* NPR was snide and sniveling beforehand, somewhat irritated that Obama started so late. They noted Dubya was typically 30-90 seconds early. What was better was when they discussed the role the press had played earlier (though they didn't admit that the media continued the practice) and had favored Obama over Clinton, the subject on Saturday Night Live. (“Are there any questions?” “Yes, would you like a glass of water?” “Can you please tell us what makes you so great?”)

* The conference went fairly well. Journalists typically asked multiple questions rather than correctly asking single questions only. (The most dreaded word at the end of a question that we have come to expect from typical journalists nowadays is the word “and.”)

* What is “a international” anything? Shame, shame.

* “Uh, uh” — don't do this!!! If you don't have anything to say or don't know, say _nothing_. He was grasping at times. Also, he shouldn't do what many journalists do, lick lips and smack audibly. (I fear the Herd will, if anything, wrongly emphasize such behavior if Obama makes it more popular.) The hardened consonants and extended sibilants are annoying. Odd manner of emphasizing words and syllables at ends of sentences can be jarring but is a trademark of his. (It definitely gets the listener's attention, keeping his or her attention level up.)

* On television, we saw a stupid, conceited gimmick. (His socially-clueless people must be at work again.) What was that sign “Office of the President-Elect” with the mini-seal-like symbol? There is no such “office”! That was just plain idiocy (and arrogance).

* He failed to answer at least one question, about taxes on some people, but instead substituted a string of campaign sound bites.

* Goals he says he wishes to address make reasonable sense, though too much was said about Detroit (which is _not_ “the [US] auto industry, and are only behind the oil companies in low respect in nearly all the USA other than in the industrial Rust Belt) and is just a dinosaur mainly-Blue-State issue; Granholm was behind Obama's right on the stage) and not enough about the rest of the economy (though we don't want to see moral hazard with homeowners, either).

* The team he has assembled to look at the current economic problems is good, obviously.

* It was heavier on sound bites than it should have been, less substance, but on the other hand, nobody really can expect much given it is only later in the same week of the general elections that have made Obama our future next President.

Overall, not bad for the first press conference. Not much can be expected the same week he has been elected. Too early for Cabinet choices to be announced. It'll be interesting to see how Obama manages the press (and controls access) from now on.

The speaking should improve the more at least he is with the press.

Get rid of the pretentious, stupid “Office of the President-Elect” imagery, though.