Apparently, President Neophyte is not enjoying the look of things right now. His poll numbers are slipping, John McCain, among others, made a powerful speech on Iran, and it appears as if the election result will be left to standand Ahmadinejad will be reinstalled as the Iranian president. All while Iranians plead for the U.S. and world to intervene.
Britain’s government has taken a strong enough stance that they are now evacuating the families of their Iranian embassy staff, as well as warming British citizens to avoid travel to Iran, partly because of the potential of violence against them from the Iranian government and its peeps, and partly over fears of a true revolution. Iran is also planning on review their ties to Britain.
So, what can Obama do? Call a press conference!
You don’t need to be a basketball-loving president of the United States to know that if you’re trying to block opponents’ shots in your end, you sure aren’t increasing your own totals. You can’t score points on D.
So Obama’s news conference this morning Pacific time is his bid to steal the ball from his opponents and scoot down the court for his own layup. It’s a classic political reset of the play clock. At 9:30 a.m. Pacific (12:30 p.m. Eastern, 4:30 p.m. GMT), Obama will make a statement in the White House Rose Garden and then take questions.
Obama has lost some mojo in recent days on this month’s pressing issues, especially Iran’s ongoing protests and healthcare reform. Obama’s printed Saturday statement about Iran on his way out the White House door for ice cream with his daughters was insufficient media competition for the appallingly graphic video of the young woman Neda dying on a Tehran street. Some called the presidential statement ineffective and “mealy-mouthed.”
On Father’s Day, while the president played golf out of camera-sight, others were on TV declaring the U.S. must say more to support the unarmed protesters in Iran.
Here’s the scary thing for the new White House: the terrifying words “Jimmy Carter” have started appearing in print and on the air, recalling the ex-Georgia governor’s ineptness and….
…apparent powerlessness in handling his Iranian (hostage) issues in the late 1970s. That impression lead to 12 years of Reagan-Bush Republican White Houses.
Andrew Malcolm explains that this is a way to regain the momentum, but, if Obama tries to pull something, the reporters will listen politely, then blow by to ask the questions on the important issues. Then
Obama wants to play offense. So he’s more likely to make a newsworthy announcement of some kind, perhaps dispatching someone somewhere for a new initiative of some kind. Anything to give the media something to ask others about.
Obama will still get the predictable queries:
Can the U.S. do anything more to help the democracy protesters in Iran? Have you seen the Neda video and what was your reaction? What makes you think talking to such a regime could have any beneficial effects? Are you worried about losing the healthcare issue, one of your administration’s top priorities, even with your party controlling both houses of Congress?
Reuters is saying that Obama will use the PC to push health care and energy reform and tries to peer in the crystal ball for the subjects and responses. Whatever it is, expect him to stay on his subject, rather then allow reporters to drag him down different paths.
As a slight sidebar, Jake Tapper was asking for questions on Twitter last night. Mine boils down to “Exactly HOW are all these health care initiatives, aimed at a government run insurance option, to lower health care costs?”
