March 11 – It would seem as though the handlers of President Biden are quick to shuffle him out of the room or away from reporters and questions are surfacing as to why?
With the president scheduled to address the nation at 8 p.m. tonight, speculation abounds as to what’s really going on here. It will likely be a scripted speech and is supposed to touch on the $1.9 trillion stimulus package as well as COVID.
Initial reports say it may be possible that not all networks will air the address.
Could it be that’s because they are afraid the president will look bad? Especially when handlers are quick to get him out of any situation that could be sticky? It seems as though networks have been increasingly reluctant to give any president prime time air space.
Attorney Clint Barkdoll, Pat Ryan and Michele Jansen discussed the issue today.
“Could there be scenarios where presidents start to abuse this?” Barkdoll wondered. “If (presidents) start asking for a prime time hour every two months or every three months? Does it get to be overkill?”
There’s a strong possibility that despite the debate, the president’s address will be carried by all the networks tonight.
“At what point is this more of a PR campaign then actual news?” Barkdoll asked. “We know this package has passed. Should the president be afforded a free hour of prime time just to do a victory lap and tell everyone how great this stimulus package is?”
Still, the questions loom as to why President Biden hasn’t been seen a whole lot by the average TV viewer and why no State of the Union address has been scheduled.
Jansen said, “And they think they might not carry it because maybe he’ll abuse it? Come on, that doesn’t pass the smell test. Not at this point. If he wants to do it repeatedly okay, I can understand that conversation. For someone that nobody’s seen, who’s being minded, who’s never allowed in public without somebody being right there to yank him offstage or step in if he makes a misstep. People are going to be very interested to see Joe Biden try to give an hour long presentation.”
Ryan added, “You know what, Jansen? I didn’t even take that angle at all. I’ve got to give her all the credit this morning. My jaw is on the ground here. I definitely do want to see him on TV. They’re all worried that how are you going to frame this the next day? Can you read the damn teleprompter?”
As was noticed in the primary, the bar seems set quite low for Joe Biden.
“Even if he comes in and just marginally performs or he reads off the teleprompter for 45 minutes with no stumbles, he’ll tout that as a victory,” Barkdoll said. “This is the longest time in almost 100 years that a president has not held a press conference.”
Ryan added that the lack of press conferences “is very, very disturbing considering how much President Trump was interrogated every single day, every single hour and the rudeness that came out of the press.”
A recent video from Texas showed President Biden in a store talking to people and as soon as reporters wanted to ask questions, the president’s handlers got him out of the store. Immediately.
“What is going on here that he seems so reluctant to either do a press conference or do one of these informal sprays that you saw Trump do all the time?” Barkdoll asked.
The president is scheduled to begin a tour next week, starting in Pennsylvania. Vice President Harris will begin a similar tour in Nevada and Colorado.
Sound bites that emerge from these tours should prove interesting.
