Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tank watch: Why didn't television show the presidential pitch?
The ambition of the national mainstream media to promote Barack Obama's cool rather than show the American public the ups and downs of a normal man has now, if it had not already, jumped the shark. Sheesh.
Deserved mocking here.
14 Comments:
By 
, at
Wed Jul 15, 07:07:00 AM:
He won the election 53% of the popular vote in election. What did you expect?
By , at
Wed Jul 15, 09:34:00 AM:
The mainstream press has been trying to portray President Obama as the messiah for quite some time now. Over time they are going to disappoint everyone. They should just tell us the truth and let us make an informed decision.
I don't care how well he can pitch a baseball, but their base propaganda makes me wonder what else they are not telling us.
By , at
Wed Jul 15, 09:36:00 AM:
These are moments that Obama does very well. Of all things he seems to be a pretty decent guy and I thought him coming out with the jeans and the Sox jacket were a good touch. Despite he and I having virtually nothing in common outside of sports, I could still see sitting down with him and watching a ball game sipping a beer or...four...
With that said, after watching him on the basketball court where he definitely seems to hold his own. I was shocked at how "girly" his arm was. I am right handed, but I think I could have looked more manly throwing it left handed then his pitch. Lastly, what was up with the FOX Sports angle of the pitch. Every American wants to see if he throws a strike and of all channels who I thought would have played it fair - they give him the glamour shot.
My bet is that they watched him warm up before hand and they figured showing his girly pitching style was more demeaning than watching him bounce the ball before home plate..?
By , at
Wed Jul 15, 09:58:00 AM:
Could be.
The whole episode wouldn't be important at all except for the way the press covered for John Edwards.
They should just make up their minds and be consistent. Why couldn't they use the same camera angle they used on President Bush? Were they worried about the backlash from the hate mongering leftists? After all, many Democratic candidates refused to debate on FOX News.
What a democracy can't have is a press that glorifies some people or ideas over others.
I just hope the current focus on health care gets to the truth of how much the practice of American medicine was damaged by the lawsuit industry. Maybe one day the "journalists" will tell us a little bit about that, and what the President is going to do to reform our tort law.
By 
Escort81, at
Wed Jul 15, 11:53:00 AM:
I'm guessing the Secret Service had him wear a vest underneath the zipped-up Sox jacket. It's harder to throw with the vest on, and it's also hard to throw off a mound if you've never done it before or you just aren't used to it. So, yes, his arm motion is poor, and no, he did not come close to throwing a strike, but I'm not sure I really care about that. The camera angle that would not show the result of the pitch is slightly curious, but we've already established that the media isn't going to do anything to portray President Obama in a negative light right now.
In the booth, President Obama did remark that he never played organized baseball, so that explains the arm motion in part. He enjoys playing pick-up hoops and otherwise is evidently physically fit, but will not challenge Gerald Ford as the country's most athletic president (Ford was an All-American football player at Michigan, as was constantly mocked -- particularly by SNL's Chevy Chase -- as being clumsy while in office, because he stumbled on camera a couple of times, and shanked some golf balls). My impression of his time in the booth was that he seemed relaxed, but that compared to the smooth tones of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, he spoke with a bit of a stutter and without much cadence.
There are times when we have to look at the office and not the man. Having ODS here just ruins the enjoyment of a good exhibition game that determines home field in the World Series.
By , at
Wed Jul 15, 12:34:00 PM:
Remember when Stephanopoulos creamed his pants during the campaign because Obama hit a jump shot?
He didn't orgasm when Bush threw a solid strike at Yankee stadium after 9/11.
Hmm. Wonder if he'll bring up the sissy throw this week.
By JPMcT, at
Wed Jul 15, 03:04:00 PM:
Maybe he was appealing to his base by trying to throw with his LEFT hand.
By Christopher Chambers, at
Wed Jul 15, 03:08:00 PM:
LOL
You all sound like the toddlers I hear over the wall the day care center down the block from me. Wah wah wah...hahaha
By , at
Wed Jul 15, 03:49:00 PM:
O be a girlyman just like our troll.
By , at
Wed Jul 15, 05:53:00 PM:
Ok, children, play nice. There is so much more important going on and you all are harping on who is a manlier man, Obama or Bush? Please.
By , at
Thu Jul 16, 01:05:00 AM:
"Ok, children, play nice. There is so much more important going on and you all are harping on who is a manlier man, Obama or Bush? Please. "
The issue is why the media felt the neeed to hide the end result of Obama's pitch?
By , at
Thu Jul 16, 01:12:00 AM:
PS:
I could answer my own question with "We need to show support for the President in this time of continuing man made disasters at home and abroad. Supporting our President also shows we support our disasterist comrades in the four services"
Davod
By Viking Kaj, at
Thu Jul 16, 10:18:00 AM:
I'm embarrased that he was wearing the Sox jacket.
And we are still waiting for our part of the stimulus package for the bull pen.
Yeesh.
By , at
Thu Jul 16, 12:56:00 PM:
Well ... give it a little more time and there'll be youtube videos of Bambi bringing heat like Nolan Ryan, and showing us folk how to toss a knuckle curve.
E.g., the equivalent of the airbrushed pecs when the One was in Hawaii.
For the record, I wouldn't call his arm girly. My wife could hit the catcher from home plate, and do a fine job of it at that.
