White House missing basic media management skills

It has been announced that President Obama's much anticipated Autumn offensive will begin in earnest next week but already there are problems. The White House wanted the speech, to a joint session of Congress, to be scheduled next Wednesday but this clashed with a key Republican 2012 debate. It has since been agreed to hold the speech a day later.

Apart from the row over scheduling the debate, and Obama's perceived climb-down to reschedule, which have further undermined the President's authority, there is more.

Moving the speech a day later avoids the clash with a key date in the race for the Republican nomination but results in the speech being scheduled slap bang opposite the first game in the American Football season. A game up to 30 million Americans are expected to watch. It is hard to imagine a worse time to schedule a speech of such importance.    

These are basic media management skills which seem lacking from the White House. America hopes Obama has a plan to create jobs but, whatever his message, vast numbers of the country will not be listening.