Watch it live here.
PBO isn’t there yet, but a line of yapping heads are recording opening remarks in front of the podium.
Anyone want to guess when the first Duck Dynasty question comes up? I say the issue is raised in one of the first four questions. Probably from a FoxBot.
UPDATE: Conference underway. PBO started off talking up the economy, deficit reduction and healthcare enrollment. Noted that a budget passed. Called for an extension of unemployment benefits, saying GOP should have passed it before they left town.
Running question recap:
1. This year sucked for you. Are you panicked or merely terrified?
2. How will you rein in the monstrous spying exposed by E. Snowden?
3. You said you already fixed the NSA thing. Were you lying then or are you lying black* now? Are you lying like you were on healthcare?
4. What was your biggest mistake? (No, really.)
5. Debt ceiling — will you negotiate with House GOP terrorists?
6. What is your New Year’s resolution?
7. Amnesty for Great American Hero Snowden?
8. Derp! Derpity-herp-derp! ACA derp-derp-DERP!
9. What message were you trying to send by naming a bunch of gay people as delegates to the Sochi Olympics?
10. Was the appointment of Max Baucus to China as ambassador a coded message that you’re giving up on a tax code overhaul?
11. PolitiFact called you a big fat liar. Have you completely ruined the Democratic Party?
12. How will reshaping your team change the dynamic? (A good question!)
UPDATE: And that’s it. The recap above isn’t verbatim, obviously, but the tone is fairly accurate. The Village has clearly settled on the “2013 Was Obama’s Katrinaloo” narrative, and almost all of the questions flowed from that.
*H/T: Valued commenter Corner Stone
Corner Stone
There’s only one question I care to have answered this Holiday Season – boxers or briefs?
Violet
I agree it’ll be in the first four questions, but I think it’ll be from NBC–is Chuck Toddler there? He’ll ask it. Or Dancin’ Dave.
ranchandsyrup
BULLY PULPIT. I forgot to send in my wish list.
Baud
On Duck Dynasty, I hope PBO responds that he respectfully disagrees that black people were happier under Jim Crow.
jl
They are lucky a guy like Obama’s the prez. Me, if I got a stupid white Santa or duck dude question, I’d stomp out of the room and get them FEMA camps runnin’, pronto. Would make for festive end to the presser.
Edit: Unless I remembered to bring a duck call, then I would answer with that, and spare them the FEMA camps.
Violet
@jl: Maybe station some jack-booted thugs by the door to drag off anyone who asked such a question to the FEMA re-education camp/gay marriage abortionplex.
Betty Cracker
@Violet: He’s there — gabbing with his fellow jackals and checking his iPhone. Major Garret is right next to him, looking as pompous and self-important as it is possible for a human being to look.
jl
@Violet: No, I calmed down. If I were prez, I would bring a duck call, as I indicated in my merciful and gracious edit above.
Davis X. Machina
The United States Government has no right to go sticking its nose into the internal affairs of the Duck Dynasty.
It is up to the Duck people, and only the Duck people, — they alone have the sole legitimate power — to determine succession to the Duck throne, or whether to overthrow their monarchical form of government in the first place. We would of course prefer a Duck Republic, but ultimately it’s not our call.
If the Ducks didn’t have oil, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.
Mike in NC
@Violet: Another vote for Chuck Todd, who’ll probably be wearing a Santa cap to hide his receding hairline.
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker:
I beg your pardon!
max
Why are we having a press conference?
Dare I hope that Obama will tell Menendez to shove it up his ass?
max
[‘Weird.’]
Violet
@Davis X. Machina: It would be nice if the president reminded everyone that the Duck Dynasty guys work for their employer and their employer has rules they require their employees to follow. If the Duck Dynasty guy violated a rule or contractual agreement by saying what he did, that’s between him and his employer. If people want stronger freedom of speech laws, they need to support unions that support workers’ rights.
I know, I must be smoking something.
El Caganer
@Corner Stone: In light of major current events, I think it will be “Donald or Daffy?”
Corner Stone
Yes, Kristen Welker, we do remember in 2011 when the WH negotiated over the debt ceiling limit.
James E Powell
@Davis X. Machina:
You are, and likely always will be, one of my favorite commenters on the internets.
max
Oh, God, I have to listen to Chuck Todd.
max
[‘Hurry up, Mr. President. Please.’]
ed drone
If Chuck Todd asks the Duck question, will he be self-christening one ‘Duck Todd?”
Or will the POTUS duck the whole issue?
Ed
Zifnab25
@Davis X. Machina: When do you plan on running for office, because I want to vote for you.
Corner Stone
@El Caganer: Duck-Gate! What did the president know, and when did he know it?
Somebody get Issa on the quacker, now! NOW, GOD DAMMIT, NOW!!
max
Yay! The centrist correspondents shut up!
max
[‘It’s the most wonderful press conference of the year.’]
Another Holocene Human
You know what would be hilar? For POTUS to hold a special presser with only the African-American press invited. And I don’t mean Black employees of “mainstream” organizations like CNN and NYT. Seriously, why does only one segment of the American people get to ask the POTUS questions? Shouldn’t they lose their privileges for a while for acting like infants and asking about stuff that has no relevance to the 99%?
Davis X. Machina
@Zifnab25: I’m not outgoing enough for all the campaigning. I’ll settle for an attaché gig. Surely we have an embassy in the Duck capital? (I would have preferred to have been appointed earlier, before the Ducks’ nice Queen Beatrice retired and abdicated…)
Corner Stone
Ouch. Bipartisanship.
max
@Another Holocene Human: Seriously, why does only one segment of the American people get to ask the POTUS questions? Shouldn’t they lose their privileges for a while for acting like infants and asking about stuff that has no relevance to the 99%?
Sounds great to me.
max
[‘I still want Black Crossfire. Just because.’]
Violet
@Another Holocene Human: I wish the President would hold a press conference any only invite high school reporters. They’d ask much better questions than any of these jokers.
max
“It’s still too early to declare an outbreak of bipartisanship.”
max
[‘Which, actually, is fine.’]
Corner Stone
@max:
Must…step..a..wayyy…
Another Holocene Human
@Violet: I’ll have some of what you’re smoking. It’s a European blend, right?
Last time I was in Europe I was met with rank incredulity when I explained that I could be fired for what I said or did off the job.
Betty Cracker
1st question: No Duck Dynasty!
Corner Stone
“Worst year? Hell naw. Didn’t you see me slap that lil’ bitch Romney down and get a second term in Jan?”
Suffern ACE
Per the previous thread, has anyone asked him for the official US position on the race of Santa? Have they asked him to call a blue ribbon panel to issue a white paper on Santa?
Elizabelle
@Corner Stone:
Who was the first questioner?
max
Uh, it didn’t grow. From last month to this month.
Bush Approval Ratings – entire time in office. Bush dipped to 39% approval in November 2005.
max
[‘Wow, he’s talking about economics and stuff like that reporters don’t care about!’]
Corner Stone
@Elizabelle: Julie something with AP, I think.
ETA, she asked him something about was this the worst year of his presidency, ACA, low ratings, no domestic successes.
max
@Corner Stone: Must…step..a..wayyy…
What? Hermann Cain versus Al Sharpton would be funny! And at least different from all these whitebread retreads on CNN.
max
[‘I mean it’s not like you watch cable TV news to hear actual discussion of important subjects. No. People watch cable TV news for the yelling!’]
jonas
@Another Holocene Human: Actually, Obama does do this kind of stuff quite a lot — meeting with local media rather than the White House Press Corps, e.g. — and it absolutely drives them bonkers. I wish there were some grownups in that briefing room, but sadly all we get is preening, self-important navel gazing rather than intelligent — even adversarial — inquiries about the administration’s policies. Instead, the most aggressive questioning comes over stuff like whether or not they’ll get to take all the pictures they want at the White House. Fer feck’s sake. The administration has just had it with them.
Betty Cracker
Oooo, NSA!
Corner Stone
Ahhhh, NSA…like a warm bath.
Another Holocene Human
@Violet: Invite high school seniors from the Bronx. You’d get questions about the environment, voting rights, stop’n’frisk, education de-form, etc. Relevant!
Gin & Tonic
@Corner Stone: That’s not water…
Another Holocene Human
@max: Cain is putting on a comedy act. More like Michael Steele as the pathetic Alan Colmes of liberal GOPism.
jonas
@max: Bush dipped to 39% approval in November 2005.
And that was before Iraq really went to shit and Katrina happened and the financial crisis struck. So *on a good day*, Bush was still hated more than Obama is on his worst.
Another Holocene Human
People keep looking for the next Andy Kaufman and don’t realize that he’s with us and his name is Hermann “999” Cain.
jl
@jonas: With Obama’s ratings dropping on both right and left sides, I would think the proper mindless beltway response is that since he is making neither extreme happy, he is a centrist, and must be doing something right. Oh boy! I wait eagerly…
Except, I forgot, Obama’s a Democrat and such a ni.. niiiice man.
Suffern ACE
@max: Anyone but Dr. Carson. I mean, the guy’s answering machine message is 10 minutes long. I can only imagine what would happen if he got an open ended question on a panel.
Gin & Tonic
Does Glenn Beck still have a radio or TV show? Wondering how his advertisers are doing with gold down over 40% over the last 2 1/2 years or so, and on track for 2013 being the worst year in over 30 years.
Violet
@Another Holocene Human: Imagine if the White House Press Correspondents Association, instead of doing stupid things like hosting the Nerd Prom, flew high school journalism students in from around the country once a month to have a press conference with the president or at least the press secretary. Like a standing thing once a month or maybe every other month, but it was part of the deal that the president or his representatives took questions from high school kids on a regular basis. What a great way to get kids interested in government and also the questions would be much better than the crap we get now.
max
Oh, ho. The guy is asking if Obama was fully read in.
max
[‘Grenade!’]
Betty Cracker
Ed Henry. What a disappointment. No Duck Dynasty, just accusations of lying to the American people.
Corner Stone
@Gin & Tonic: Geez, get out of my bathroom.
max
“What is absolutely clear to me, given the debate that has taken place over the last several months, that this program can only work if the American people fully trust the program. […] I take that into account when weighing the value of the 215 program.”
max
[‘Pardon shitty transcription.’]
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: Were you wrong then, or are you black now? Answer the question “Mr. President”!!
Comrade Mary
@Corner Stone: Can’t answer that one, but play to the end of this and something might be revealed.
max
OK, the guy doesn’t fucking care if the President was fully read in, he cares that the President *might* have lied, or merely have been wrong. The substance doesn’t fucking matter. Jesus Christ.
max
[‘I care if he was fully read in.’]
Betty Cracker
Oooh, he said “skin the cat.” Now he’s lost Schrodinger!
Corner Stone
Jonathan Karl all up in this fucking hizzy!!
max
Basically these guys are asking him to hang himself for Christmas.
max
[‘Strange centrist fruit.’]
SiubhanDuinne
@Davis X. Machina:
Are Duck People anything like Lizard People?
Betty Cracker
The Village will have their annus horribilis narrative, and that is that.
Betty Cracker
Shout out to the 99%!
Corner Stone
“We understand you suck, Mr. President. And the job, we’re sure. is hard. Now, tell us what degree of suck do you think you’ve failed to fail at this failure of a failing year?”
max
@Betty Cracker: The Village will have their annus horribilis narrative, and that is that.
‘Mr. President, the Senate is trying to start a war with Iran, the NSA seems to be spying on every human being on planet, the House has cut off unemployment and is trying to cut food stamps, the economic news seems to be pretty good, but the important issue is: do you suck really hard now, or have you always sucked really hard?’
max
[‘The man sounds annoyed.’]
lamh36
Villago Delenda Est
@Violet:
I agree wholeheartedly.
The corporate swine that makes up the WH press corpse is beyond useless at asking interesting, intelligent questions.
Corner Stone
“Hostage takers are promising to take hostages. Your thoughts?”
lamh36
Person of Choler
Thank goodness that we won’t be criminals if we don’t buy a product that is unavailable because the purchasing system defined in in the law that mandates buying the product doesn’t work because the guys who wrote the law screwed up the implementation of the system.
lamh36
Villago Delenda Est
@Betty Cracker:
The worthless pimple on the ass of humanity Tweety has already proclaimed it, and seeing as he’s what passes for a “thought leader” in the Village, they’re all jumping on the bandwagon faster than people in Georgia are rooting for the Seahawks.
lamh36
lamh36
Corner Stone
“Crazy enough” ??
max
[many words from Obama translated]: “These assholes need to pay the bills. You morons.”
max
[‘”My New Year’s resolution is to be nicer to the White House Press Corps.”‘]
Corner Stone
Major Garrett, really…really…Lord I can’t even with some people.
WaterGIrl
@max: Loved the one question, that was basically “Do you understand just how bad you are and how much people don’t trust you?”
Villago Delenda Est
@Suffern ACE:
Well, when you think about it, it MUST be a white paper on Santa. A black paper would fuckup the narrative.
Corner Stone
@WaterGIrl: That could have been any of the first 4 out of 5 that were asked.
SiubhanDuinne
@max:
I loved his smirk when he delivered that line. Priceless.
WaterGIrl
@max: “do you suck really hard now, or have you always sucked really hard?’” that may have been the same question I was referring to in my comment above.
WaterGIrl
@Corner Stone: You are undoubtedly correct
Edit: aaaand, here’s another one, this one from chuck todd! do you know how bad you suck, not just at everything, but at this particular thing?
hildebrand
@SiubhanDuinne: Always good to troll the press corps.
Corner Stone
Chuck Todd bringing the real!!
max
@WaterGIrl: Loved the one question, that was basically “Do you understand just how bad you are and how much people don’t trust you?”
What Corner Stone said. The one lady asked about the debt ceiling, and the other questions are all variants of ‘Such and such policy is not going well, should the American people hate and revile you or merely dislike you a lot?’
max
[‘It’s impressive how hard the press corps is working to suppress any discussion of actual issues.’]
Villago Delenda Est
“To walk out of this room, seal the doors, and flood it with sarin.”
Betty Cracker
Chuckles SHOULD have asked about Duck Dynasty.
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: It has to come up. One of them had to draw the short straw and be forced to ask.
WaterGIrl
@max: These questions are really starting to piss me off. Mr. President, have you considered killing yourself because you suck too much to live?
max
Obama to press corps concerning the ACA, translated: ‘Get the fuck over it.’
max
[‘People. Getting health care. This is what we want. Morons.’]
Omnes Omnibus
@max:
They don’t understand the issues. Very few of them are Sloan Sabbith.
lamh36
Corner Stone
Yeah, we changed it. We adapted and adjusted. Would you like to start licking on my right nut now?
Corner Stone
Ah, finally! The Gays!!
Suffern ACE
I suppose I should stream this myself at work, did one of them really use the word “suck” in their question?
max
@WaterGIrl: These questions are really starting to piss me off. Mr. President, have you considered killing yourself because you suck too much to live?
I’m trying to image a) Bush having the balls to hold regular press conferences, and b) the press asking questions like these, and then there is a great grinding of gears and the transmission is on the ground behind the vehicle.
max
[‘Mr. Bush, things have been terrible, so, are still you massively awesome or is your codpiece merely very large?’]
Woodrowfan
I was in the press room last night as part of a tour of the West Wing. The chairs have name plate son them listing the organization that has that chair. Someone from NBC likes almonds. And I kicked Fox’s seat. ( I didn’t want to create a gross mess for the cleaning staff by spitting on it).
Corner Stone
@Suffern ACE: If they could have used the word “inadequate” they would have.
Their questions were clear.
Corner Stone
“Non-Partisan Truth Telling Group Politifact”
That’s going to take me a while to work through…
Villago Delenda Est
My god, I’m not even watching this, and I could hear his eyes roll out here on the west coast!
WaterGIrl
@max:
You nailed it.
Edit: new question. Even your own democratic senators don’t respect you!
max
@Suffern ACE: did one of them really use the word “suck” in their question?
No. They did that thing where they say many words that imply ‘suck’, while deftly avoiding saying clear.
max
[‘I’m free translating a bit.’]
Violet
@Betty Cracker:
The good thing about the Village deciding that 2013 is the President’s No Good, Very Bad Year is that 2014 can be the Year of Redemption. The press loves that story arc and it will be just in time for the 2014 mid term elections.
Ben Cisco
Your FerengiMedia At Work, Holiday Edition.
In which Jake Tapper does some speculatin’ ’bout, well, pretty much everything EXCEPT a decent topic of discussion for the presser.
Elizabelle
If you’re not a winger, I think your average viewer got what jerks the press corpse is.
Alas. Average viewers don’t have time (or inclination?) to watch these things in full, most of the time …
Violet
@max:
Mr. Bush, are you merely a Great President or are you the Greatest President?
Gin & Tonic
@Villago Delenda Est: And not from Chuckles? That would be too self-referential, eh?
lamh36
Violet
What did Chucky Toddler end up asking? Did anyone ask the Duck Dynasty question?
schrodinger's cat
Meanwhile, McCain gets a tongue bath in the magazine section of the Sunday NYT.
Corner Stone
@Violet: Chuck asked about the ACA and the recent changes and essentially said Obama sucks, he lied to people and how would he choose to ritual hari kari while in Hawaii?
Betty Cracker
@Violet: No DD yet. I’m still hoping! I have a question recap above. Chuck was #8!
ladybug
@Violet:
True…, but this is Obama, I’m pretty sure the national press has already written their “2014: even worse year ever!” end of the year obituaries.
max
@Violet: What did Chucky Toddler end up asking? Did anyone ask the Duck Dynasty question?
He’s talking about the Iranians right now.
max
[‘He’s quietly (and indirectly) telling the D’s in the Senate to shut up and sit down.’]
Corner Stone
A Podesta question. Intriguing.
lamh36
ladybug
@Violet:
At this point, compared to all of the “you suck!” concern trolling questions, I would welcome a DD question.
schrodinger's cat
What happened to Brachiator, haven’t seen him around in ages.
Roger Moore
@Betty Cracker:
Somehow, though, they haven’t picked up on the anus horribilis aspect of the Republican Party.
Betty Cracker
Last question was a good one. What do y’all think about Podesta? He’s singing from the wealth inequality hymnal, so that’s a good sign…
Violet
@Corner Stone: Well of course he said the second half. Isn’t that how Chuckles goes through life–saying the President sucks?
@Betty Cracker: Ha! Hilarious. I thought it was over. Didn’t realize it was still going on. Can’t watch at the moment.
Corner Stone
Obama really is worse than Bush! He didn’t even offer a thought on the Duck!
max
Come to think of it, Obama should hold a press conference in which he has a sock on one hand that asks him intelligent questions (in a high, squeaky voice). The effect would be about the same.
@dylanmatt is unloading a bunch of questions that would not suck.
max
[‘NBC is announcing that the President was ‘reflective’.’]
schrodinger's cat
@ladybug: I know that White House Press Corps suck but even they won’t stoop to asking questions about bra sizes will they?
Villago Delenda Est
@Betty Cracker:
Heck, Nooners the dim is singing from it now, if only to save her own utterly worthless parasite hide.
ladybug
@Corner Stone:
What is the question?
Violet
@ladybug: Well, they may have written them already, but it is a long way away. If things improve, they might have to edit.
It still think they’ll go for the Redemption Story Arc. It’s a classic and the press loves it. See: McCain and the tongue bath linked above. Tire swing FTW!
Villago Delenda Est
Given that the speculation so far is that Wyden takes over, this is a really stupid question.
lamh36
um, is he wrong? or are they just shocked” he would say it even though it is pretty much what peep think
max
OK, I have listened to a lot of Obama pressers at this point, and I have to say that was the singularly worst performance by the press corps that I have heard.
max
[‘Wow. That was genuinely really really bad.’]
ladybug
@schrodinger’s cat:
LOL, it would probably be more “stimulating” than the questions they actually asked. ;)
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: Shocked that he called out posturing as posturing.
jl
@lamh36: Only GOPers can say things like that. Where have you been hiding out for last 30 years?
Villago Delenda Est
@lamh36:
AIPAC must be appeased. Always.
Betty Cracker
@max: Agreed. It was awful. Duck Dynasty would have improved it!
Comrade Mary
Some Canadian envy for you.
Corner Stone
@ladybug: Just asked him about a change in staff and what that meant for his priorities and agenda moving forward.
It was probably the only one or one out of two legitimate questions asked that wasn’t explicitly framed in the “Year of Failing Failure” theme they all went with.
An actual question he could answer without wanting to drop a toaster into his bathtub.
Cervantes
@Davis X. Machina: Bravo!
Comrade Mary
One local Toronto reason why we’re envious. No. it’s NOT Rob Ford.
max
@Villago Delenda Est: AIPAC must be appeased. Always.
Actually, Jim White over at emptywheel thinks Menendez is sucking up to the MEK:
I personally have no idea what’s driving this on the D side. Something is, but it isn’t clear whose doing the puppeting here.
max
[‘This may be an act of pure native stupidity.’]
max
@Betty Cracker: Agreed. It was awful. Duck Dynasty would have improved it!
Yeah. And that’s really said. They seem to think the opinion polls have dropped out of the sky so the only thing that matters is how much hate is involved.
max
[‘And I would not have called the man ‘reflective’ so much as ‘sidestepping the courtier press BS to actually discuss actual issues’.’]
ladybug
@Corner Stone:
Thanks
Cervantes
@SiubhanDuinne:
He was breaking the resolution even as he announced it.
Cervantes
@max: The one thing we know best about George W. Bush is that he was a coward.
Roger Moore
@Cervantes:
Which is a key reason he has been mostly invisible since leaving office. He doesn’t want to be seen because he’s afraid of the consequences.
kc
The recap above isn’t verbatim
Close enough, I’ll bet.
schrodinger's cat
I bet that reporter cat could have asked better questions.
bemused
@Violet:
That’s a fantastic idea!
FlipYrWhig
@Corner Stone: What are the Big Failing Failures supposed to have been, from a Big Media perspective? The gun regulation effort falling apart, Snowden/NSA, and one month of a lousy website? Are they still counting the stupid shit like Benghazi and the IRS? What am I missing?
Suffern ACE
@FlipYrWhig: It’s the press corps. I’m pretty sure they add “Syria Crossed the Red Line and We Didn’t start a War with Russia over It” to their list of sins.
IowaOldLady
I’m struck by how distant the questions are from the concerns of most people I know.
ladybug
@FlipYrWhig:
Considering that the press (IIRC) compared the website to “Katrina” “Iraq” and “IranContra” (the last one was Sully, IIRC, but I’m sure he wasn’t alone in using that analogy), I’m sure that’s enough to make Obama the new Nixon in the eyes of the media.
Suffern ACE
@IowaOldLady: Well, poll after poll after poll says the number one issue is “Jobs”. Now no one knows what the public exactly wants Congress to do to create jobs, but they answer that every time. Everyone in that room has a well paying job, so you can see the disconnect.
Betty Cracker
@FlipYrWhig: Mostly it was healthcare, plus a splash of NSA. They repeatedly cited job approval polls and pointed out the PolitiFact “Lie of the Year” thing. They also implied the Dems in Congress are going rogue WRT Iran.
Suffern ACE
@ladybug: Yes, but Nixon’s really bad year was year seven. It’s not enough for the year to be bad, but he has to have the bad year in the right order. If year six goes badly for Obama, the Madison comparisons will start bubbling up.
max
Betty: 1. This year sucked for you. Are you panicked or merely terrified?
Actual transcript**:
I’d say that was an accurate summation by Betty.
max
[‘Most of those weren’t questions – they were midget editorials.’]
** The questions look smarter on paper than they actually sounded.
Corner Stone
@FlipYrWhig: Pretty much what Betty said at 153.
They framed every question as the President was a) a liar, b) a failure, or c) a lying failure. And that’s not being very over the top as a description, actually.
They used polls to show he had failed. The used the ACA website to show he had failed. They used the NSA to show he was lying. They used Politifact and ACA changes to show he was a liar. They asked about Iran to show he was a weak failure.
I think, and without skimming the transcript, that possibly two questions were asked as straight questions. The one about a change in staff, the one about Sochi (which was kind of “meh” but not deceitfully asked), and as a stretch the throw away question about New Year Resolutions.
Every other word out of their mouths started from the premise of “failure” (due to polls) or “liar” (ACA promises/NSA).
FlipYrWhig
@Corner Stone: Hmm. I don’t get how Iran (or for that matter Syria) show weakness or failure, but I guess that’s why I didn’t sustain a journalistic career past interviewing the art teacher about how much he liked the new workbenches for the high school newspaper in 1987.
negative 1
@FlipYrWhig: The big failure is the threat that despite every overblown narrative no one really seems to give a sh!t about what the press has to say. Fox preaches to the choir, the rest preach to empty rooms. It turns out that people are getting health care despite what the press has to say about it, it turns out no one with an IQ over 8 cares about Benghazi!!111!! and it turns out that most people think the (republican dominated) Congress is the biggest problem with getting stuff done despite the press’ ‘leadership failure’ narrative. It pisses them off that despite the non-stop wall-to-wall effort to turn him into the new Jimmy Carter people actually like Obama more than the village.
Corner Stone
@FlipYrWhig: He’s a failure on Iran because he hasn’t given them a hot war to cover yet, but also mainly because his very own Democratic Senators ™ all went fucking to the walls up in this bitch, but Obama didn’t have the sack to set Tehran to PermaGlo (r) status!
Man, who knows where they set this shit up? I personally think they play a game of dominoes or something and each one has a meme on it. Whoever makes the winning bid gets to call the trump meme for the press conference.
FlipYrWhig
@negative 1: I think it’s fine for him to take his lumps on healthcare.gov and the NSA stuff (although I think the latter has been sensationalized). Of course it’d be nice to have the press remember stuff like how the Republicans crumbled on the shutdown, the Dems reined in the filibuster, and, in something that would probably have been front page news if the parties had been reversed, the Dems secured a clean sweep statewide in the battleground state of Virginia in an off year election. (OK, some of that is Democrats, not Obama, but these categories do merge pretty often.)
Saying that the year’s record was checkered, with low points: fair. Acting like it’s all been lows: bull to the power of shit, factorial.
FlipYrWhig
@Corner Stone: I think they plan it all out after talking to themselves over bourbons at some very sad, lonely, and ugly bar around the corner from the White House. It has to be coordinated, right? Because the alternative is that they all independently and spontaneously arrive at the same point, like a particularly pathetic version of how women who live together eventually get synchronized periods.
Omnes Omnibus
@FlipYrWhig:
Okay… lemme see… carry the one… Um, is it 42?
FlipYrWhig
@Omnes Omnibus: Calculation be damned, it’s definitely an irrational number.
Omnes Omnibus
@FlipYrWhig: I missed a decimal someplace.
max
@FlipYrWhig: I think it’s fine for him to take his lumps on healthcare.gov and the NSA stuff (although I think the latter has been sensationalized).
I’d take the opposite position: the healthcare.gov breakdowns have been overblown (any web site of that size is going to be messed up, especially since everything federal is contractors out the eyeballs at this point), and the NSA stuff is more murky than anything. (I don’t think most people, much less the WH press corps, have the technical chops to understand what’s happening.)
The thing is, is that the Village pretty clearly is all in on anything military, but the American people are not down with the spying shit, so the press brain farts and starts going meta on the question. (‘Why can’t you make Americans love the NSA like Important People do?’)
Saying that the year’s record was checkered, with low points: fair. Acting like it’s all been lows: bull to the power of shit, factorial.
That was the problem with the questions: they were asked as if the President were out of office and unveiling his Presidential Library. He’s SO over, dude. But of course, these guys apparently have the memory of fruit flies (except for the one guy who asked that really long editorial about the NSA, and he sounded pretty much like an escaped Alzheimer’s patient), so it’s all about the last two weeks.
max
[‘Mr. President, why are you still in office?’]
schrodinger's cat
@FlipYrWhig: Factorials don’t give you irrational numbers.
2! = 2
3!= 3*2
and so on
Omnes Omnibus
@schrodinger’s cat: That’s it. Fuck up a really good line with math.
FlipYrWhig
@schrodinger’s cat: ‘Twas an attempt at a meta joke. BTW, I’ve always been tempted to name a cat Schrodinger.
schrodinger's cat
@FlipYrWhig: @Omnes Omnibus: What can I say, I is a math Nazi!
schrodinger's cat
@FlipYrWhig: Friday Kitteh is a physics kitteh!
Corner Stone
@FlipYrWhig: Women’s issues are disgusting. And I’ll thank you kindly to mention them no further.
sempronia
@Omnes Omnibus:
??
I thought it was obvious. The answer is 27%.