"You're Assuming That You Represent the Public. I Don't Accept That."

[donsu]

http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2004/04/25/bush_muscle.html

-snip-

Auletta was the right choice, anyway. Others have done the complaining. He's done the reporting on the subject, pushing further into the mind of the White House than anyone else. To me, and to most journalists, this gives him unique authority to speak. A good radio show is about that. Auletta, for example, can describe Bush at a barbeque for the press in August, where a reporter says to the president: is it really true you don't read us, don't even watch the news? Bush confirms it.
And the reporter then said: Well, how do you then know, Mr. President, what the public is thinking? And Bush, without missing a beat said: You're making a powerful assumption, young man. You're assuming that you represent the public. I don't accept that.

-snip-
------------------------------

so now the Press knows that the criminal bushgang does not believe they represent the Public.

what does the Press say in reply?

and who does represent the Public to the president?

[Bonobo]

1. OMG! I agree with the Chimp! Help!

They don't represent the public...

[0rganism]

4. Yep, the stopped clock is right twice a day

There's no reason for bush to read his own propaganda.

[starroute]

2. I don't think the reporter was claiming to "represent the public"

He was just saying that reading the papers or watching the news is a way to find out what the public thinks. (It's not necessarily the best way, but if you're a high government official who doesn't get out much, it may be the only way.)

It was Bush's spin to accuse the reporter of thinking that *he* represented the public. That would be arrogant on the part of the media -- but I don't believe this is what the reporter meant.

Bush is a master of twisting people's questions in a way that makes them look bad. It's like the question at the press conference, where someone pointed out that aside from the US and Britain (and the mercenaries), the other countries' contributions didn't amount to much. Bush's response was, "How dare you insult our allies!"

He's done just the same thing here.

[jus_the_facts]

3. he KNOWS the media represents CORPORATE interests now....

....because he and his ilk are the ones who BOUGHT IT...and now CONTROL it....it's not a medium that represents anybody...just a machine that keeps the masses ignorant and divided. :eyes:

[Kali]

5. eewwww me too I agree (not really)

We elect people that are supposed to represent us, I don't think the press is supposed to "represent" the public, even in an ideal world - they have a job to do for us, yes - to ask questions and tell the truth, look into things and uncover wrongdoing, tell us what is going on. But I don't think that is exactly representation.