Revisiting Ann Compton’s stupid question
I mentioned it in the POTUS/TOTUS press conference liveblog last night, but I’m still marveling at the stupidity of it.
“It” being the bone-headed question on race from ABC News reporter Ann Compton:
The question was so ill-conceived and softball that even President Obama seemed embarrassed. Transcript:
Ann Compton? Hey, Ann. You sound surprised.
Q: I am surprised. Could I ask you about race?
OBAMA: You may.
Q: Yours is a rather historic presidency. And I’m just wondering whether, in any of the policy debates that you’ve had within the White House, the issue of race has come up or whether it has in the way you feel you’ve been perceived by other leaders or by the American people? Or has the last 64 days been a relatively colorblind time?
OBAMA: I, I think that the last 64 days has been dominated by me trying to figure out how we’re going to fix the economy, and that affects black, brown and white.
And, you know, obviously, at the inauguration, I think that there was justifiable pride on the part of the country that we had taken a step to move us beyond some of the searing legacies of racial discrimination in this country, but that lasted about a day.
And, and, you know, right now, the American people are judging me exactly the way I should be judged. And that is: Are we taking the steps to improve liquidity in the financial markets, create jobs, get businesses to reopen, keep America safe? And that’s what I’ve been spending my time thinking about.
Notice the meek way in which Compton asked the Obamessiah for permission before she proceeded:
COMPTON: Could I ask you about race?
OBAMA: You may.
What a self-parody.
Mind you, Ann Compton isn’t a rookie reporter. She’s a veteran ABC News journalist and is president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Seats in the White House press briefing room are scarce and coveted. If this is the best she can come up with when she’s called on unexpectedly, Compton should seriously think about giving up her seat to someone who deserves it.
***
Anthony Bradley, World Magazine:
It is possible that Compton was not expecting to ask a question last night as President Obama even noted that she seemed surprised when called upon. Perhaps Compton had no question in mind so the best she could think of, on the spot, was a race-related question. After all, she was looking at a black man who must obviously think only along racial lines when thinking of new ways to grow the government. Other than race-related questions, what else would one ask America’s first black president?
At least Compton did not ask about the president’s dogs or where his wife buys her shoes. Given the pressure of possibly being taken off guard, I imagine that I could have offered a series of strange questions as well like “Mr. President, have you read F.A. Hayek’s book The Road to Serfdom?” Or “Mr. President, do you think you’ll make a Clemson football game in the fall? They have a new head coach. Go Tigers!” Or “Mr. President, what is your favorite snack food during meetings?” These are the kinds of questions Americans want to know the answers to during an economic crisis, right?
Actually, reading Hayek now would be very helpful in Washington these days.
I do feel sorry for Ms. Compton because she will probably spend the next few weeks being ridiculed. A few folks have already posted complaints about her question at ABC News.com. “Tonight’s question by Ann Compton to the president of the United States was the lamest, worst conceived I could have imagined,” one critic posted. In the end, here’s the moral of the story: If you’re at a White House press conference, always have a good question ready to ask even if you do not believe you’ll be called on to speak. Always.
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Good advice to a rookie, but to have to receive this as a veteran reporter is very damning.
COMPTON: President Obama, what’s it like to be so freakin’ kewl and haught!??
TELEPROMPTER: It is George Bush’s fault. Uhhh…huhh…no…uhhh…my haughtness and kewlosity is…hope….uhhh….change…children’s future….uhh….inherited….
COMPTON: I love you, most well-spoken and clean President ever!
“May I ask you about race?”
“Yes you may.”
“Who do you like in the upcoming NASCAR event?”
“Ah.., er…, um.., can I get back to you on that?”
It was a stupid quesiton. I still can’t believe she asked it with so many other questions of relevance to be asked. However, I guess she did prove Eric Holder right. She had to ask for permission to discuss it. She is a Coward.
I hope that last phrase was meant in the context of the next paragraph…..hard for me to tell.
“Mr. President, may I please my Lord have permission to speak out loud in your Glorious Presence?”
“You may speak, dog.”
fawn, drool, call it what you will. the msm enabling of prezbo is nowhere near over.
Oh, TXGator, that TOTUS is one sharp cookie. He can keep his cool, even when the going really gets tough.
What happened to “yellow” in Obama’s answer? He forgot a whole entire race, not very diplomatic. Maybe ’cause they are just so darn mellow.
Yes, it was a softball question.
But I have to admit that I think Obama did a pretty good job of answering it. Unless of course, he knew the question before hand and had time to prepare his answer.
attempting a refresh.
He didn’t forget them. It’s just that, because they are such an industrious people, they are unaffected by the poor economy.
I can dream, can’t I?
. . .
the droolfest continues
Why does this press corp keep reminding me of that Eddie Murphy movie Coming To America where they announce that “The royal peanuts is clean, your highness!”
oh ann, was your follow up question whether you could make a date for later on?
I thought the same thing when I read that.
Hmmmm….I wonder how the libs will spin this to make it look like Republicans brought race into the press conference?
It would have been more fun to have asked him if he’s smarter than Teleprompter.
Teleprompter doesn’t stutter nearly as much either.
Next up…G20 Summit where he gets a chance to make us all look bad, because he’s a “Citizen of the World”…or some such malarky.
I’m really not understanding your comment, chapoutier. Yes, the main diet staple for most of the Asians I work with is rice, which will be taxed to death like everything else. And they don’t eat high $teak like the POTUS does. But just like the rest of us taxed to death producers, we’re all affected by bHo’s high crimes & misdemeanors.
It probably more likely that he knew he was loosing his audience, so he needed something softball. He looked at his list of attendees and saw “Ann Compton — race” and thought he needed to take this question to show that he really is working on the economy.
God Help Us.
So much for Post Racial America.
This could get ugly.
What kind of World are these people (We elected them) leaving to our Children and Grandchildren…
FIFY.
However, it indeed would be nice if our nation’s journalists weren’t freaking cultists and actually investigated this legitimate issue!
Ann personally makes me cringe. No matter how dire the times, we now know she can be counted on to softball and punt. She needs to be seated with Helen Thomas. What a morbidly racist question, but that’s no surprise. I hope she didn’t think she was going to get a scoop?
Or she could have asked: “Mr. President, if you were a tree, what kind would it be?”
President: “A black locust, Ann. You see, it’s beautiful to look at, but you may not want to get too close, for it bristles with long sharp thorns.” “As I have always said, ‘black’ is beautiful. Even some of my detractors…the majority of them, agree with…me…Black is beautiful! Now, uh, uh, you may not, uh, uh, understand my, uh, answer, because, uh, many of you don’t understand the, uh, concept of a black man with power, and the, uh, analogy of the ‘bristling’ thorn.”
All righty then…
She is now past president
Jennifer Loven of AP is now president.
See the peaceful transfer of Liberal Media Power here:
http://www.whca.net/2008officersannjen.jpg
I haven’t read the posts, so if it’s been said – sowy. The question was obviously a plant and the theatrics oh so amateurish. When he asked her if she was suprised he picked her….. Give.Me.A.Break.
I almost threw up when she asked that inane question.
Good Lord, I thought she was going to start sucking on the microphone in anticipation.
Not I.
right_on–HAR!
He didn’t answer it.
Dominated by?? Does that mean you did talk about race some but most of your discussions have been on the economy?
Does that mean you didn’t talk about race during your dominant discussion of the economy?
There was never any talk like ” We need to make sure we send money to people of color in Chicago since they got me elected”? There was no “white people have screwed minorities and these economic programs need to target minorities for any stimulus money”?
His answer leaves a maybe there was, maybe there wasn’t some race talk. Very evasive. Also very typical of ” I slept in church for 20 years” Obama.
She was definitely not ready to ask a question. A real pro.
I am just surprized that she did not drop to her knees and offer oral sex on the spot — I guess that would not be dignified or something. What a stupid question…Do the major press really have any sense of responsibility to the public? Drivelanche….
I agree her question ranks right up there with one of the most ridiculous for obvious reasons. HOWEVER, the one that tops even that was the one from Mr. Ebony who is worried about the tons of America’s children living under bridges. As I type this I can’t stop laughing thinking about it. Not even going to mention this guy’s feigned concern over homeless children. Right, most black men really care about the kids. I’d like to see that statistics of how many black children grow up in fatherless homes. But I digress. Then, to see that grimace on Odumbo’s face as though just the thought of all of the masses of homeless children brings him pain. Why, I’m sure he can’t sleep at night worried about the children that aren’t.
And what is that statement? That answer made me angry. We had taken a step but only for one day! Now we are back where we were before meaning I will continue to play the race card. What a sanctimonious fool!
Obama announced that he had a list of who he was going to call on. Why would she be surprised? Did she think he wasn’t going to get that far on the list? I think she knew and it was a plant question and she was trying to act surprised – she just didn’t do a very good job.
You know, the more I think about it, the more I begin to wonder what went on between the two of them before this press conference. I wonder if we’re missing about 3/4 of the whole picture.
ssshhhh!!! No one is supposed to know. He announced a list, but they pretended…she wasn’t on the list so she was surprised. More high drama and proof that nothing is what it appears in Odumbo’s world. If his lips are moving, he’s lying.
T-Bone, if you listen to that instead of read it, I think it’s more like he’s saying “we could pause for that day to be proud and then we had to get down to business.” I think he was dismissing race as being a trivial matter. That was how I took it.
I’m a Clemson Grad student and I officially recind Anthony Bradley’s invite to watch a Clemson game.
Let him go to Notre Dame or something….
I also love the way he criticises people like AIG execs, Republicans, Congress etc, blames them for all our woes and then in the same breath claims we all need to get along. What an arse. Blame me, call me names, and then ask me to get along in the spirit of cooperation. Arrogant horse rump!
And then he is using Ann Compton? How does he pick these people? What do they know about it? Isn’t it a Milli Vanilli moment when you know the questions in advance but lip synch the process like its spontaneous? Most transparent administration since Houdini.
Who said “journalists” were professional?
I’m sorry but the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this was Bernadette Peters in Blazing Saddles.
Texas T. I did hear it. I suffered through that last night. I think its great that he has these things so I can hear it direct. Last night was a lot of hot air and pretentiousness but that comment about race improvement for a day and the one about charities being wrong about decreased contributions due to taking away tax breaks really bothers me as they are just wrong.
But I also consider the guy a liar from the getgo so it’s hard for me to listen to him period. I am a skeptic as to his true motivations. I don’t find him truthful or forthcoming, almost scary.
One reason why Presidents don’t have these press deals, as GW Bush found out, is that it is a chance for the President to misspeak and for the media to attack. He probably won’t have these in the future based on his performance last night and the press was prety easy on him. Not many followups to his responses.
If we only had Consevative with cojones like this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs
Maybe Newt can find a pair.
Hey, she just doesn’t want to be called a coward by Holder.
sorry wrong thread, I guess, it would be nice if Conservative leaders found a pair though.
I had always thought there was no such thing as a stupid question. Yep, there might be stupid people who ask questions, but not stupid questions.
Race is a deeply woven thread weaved into the fabric of our history, society and culture.
It used to be a widely accepted practice to add, “. . . so and so, who is black . . . ” as part of the media style book. It is still used, though rarely. I say this only to demonstrate that we are concious of race, even where it should not matter.
I am not sure where I am on this issue, I hope that I do not require knowing the race of someone and how it may impact a person’s veiw. I like to believe there is no difference. You can be black and stupid, or white and stupid, or brown and stupid, or yellow and stupid, but your question is not stupid.
I cringe when I hear a talking head ask the question with the preface, ” . . . as a black person, how do you feel about . . . ?” Why can’t they simply be an american? MM has experienced this and it is equally offensive. But, the reality remains, that we think because someone is a minority they somehow have to have an alternate reality, perspective or position on an issue. Obviously, this is not the case.
I have a conservative friend who was asked how could he be a Republican, and another question, at a different time, why was he here, because this meeting is for Republicans. Yep, my friend is black.
Despite what each of us feels, Cornell West has a point in his book, “Race Matters.”
Maybe this is part of the discussion that AG Holder called us cowards for, by not discussing race. Not judging the stupidity of the question, or the stupidity of Ann Compton, who is white (had to add that for levity) maybe this is just part of that conversation, based on our history, culture and society.
Yep, race should not matter, but it does. Color me conflicted.
Compton: Who’s going to win the Kentucky Derby?
Odopey: Jeff Gordon
Race will always matter, as long as there are races.
Appearance affects personal perspective. An oversized NOSE affects one’s perspective. ACNE affects one’s perspective.
RACE affects one’s perspective. It will always matter, to small degree or large.
I didn’t read the book. I guess it could read “Big noses matter” or “Bald matters”
Why does race matter?
T-Bone, I can’t argue about the rest of it. I agree- a lot of hot air and pretentiousness. I didn’t really expect much different.
But I did not hear him playing the race card. I think Michelle is much more like that than he is.
The ONLY thing the Obamas have done that I can get behind is planting that garden. Even if they did it for the wrong reasons (PR stunt, whatever) I can totally support that.
I feel sorry for you guys! You sat and watch and suffer through O-bum-A’s senseless stammering while trying to extricate himself from all the cr*p that came outof his mouth. Me, I didn’t even bother to watch him. The moment his mug was shown on the screen, I immediately changed the channel. Can’t put up with all this bozos lies.
Which lasted a day? Our pride or our step forward? If either one only lasted a day, then it was really nonexistant or not real. I think it was very real and to dismiss it is to say it had no impact which is not true. That untruth is playing the race card or saving it to trump the hand later.
I think the pride and the step forward are real and the effects from it are not only still here, but still has a huge impact on peoples views of the world. More than it should IMO but it is more than a passing fancy that only lasted a day. How pessimistic is that?
I on the other hand have always thought that about half the questions I hear are stupid.
It may have been a stupid question, but it was a great answer, particularly: “That lasted about a day.” It’s the answer most conservatives would hope he would give. It’s well spoken, without a teleprompter. We’ve got a good President.
Zero white guilt here I am not proud of you obambi.
Break out the drool bucket
– WaPo “Critic” Tom Shales.
Get a room, Tom.
Zero white guilt here as well. I feel the present state of the Negro population is the most bigoted of any other racial group in the USA. To hell with PC.
Planted question and a Non-Answer in return.
He has AG Holder & the Black Congressional Caucus to play the race card for him.
Today, as many as 70 percent of black children are born out of wedlock and 60 percent are raised in fatherless households (Boston Globe).
I’ve seen even higher estimates.
The only time this president and his administration has been colorblind is when they are blowing through a red light.
Of course seasoned reporters like Anne Compton live in constant fear of a brain-blank-out which is probably what happened to her. That is why, with one quick flip of the wrist, they can look down and see the word “race” which is tatooed there, giving them an instant controversial subject-thought that will hopefully make them look informed, hip, and cool, thus saving the day!
You nailed it and didn’t even have to watch it. I envy you. I am still working on my skill set.
We agree that it’s close to the answer that I would want him to give. The answer I’d most want him to give is that his race doesn’t factor into their discussions at all.
But, come on, that question was a gimmee. That’s why it’s so dumb. You seem to be fawning about his answer as if he had never considered answering (or had ever answered) a race-based question about his “historic” election before that moment.
Sorry, no extra credit on that.
In lgm’s world articulate(answer) + NOT(telepromter) = good(president)
He must not teach Boolean algebra. Logic is not his strong suit.
I guess Compton is trying to make a point that any criticism about Obama’s economic plan is most likely due to racism, otherwise she can’t fathom why there would be any opposition except racism. huh?
Example of a stupid question:
Was she referring to the black half of his race or the white half?
Fissed it for you. Axe and you’ll receive.
The way I figure it. If someone is esposing every thing you agree with, you can’t come up with a substinitive question because you are hearing everything you agree with. That is why when Bush was in office they where chomping at the bit to try and destroy him with their questions.
It reminds me of Katie Couric asking the then Pres-Elect Bill Clinton “The question that is on the minds of many Americans, How is socks the cat?”
Yeah, if the question was “What have you been doing for the first 60+ days in office”.
When someone asks me what color the sky is I can be well spoken while talking about how grass grows but that that would also make me an idiot because I didn’t answer the question.
Put your woody away lgm and go outside and play.
What has the TOTUS been doing for the first 60 days, you ask?
Altas has a humorous take on it:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/03/60-days-64-mistakes-.html
60 Days, 64 Mistakes
Yeah, “great” for a guy that sat in a racist church for 20 years. The “break-through” would require keeping racial issues and anger hidden. The swearing now occurs in the Oval Office, not in the spotlight. What normally comes after being “snippy,” LGM?
As far as race is concerned, Obama is still blaming whitey(Bush) for the current economic crisis
sry . I even got that one. The Asians have a one for all mentality.Everyone works for the good of the family. Education comes 1st and most of the young adults use their college training to help boost everyone else in the family. Instead of ” It’s all about me”
THIS is the reason that America will never move forward on this issue, why blacks will always play the victim, why the minority community (of which I’m part) will continue to breed hate mongers.
STOOOOOOPIDITY!
If this is not evidence of who the racist are, in America, nothing is!
racistS…there I go again, not using “preview”! But this is so illustrative of their racism that it is mind-boogling!
May I quote Mario Cuomo:… “you get no credit for being black.” Period. And that was about 20 years ago. Get
over
it.
Same here. I watched re-runs of Family Guy on TBS. Much more sophisticated than Duh One.
and she gets paid for that type of stupid a$$ question? Who does she know on the board?
So the rest of my time in office will be dedicated to racial reparations. Next question…
You know what I like best about March/April? “The Tudors” returns with new episodes for the next 13 weeks or so, with the first episode allowed to be viewed On Demand a week early.
Last night, my 17 year old daughter and I were laying on my bed watching it in High Def, happy as clams when it hit me…
Watching an Obama press junket like what this one was like, is pretty close to how “The Tudors” plays out an audience with Henry VIII in his court.
All that is lacking are the tights…that we can tell…and the use of “M’Lord” before each time someone speaks to him.
Personally, I will take “The Tudors” over anything Obama related. At least with that show I know it is based on reality, versus the Obama Administration which is nowhere near reality. And the women look much better as well. (Lady Jane Seymour….hubba hubba hubba.)
Enough about “race”. How about a seriously informed question about institutionalized racism and its impact on our political order, such as fascist minority run “organizing” groups like ACORN?
Bear1909 out.
PS: Like the lefty d-bags are fond of saying “It’s all connected, man.” Ya right. Go smoke some more chronic, Ann.
duh1 isn’t going to be so forgetful of “yellow people” when the NorK hordes come pouring over the DMZ….of course he’ll think it’s a disturbance where Koreans register their cars.
Mr. President, may I as the white devil request that you race bait for 5 mins while I gaze at you with quite admiration?
No. First question will be “What’s Korea?”
Thank you Sean–that is EXACTLY the way it needs to be put
Racial reparations are next on the agenda: the black community owes us room and board for all the brothers laying about in our jails and prisons.
The Press and the left are so stuck on race and racism, that if it wasn’t such a serious an issue (mainly because most on the left are racists) it would be laugh out loud funny. I know that I (and I am sure most conservatives would agree with me) never considered the “One’s” race as a disqualifying factor for his becoming President, but instead it was his Marxist/statist political views.
You guys should stop playing with the AI response-phrase generator and read the piece at American Thinker on the media’s rules (unstated, but extracted from their actions.
Trying to handcraft the link the way the buttons do here. In case it doesn’t work I’ll leave it again in a subsequent post. (still on the PDA…)
The AT piece is
here
You have lost your ever-lovin’ mind.
Never had a mind to begin with.
In order to lose something you have to be in possession of it in the first place!
Wow!!! Ad hominem attacks are fun. This must explain why the left does it all the time.
Spot on. For me, it boiled down to good old fashion LACK OF ANY QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE!
Her question was almost as stupid as the black reporter that asked BO his opinion of A-rod during the last press conference.
Now, I think the quote is about right….
And she revealed on whose mind(s?) race is always so prominent…
Meanwhile, in the real world, the rest of us are concerned with issues of substance re this farce of a presidency, e.g.:
Don’t forget the LACK OF CITIZENSHIP CREDENTIALS. Still not displayed, to this day, despite evidence that he is NOT a natural-born U.S. citizen.
Imagine if any of you folks had of asked BO a question about race it would gone like this:
Why are black people so dumb?
How come you hate America?
Are you the anti-christ?
First I’d like the say that, being part African myself, I resent question #1 and assume is actually the attitude of the poster.
So what exactly is wrong with questions 2 and 3 other than we would never expect to get a straight answer?
Why do liberals so fixate on race? On Inauguration Day, every newscast carried the fact that Obama was the first black president. Just spare me – this is ANOTHER example of their never-ending hypocrisy.