Obama's Fireside Chats: Regular Television Addresses

Slate reports that President Obama is considering a series of short televised addresses to respond to economic issues -- taking a cue from Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats. Unlike Obama's weekly YouTube videos, these appearances will be saved for crucial moments.

As Warren Buffett put it so pointedly last week, how a president communicates his policies can be as important as the policies themselves. Since winning the presidency, Obama has been trying to accurately describe the dire economic conditions, and his solutions for them, without sounding too grim or too optimistic. [...]

Obama's aides know that if they are to go forward with these short presidential addresses, they have to be doled out carefully. The president asked the networks for airtime on the weekend of Presidents Day in mid-February so that he could address the country after signing the stimulus bill but ultimately decided against the plan. Aides said he wanted to save the opportunity for a more crucial moment. Describing the network addresses, an administration aide compared them to the president's town hall meetings, which Obama has asked his staff to schedule infrequently so that they still seem special enough to get coverage and add extra punch to the message.

Politico says to expect another prime-time Obama press conference soon as well.

At a Democratic National Committee thank you event for donors and supporters Monday night, Vice President Joe Biden compared Obama's task to FDR's -- and found Obama's more challenging.

"This president has inherited the most difficult first 100 days of any president I would argue including Franklin Roosevelt -- let me explain what I mean by that. It was clear the problem Roosevelt inherited. This is a more complicated economic [problem]," Biden said. "We've never ever been here before -- here or in the world. Never ever been here before."

Comments

[dennisl59]

DOUBLETHINK PERSONIFIED:
The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them....To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.

[mortrefuge]

I'd like to see a weekly call in show where President Obama can answer questions from the people. Perhaps he can have people from his administration or other experts to share information. One of the biggest issues is that no one understands what is going on. He needs to be able to explain what he is trying to do and why.

[hippie chucker]

Clearly the Axelrod strategy is to keep Obama in the limelight, and to make it appear that the administration is doing something, anything.
The idea that his administration is "tackling" health care, cap and trade, all the while in the midst of "the greatest crisis since the Great Depression" is a joke, frankly. Geithner still doesn't even have a full staff....in the middle of a crisis....and Obama is simultaneously downtalking the economic situation while he gives the appearance of beginning to tackle even other enormous problems that have no reckoning on our financial situation.
It's mistaking action for progress.
It's not "change", it's the appearance of change...that's what the man is about. How can you moralize about the dangers of deficits, and then turn around and commit the country to literally double Bush's deficits in your first 50 days?

Carter tried fireside chats, with disastrous results. The country grew to loath him, as he became even less focused on our problems.

[6465billy]

This may be a dumb question, but does anyone really know the answer. Can we as a nation recal la President? Anyone with half a brain can tell this man and his adminstration are not qualified to hold office. Less than a hundred days in office and he has messed things up so bad that if we wait any longer to get a new leader we will be like the third world African countries.

[anonimost]

why don't you go live in a third world country and then you will finally grasp how good you have it? but it appears you are a whiny do nothing so there is no hope for you.........

[OrganOfThought]

Ha ha ha !!!

What will these people say in Jan 2011, when the economy has turned around and the Dems have over 60 Senators and Obama's popularity polls are still over 60%.

Let them be sore losers. ha ha ha ha ha

[Abraxas79]

Good Lord, will I be ever able to watch TV again without seeing this guy's mug on it ? Seriously, it reached the saturation point long ago. The novelty is long gone.

[dillydawg]

Too much to handle for your tiny brain? You think he wants to do this? He is trying to get our nation out of the mess it is in and allow us to be able to obtain from our nation what we deserve. There is aways a reality show on to watch, if your not interested. Zone out, the powers you serve are depending on it.

[Mugzi]

It must be a shock to go from nothing in 8 years to a President who keeps citizens aware of what's going on. I wouldn't mind if our President made daily reports on TV...

[hippie chucker]

It would be great to if the questions doled out to reporters beforehand by Gibbs were done away with too. These "chats" are about messaging, down to even the preselected reporters that get called on, with preselected questions that Obama has already worked up pat answers to.

[clutchkill]

So you care more about your mindless TV shows that state of this contry as handed to us by 8 years of Bu$h rule? say's alot about who you are and your mental capacity. sad for you.

[OrganOfThought]

i'm sure he prefers to watch the hills

[anonimost]

ha ha ha. way to stay in touch abraxass

[FRobert]

Welcome to the United States of America. The man you see on television is the President. He is our elected leader and Americans want to know what he has to say. Thanks for visiting!

[Crissy Patters]

I would love it if the president had sporadic chats with the nation, to explain his economic plans and how they affect us personally. It would also be nice to hear examples of how the stimulus that's been released has helped people, homes, credit and job etc. I also believe with all the chaos going on in the country and on the news, we need to see and hear the president who presents a calming presents explain that things are rough but will get better.

I would also like to see some Barack and Michelle moments.

[momof3inGA]

Looking forward to it.

[MaryanneAZ]

It is vital to our confidence that President Obama continue to regularly address the Nation. His strength lies in his ability to articulate the issues and convey a sense of calm and control. [Just imagine the furor if old Johnny McC had won the election -- we would have a return to the Depression era for sure.] We are so fortunate to have President Obama at the helm. It will take years for the rest of the Nation to see what President Obama's supporters already see: We have a winner in the White House!!!

[Abraxas79]

His telempromter will be in full action. You do realize that is the source his soaring rhetoric don't you ?

[dillydawg]

It's the same teleprompte he used during the debates remember? Modify your talking points to give yourself some simbalance of intelligence.

[Mugzi]

Who cares??? I saw him in action during the town hall meetings before the stimulus was signed. Make fun if you will, but you can't make that up!!!

[rsprags]

I love rhetoric, don't you love it. You listen to everday on Fox so I thought you loved it. We don't care what you say; we love President Barack and First Lady Mitchelle Obama.

[DGarr]

Good. Every time he speaks to America it is a WIN WIN for all of us.

[susierr]

Oh all of us Obama Supporters! Please remember to continue to volunteer in your neighborhoods. It is vital.

[susierr]

Good. I LOVE to hear Obama speak.

[BarackstarObama]

I'm very hopeful that President Obama will give fireside chats in the near future. :-)

[rsprags]

It coming real soon! Got to love it!

[BLKCPA]

All Obama has is charm. He sure does not have any compassion, commitment, or competence. He makes me long for the prior administration. For all the smart people he brought in wasn't one of them smart enough to read a list of pending commitments AIG had. And this is not one he claim he inherited from Bush. So far he's a rotten President and its only going to get worse.

[MaryanneAZ]

We're asking the Treasury to exercise powers that only the Bankruptcy courts have -- end or modify existing contracts. These are very complex and unwieldy corporations that were originally chosen to be bailed out under Bush43. I believe that the issue should have been dealt with in the original bailout offer under Bush43. Also, it is a little extreme to expect that nothing is going to be missed in these massive financial bailouts. P.S. President Obama is NOT the Treasury Secretary -- your ire is misplaced!

[nicole44]

I especially loved it when he "got choked up with anger" last night. It was all he could do not to bust out laughing. I have no sympathy for that man with all that he has on his plate. He's the one who paid the money to have this job and then over-loaded himself with trying to be the s@vior of the country when he has NO experience in any of these matters.

[LeftofCentaur 08]

Since you talk about "experience" then why don't you run for president since you like to complain so much, I'm sure you have all the answers. Obama is not looking for your sympathy this is about fixing this economic mess that he inherited. In the end this about America, you should be more grateful that he is at least trying to help, even if you don't agree with everything he is doing.Grow up!

[Mugzi]

Obviously, most of us here do not agree with you.!!

[rsprags]

Apparently you read as well as you write; AIG received 85 billion from the Fed Chair Beneke appointed by Bush then received another 50+ billion in TARP from Paulson and for all the MSM liars Geitner has not written them a check for the addt 30 billion because Beneke drop the bonus bomb on him on last tuesday, 10th. Bush, Paulson and company did not want company's compensations to be altered. FYI, Beneke and Paulson plus staff admit to not discussing bonuses of this magnitude with the current treasury related to AIG.

[sassy11]

Obama has to deal with a lot. I hope Amerians give him a chance. This website provides an in depth analysis of his performance. Very informative
http://www.thebarackobamawatch.com/

[DrPneumann]

Mr. Obama,

I hope you will take this opportunity to explain why the White House has decided to side-step the CIA torture investigation:

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Leaked_Red_Cross_report_renews_call_0317.html

[amistad]

Obama inherited a stone cold mess and has been in office for almost 3 months, not 3 years. Get a grip.
Or better yet, run for President, win, and find out the answer to your question yourself.

[suec03]

President Obama has been in office less than two months (January 20 to March 17). Yes, we need to pressure them to prosecute the Bush Administration officials over torture, but lets take a minute to be precise that President Obama has been in office for eight weeks (56 days), not the nearly twelve weeks (84 days) that you suggest.