Obama Emulated Bush Press Tactics

[DeepModem Mom]

Media Bistro: Wednesday, Dec 17
Obama Emulated Bush Press Tactics

Over at Politico Michael Calderone got his hands on an advance copy of this Sunday's NYT Magazine which features a profile of Barack Obama's incoming press secretary Robert Gibbs by Mark Leibovich. The piece also talks about the campaign's four-letter word strategy when it came to the press: Bush.

It's not new news that more than once over the campaign season journalists commented and complained about the Obama camp's strict press access and control over his message, so perhaps this excerpt pulled by Calderone shouldn't come as a total surprise:

"Plouffe himself admitted to me that the Obama campaign subscribed to the 'Bush model' of communications discipline. Asked if Obama himself spoke of the 'Bush model,' Plouffe told me he did."

Apparently other tidbits include campaign staff bragging about never sitting down with the Washington Post's editorial board, as well as Gibbs admitting to — on occasion — keeping reporters off the plane because of their coverage....

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/election_08/the_more_things_change_etc_obama_emulated_bush_press_tactics_103628.asp#more

[Captain Hilts]

1. Liebovich has written glowing puff pieces about Dick Cheney. nt

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Dick Cheney has written glowing puff pieces about Obama's cabinet. Is there a connection?

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Although I'm not sure control over a candidate's message is a bad thing. I think the idea...

might be that this is a campaign tactic that works -- and worked for both Bush and Obama.

[babylonsister]

2. Hmm. Interesting, as is all of politics-better than a soap opera! nt

[stillcool]

5. I saw where someone mentioned..

that he chooses which reporters to call on ahead of time. Today they said he picked people from the area of the country he was in. I have no idea how the process usually works, so..can't comment.

[Autonomy]

6. Uh, this so-called Bush model

is just about limiting leaks. It does not mean Obama plans to follow the Bush's example in regard to deception or lack of forthright disclosure.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. That's right -- I think it's about discipline and control of message. nt

[ErinBerin84]

8. the best part

of the article is that Plouffe told all the campaign staffers to ignore Politico and Time's Mark Halperin, because they didn't know what they were talking about ("If they say we're winning, we must be losing") Heh, suck on that, Politico.