Lamest Propaganda EVAR

Yesterday Obama had a group of a hundred and fifty or so doctors listen in rapt attention to him in the Rose Garden as he blathered forth about “health care reform.” OK, so these weren’t a “broad cross-section” of American doctors, but instead a leftist special interest group (“Doctors for America,” formerly known as “Doctors for Obama” until spring ’09). Rather than “grass roots,”this would be that “astroturf” Nacy Pelosi mentions. Sort of Medi-Turf, I suppose. But ok, fine, Obama preached to the choir. Perfectly normal sort of political theater for a politician. But where this turned into theater of the absurd was that the majority of the doctors in the photo-op were wearing white lab coats.

I’ve been to many doctors over the years, as most people have. And for the most part, doctors *haven’t* worn lab coats when I’ve gone to see them… just regular clothes. Conversely, I myself commonly wore a lab coat back when I was an actual rocket engineer (sigh…) and working with propellants and such… but I *didn’t* wear my lab coat when away from work. So it seemed odd that this group of 150 doctors all decided to show up looking like they weren’t real doctors, but they play one on TV.

But as it turns out, the docs didn’t all just spontaneously decide to wear their lab coats. The White House told them to. And more, for those who forgot, the White House had a stash on hand, and handed them out to the docs who dared to fail to wear the days selected uniform.

From the NY Post:

The physicians, all invited guests, were told to bring their white lab coats to make sure that TV cameras captured the image.

But some docs apparently forgot, failing to meet the White House dress code by showing up in business suits or dresses.

So the White House rustled up white coats for them and handed them to the suited physicians who had taken seats in the sun-splashed lawn area.

Now, is this some sign of evil intent? No. What it is, however, is yet another example of PR bungling on the part of a WHite House that seems more interested in form than function… but can’t figure out how to get the form to function.