Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:58 pm
Moments after urging the media not to cover the presidential campaign like it is a reality television show, the President was asked about Donald Trump’s taco bowl tweet.
Obama said, “I just want to emphasize that we are in serious times and this is a really serious job. This is not entertainment. This not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States.”
The press heard President Obama and responded with this:
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https://youtu.be/hW6mTFO65Q0?t=1h2m45s
Obama answered the question by pointing out that the Leader of the Free World does not have the time to be checking out Donald Trump’s Twitter stream, “I have no thoughts on Mr. Trump’s tweets. As a general rule, I don’t pay attention to Mr. Trump’s tweets.”
The exchange about perfectly illustrates why millions of voters are misinformed and poorly informed. The President spent minutes urging the media to vet all of the presidential candidates. He asked them to inform the voters, check their promises, and policy positions, he made the case for why the press is the key to an informed electorate.
What he got in response was a question about the Hillary Clinton email “scandal,” and a Donald Trump tweet.
Voters can’t be more informed if members of the media have no interest in transmitting serious information. We have a crisis in our democracy because our is no longer free. The press is owned by corporate interests who are placing profits ahead of their duty to inform the public.
Any voter who wants to be informed is going to have to inform themselves because the press is gearing up for six more months of discussing Donald Trump’s tweets.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
