President Obama appeared on five Sunday shows this weekend discussing health care and voicing his critique of the news media.
Now, it’s time to take a look at the reactions from around the media.
WaPo’s Howard Kurtz wonders if the saturation was good for the Sunday shows OR the message:
The Sunday hosts, at least, were excited about the rare opportunity. “Anytime is a good time to interview the president,” says “Meet the Press” host David Gregory. “We’re here to get news,” says “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer. But sharing the same guest — even the world’s top newsmaker — makes it harder for them to distinguish their programs.
…
The more [President Obama] waltzes onto every show this side of “Dancing With the Stars,” the more he risks being seen as just another programming element, his words quickly fading into the electronic ether.
Politics Daily’s Lynn Sweet noted the president’s consististent use of the word “rude” in his media critique:
Obama seemed determined to make this point because the president used remarkably similar language during his interviews with Sunday morning show hosts, deploring the state of discourse, especially on cable news shows.
David Zurawik from the Baltimore Sun praised John King’s interview on CNN and said:
I loved the fact that he didn’t try to have some kind of schmoozy, feel-good moment with the president. He kept it professional and businesslike — as did George Stephanopoulos on ABC, who did a very focused and hard-nosed interview with the president. To his credit, Stephanopoulos cut the President Obama no slack, and you could feel the tension mount as the ABC interviewer kept firm control of the conversation. David Gregory, on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” on the other hand, closed by trying to talk baseball with the president. Of course, the president obliged. It is easier to quip about harmless stuff than answer hard questions.
Alessandra Stanley of the NY Times questioned Obama’s decision to leave FOX out of the line-up:
That omission was not as tactical as it was telling: a rare sign of frustration, and payback, by a White House that prides itself on diplomacy and an even keel. Mr. Obama sought on Sunday to bring a little order and civility to a debate that grows ever more heated and shrill. But by boycotting, the White House seemed to be getting caught up in the kind of hostilities that increasingly divide Fox News Channel from its rivals.