In advance of the president’s final press conference of the year Friday, press secretary Josh Earnest let the White House press corps know that President Obama would be shaking things up a bit by giving a chance to those reporters who weren’t usually given an opportunity to ask their questions. As it turned out, what that meant was the president would call on only women — an historic event and maybe even the end of Obama’s six-year war on women reporters.
https://twitter.com/metacognitionkc/status/546030570120048641
Very big, apparently.
HUGE: Pres. Obama concludes what might be the first Presidential ever news conference where all the questions come from women.
— Myles Miller (@MylesMill) December 19, 2014
Reporters who asked questions today during Obama's final press conference of 2014. pic.twitter.com/YwHB2RVBzx
— Chris Moody (@moody) December 19, 2014
All of the reporters who asked questions of the President today were women
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) December 19, 2014
Covered White House for 10 yrs, never have seen POTUS call on all women reporters #unprecedented!
— Suzanne Malveaux (@SuzanneMalveaux) December 19, 2014
Confirmed via @VespaDC: First all-women solo press conference by President Obama.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) December 19, 2014
Briefings full of Women > Binders Full of Women
— Brenna WillYAMS (@brennawilliams) December 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/RosieGray/status/546024892450103296
If only all of the male reporters in the room had known.
Questions only from women fine but WH might have advised male correspondents they could split on vacation early. #maledowntime
— Roger Cohen (@NYTimesCohen) December 19, 2014
Intentional? only women called on by Pres. #Obama ? Or a sign of the times- becuase the chosen news orgzs all have women on the beat?
— Ann Compton (@AnnCompton) December 19, 2014
Was the move to address only women’s questions intentional? Absolutely.
Recommended
.@PressSec statement on questioner list: pic.twitter.com/QA44ySvsL3
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) December 19, 2014
I'd celebrate the President calling on only women except that it's clear he did that anticipating softball questions.
— Emily Zanotti’s Great & Unmatched Wisdom (@emzanotti) December 19, 2014
@emzanotti Are you suggesting the President thinks women reporters ask softball questions. That’s racist, er sexist, er bigot? Assumptive?
— Britt Dyer (@brdyer) December 19, 2014
.@brdyer I prefer "purveyor of micro aggressions."
— Emily Zanotti’s Great & Unmatched Wisdom (@emzanotti) December 19, 2014
Sexist or not, the word “softball” was on a lot of people’s minds.
@markknoller @PressSec afraid he might get challenged
— Proud 2 B American (@bguarino58) December 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/Budd0427/status/546031073525002241
@markknoller @LarrySabato @PressSec so in other words, softballs.
— The Wonkery (@TheWonkery) December 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/DavidMGillespie/status/546031503898324993
One reporter who stood out was April D. Ryan, who pressed the president on race relations and “the state of black America” in 2014, which is apparently “better off now than it was when I came into office.”
Call them softball questions if you want, but a few reporters were struck less by the exclusive focus on women than by the questions that weren’t asked. Not a popular topic: international events.
Issues not discussed at the president's final press conference of the year: Iran (!) and CIA torture report
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) December 19, 2014
@Phil_Mattingly "We tortured some folks." Case closed on that one.
— John Gramlich (@johngramlich) December 19, 2014
Amazing that there was zero mention in Obama presser of Iraq, Syria, or Afghanistan, the three places we are at war.
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) December 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/OffTheLows/status/546032441413361664
Think one reference to US leading fight vs ISIL was only mention of the Middle East during whole 51 minute Obama year end press conference
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) December 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/MCurryAustin/status/546031185189552130
Look who crawled out of the woodwork to praise the president’s performance.
Calling on only women at presser, says Jay Carney on CNN, was an "excellent decision."
— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) December 19, 2014
Worked for Pres. Obama for yrs & this is best press conf. I've seen in awhile. Confident, strong, energetic & optimistic about our future.
— Stephanie Cutter (@stefcutter) December 19, 2014
And out of here and on the plane to Hawaii.
Also impressed and not ashamed to say so: Politico’s Dylan Byers.
Probably Obama’s best presser of his second term, no?
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) December 19, 2014
No. RT @DylanByers: Probably Obama’s best presser of his second term, no?
— Hair (@SHannitysHair) December 19, 2014
.@DylanByers Kind of a low bar..
— Candace (@blackandgold43) December 19, 2014
@DylanByers Is this sarcasm?
— SB (@teslat1) December 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/SethAMandel/status/546031131091795968
@SethAMandel Actually, this presser marks the beginning of civilization. @DylanByers
— Jim Antle (@jimantle) December 19, 2014
@DylanByers I cant watch him anymore. I surveyed the twitter headlines
— across the curve.com (@acrossthecurve) December 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/BenK84/status/546032953491730432
Don’t fret, Mark Knoller; one day your kind will get their turn.
Most presidential news conferences, bearded reporters are rarely called on.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) December 19, 2014
Related:
‘I ain’t buying it’: Obama says blacks are ‘better off’ than when he came into office