Politico asks reporters if the president knows their names

The case for lying to Politico, for laughs

Published April 4, 2014 7:55PM (EDT)

Politico's Mike Allen      (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
Politico's Mike Allen (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

If you are a member of the White House Correspondents Association, how do you possibly resist the urge to brazenly make up nonsense answers to this silly Politico survey of White House correspondents? (Answer: If you are a White House correspondent you are probably a self-serious bore making it easy to resist the urge to lie to Politico for laughs.) Erik Wemple, the Washington Post's official troller-of-Politico, has the entire survey, which Politico Magazine sent to the WHCA's more than 200 members. Questions include:

10. On average, how often would you say you get called on to ask a question at a press briefing?
a. Always b. Sometimes c. Never

16. Do you think President Obama knows you by name?

17. Do you think Jay Carney knows you by name?

23. Have you ever been lied to by an official of this White House? Sworn at?

And, my favorite:

34. If you could bring any source to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner who would it be?

That's "source," not "celebrity," so, yes, they are asking which person who works at the institution these reporters are supposed to cover they would most like to socialize with (or at least ply with liquor and bad food and comedy).

As I said, everyone should lie to this survey. Say that the most helpful White House person in your work is Malia and insist that the next president will be Mike Gravel. If you tell the truth you are doing work for Politico for free, and as a probably overpaid White House correspondent that should be unthinkable.


By Alex Pareene

Alex Pareene writes about politics for Salon and is the author of "The Rude Guide to Mitt." Email him at apareene@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @pareene

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