So, I was playing on Twitter during lunch and saw this one by Major Garrett blip by:

[WH Press Secretary Robert] Gibbs: “A very safe bet” that “dissenting views” to be heard at today’s HC town hall; defends hand-picked audience, pre-screened questions

Nothing to link to, yet, but I was stunned by the blip, which was corroborated by other MSM Tweeters, and even upset Helen Thomas.

So, Obama is having a so-called “town hall” meeting to promote his healthcare initiative, and he not only working before a “hand-picked” audience with “pre-screened questions,” and with newly-added screened, scripted and approved “dissent” with which he will be well-prepared to engage and heroically put down.

Evita Peron couldn’t have done it better. Nor could any current or historical despot I can think of. And yes, this is the Advanced Political Theater 101; Despotic Drama in Democracies.

Hmmmm…I remember when it was a terrible thing for a president to have a “pre-screened” and “hand-picked” audience at a Townhall, and how we read that such audiences were necessary because the president was so “hated,” and his policies so “deeply unpopular.” What are we to make of a “most beloved” president not only screening his audience but scripting the “dissent” he’s willing to address, as well?

No wonder the MSM seems to be running a new Michael Jackson headline every three minutes or so. All the better to pass quickly by stories that need real questions, like how cap n trade actually passed the house, and where is the “fine print” on it? Why do you root for despots and enemies while dissing our allies? If we lose half-a-million private-sector jobs in June, does that mean maybe rethink your stimulus? Should we think about lowering taxes, as Germany and Hungary are doing, in order to really stimulate the job-markets? Is capitalism as dead as this marxist says? Does Bush get any props for the success of the surge you and all your party denigrated or not? Does the WH really need to save us from our Nyquil, and um…what the hardest-working man in show business thinks about reports of dissenters being hanged in Iran?

I guess those dissenters did not get their scripts.

The press clearly has theirs.

UPDATE:
First memorable quote from this Town Hall – he wants to be judged: “not by promises I’ve made but by the promises that my administration keeps.” You’re right. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t have to.

And, “If the health care system were working well, I would be happy to leave it alone.” He says he has “plenty of other things”" to work on. Yeah, now he’s using your mother’s guilt-tactic. “I don’t have to be doing your laundry, you know, I have plenty of other things I could be doing. I’m only futzing with healthcare and working desperately to convince you that you need what does not work in Canada and England because you need this so badly. I don’t have to be here, you know. I could be doing a lot of other things. But I’ve condescended to be your president and gosh-darn it you will take this medicine if I have to be on tv 24/7, and Nancy Pelosi has to shove it down your throat with her angry little fist!” As usual, he doesn’t really want to do this. Just like he doesn’t really want to run the banks, run GM and ummm…support Iranians yearning to be free. Oh wait…that one might be real.

Further on in his “town hall” Obama tells his audience to reject those who say that Obama is proposing “a government takeover of health care.” Yes, the government is taking over health care, but you must reject that truth in favor of gooey language about “choice” and ummm…well, but the government is not taking over health care. You just tell everyone that, mmkay?

Bookworm: More on Political Theater: I have it on very good authority (an employee at US embassy in a major NATO country) that this year, in order to celebrate America’s (not Obama’s, but America’s) Independence day, all embassies have been ordered to install a big screen TV in a prominent location in order to play an endlessly looped Hillary Clinton speech for the duration of the festivities.

My employee contact notes that, at his particular embassy, people are appalled by this requirement. They see it as “tacky.” I see it as profoundly un-American. Indeed, I can think of only two precedents for this kind of thing. One is found in George Orwell’s 1984. In that book, as you may recall, all party members have in their living quarters TVs that may never go off and that sprout endless party propaganda (not to mention have cameras that watch everyone perpetually).

Read on…

More at Radio Patriot

From Mary Katharine Ham, via twitter How Obama campaign talked about McCain’s health care plan before it started pondering the same one, but with no offsetting tax credits:

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Sister Toldja
Michelle Malkin