Obama’s Oval Office talk first for his presidency

Jun 16 2010

Obama’s Oval Office talk first for his presidency

Some presidents do well face-to-face with the public and the media, and others — particularly President George W. Bush — strike fear in the heart of their handlers when they take to the podium.

President Barack Obama made his way to the presidency in part with the ability to speak eloquently, extemporaneously and charismatically.

Yet, it took Obama more than 500 days into his presidency — plus an oil gusher five miles deep in the Gulf of Mexico — to take to the Oval Office and get face-to-face with the public.

Other presidents, far less gifted speakers than Obama, used the Oval Office speaking gigs to effectively address key issues facing the country and to inspire public confidence. Obama’s public-confidence ratings have been sinking since he took office.

But Obama has refrained from using the Oval Office, despite plenty of fodder available to draw him into a conversation with the public from that room: economic chaos, the war in Iraq, a fundamental change in policy in Afghanistan, and health care and financial institution reform.

It’s quite a shopping list of serious matters.

Meanwhile, despite his pledge for transparency in and access to government, the president also has avoided press conferences.

His press conference at the end of May with the White House Press corps was the first in 10 months. That’s longer than the gap established by “W,” something Bush critics often cited as a problem.

Obama’s reluctance to face the news media and to regularly check in with the nation — outside his weekly radio addresses few people hear — seems odd in light of his past success in charming the public — and voters.

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Obama’s Oval Office talk first for his presidency

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