Online Public Relations Thoughts

Barack Obama's Presidential Center is not a library and doesn't store papers from his administration.  It's different.  It is a community center along with a discussion of American democracy, what is right and what needs to be addressed.  It is interesting that President Trump wasn't invited to the opening ceremonies but all living former presidents were and they were there.  Obama believes in an active democracy:  "Do something."  "Yes, we can."  It is the opposite of accumulation of power that Trump represents and is a hopeful view of America.  It is a needed reminder.

Iran says the memorandum of understanding with the US requires Israel to cease operations against Lebanon.  Israel disagrees and is making no effort to withdraw troops from Lebanon. This puts the president in a diplomatic bind.  He has apparently stormed on the phone with Netanyahu to no avail and he is moving ahead with the MOU as if everything is settled.  Is this a PR disaster in the making? 

 Is this the end of the Iran war?

Belief in the American system of governance is eroding.  Chalk it up to a divided country.  What is needed is a leader dedicated to unity and diversity.

President Trump gave a "Meet the Press" interview and lied again and again fact checkers found.  

Tacky, lowbrow, inappropriate, a measure of the President's taste.

The House passed a symbolic resolution telling President Trump to stop the Iran war.  It doesn't mean anything and he won't pause it, but the intent is to restore war powers to Congress where it belongs. That's good. 

One could argue that the firing of Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes and the loss of four journalists from the show is the death of the highly rated program.  Maybe so, maybe not.  There is at present no indication of what the new and inexperienced team at CBS and 60 Minutes will do.  Viewers will have to wait to find out.  But, if it does fail, news consumers will lose a mainstay of the news division and the vaunted history of American journalism will record yet another loss.