End The Practice Of Releasing A Presidential Speech To The Press Before It's Delivered........

[global1]

I don't want the cable TV news shows telling me what I'm going to hear the President is going to say to me before he actually says it. I want to hear it myself for the first time and draw my own understanding. I know I could just turn off the cable news shows and listen to the speech on CSPAN.

I'm speaking for myself above - but - I really think these cable news shows lead people to believe what they want them to believe and I think the practice of distributing a Presidential speech to the press before it is delivered should be stopped.

If they want to distribute it - provide it to the press while the President is actually delivering the speech. This way they'll have the text of the speech when he's finished - but won't start telling me hours before he delivers the speech - what he did or didn't say or get right.

[Captain Hilts]

1. I completely agree with this. Hand 'em out as they begin. nt

[inna]

2. i agree. how common is this practice, btw?

for some reason, i don't remember Shrub's speeches pre-release to the press, but maybe i just wasn't paying attention.

[Rebubula]

7. Yup...

...always has been. At least as far back as Reagan.

[grantcart]

9. Normally a speech is embargoed meaning that they can't quote from it

and only give a basic idea of subjects to be covered.


this speech was given out so that people could decide if they wanted their children to read it.

[DrToast]

10. Obama likes to release them ahead of time for some reason

Not sure why.

[Klukie]

3. Agreed

Kick And Rec.

[Cha]

4. Good idea..they're not

worthy anyway.

[State the Obvious]

5. Agree...give the speech FIRST. Any other way is stealing the President's "thunder". nt

[RC]

6. Which is the point anyway.

You just haveta know the Liberal media has your best interest at heart and is just helping you decide.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. To me it just makes the whole speech anti-climatic

and gets the media's "spin" embedded in your head even before you hear it. Most of us are usually discerning enough to cut through it but some other people (i.e. "low-information voters") may not be quite so. I guarantee you that there's going to be tons of instant polling, interviews, and, most importantly, punditry-palooza long after Obama's speech tomorrow, all of which will help shape the overall perception of his speech in the days and weeks to come.
Personally, I think that too much is being made of this speech. I'm eager to hear him speak about the issue and I'm confident he will do a good but I'm not pretending, as some pundits do, that this is going to be some kind of *defining* speech of his Presidency or that the fate of HCR hinges on his speech tomorrow night. Most people want HCR, so it's not like him trying to push something like Social Security Privatization that is extremely controversial or difficult for people to support. The "dramatic narrative" being pushed right now by the corporate media whores really only makes sense if the "teabaggers," "deathers", and "birthers" represent the majority in this country which, thankfully, is NOT the case.

[Clio the Leo]

11. You can READ the excerpts just like the press can.....

... that darned Politico always posts them. ;)

http://www.politico.com/politico44/

(and they'll probably be posted here as well)

Releasing the excerpts is a GOOD thing.