A President of All the People

In the grand scheme of things, and particularly in a critical election year, the issue of presidential audiences is probably not of the greatest importance. Except that where and to whom a president speaks tells us a lot about how he views his relationship to the people he is oath-bound to serve. Before we see the last of the incumbent president, I hope someone takes the trouble to review all the public speeches the president, and for that matter the vice-president, and for that matter the entire cabinet, have given and the nature of the audiences to whom they spoke. The point is simple: this administration's officials from the top down do not speak to general audiences representing a cross-section of the American people.

This Bush administration has systematically, and cynically, chosen to speak only to audiences whose acceptance and acceptability are guaranteed. Without any research whatsoever, and based only on observation of the staged backdrops to presidential and other speeches, I am willing to wager that George W. Bush and virtually his entire cabinet have never, during this entire administration, spoken in a forum whose doors were open to all.

Think back. Can you remember a presidential speech where the audience was not hand-picked? My guess is this paranoid manipulation and hand-selection of favorable audiences dates to the second Nixon administration, where the president became so unpopular he could not appear before ordinary Americans. This, of course, was also the period that gave rise to the Cheney-Rumsfeld, Addington-Yoo, blue state-red state carving up of America into us versus them and the anti-Constitutional "unitary executive" imperial consolidation of power.

If you are out to set up an imperial presidency and an imperial foreign policy, you are probably well advised to speak only to audiences of carefully selected robotic ditto-heads, those who surrendered objectivity, critical judgment, and reflective thought a long time ago and who will chant "stay the course" and "support the president" every time stage manager Rove flashes the cue. But if you still believe, as I do, that we live under a Constitutional government where are leaders are elected to serve all the people under a system of checks and balances and are to be held accountable in every regard to the people they serve, then we should demand leaders with the courage to face all their constituents on all occasions and address all relevant issues of the day.

By the way, I also don't recall even one press story in the past seven years calling into question this undemocratic practice of imperial audience staging.

Comments

[ultomatt]

I think it might be fair to point out that a lot of people who were exercising their Constitutional right to free speech, have been illegally arrested when they've managed to infiltrate this cabal's "public" events. Many of these were done on public streets where protesters were arrested for airing their grievances legally. The recently released documents on how this gang (of paranoid control freaks) keeps those who don't agree with The Dictator out of his sight, speaks volumes about how much they truly hate America. If you disagree with them, you are pushed away to a point where your rights no longer exist. If you do not agree, you do not exist. What the Dictator doesn't see, only enables his unitary world view, and satisfies his dearest desire to ignore the rights and needs of the people he is supposed to be answerable to.

John Bolton put it in a nutshell when he was on The Daily Show...he claimed he swore an oath to The Dictator, and that The Dictator was only answerable to those who voted for him. It's hard to imagine the mindset, that produces such blind cynicism...unless you consider that the only policy that this gang of thugs ever had was to turn a "profit" for their base, aka the military-congressional-industrial complex. Everything they've done has been in service of their masters, and thus it is not surprising that they have such withering contempt for the American people, and the Constitution. The gang doesn't acknowledge the Constitutional base known as We The People, any more than they acknowledge the Constitution itself as something more than just a soundbite generator.

The Dictator has no clothes, but no one is allowed to tell him so. And often those who do get within shouting distance, or viewing distance, face incarceration for exercising their previously inalienable right to a redress of grievance through freedom of speech and assemblage. And the beat goes on...

[McSpikeV]

Mr. Hart
As with all the followers of this administration, what this also proves is that they are first rate cowards. Listen to any yellowbellied neocon radio and try to participate
...and you are screened out! Try to have a talk with one of these dittoheads and you are SCREAMED down. Unbelievable gutless every last one them.

[Mark701]

Afraid to face the wrath of Americans, he lives in a reality-proof bubble of his own making. He can't face an impartial audience lest the bubble be pricked revealing the true nature of the king i.e. a vacuous, morally degenerate, spritually bankrupt fool.

[Giordano Bruno]

I very much regret that you were never our chief exec, Mr. Hart. I think you are among the brighter politicians I can remember. We live in a puritan country and therefore...

In any case, your analysis of the Bush presidency is spot on. I am hopeful that John Edwards will be the one to lead us out of the morass in which we find ourselves. This is not the America I grew up in. I think his message is most worthy of an old liberal's support, and I certainly deserve that designation, and am still proud of it. Giordy

[NorCalNative]

Mr. Hart, when your game is Propaganda, hand-picked audiences are usually the best. Not so hidden in your observation about his speaking habits is the fact his administration has been and currently is seeking to expand executive power.

The beauty and genius of our system of government is that the founders "expected" human nature to play an important role in government. That's why they went to such great lengths to create checks and balances.

The biggest and loudest alarm bells should be ringing when a President and his party begin to feel constrained by those powers given in the Constitution. How would you rate the 110th Congress for their ability to act in their role as a check to executive power?

[Terry]

Very True. Reminds of the imperial audiences with the Chinese Emperor. First, the subject must verify he knows the proper kowtow rituals with a total of nine taps of the nose to the ground. I think the Bush method will continue until the ritual grows from the symbolic kowtows today to the Chinese 9 tap method. That may be silly enough for people to finally wake up and see the Emperor wears no clothes.

[ThoughtCriminal1967]

Very insightful, Mr. Hart, and I am truly disappointed we never had a chance to vote for your 2nd term as our Chief Executive. I am also disappointed in myself and all Americans that we have sat back and tolerated the "wag the dog" political maneuvering of the last 7 years (it's been going on a lot longer than that, but lately it has become ridiculously obvious).

We must learn that whatever our politivcal leanings, religious creeds, or financial situation, we are all in this enterprise together. It hurts us all when our leaders cheat and lie to accomplish their ends. It endangers us all when those leaders manipulate us with fear-mongering and war mongering into giving up the rights that define what it means to be an American.

Thanks again Mr. Hart. Some of us are listening.

[mcostello]

So true Mr. Hart but;

It is my contention that this president has circumvented our constitution and our democracy, and to pay attention to the groups he has chosen to speak to is to miss the real point.
I would like to see people like Mr. Hart, from both sides of our political spectrum, with gravitas and dignitas, be noisy and rude to demand the constitutional consequence of impeachment.
Nothing else much matters.
Sincerely,

[randron]

Since when does an Emper ... er, ... Kin ... er, ... Dicta ... er, ... President need to subject his majesty to the caterwalling cries of the rabble? Surely you can see the wisdom in appearing only before those who love you, can you not? Otherwise, the voice of the 60% of the population who strongly disagree with you might be heard. "Ignorance is bliss" and George W. is the happiest camper in the land!

[MCinNYC]

Every audience hand picked. It's sad but true. And no MSM reporting on it, not even when it was happening during the 2004 campaign. So look for future presidents to do the same, no matter what party they belong to. It works.

[DickTater]

Mr Hart

Thank you. The point about the press coverage is spot on...but really folks, let's stop hoping the networks cover themselves or admit mistakes.

They are in the business of controlling what we see, and their bias and foul-ups are not HIGH on their list of things to show us.

It is even worse than Mr Hart indicates here. This administration has been like a lynchmob-crowd leader...pointing to who is a friend and who is to be strung up. Paranoid of enemies everywhere, they came into office saying unbelievers and liberals and trial-lawyers(not corporate lawyers) and bankrupt citizens(not corporations) are ENEMIES and the cause of most of our woes.

They went on to name hollywood(mostly run by huge corps but they want to make it Lefty), actors, authors, protesters, gays, teachers, unions, and anyone who did not agree with their hazy and hidden agenda. If at all possible, they will hang a terrrrrst tag on the whole gang.

They have EMNIFIED or ENEMYIZED and demonized 3/4 of america. All so their 1/4 white powerbase could feel secure that all the OTHERS in america were being 'taken care of'. As in "take care of the gay problem which is ruining america. yeah, all the problems we face are the gay cultures fault. if only they would be gone and made illegal, america will auto-veer right back on-track"

So not only has LeChimp and TheCheney spoken only to a very select and undemocratic audience...they have actively unleashed all the power they have trying to destroy all "others".
President of all the People indeed.

[BoulderSue]

Something else I've noticed, even when the President has a backdrop of military members: they never look very happy. You'd think having the Commander in Chief in your midst would evoke at least some liveliness in their appearance. They always look like they can't wait for the speech to be over...

[NovatoBon]

This has been offensive to me from the git-go.
It's all a packaged PR event, rather than a conversation with the citizenry....ALL of them.
It's symptomatic of the quality of the media today that it hasn't been pointed out.
Do we need a 'free speech zone' to state the obvious. I'm still surprized he can find enough supporters to fill a room. Thanks for another great post Mr. Hart. It's clear the other team plays by different rules, as you personally found out. Time for all of us to wake up and get involved, and fight for this country's ideals, before it's too late. The election can't get here soon enough.

[doublebind]

I will never understand how turd blossom's monkey gets away with all the SHIT he gets away with...oh yes I will, monkey grinders voted for him (you get what you deserve) and the press is owned by oligarchs that both Clinton and Bush allowed to become oligarchs resulting in pinheaded reporters who simply will not do their jobs.
Good work America!

[BoulderSue]

Not only would I like to see the President and VP speak before truly open audiences, I would love to see how either of them stood up to "question time" a la the British Parliament. That would really be worth watching! Oh, Mr Hart, where art thou (or someone like unto you) when we need you?