The Secret Socialites
Mar 12, 2009 03:24 PM EST
The Washington Times
reports on the Obamas' courtship of elites, from inside the Beltway and elsewhere.
Of course, the strategy is modeled on the Reagans' incredibly effective wooing of Beltway elites. But the Reagans -- Mrs. Reagan especially -- had to take a lot of hits in the press for hanging around with assorted high-fliers.
In contrast, the press dutifully reported on
Michelle Obama's repeated assertions about how important it is to make The White House "more accessible" to regular people (a "working man's White House," as it were) -- an image quite in contrast to the Obamas' courtship of glossy luxury magazines and the like.
For my part, I couldn't care less whom the Obamas care to pursue socially. But the Washington Times piece is another indicator of how much the press is willing to assist the Obamas, to some degree, in presenting a false portrait of who they are and what they are doing.
Kind of like this.
Carol Platt Liebau
Carol Platt Liebau is an attorney, political commentator and guest radio talk show host based near New York. Learn more about her new book, "Prude: How the Sex-Obsessed Culture Hurts Young Women (and America, Too!)"
here.