Didn’t we hear about how horrific and undemocatic and disengaged this kind of thing was for the last eight years?

All traveling campaigns have a bubble-like quality, but Obama seems unusually insulated. One moment of absurdity came Tuesday, when reporters on the press bus were asked to dial into a conference call in which Obama announced a congressman’s endorsement—even though the candidate was nearby and just as easily could have delivered the news in person to the bus captives. Obama answered a few questions, but reporters are generally placed on mute after they speak so there can be no follow-up. (Clinton held a news conference the same morning.)

That afternoon, as the candidate was working his way through a raucous crowd at Linder University in Greenwood, New York Times reporter Jeff Zeleny shouted a question about whether Obama was allowing Bill Clinton to get inside his head.
“Don’t try a cheap stunt like that. You’re better than that,” Obama told him with a smile. He finally suggested that “the other side must be rattled if they’re continually saying false things about us,” before walking away. What creates such awkwardness are long days when reporters have only seconds to bellow a question.

When Obama decided to do a round of interviews on the next day’s morning shows, not only did the campaign fail to notify the traveling correspondents the evening before, but a press aide insisted when asked about the rumor that he knew of no such plans.

It’s going to be fun watching Our Progressive Betters (OPBs, from here on out) try to decide whether it’s easier to spin themselves into a tighter wad of panties about press-room manipulation, or unwind into a fluttering of cheap Changehope-brand of the same old Chi-town party-machine politics. My guess is tighter, since they’re poli-geeks of the highest order, and wholly invested in Obamessiah.

And no, if you’re wondering, I couldn’t care less about snubbed reporters. They built this dude, the Tan Man, up into a saviour, and millions have bought it. They all get what they get, no more & no less.