President-in-Waiting?

Reporters who cover the Obama campaign are grumbling that he is acting as if he is the presumptive President rather than still (damn it!) a mere candidate.

The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank in a scathing article illustrates the problem. He describes the candidate’s D.C. travels yesterday where he had a breathtakingly Presidential day that began with private meetings with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, the President of Pakistan and a closed door meeting with swooning House Democrats.

Inside the House Office Building Milbank says of Obama: “Some say the supremely confident Obama — nearly 100 days from the election, he pronounces that “the odds of us winning are very good” — has become a president-in-waiting. But in truth, he doesn’t need to wait: He has already amassed the trappings of the office, without those pesky decisions.”

Milbank observes that the Obama traveled throughout D.C. with a long presidential-type motorcade that gummed up traffic in a city accustomed to presidential and diplomatic movements. Most interestingly, he is taking on the trapping of Presidential secrecy that would make a Bush advance man drool:

“Along the way, he traveled in a bubble more insulating than the actual president’s. Traffic was shut down for him as he zoomed about town in a long, presidential-style motorcade, while the public and most of the press were kept in the dark about his activities, which included a fundraiser at the Mayflower where donors paid $10,000 or more to have photos taken with him. His schedule for the day, announced Monday night, would have made Dick Cheney envious:

11:00 a.m.: En route TBA.

12:05 p.m.: En route TBA.

1:45 p.m.: En route TBA.

2:55 p.m.: En route TBA.

5:20 p.m.: En route TBA.

The 5:20 TBA turned out to be his adoration session with lawmakers in the Cannon Caucus Room, where even committee chairmen arrived early, as if for the State of the Union. Capitol Police cleared the halls — just as they do for the actual president. The Secret Service hustled him in through a side door — just as they do for the actual president.”

A friend of mine, a life long Democrat, told me yesterday he’s uneasy Obama is showing so much “hubris” before the election. Better watch out! The Prom Queen may be emerging…. and it could be dangerous for his campaign.

Tony Snow

Ordinarily laughter and D.C. do not go hand in hand. But they did for Tony Snow, who died last weekend.

A number of years ago, I was Tony’s senior producer when he hosted “Fox News Sunday.” Tony was a lot of things: smart, insightful and very down to earth. But it is his humor I will remember.

We worked together in live television where things could go wrong on air — and they did. Most other hosts would fume. Tony would chuckle.

I think that’s probably what made him a great White House press secretary. Rather than get angry, Tony would smile and simply laugh.

It’s Chandra-ville!!!

We clamored for it. Now we’ve got it. Don’t you love the heavenly 12-part Post series on Chandra Levy?

The Onion is very, very jealous….

Obama at Brandenburg? Priceless

Imagine Barack Obama, who has been accused of lacking foreign policy experience, standing before hundreds of thousands of cheering American ex-pats and Europeans at Germany’s landmark Brandenburg Gate. This is the very gate at which President Ronald Reagan taunted Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”

It would be an electrifying YouTube moment. As a former network TV producer, I admire the staging, or what we call “establishing” the shot. The idea that his campaign even would consider such bold staging is a testimony to the skill of Barack Obama’s superb advance teams that work tirelessly to find the right TV backdrop.

Television staging is not new news, but you would think it is a foreign concept when you look at the McCain camp. Obama gave his “patriot” speech in Independence, Missouri. He gave his speech on racism in Philadelphia near the Liberty Bell. Both are symbolic shrines that speak poetry and help frame Obama’s messages.

McCain’s advance team, meanwhile, has flunked most of the visual staging tests. When Obama clinched the Democratic nomination, he did so at the Minneapolis-St.Paul convention center where the Republicans will hold their nominating convention this September. McCain’s staff replied that their guy’s speech — also long in the planning — would occur in New Orleans. This, they said would serve as a definitive counterpunch.

Obama’s was a beauty shot for the camera. McCain’s audio was poor; his staging a mess and lighting was horrible. Oh, and his campaign message was a muddle. Both back-to-back events compared the talents of both campaign staffs. Obama’s team smashed McCain’s.

Meanwhile, McCain has taken two overseas trips this year. One was to Europe, the Middle East and Iraq — these are his signature issues. A second was recently to Colombia, Mexico and Canada. None had any staging and none left any YouTube moment.

Btw, this is what MSNBC filed about McCain’s European/Middle Eastern campaign tour:

John McCain wrapped up his five-country swing to the Middle East and Europe by meeting with two familiar faces- one old and one new. In London this morning, former Prime Minister Tony Blair and McCain had breakfast together at the swanky Mandarin Oriental hotel. A quick photo-op for reporters before the official visit quickly became a reflection of McCain’s recent travels.

The swanky Mandarin Oriental. That worked for me…

In seeking out the Brandenburg Gate, Barack Obama’s advance team is displaying sheer cockiness and brilliance. It still may not happen. But the fact they are scoping out these symbolic locations demonstrates that they are completely outclassing the McCain advance team. (although he does have a new team in place).

In the visually-centric world in which we live, enduring YouTube (and TV news) moments are vital. This year they could determine who is the winner and the loser for the Oval Office.

Iranian Mullahs Are Using Photoshop

Here’s an interesting news flash: The PR arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards apparently faked the number of missile launches using photoshop.

The Father and Neutrality

From techcrunch:

Should the Internet be owned and maintained by the government, just like the highways? Vint Cerf, the “father of the Internet” and Google’s Internet evangelist, made this radical suggestion.

His comment was in the context of a bigger discussion about the threat to Net neutrality posed by the cable and phone companies, who are making moves to control the amount and types of bits that can go through their pipes.

Net neutrality and preventing broadband carriers from controlling Internet traffic or content is something that Google has a definite stake in. The Google page on the subject even links to grassroots groups the Open Internet Coalition, and SaveTheInternet. But the question should be whether Google’s dominance of Internet navigation, as well as advertising poses a greater threat to the future of a free Internet.