Blog's Focus

The focus of my blog will be about President Barack Obama and the negative media attention he receives.   After taking a class focused on the image the media plays on our perspective of the First Family, I became interested in how the media displays our current President.  Paying close attention to the news, most of the stories about the Obama's were actually negative rather than positive.  Reading other's opinions became an interest of mine that I still continue to do.  Therefore, as the semester progresses, this blog will be updated with current negative publicity regarding Obama’s presidency. 

According to The Image-Is-Everything Presidency by Richard W. Waterman, the author introduces the concept of the expectation gap thesis.  This concept states, “the idea that there is a gap between what the public expects of its presidents and what presidents actually can accomplish” (4).  With this idea in mind, it is easy to see how Obama, who is constantly under the close watch of the public eye, is subject to negative media attention. 

However, with what seems to be more common than anything, Obama and his family have been under attack by the media.  Some say they are using his presidency for all the wrong reasons.  Whether it’s going on vacation to Spain and taking 40 of their closest friends, missing out on the 100^th anniversary celebration of the Boy Scouts to appear on The View, or jetting off on his private jet instead of taking care of national issues; Obama and his family have surly made many American’s question their motives.  According to Waterman, the “public sets very high standards for our president’s behavior, both in public and in private” (6).  To some, Obama's actions have been been far from anyone’s expectation of a president.  While the country is undergoing a major recession, many wondering whether his lavish spending and traveling expenses will further damage the economy.  I can only wonder, is he really thinking about the average American?




Next week, we will discuss Obama's ethics by looking at an article posted by Times Record News.