Barack Obama’s sad fear of Fox News

The Oct. 16 Alfred E. Smith Dinner in New York was a beautiful example of civility during a political campaign, and both John McCain and Barack Obama spoke with humor and respect.

There was only one sour note that evening. It was Obama’s unnecessarily bitter remark, referring to a McCain joke about partisanship in the news media: “By the way, John, I’m just curious, is Fox News included in the media?”

Obviously, Obama wasn’t arguing that Fox News was an unbiased news organization. He was lashing out at the only television news channel that hadn’t fawned all over him throughout the presidential race.

Thin skin. It was a weird moment, and it revealed how little tolerance Obama has for skeptical or challenging news reporting.

So it should be no surprise to any of us that, since Obama’s election, he has held five press conferences, but he has refused to take even one question from a Fox News reporter. It is an unhealthy pattern.

Two years after he announced his run for president, we have yet to see Barack Obama face one truly probing news interview. Most of the press has permitted him to hide his faults and dodge tough questions. That might do in a campaign. That won’t do when he’s president.

Accountability time. Less than two months before Inauguration Day, Obama had better begin training for openness and humility. With democratic power comes public accountability, even to the public who watch Fox News.

Frank Warner

Comments

[jj mollo]

It's that Harvard training. I was gonna say that Yalies are tougher, but Bush wasn't too good on that press conference thing either.

I've only seen two politicians in my life that were really willing to face the music. Wilson Goode, the infamous mayor of Philadelphia who allowed the bombing of MOVE, once went on a tour of Philadelphia, meeting with people in every neighborhood, one after another, explaining himself, his failures and his plans, in a retail environment. He took every question head on.

The other, of course, is John McCain, who has on numerous occasions faced the press, answering every single question, every followup until the reporters couldn't think of anything else to ask.

[Frank Warner]

Wow, that is an interesting pair, Goode and McCain. I think you're right. They're rare birds.