Why is Kerry not taking questions from reporters?

[Alpha Wolf]

I've been seeing all these stories today about Kerry not letting the reporters assigned to his campaign ask him any questions. The stories claim Kerry has not allowed reporters' questions since his Grand Canyon visit in early August. Some freepers at work keep emailing links of these stories to me.

Is this a RW attack? If not, why wouldn't Kerry take every opportunity to elaborate on his bold vision for this nation. I know he must have a good reason. Any insights anyone?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. he may just need rest

his voice has a tendency to give out and he needs to rest it.

[mac56]

2. Welcome

Post the links to some of those stories, and let's have a look-see.

[Truth is True]

5. This one has been on Drudge all morning

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040908-104357-3415r.htm

Moonie Times.

[mac56]

7. You said it right there. "Moonie Times"

Take with copious grains of salt.

[Truth is True]

11. And just found this one by doing a Yahoo news search

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040909/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_media_1

[mac56]

16. Read this opening sentence:

"Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has gone one month without having a news conference in spite of his pledge to hold one every month as president..."

Not seeing the problem here. One month.

[emulatorloo]

32. BYLINE - NEDRA PICKLER - HATES DEMS -- do a search on her name at DU

or google her. . .she loves to write HATCHET JOBS about Dems

[Alpha Wolf]

10. Here's one from the RW rag Washington Times...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040908-104357-3415r.htm

I think they sent me another one from Drudge, but it may have been the same story. I saw another one from some paper in Wisconsin, but I didn't save the link.

If this is a RW attack, it should be easy to prove as another lie. There's surely tape or footage readily available where he is taking questions from reporters.

[mac56]

14. See above.

The Wash Times is owned by the Moonies and are unrelentingly anti-Dem. In general, they aren't considered any kind of a valid source among DUers.

If they printed that the grass is green and the sky is blue, I'd still double-check and get two people to confirm.

[Richardo]

3. Please provide a link for "all these stories"

[RandomKoolzip]

4. Those stories are bullshit.

The question should be, "why isn't the media covering Kerry's campaign?" Kerry is taking questions from reporters.

Plus, when was the last time Bush took a question from an objective reporter without coaching or teleprompters?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

8. He won't do a town hall debate because he is an emperor not a democratic

leader

[MsUnderstood]

9. I think that would be the IRISH Gal

And he had to tell her how to do her job "Look you ask the questions and I'll answer them. Plese don't interupt me."

I think they then shunned the Irish media after that . . .

[RandomKoolzip]

19. And you can bet that had Kerry behaved that way....

It'd be all over the media: "Kerry Unbalanced," "Kerry Flustered by Reporter's Line of Questioning," etc.

The game is rigged.

[michigandem2]

6. i don't believe that...

I just don't....I thikn they want him to look weak..another form of attacking on a strength..BUSH won't answer questions from the media...he refuses...but I think given the opportunity Kerry would...just my opinion..but i dont' buy it..I think they want to make it appear as though he is weak and unwilling to communicate

[Robbien]

12. The press want to steer Kerry away from his message and to answer

questions on the daily/hourly Bush attacks.

Can you imagine Candy with all her snide remarks disguised as questions being on the news instead of the issues Kerry talked about in his speech.

[TeeYiYi]

13. What stories have you been seeing? . . .

. . . Do you have links? Not just one link to the moonie times. Do you have linkS to 'all these stories' so we can see what stories you're referring to?

TYY

[Ducks In A Row]

15. Another lie

but if it was true I wouldn't blame him. I'd ask them, why should he if you're not going to file the report and/or the network won't show it, and/or they'll only twist his words.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

17. Why are you being led around by the balls by Drudge?

:shrug:

[lunarboy13]

18. Here's one story (link)

<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=3&u=/ap/20040909/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_media>




The media keeps trying to push Kerry off topic. So Kerry and Bush have taken to not having press conferences. So the issue cuts both ways, yet Kerry is derided and Bush gets a pass. :wtf:



And the headline is a totaally misleading for this story.

[LuminousX]

27. last conference was August 9th, then the RNC

labor day weekend...

golly gee I'm afraid Kerry will never have another press conference ever.

Let's see, one a month does not mean one ever 30 days. So as long as he has one in September, what's the problem?

[beyurslf]

20. And how frequently does the man paid to represent us do press conferences?

About 1 a year, right?

[blm]

21. Funny...I've only heard rightwingers spreading that idea.

.

[F.Gordon]

22. bush* would have to be in office 235 years....

To equal the number of times Kerry has talked with the Press over the last 12 months.

Your question? Is this a RW attack?

ya' tink?

[TexasSissy]

23. I've not seen that reported in any reputable news source.

I think that answers your question. It's not true.

[napi21]

25. I haven't either, but I did hear it on TV this morning. The only

chanels I had on were c-span & CNN, so for sure it was one of them or both. I remember hearing the comment and wondering why Kerry would do something like that! All candidates WANT to get attention from reporters, no matter who they are or where they're from.

[Cocoa]

24. he doesn't want to get Gore'd

[democrat_patriot]

26. Kerry is trying to get in front of the press.

But they only show 30 seconds of speeches etc.

How much coverage did his speech after the RNC get covered by mainstream press?

[Walt Starr]

28. Why are people trying to tear down Kerry on DU

when the biggest damage done to the Bush campaign is happening right now?

Just asking.

[bigtree]

29. Why does Bush lie whenever he's questioned?

I don't think it is important right now for him to respond to the agenda of the 'media'. He has given them every opportunity to report his agenda and they choose to focus on Bush cheerleading and Kerry bashes. S--t on them.

[Alpha Wolf]

30. Hey... Hey... HEY... Settle down people!

That's what I posted this for: to get confirmation that no one else had seen this or heard this from other places. Or if they, had-- what would be the good reasons for doing it.

I don't post that often here, but I've never been on discussion board where so many people think so many of the other people are not the right(left?)kind of people. Chill out dudes and dudettes...

[bigtree]

31. This type of question is used in sly attacks from the opposition

It's a common opposition tactic to claim that the other side won't answer questions: "What's he hiding? If he's so right why won't he answer questions?" This from folks who routinely ignore the answers and replace them with their own cynical views.

[mac56]

33. Curious comment.

"I've never been on discussion board where so many people think so many of the other people are not the right (left?) kind of people."

I'm guessing you haven't been here long. Stick around, you'll get a different impression.

[Alpha Wolf]

35. I've been on DU for about 4 or 5 months now...

though I don't post often-- but lurk frequently. In those four or five months I can tell you that in the majority of threads someone is questioning someone else's genuiness and integrity. Now, sometimes it is warrented when obvious freepers/repukes with 1 or 2 posts start rattling off RWTP. But many times someone genuine will have a genuine question and/or disagreement and the accusations of "freeper", "troller", "RWTP", etc. are thrown around with reckess abandon.

I will take your advice though and stick around longer to see if things improve or if I'm over-reacting.

[bigtree]

34. Bush's Distaste for News Conferences Keeps Them Rare

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 7, 2003; Page A20

The extended questioning of the presidential news conference was a regular exercise for all presidents of the recent past. But President Bush has turned the tradition into a rarity, both because of his distaste for the format and his staff's determined message management.

At the same point in their presidencies, President Bill Clinton had held 30 solo news conferences (that is, without a foreign leader at a twin lectern) and Bush's father had held 58, according to research by Martha Joynt Kumar, a Towson University political science professor who specializes in presidential communication.

Communications director Dan Bartlett said this White House uses news conferences more sparingly than other types of presidential events, because "if you have a message you're trying to deliver, a news conference can go in a different direction."

"In this case, we know what the questions are going to be, and those are the ones we want to answer," Bartlett said. "We think the public will see the thought and care and attention he's given to a lot of the different questions that are being asked about the diplomatic side and the military side and the potential post-Iraq issue. These are all legitimate questions that he has answers for and wants to talk about."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A53542-2003Mar6?language=printer