Is the company's new app-generation scheme schmaltzy or savvy?
Obama-Kanye-Jackass-Twittergate Enters Day 3 (Videos)
The Obama-Kanye-Jackass-Twittergate is not going away as fast as some might’ve hoped. As this made-for-meta-media story enters its third day, I thought it might be helpful to put together a quick recap for those of you who aren’t refreshing your Tweet-streams every five seconds:
On Sunday … well, we all know what Kanye West did.
On Monday, during a pre-interview chat with CNBC’s John Harwood before taping, President Obama called West a “jackass.” Terry Moran, a former White House correspondent at ABC News – which shares fiber optic cable with CNBC – and a few other colleagues heard the remark, and, of course, Tweeted about it:
"Pres. Obama just called Kanye West a 'jackass' for his outburst at VMAs when Taylor Swift won. Now THAT'S presidential."
Harwood later said he did not have an explicit agreement with the president to keep the remark off-the-record. But, as the Associated Press pointed out, so-called “open mic” chatter caught on tape before an interview starts in earnest is generally considered not for broadcast.
Within the hour, ABC News had the Tweet – and others – deleted. The network then apologized to the White House and CNBC.
On Tuesday, the remark, the Tweet and the reaction to this crazy journalistic ethics breach were debated heavily. TMZ obtained an audio clip of the president’s “Jackass” crack – replete with unidentified cackling – and posted it on its website.
Then on Wednesday, video of the CNBC interview surfaced, first posted by Politico.com and then, like Moran’s now-infamous Tweet, was promptly taken down by the site.
"We just felt upon reflection that it was more respectful to a fellow news-gathering operation to take it down," Politico managing editor Bill Nichols wrote. "We had no complaints from ABC, CNBC, the White House or anyone else."
But later on Wednesday, CNN – of all things – decided to broadcast the Politico-sourced clip:
So there you go. Note that it was Harwood who was, in fact, the unidentified cackler.
Personally, I preferred the Obama/Kanye YouTube mashup from Sunday:
Comments
Yvonne Says
@rasheeba:
Of COURSE the president of the U.S., a democratic nation founded on the right to FREE SPEECH, among other things, has the right to call a Jackass a Jackass, as do we all. It's one of the things that makes our country great. If we didn't have that right, you couldn't post your own opinions on this wall, so be glad. I don't even know what you meant by "he dosent (sic) have a fit to be president". WTF?
@mike:
speaking of "playing that game" please quit acting as if the President calling whatshisface a Jackass is the most (gasp!) horrible thing ANYONE could EVER do. Get over it, the President is a human and I think our country has enough REAL issues to deal with.
Bernard Says
Calling West a jackass was spot on. In fact IMHO it is far too kind a description for West who displayed extraordinary bad manners and a complete lack of respect for others.
Come on everyone, it was an off the cuff remark and most people agree with it. Cut Obama some slack and get on with discussing some meaningful issues.
Flynn Says
personally, I don't care either way. From what I can tell, people are too wrapped up in these bs MTV awards anway.
Why is this news? Who cares who the president thinks is a jackass? Who cares about West? Guess what? 33 people died in Pakistan today, I think that's a bit more newsworthy than who called who a poop-head. Get over it.
Dave Says
I am so appalled to see people saying it was not presidential. Other than in official meetings and Interview, the president has the right to express his opinion because he's like any of us. Stop thinking of presidency as what royalty was in the middle age for God sake. It was a chatting between buddies, there was nothing about not presidential but rather about not journalistic at all. The person who put an off the record comment on Twitter is the one to blame. The president has the right to chit chat about everything, He was not making it on record... so give him some slack guys... Cause if that's not presidential to speak your mind off the record, that would mean the president of the supposedly most democratic country has no right to the 1st amendment..
dave Says
I didn't vote for the guy. He's done nothing that I agree with, but he should NOT apologize. Give the guy a break. Kanye is a jackass. No one, no one at all can be 100% all of the time. This is actually his best moment of his Presidency.
DBL Says
Kanye West was clearly a jackass at the awards, no one appears to disagree with this. Apparently, it's become unseemly for the president to ever plainly tell the truth in America. Good luck with THAT democracy.
K Nathan Says
Obama-style shirt with Kanye's face, subtitled "Jackass".
http://www.pantsnotfound.com/products/kanye-jackass
Simply awesome. :)
Andrew D Says
presidential? Read quotes by Roosevelt, Kennedy, Ike...he is a human being, this country is so divided and broken because people cry "foul" when a high profiled figure proves not to be perfect. Pres. Obama did nothing wrong, whomever released the remark, which was off the record, should be fired...cnn, fox, etc... are only doing their job, however. Americans, the majority of them, would prefer to hear about this as opposed to Darfur, mexican cartel's, etc... God Bless the world
Mike J Says
He's the president,not CHRIST. He is a human entitled to the same right to opinion(s) that you are currently expressing on this comment board. Also, it was said in confidence and it was TRUE IMO.
rasheba edwards Says
as for my opinion i feel that obama didnt have the right to call kanye west a jackass and also i feel that he dosent have a fit to be president
Mike Says
Not presidential at all...
And actions of past presidents that were not presidential doesn't make this right, either.
So people shouldn't even think of playing that game.