Sunday, July 20, 2008

SNUBBED BY OBAMA.....the European press isn't getting any




"SNUBBED BY OBAMA"



By Christoph von Marschall, a German journalist, and translated by the Washington Post. Sunday, July 20, 2008


Barack Obama is on his way to Europe, where an adoring public awaits. But I wonder if the reception would be quite so enthusiastic if Obama's fans across the Atlantic knew a dirty little secret of his remarkable presidential campaign: Although Obama portrays himself as the best candidate to engage the rest of the world and restore America's image abroad, and many Americans support him for that reason, so far he has almost completely refused to answer questions from foreign journalists. When the press plane leaves tonight for his trip, there will be, as far as I know, no foreign media aboard. The Obama campaign has refused multiple requests from international reporters to travel with the candidate.

As a German correspondent in Washington, I am accustomed to the fact that American politicians spare little of their limited time for reporters from abroad. This is understandable: Our readers, viewers and listeners cannot vote in U.S. elections. Even so, Obama's opponents have managed to make at least a small amount of time for international journalists. John McCain has given many interviews. Hillary Clinton gave a few. President Bush regularly holds round-table interviews with media from the countries to which he travels. Only Obama dismisses us so consistently.

This spring Obama allowed at least one foreign reporter on trips to Ohio and Texas. But as the campaign has progressed, access has become more difficult for foreign correspondents. E-mail inquiries get no reply, phone calls are not returned. My colleagues and I know: We are last in line. We don't matter.

In September 2007, I gave a lecture in Iowa titled "The U.S. in the World: How They See Us." People in the audience asked me about the working conditions of foreign journalists and were surprised to learn how little access Obama had given us. Several Iowans wrote to his campaign to protest. In contrast to me, they did hear back: In a letter dated Nov. 24, the campaign assured one of these people that Obama cares about the foreign media and wants to increase openness. The letter even said that my contact information had been forwarded to the campaign's communications department.

There was no follow-up.


Since I followed the Obama campaign in its early stages and published a sympathetic (and widely read) book in German about the Illinois senator, I probably have more access than most. I know the Obama "policy advisers" in Washington think tanks and the like; sometimes I manage a fleeting encounter with the senator's press staff at campaign events. Yet I can only dream of an interview with the candidate. To my knowledge, no foreign journalist has had one. A reported interview in France's Politique Internationale last summer turned out to be a fake. In February, Obama gave Israel's Yediot Ahronot written answers to written questions about his views on Israel and the Middle East.

Perhaps Obama considers members of the foreign media a risk rather than an opportunity. His campaign learned the hard way how comments to foreigners can resonate at home -- recall adviser Austan Goolsbee's hints to a Canadian diplomat that Obama's critique of NAFTA was just campaign rhetoric, or former aide Samantha Power's "monster" remark about Hillary Clinton to the Scotsman. Or perhaps we're witnessing the arrogance that comes from being so close to power. One of his campaign advisers told me recently: "Why should we take the time for foreign media, since there is Obamania around the world?"

Obama is indeed popular in my country and elsewhere in Europe. But Europeans have the same questions about his experience and character that Americans do. Unlike U.S. citizens, we can't vote in the election; its results, though, will affect our lives, much as it will affect theirs. Surely a man who has said he would talk with U.S. adversaries such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can spend a few moments with journalists from friendlier countries.


Z: I know many of you don't give a darn about what Europe thinks, but I thought this article says a lot more about Obama than Europe.


*The writer is Washington bureau chief of Der Tagesspiegel, a Berlin-based daily newspaper.

NEWS UPDATE: NO nail polish or jewelry for Obama journalists on this trip.....What, no burkhas, too?

z

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

When he loses in November, he'll be wishing he had more friends in the foreign press to gear up for the next election. It'll come back to bite him. This is just another sign of his tremendous arrogance.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Z, this is more about Obama than Europe. I think Europe has a lot of nerve sticking their noses in our business with their worthless opinions, but at the same time why blame them when that fool Obama is running around Europe like some kind of super star wannabe.

He is filth and makes me sick. He needs to go back to his home in Chicago and get out of politics. Maybe he can write another book, "The Dreams of My Wanting to Be POTUS Gone Wrong - "Inspired by Michelle Obama" - OR "The Audacity of Ignorance" - A Guide for IDIOTS!

Papa Frank said...

This campaign has been so coordinated between Obama's people and the media that swoon over him that it is easy to see why they would reject foreign media who may not be on the same page. I even heard Lou Dobbs, of all unlikely people, tonight say how unbalanced the coverage has been in this election. He said that the media was completely in the tank for Obama and only digging deeper in the tank as it goes on. It's bad when liberal media is being called out by each other.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

The foreign media would be practically useless to Obama, as they're not obliged to softball him some fluff questions.

Which is precisely why Obama won't do Fox News either.

Obama is a Democrat, and a leftist Democrat at that, so his main focus is always going to be on convincing rational people that he's mentally retarded.

Once you get over the quite cartoonishly absurd notion that leftists might possibly be actually capable of rational thought, it becomes a bit easier to analyze the Obama "phenomenon" for what it is.

The guy gives morons a bad name.

John said...

The words:

"the campaign assured one of these people that Obama cares about the foreign media and wants to increase openness."

The actions:

"There was no follow-up."

"In February, Obama gave Israel's Yediot Ahronot written answers to written questions about his views on Israel and the Middle East."

I'm sure they were peer reviewed by his 300 advisors.

"Perhaps Obama considers members of the foreign media a risk rather than an opportunity."

Members of an American Town Hall meeting, too, apparently.

beamish said:

"The foreign media would be practically useless to Obama, as they're not obliged to softball him some fluff questions.

Which is precisely why Obama won't do Fox News either."

Or a Town Hall meeting.

Nikki said...

extremely interesting Z. Obama is kept on a tight rope I suspect because his mouth may say what he truly thinks. American reporters are not granted embedded access either to the candidate and he has the most costly campaign staff in history...not a shocker. He is a marketed symbol and the image can't be compromised. That's what I see...thanks for posting this. :)N

Anonymous said...

I find it a really interesting post, z. Actually this seems to be his standard of behavior everywhere. He's not saying much in Israel either. I guess he's learned that anything he says can and will be used against him. Duck and hide behind bland banalities and refuse to give away any real information and he will manage to escape being pinned down. I'm sure the German reporter is right. Obama doesn't give a fig about anyone or anything but winning that election, despite Europe's silly infatuation with him.

The Merry Widow said...

This is what happens when youhave a "symbol" running for office. The fact that he is a communist MUST be hidden from the American public...maybe the Europeans will wake up to his phoniness...maybe American's will too.
At least with this hideously long "campaign season" more faux pas will occur, wonder how his "groupies" will react to his metromaleness lacks?
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!

tmw

Karen Townsend said...

The longer the campaign goes, the more we read of less adoring coverage of Obama. His shiny exterior is tarnishing a bit. The arrogance is palpable. I am so sick of looking at him and his nose up in the air stance that I have to change the channel if he comes on. Seriously.

Terrific post, Z. Really interesting perspective.

namaste said...

he's not as bright as he'd have us think he is. that's why he ignores the foreign press. answering their question would force him to think on his feet. wait til the debates start. haha! the honeymoon will surely be over soon.

~m

Brooke said...

Obama is such an elitist! He hasn't time for anyone or anything that doesn't directly benefit him right here and now.

I do think this snub will come back to bite him.

Anonymous said...

Hi all,
It's becoming more and more well known that Obama doesn't fare well without a teleprompter.

How can we forget that illustrative moment when he said, "I've been to 57 states so far"!

Pris

MathewK said...

Well it's good for them to see this side of him, but will they reject him, i don't think so. Out here if the news folks ever touch the subject of elections in the US, it's all barack, McCain only gets a passing mention if he's lucky.

The funny thing is that the MSM will only report about Obama, then in the next breath tell us that more people know and like Obama than McCain. I mean what the hell did they expect when they never tell us anything about McCain.

Z said...

MK..you'd think the press would be ashamed because they were taught better, to be fair and equal.

But, the last generation hasn't been taught that.

sad, isn't it