CLOWN SHOW: Politico, WH Journos Boast How Covering Biden Is a ‘Boring’ ‘Sedative’

PoliticoMax Tani is a White House journalist He and his fellow colleagues were debased Friday morningA 2,900-word report on President Biden’s coverage and how it has become embarrassing for the press corps contains a shocking degree “a bore”And “journalistic sedative”This “lack[s] flair” seeing as how they’re no longer fighting to save America from Donald Trump.

The level of arrogance displayed in the piece was nearly too high. It also serves as a reminder that liberal media’s purpose is to support and benefit Democrats and not all Americans.

Tani lamenting Tani’s eye roll started right from the start. “the crown jewel of American political journalism” White House Beat has “become a bore” under Biden as the plethora of “book deals” and launching of “high-profile television careers”The Trump Era has ended.

Tani insisted that “the storylines” over the last two years have been “important, and substantive,” but then fretted they’re “lack[ing]Flavor or Be[en] hard to get viewer attention” with the supposed answer being more hyperbolic Trump coverage (which he called “Donald Trump and the future of democracy”).

And in other words:Every show should look like the wine-mommy story time with Nicolle Wallace.

Tani gave away another copy of the game to keep it going. “well-known television news executive” as having said they couldn’t “think of any[one]” who’s become a star under Biden.

Before reaching in for another Biden kiss by saying it’s “mission accomplished” He was proud to have made “Washington news boring again,” Tani tried to cover his tail by claiming there’s still “not…a lack of reportorial talent in the room…nor”A deficit of “important” “work being done.”

Tani then gave anonymity for a White House reporter to spout off about how actually holding Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s feet to the fire “makes you look like an asshole” With “the work” Reporters at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue “a lot less rewarding, because you’re no longer saving democracy from Sean Spicer and his Men’s Warehouse suit.”

Following a humorous aside about the paltry sales of a syrupy Jill Biden biography by two AP reporters, Tani unintentionally put on display what was always true, but something elites couldn’t understand in that destroying Trump became an idol (click “expand”):

For the vast majority of Americans, and even plenty of people in Washington, it’s all been a relief — the minute-by-minute churn of presidential politics is no longer so omnipresent and existential in their lives.

“It’s not such a bad thing that there’s a new sense of sobriety in the White House briefing room,” said Eric Schultz, a former deputy press secretary under Obama. “The histrionics probably got out of control. It is serious business… It’s probably good for democracy for this to be less personality based and more about the work.”

But for the White House scribes, the ones shaking out their tuxedos and cocktail dresses to gather for the White House Correspondents’ dinner on Saturday, it’s been an adjustment at best and deflating at worst.

“It’s a boring and difficult job. It’s tough to be a White House correspondent if you want to break news, they’re so airtight,” another reporter who covered both the Trump and Biden White Houses from the briefing room. “There’s no Maggie [Haberman]. Who’s the Maggie of the Biden administration? It doesn’t exist.”

Tani said that some reporters, including Jake Tapper and Savannah Guthrie from the Obama Years, had ascensioned to Tani. “anchor chairs” With “[t]he Trump presidency” Having “turned the reporter-to-celebrity conveyer belt up to an even higher speed” because Trump “worshiped his near-daily combat.” The missing piece was the fact that IKEA’s reporters purchased fainting sofas at IKEA to turn up their heat.

Tani brought up three prime examples from the Trump years (Jim Acosta, Yamiche Alcindor, and Kaitlan Collins), but failed (as he’s done throughout the piece) to point out how such egotism is/was bad and not the point of being a reporter.

He also provided a key tell about how the press view Biden and so dutifully comply with his team’s demands (click “expand”):

CNN’s Jim Acosta — who seemed to overtly relish his role as a Trump sparring partner — got his credentials revoked by the president’s press office and needed security guards when he reported live from Trump rallies. This helped him at CNN where it was leveraged into the weekend host position that he now holds. Trump’s briefing room was frequented by Yamiche Acindor, who asked him questions and received multiple TV contracts from PBS. Similarly, one network source said then CNN president Jeff Zucker was impressed by Kaitlan Collins’ performance after seeing her on television during several briefings. After having been a Daily Caller reporter, she had moved to CNN. She was at the time in complete digital media anonymity. She quickly rose to prominence on the network, and became Tapper’s go-to fill in host.

Biden has, however, been a journalistic sedative. The 79-year-old president is not immune to political controversy or making news, having made several recent proclamations about his goals for the Russia-invasion of Ukraine that went far beyond his administration’s stated policy.

But attention isn’t his brand, the way it is with Trump, and his staff exerts far more control over his time and his media interactions, alongside their efforts to eliminate traces of palace intrigue from political coverage. The president does few interviews and his communications team has an informal policy of not engaging in gossip stories (whether they always stick to it is another question) and chide reporters who they don’t think focus enough on policy. Jen Psaki, the press secretary, rarely expresses emotions from the podium. She speaks slowly to avoid lengthy conversations with reporters.

Skipping ahead past admissions that networks are spending less on White House coverage and an amusing observation that Team Biden’s profited from the last two years (and not reporters), Tani closed with a contrast in reporters between Fox’s Peter Doocy and NBC’s Mike Memoli.

Spoiler Alert: He resentfully criticized the former but he liked the latter.

Tani described Doocy as someone who’s brought “semi-regular drama…to the briefing room” and armed with questions that aren’t real but instead “Fox News fodder.”

Some of his illustrations include “fodder”These are distractions of the right? Energy, crime, illegal immigration, Hunter Biden.

Doocy, after being mocked and recognized on late-night television, decided to take the high road. He called it “Doocy.” “surreal”It is great to see his name in the programs he grew used to watch.

Again, to the shock of no one familiar with Doocy, he emphasized he has professional relationships with White House officials, doesn’t plan “to cash in on” His attention has increased and he even enjoys it. “had a private conversation”After she leaves, Psaki will meet you. IndictedHe is “sound[ing] like a stupid son of a bitch” because he worked at Fox News (click “expand”):

But if Doocy is the closest thing the Biden White House has to a high-profile antagonist, even his back-and-forths with the administration don’t come close to the animosity on display between Trump and the assembled press corps, or the attention it generated. Doocy stated to Politico that he is good friends with Biden’s communications office and talks to them multiple times daily. Doocy insists that he doesn’t relish having to have beef with the press secretary.

Earlier this month, Psaki was asked by former Obama communications official and current Pod Save America host Dan Pfeiffer whether Doocy really was a “stupid son of a b—-, or just plays one on TV?”

Psaki replied by saying that Doocy “works for a network that provides people with         questions that, nothing personal to any individual, including Peter Doocy, but might make anyone sound like a stupid son of a b—-.”

Fox News executives and personalities were furious at her remarks, which sparked anger. But they didn’t seem to bother the Fox News correspondent himself. Doocy stated that he spoke privately with Psaki after the event and that they did not seem to be mean-spirited.

“I think that’s a classic example of how stuff can be taken a little out of context,” he said.

While Doocy may be the most high-profile of all the reporters currently covering the White House, he also concedes he’s in no hurry to cash in on it. Politico was told by Doocy that he hopes to see the Biden White House through. Noting that he was present on the very first day of campaign and will be there until the end, he said. Doocy was asked if he would be interested in hosting a show and following the lead of White House correspondents.

“Someday,” he said. “But right now I’m having too much fun doing this.”

Memoli, however, was placed beside Obama’s favorites “such as Jeffrey Goldberg, David Remnick, Steve Kroft and Steve Inskeep,”Who “succed[ed]” They were “reflections of the” man “they cover[ed].”

Tani has Memoli as hers “the dean of the Biden beat” Who “reflect[s] [Biden’s] values” And gushed that he’s “an affable” and “decided unflashy.”

Tani added that Biden’s presidency “has been a gift for Memoli as well, who often breaks news about the administration…by playing the long game” with Memoli himself boasting that, in Tani’s summation, Team Biden is “different and more low key than the previous administration.”

Memoli explained to us why the Administration has considered him a “go-to” reporter.

Maybe part of it is just that they see me as somebody who comes with that level of context, and has seen them through the ups and downs of a race and has an appreciation for the arc of his presidency, his candidacy and his career in a way that they’re still challenging other reporters to understand as well.

Mike, let me translate it for you: It’s because you’re a obsequious lickspittle.

About Post Author

Follow Us