Whitehouse yields to LOST

[arcadian]

Because it's all about priorities :eyes:

-----------------------------------------------

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/01/white-house-yields-for-lost-an.html

Audacious, perhaps, is the development that the president of the United States would schedule his state of the union address around a television show.


But in doing precisely that for the premier of ABC's hit series "Lost," President Barack Obama is also yielding to one of the most powerful federal lobbying forces in the U.S. business: ABC parent company Walt Disney Co.


The entertainment monolith responsible for many of the world's favorite mice, movies and cartoon princesses certainly has no Mickey Mouse numbers. In each year since 1999, Walt Disney has spent at least $3 million on federal lobbying efforts, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis indicates.


During the first nine months of 2009 alone, the company has spent nearly $4 million to influence the federal government, most frequently doing so on issues concerning copyright and patents, radio and television broadcasting and telecommunications.

more@link

[ClassWarrior]

1. Wow. What a total non-story. This sentence sums it all up...

To be sure, there's no evidence that Walt Disney lobbying factored into Obama's decision. Certainly, the president wants to present his agenda to the nation on a night when people's rapt attention is dedicated to health care and financial reform, not, say, the Dharma Initiative.

In other words, we're just speculating for shits and giggles.

:eyes:

NGU.

[47of74]

2. I remember how John Paul I scheduled his inauguration

He did it so as not to get in the way of a soccer match that had been scheduled for the same day. He understood where priorities were in Italy.

[CakeGrrl]

3. White. House. Two words.

Maybe you don't like who's in there, but at least get it correct.

Unless you were referring to Senator Whitehouse, in which case, my bad.

;-)

[Mass]

4. Because they were smart. If they had preempted Lost, the media would have spent hours talking about

that and interviewing people in order to get them to tell that they were unhappy.

Tells you what the priorities of the media are. Nothing else.

[Mojambo]

5. Lost probably has better approval ratings. n/t

[FBaggins]

6. Isn't the SOTU at Congress' invitation? N/t

[fishwax]

7. is it supposed to be somehow outrageous that the SOTU won't be on the same night as LOST?

What's the big deal here? :shrug:

[iamjoy]

8. He Learned From the Charlie Brown Incident

Wasn't there a big hullabalo when President Obama's speech on Afghanistan pre-empted a Charlie Brown Christmas Special? You would have thought Obama himself had yanked the football away at the last minute or wrapped Charlie in kite strings around a tree.

[Quasimodem]

9. Ain’t it wonderful!

Dave Levinthal was able to fill a complete blog entry with a non story and still attract a comment, albeit a joking one.

[tritsofme]

10. February 2nd is also the day of Illinois' primary.

We have a lot of competitive races, including governor and US Senate.

So I'm glad he's not going to do it on that day.

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. Well, there really isn't a reason to preempt LOST

Give the speech on a Tuesday. Isn't that the day it's usually done?

Also the day when nothing is on TV, so nobody should complain about that.

[RevCheesehead]

12. Blame the Groundhog lobby.

And the ensuing jokes ...

[bluestateguy]

13. Maybe they cut a deal with ABC for more favorable news coverage

it would be worth it if they did.

[RadiationTherapy]

14. Woo-hoo! I am more interested in the State of the Island after Juliet blew it up

than the State of the 'Union'. The SOTU can wait. It will be every bit as scripted as L O S T, but less revealing.

[1]

15. +1

[Clintonista2]

18. +1

[MadBadger]

16. Thank you Obama!

Soooo happy.

[AndyA]

17. Look closely...if the light is right you can see the strings.

Compromise is Obama's middle name. The problem is he only remembers that when the right side comes a-callin'... :eyes: