How Obama manipulates the press

Reporters and Independents are hot on the &quot;Obama-gets-his-groove-back-narrative,&quot; say writers at Politico.

(Image credit: CC BY: The White House)

last updated 8 January 2015

Since November, Barack Obama has transformed himself from "one sad sack of a president" to "the master of the moment," say John F. Harris and Jim VandeHei at Politico. His poll numbers are on the upswing, pundits are applauding, and even once-dismissive Republicans concede that he is "Washington's dominant figure." How has Obama accomplished this impressive feat? By "playing the press like a fiddle." Here's an excerpt:

Reporters are suckers for comparisons — often glib or even bogus comparisons — between current and past presidents. Obama and aides did not much like this habit when he was being regularly compared to Jimmy Carter.