What exactly would Gibbs be fired for? Accurately presenting the President's views?

[newtothegame]

:shrug:

That's the Press Secretary's job. Sorry, but Grayson, Krugman and everyone else is way off on this. It's not the Press Secretary's fault the President has an unpopular view of the left.

[geek tragedy]

1. He could be fired for incompetence. What he did was the

equivalent of blurting out a tirade at a bar.

Not every petty resentment should be given a public voice.

[newtothegame]

5. A little honesty out of the White House is welcome in my opinion, even if it is unpopular.

And if it's that unpopular, maybe we're the stupid ones for electing him in the first place.

[Winterblues]

20. maybe we're the stupid ones for electing him in the first place.

Duhhh..

[Lucky 13]

2. Exactly. Our problem isn't with Gibbs. He's just the messenger.

[area51]

19. +1 (n/t)

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Not only should Gibbs be bypassed for firing, our criticism should be appropriately

directed at the source, the Administration. He is just a spokesperson.

[Demeter]

4. Do the Words "Miserable Failure" Ring a Bell?

By any standard--even loyalty--Gibbs is just that.

A man or woman loyal to Obama would tell him where to get off, what was a really bad idea, what reality is.

AND Obama chose to surround himself with the worst people. So there are no heroes there.

[newtothegame]

6. Is there a reason why President Obama is excused as having been "surrounded by bad people?"

No other modern President would get to use that as an excuse. And if he really needed to be surrounded by that many people to get anything done, he was probably too inexperienced to do this job.

[Demeter]

7. No, That's NO Excuse

That's an accusation.

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. Being surrounded by people goes with the job.

It's not so much inexperience as management style.

In some cases those surrounding the president are both the cause and result of such problems. The president surrounds himself with people he trusts, and then, because he trusts them, doesn't realize how much they cloister him from other voices. If you have a president who habitually sits down and reads a paper or two every morning he is far likelier to get diverse opinions than one who depends upon staff briefings every morning. Truman read three newspapers a day, every day. When people were talking shit about his administration, he was more than aware of why it was happening.

So, Obama surrounds himself with DLCers who filter everything that comes through them. Is he also getting the other information? That is what would decide his level of culpability. What, if anything, does he not know that he does not know?

[Orsino]

8. Yes--for too much accuracy. n/t

[the other one]

9. The press secretary should never be the story

His credibility going forward is impaired.

[the other one]

10. The press secretary should never be the story

His credibility going forward is impaired.

[Sea Witch]

11. I agree- I don't think he should be fired

He was doing his job and saying what the WH wanted him to say. I might think those things are shitty and I certainly won't help in future campaigns for them, but I don't think the man should lose his job. He isn't the one making the decisions. Obama is a smart guy, he orchestrates every move made with the help of Rahm.

The answer isn't to shoot the messenger, but rather to choose who we support more carefully next time.

[sui generis]

12. it's an easy choice. Fire the voice or fire the vote.

it really is that simple. If Obama wants us to vote for him instead of the "other guy" (party agnostic), then he damn well better support the issues we believe define us as a party.

Why do we democrats not fundamentally understand this concept?

[lumberjack_jeff]

13. I agree.

The problem is denial on our part.

[RainDog]

14. Don't forget to blame the Obamacrats when Democrats lose

because they will have done it to themselves.

That's the plain and simple truth. They took a fired-up electorate and poured cold water on them. Then told them they're fucking retards. Then told them they find them annoying.

The Republicans never do this to their base.

So who are the fucking retards here?

[OHdem10]

15. Grayson said the comments about Liberals is not a firing offense.

However Gibbs has not done a good job of selling and
explaining the Democratic programs(legislation)of
the President and Congress.

I agree the President and Congress never made a case
explaining in detail (so an eighth grader could comprehend).

IMHO, the Communications have failed.

Here is the WH problem in a nutshell. They may be working
most efficiently getting things done. The Image outside
the Beltway is a bunch of technocrats running around with
a "TO DO" list giving very little if any explanation to the
American People as to how what when where these things are
good for them.

This makes our president look cold (drop cool) and aloof
and disengaged from the average American. Stop using cool.
This is misleading.

I would not take the time or energy to even discuss this
if I did not want him to succeed. He has too many Conservadems
around him. Conservadems are not the best at communicating
with the American People. This is how they are different
from Republican Conservatives who can keep the American People
on fire.

When we Democrats are in trouble, for Gosh sakes, stop
digging the hole deeper. Take stock and make changes.
Show the American People you are working for them and not
Wall Street.

[Nye Bevan]

16. Yes he should. Most political gaffes are when someone accidentally tells the truth.

While I am sure that Obama has been irritated by some of the criticism of him from the left, I am sure that Gibbs overstated this. But even if what Gibbs said was absolutely true, that is not a good defense. Imagine if Gibbs knew that Obama was against private gun ownership and thought the 2nd amendment should be repealed. Even if this was true it would be a political disaster if Gibbs was to announce it to the world.

[Laelth]

17. He serves at the President's whim. The President doesn't need a reason to fire him.

And the President should fire him if he actually wants to keep control of the House and the Senate. If he doesn't want to keep control of Congress, then, well ...

-Laelth

[derby378]

21. If the House and Senate turn red in November, Gibbs will be fired

Let me amend that. He'll be scrounging for change at the Samuel Hahnemann monument so he can buy bus fare.