Pres-Elect Obama’s First Press Conference: Brief, Wry & Sober
President-Elect Barack Obama has given his first post-campaign press conference, backgrounded by some of the elite minds on the pressing issues of the day.
The conference was brief and sober, with some wry curveballs thrown in there, indicating Obama’s style will be loose and serious, differing from the current president’s conferences which are known to be closed-lipped, and sometimes offensive:
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/bushjerk.flv[/flv]
(God Bush can be an asshole)
Obama livened the conference by addressing the ‘major issue’ of the day, the presidential pooch:
“With respect to the dog: This is a major issue. I think it has generated more interest on our website than just about anything. We have two criteria that have to be reconciled: One is that Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic–there are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic–on the other hand our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but obviously a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we’re going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household.”
Watch below.
As noted by TIME,
Obama, uncharacteristically late in that presidential way where aides keep giving two minute warnings of his approach, slid into the formal role as easily as sliding back into a suit after working out at the gym. The president-elect delivered his first press conference with verve, as clear and articulate as ever, standing before a plain blue background and a row of U.S. flags that evoked the White House and the backdrop for his victory speech Tuesday night.
His economic advisers and new chief of staff Rahm Emanuel flanked him (he had just come from meeting with them), many smiling and nodding encouragingly, not unlike parents proudly watching their kid deliver a valedictory speech. He called on reporters by their names from a card — a rarity for Obama, who in press conferences usually just points and says “yes” — even going so far as to use the order similar to that used by President Bush: the wires first, then the networks, the hometown Chicago reporters, and then the major papers. In another notable departure from the campaign, journalists formally stood to pose their questions.
It’s nice to have a leader that can articulate complete sentences, even with a liberal dose of the ’ums.’ I always found it curious how Republicans who press for English as the national language tend to shun those who are fluent in it.
Press conference #1: Check.
Keep it up, Obama.
Image: http://huffingtonpost.com
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