Opinion: Obama caves in to media frenzy over BP

[ProSense]

Opinion: Obama caves in to media frenzy over BP

New York (CNN) – President Obama's stepped-up focus on the Gulf oil disaster and his hardline rhetoric against BP are accomplishing little and risk distracting the White House from other urgent responsibilities, says analyst Fareed Zakaria.

Obama, responding to critics of the government's handling of the spill, has made a point of emphasizing the time he's devoted to the crisis and has used blunt language to express outrage about it. In an interview with NBC, he said he met with experts "because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick."

Zakaria told CNN, "I think that what he's been doing in recent days has been caving in to this media outcry that he show more emotion and anger and energy in dealing with the problem. And I think the result of it is that you're getting government as theater rather than government that is actually doing something effective.

"The reality is that this is a terrible tragedy, a very complex, technical problem. The federal government has limited power and limited expertise. But the media - and I hold us all responsible here - has been baying like wolves asking for him to emote. ... It has had an effect."

The author and host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" spoke to CNN on Wednesday. Here is an edited transcript:

CNN: What do you think of the way President Obama has been handling the oil disaster?

Fareed Zakaria: In my view the president has been demeaning himself by trash-talking the CEO of BP. He's engaging in, as far as I can tell, pointless committees, make-work briefings, ... all of which is really just designed to appease this hungry media, and as far as I can tell is not going to speed up by one second the point at which the leak is plugged.


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That's the media for you. The reality is that the President is responding in full capacity. Now that the reality is about to set in, his efforts are now being deemed "make-work" by the very people who have been demanding more.

[emulatorloo]

1. Holy Crap. can they do anything besides promote wingnut talking points?

[Jennicut]

2. Zakaria is usally a very intelligent pundit. I don't think Obama is giving in,

he is simply being himself. But the media is ridiculous.

[AlinPA]

3. And how does he propose that the President to plug the leak? These media people

think that there is a Federal Leak Plugging Agency created by President Obama. Stupidity.

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. I guess it's true then. Opinions really are like assholes, everybody has one, but

some just smell worse than others. I heard Mike Papantonio this morning calling the people around the president "bumpkins". The left has successfully turned this from a BP disaster to a White House disaster, and for what reason? What is the point of the public scolding of the administration? RFK, Jr. and Papantonio could probably just pick up the phone and speak directly with the President.

Papantonio thinks it's time for the government to seize BP's assets, and I don't much disagree. However, is the left's answer to corporate negligence, that the government should just nationalize everything? That may sound great in the short term, but I'm uncomfortable with the whole concept.

[besdayz]

5. a

i'm uncomfortable with the nationalization of industry not because it is too much aggrandizement in and of itself but i think what these last few yrs have proven is that the fed govt is a turnstill for industry leaders. nothing much would change. they have been infiltrated. to put this in terminology of a previous generation...the our govt is saigon and VC are running everywhere...

[WI_DEM]

6. It really doesn't matter what Obama does the msm will still say it's not good enough.

[jenmito]

7. "And I think the result of it is that you're getting government as theater..."

Wow-after several weeks of everyone from Obama's most vocal critics to his most vocal supporters saying theater IS part of his job whether he likes it or not, they complain about it? And it's NOT IN PLACE of "doing something effective." He IS being as efective as he can be.

[Mimosa]

8. Fareed Zakaria has always annoyed the H out of me

Fareed Zakaria: "In my view the president has been demeaning himself by trash-talking the CEO of BP. He's engaging in, as far as I can tell, pointless committees, make-work briefings, ... all of which is really just designed to appease this hungry media, and as far as I can tell is not going to speed up by one second the point at which the leak is plugged."

Zakaria is full of it.



CNN sorely needs some talent.


I'll take Anderson Cooper or Shep Smith over that tool any day!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. I personally thought that Obama's comments were silly (and not like him)

He doesn't do *outbursts* like that well and it sucks that he felt that he had to pander to the stupid idiot pundits and wingnuts whom have been trying to egg him into exhibiting phony outrage of that sort. I can't believe that anybody would think that he wasn't upset enough about it- but he knows he has to be a professional, an adult about it and deal with it the best he can. The pundits and the wingnuts just can't understand that concept. Personally, I think that President Obama should just stick to his real "no drama" persona and do what he needs to do and not try to be somebody he really isn't and simply let the pundits waste their own time doing what THEY do best- chasing their tails and sniffing each others butts.

[ProSense]

10. "He doesn't do *outbursts* like that well " By outbursts, do you mean

this?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Context is everything, isn't it?

Thanks for the link to the full transcript.