Jul 1, 2008

From faux presidential seal to faux presidential press conference

First it was a faux presidential seal. Then it was a faux presidential press conference.

It's too soon to say that Barack Obama (pictured) is measuring the White House drapes, but he did size up an East Room press conference today. In a hotel ballroom here he met the press with great formality and all the trappings:

• Formal podium (minus the faux-presidential seal he test drove last week), gleaming American flags, reporters seated in tidy rows marked off by velvet ropes.

• Opened with a formal statement on the need for economic opportunity and the virtues of his energy policy.

• Covered topics ranging from the Supreme Court to the Zimbabwean political crisis.

• The only thing missing was Helen Thomas ending things with the ritual "Thank you, Mr. President."

Americans will decide in November whether Barack gets past the dress-rehearsal stage.

Link