July 23, 2008
The Audacity of Inevitability
I was interested to see that I and many readers here at AT weren't the only ones who have been noticing Obama putting on incredibly arrogant airs with regards to his presumed "inevitability" as the next president.
Veteran political reporter Donald Lambro has noted the same thing:
Barack Obama is only a candidate, but don't tell that to the Germans, some of whom have leapfrogged that whole election thing and already are calling him "President Obama" in advance of his visit.For that matter, his own campaign could use a reminder. For the second time in as many days, reporters traveling with Mr. Obama on his overseas trip corrected campaign staffers for saying White House practices also govern his campaign in dealing with the press, or in delivering speeches.
In his Nightline interview, Obama spoke of his belief that he shouldn't just do what the generals say because if he did, he wouldn't be "doing my job as Commander in Chief."
Earth to messiah: You are not Commander in Chief yet. And that's not the only example of Obama carrying on as if he were already president:
"Days after securing the nomination and losing nine of the last 14 primaries, and 151 days before the general election, Barack Obama is speaking as if he has been elected and re-elected," RNC spokesman Danny Diaz said last month after Mr. Obama suggested he would be ending his second term during the 2016 Summer Olympics.Mr. Obama's Republican rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, says even the press is fawning over the Democrat as if he has been elected, releasing a harsh new ad Tuesday using favorable quotes reporters have given as evidence they are in "love" with Mr. Obama.
Whether the American people will take note of this outrageous, egotistical, inappropriate, and undemocratic attitude on the part of Obama and his staff depends on a media that would be willing to report such goings on.The New Hampshire Union Leader reported Tuesday that just one reporter met the Republican at the airport when he landed for a campaign event, but Mr. Obama travels with a press corps that takes up two buses. More reporters travel with Mr. Obama than with the sitting president, and so many scribes wanted a ticket across the Atlantic with the Democratic candidate that the campaign had to turn down about 150 requests.
If I were you, I wouldn't hold my breath...
Hat Tip: Ed Lasky