Sunday, April 30, 2006

Why Not Katie Couric For Press Secretary?

Talk about missing opportunities - with media darlings like that li'l Katie Couric up for grabs, why didn't President Bush jump in the bidding wars and offer her the job of White House Press Secretary? The endlessly self-referential national media loves talking about her and if The Pres had hired her, can you imagine the gushing love-fest from the White House Press Corp??

We'd get info like what the Commander In Chief thinks about Cruise, Pitt, Paris, hip new diet prgrams, and American Idol!! You know, the stuff Americans are really concerned about. And they could have held press conferences with windows open to fans of the Katie Show, holding signs that read We Luv U! and Bush Rocks Topeka, KA.

Maybe the offer was made and li'l Katie chafed at the term "secretary."

Or maybe he could have gone with the graphic-and -sound-effects laden "Insider" with Pat O'Brien to wow the press corp!

Or how about one-upping the loss of Meridith Viera from "The View" by naming Star "I-Love-Plastic-Surgery" Jones! Imagine the ratings boost for press conferences then.

In all, only 12 presidents have ever used a "press secretary," starting with FDR back in 1937. The second press secretary, J. Leonard Reinsch, used his accumen to later become CEO of Cox Broadcasting Association (now known as Cox Communications.)

Former President Clinton holds the record for highest number of Press Secretaries at four, but President Bush is closing in with Tony Snow marking number 3. I'd bet cash money numbers 4 and 5 are likely.

One person I know who won't be appointed is pretend news anchor Stephen Colbert, who at a recent roast of the President doled out far too much Truthiness in his comedy ("reality has a well-known liberal bias") and many on the dias were heard to mutter "We are not amused."

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:08 PM

    I think I know how you feel, Joe Powell.

    For better or worse, so to speak, we live in the era of the ascendancy of the human female in non-domestic life.

    Regarding TV news shows, I never watch broadcast network anymore. It's too compressed and stamped with the ideas of the massively overpaid talking head the company has banked on and built up.

    Regarding feminization of news shows, the people and the marketplace will sort it out. I just hit the remote if the girl talk starts.

    I thought the young woman Clinton had as press secretary did a good job.

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  2. well, Wintermute - I had no idea I was writing a treatise on the "ascendancy of the female human in non-domestic life" and I'm not too sure what you mean. (and be afraid if Newscoma reads yer views!!LOL)

    Mostly this was an attempt to poke fun at the dubious reputation of Couric-The-Talking-Head. And the mindless chatter-fest called "The View."

    My interactions with the business world as far back as my wee memory goes proved that if you had a crappy relationship with the woman in charge of appointments/office operations, you would reach nowhere in the biz world.

    So in a roundabout way - appointing a press secretary has the lasting impact of a Couric interview - which is zero.

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  3. WINTERMUTE!!!!
    *sigh*
    "the era of the ascendancy of the human female in non-domestic life"
    ????
    Joe, quick post something about attorneys who say things like "the era of the ascendancy of the human female in non-domestic life."
    Actually, the Couric thing will either go smashingly or suck big time, although I expect her ratings will most likely be pretty good in the beginning out of some shrewd marketing which will spark curousity.
    Personally, I still wish Walter was still on, but that's just me.
    Incidentally, because I'm such a hot babe, I spent part of my evening with Ned McWherter, a county mayor, a senator,the head of Goodyear and about 10 attorneys last night.
    It had nothing to do with me running a newspaper.
    Just hot ole' me. That's all us of the female sex are good for.
    (Incidentally, Wintermute, I got what you were saying as well. I got mad skillz of perception that way.)

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  4. Anonymous12:47 AM

    She's a big liberal. She wouldnt want the job and Bush wouldnt be willing to give it to her.

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  5. dear Anon -
    you are so right - you have to be a long-time suck-up to W to get a job in the white house. and god forbid anyone whose views don't goose-step with the Administration to offer any assistance.

    though i do think the Jabberwock would fit like a glove.

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  6. Bush is just going to the pool of "talent" he has over at Fox News to fill his posts. Think about it. Snow has criticized Bush (so this gives the pres the illusion of being about to take a couple of hits without getting cranky,) Snow came back from illness (which maybe the White House thinks will give him that plucky hero quality) Snow is moderately attractive (get that Malkin and Couter feel this time for the ladies where a psuedo attractive guy will blind the media with his oh-so-white teeth so that news is secondary. Maybe Helen Thomas won't ask about Iraq again because she will be in lustful state).
    You see, it's all superficial, but so is Fox News in presenting Bush and Cheney's Kool-Aid. McClellan always looked like a doe in the headlight, so having a media savvy guy like Snow will might be able to lie a bit better without stammering is also a Bush plus.
    It's early, I'm just ranting.

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  7. Newscoma, I love your Ann "Couter" typo. Can we all agreee to call her Cooter from now on? I would like that so much.

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  8. Anonymous9:16 PM

    If Katie Couric got a job as WHPS, I really might have to leave the county for real. It's easy enough to avoid the morning (or, now, evening) news, but White House Press Conferences are a necessary evil for us news junkies. And having Katie Freakin' Couric shrieking talking points at me in that shrill, fingers-down-a-blackboard voice of here is just a bit more than I would be willing to take...

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  9. I'm with ya Alice. I just think if these "press conferences" continue to be devoid of meaning, purpose and actual reporting, then why not the talking head of Couric. It would be like a sign: Nothing To See/Hear/Report At This Location.

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  10. Anne Cooter is fine with me, Tits.

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  11. Cooter! HOWL! maybe she shold have been in that Dukes of Hazzard movie! LOL

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