VP and two senators running for POTUS and someone asked me if I were qualified for the job, I would challenge the reporter to name two people in the race who had submitted a balanced budget to a legislature, or vetoed a bill, or taken responsibility for sending someone into harm's way. But I certainly wouldn't do that for tape, you want to interview me you do it live so you can look just as ridiculous to your audience as you in fact are. But I guess that's why I'll never be a governor.

The other thing I'd have done would have been to go for the comparison with the Obama, and absolutely refuse comparison with Biden. Because if Palin had been VP and McCain had died, you would have in the White House someone who had to get up to speed on foreign policy . . . which would take you what - a week to learn more about it than Obama knows? But as it is, Obama will be POTUS - and if McCain were to die, we will still be stuck with Obama.

But Palin is hardly the reason that McCain didn't win; she's a big reason why McCain didn't lose a lot worse than if he had nominated, say, Joe Lieberman. I do think that there was a way for McCain to give himself an actual shot at winning with his VP selection - but that would have required nominating a black conservative VP who, lacking the credentials of even a Gov. Pallin, would have had only one mission - search and destroy Obama's reputation. Big Journalism would have heaped vituperation on him - like they didn't heap it on Gov. Palin? - but the public would have been learned what the actual choice in the race was.


35 posted on 12/22/2008 4:19:52 AM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (We already HAVE a fairness doctrine. It's called, "the Constitution." Accept no substitute.)
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To: MovementConservative

Debating the respective (moot) merits of Palin/Romney obscures larger questions: Will the press grow weary of dismissive non-answers and linguistic pap from The One? Will the press abandon its Gunga Din water-carrying role and demand substanitive answers of the new President?

Hayes seems to think so and I agree.


36 posted on 12/22/2008 6:31:08 AM PST by shoptalk
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