Now that’s it been announced that Pres. Obama will get together Thursday with Sgt. James Crowley and Prof. H.L. Gates for the proverbial beer, PBO’s spin doctors are surely feverishly at work. The White House must be looking at the event as the last best chance to salvage something from the president’s gaffe. Not only did PBO’s assertion that the police acted “stupidly” kill whatever momentum health care reform might have had, it tarnished Obama’s image as a post-racial healer.
So surely the likes of Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs are busily orchestrating the theatrics and optics of the suds session. I’m pretty sure an extended game of beer pong with comely White House interns is not in the cards, but let’s imagine some of the issues the spin doctors are grappling with.
- Indoors or outdoors? I’ve been assuming it will be an indoor event, but if it’s a nice day, might not an outdoor setting promote a more relaxed atmosphere and make for better visuals?
- How many? One beer might suggest it was just a photo-op. Three and the specter of drunkeness arises. I’m guessing it will be announced that the guys each had “a couple.”
- What kind of press access? I’m assuming the press will not be able to record the actual conversation among the parties, but will they be allowed in to take some video of the guys sitting around? Will the White House eventually release a transcript?
- To clink or not to clink? Will the guys be shown clinking glasses or at least raising them respectfully to each other?
- Arms control? Will the president be shown with his arm around the shoulder of each man, individually or jointly? Will they be seen strolling across the White House lawn with PBO in the middle, a la Bill Clinton with Arafat and Ehud Barak at Camp David?
- Who’s got the post-beer power? Will all three make statements to the press at the White House at the end of the get-together? Whose statement would be most crucial? What could each of the participants say that would be most helpful/least helpful to PBO?
Your thoughts?
5 Comments
I hope Sgt. Crowely will change his mind and not attend.
This is a very bad idea, as he will be used to further the racially divisive propaganda of the professional race pimps and hustlers.
-Dave
I think Dave is right; the end result of any session like this “has to” be that all has been settled, and the involved parties are now OK with things.
I said elsewhere that this would be the finale:
http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-AU517_peace4_20071126114300.jpg
And let’s speculate on WHO that would favor.
It’s why he wants to do this…once again, it’s all about HIM.
Addendum to above comment:
Why else would Obama want to bring both of these people together?
The real solution would have been for him to apologize to the policeman. Gates need not be present.
Crowley HAS to attend the meeting.
If he doesn’t, he will be thoroughly trashed by the MSM and made to look like the bully-thug he has been portrayed as. Meanwhile, Gates will have the bully pulpit and a megaphone the size of Montana. And who wants that???
Crowley has to attend; however he must refrain from making any statements until Gates has first spoken. Whomever speaks first will be the most vulnerable.
Crowley has to be who he is, the consummate pro.
He must not get ‘wrapped-up’ in the moment, get enamored by sweet-talk, or trapped by ‘gotcha’ questions.
He needs to be polite, cordial, say very little, and most important……………..RUN don’t walk back to Boston as soon as possible!!!
Obama and Gates are slick PR machines that know every move and will poison his water at every opportunity. If Crowley understands that, he’ll be fine.
Well, at least the Beerfest has its own official poster:
http://img268.yfrog.com/i/mqp.jpg/
-Dave