# Obama press conference on Friday the 16th at 2:15pm EST **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 16, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831 "2016-12-16T02:07:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/1 "2016-12-16T02:07:50Z")
I am not sure what it is going to be about, but according to David Yankovich it has to do with Russian interference in our election combined with Trump’s refusal to admit that the Russians were involved (Trump siding with Russia over US intel agencies, etc). Supposedly Obama will discuss how this is the highest priority, not an orderly transition. But we will see, that is speculation. He may just be saying ‘merry christmas’ or ‘happy holidays’ or something. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/2 "2016-12-16T05:53:54Z")
Full quotes from David’s Twitter for context: > [@](#): > > David Yankovich ‏@DavidYankovich 6m6 minutes ago > I suggest watching White House press conferences this week, & Trump’s Twitter response. Smooth transition isn’t happening. > > David Yankovich ‏@DavidYankovich 2h2 hours ago > It seems that this entire week has been leading up to this. CIA leaks, WH getting more vocal, Trump not acknowledging Russian interference. > > David Yankovich > ‏@DavidYankovich > From what I am hearing, @POTUS has determined that orderly transition cannot be accomplished and is no longer priority due to Trump/Russia. I don’t know who that guy is–is he in a position to know? If so, this sounds like it could be huge ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/3 "2016-12-16T06:05:38Z")
If this is true, there may be fireworks ahead. Trump has tried to play nice with Obama after the election but this could bring the petulant brat in him out in full force. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/4 "2016-12-16T06:15:34Z")
“Orderly transition cannot be accomplished”? 😕 WTF does that mean? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/5 "2016-12-16T06:34:21Z")
> > [@](#): > > David Yankovich – ‏@DavidYankovich > > Obama press conference tomorrow will be the biggest event in American history… If he does what it’s looking like. I’d watch. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/6 "2016-12-16T06:39:34Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > … > I don’t know who that guy is–is he in a position to know? If so, this sounds like it could be huge [http://m.huffpost.com/us/author/dyankovich1-777](http://m.huffpost.com/us/author/dyankovich1-777) > [@](#): > > David Yankovich is a former intelligence analyst, and political operative working with both Democrats, and Republicans. You can follow his website as well at [DavidYankovich.com](http://DavidYankovich.com) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/7 "2016-12-16T06:41:36Z")
Tried to find some info on DY, couldn’t come up with much. Here’s the best I could find: > **[HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News](https://www.huffpost.com/?err_code=404&err_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fauthor%2Fdyankovich1-777)** > > Read the latest headlines, news stories, and opinion from Politics, Entertainment, Life, Perspectives, and more. So maybe he’s onto something. But given the dearth of information to suggest he is someone we really need to pay attention to, I’m not going to stay up until past 2am to find out, which is what I’d have to do in my time zone. Guess I’ll find out when I get up tomorrow morning. Unless other sources start chiming as well, in to say “something’s up.” ETA: GAH! Ninja’ed! ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/8 "2016-12-16T06:53:07Z")
Maybe Obama’s going to declare martial law and appoint himself president-for-life, like all the conspiracy theorists predicted. Oh please please please please please. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/9 "2016-12-16T07:27:29Z")
[Here’s a (prolly) relevant article on the AP right now: > [@](#): > > The Obama administration suggested Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the hacking of Democratic officials’ email accounts in the run-up to the presidential election and said it was “fact” that such actions helped Donald Trump’s campaign. The White House also assailed Trump himself, saying he must have known of Russia’s interference. > [@](#): > > “Only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, repeating the words from an October U.S. intelligence assessment. > > Obama’s deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, connected the dots further, saying it was Putin who was responsible for the Russian government’s actions. > > “I don’t think things happen in the Russian government of this consequence without Vladimir Putin knowing about it,” Rhodes said on MSNBC. > [@](#): > > There has been no specific, persuasive evidence shared publicly about the extent of Putin’s role or knowledge of the hackings. That lack of proof undercuts Democrats’ strategy to portray Putin’s involvement as irrefutable evidence of a directed Russian government plot to undermine America’s democratic system. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_RUSSIA\_HACKING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-12-16-01-14-00](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RUSSIA_HACKING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-12-16-01-14-00))So maybe that’s what the news conference is about? Interesting times, eh. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/10 "2016-12-16T07:28:31Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Interesting times, eh. Just like the Chinese curse.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/11 "2016-12-16T07:34:43Z")
What exactly is this guy hinting will happen? Failure to certify the election? Does the current POTUS have any power to, say, call for a new vote, if he has definitive proof of Russian interference and Trump’s collusion in same? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/12 "2016-12-16T07:43:38Z")
I’m not even sure we have even an inkling of a plan to deal with finding out that the election was tampered with in the manner intimated. I mean, what if they had video of Donald Trump shaking Vladimir Putin’s hand in the Trump Tower lobby saying “Thanks for fixing the election for me. I’ll have your back like a loyal dog once I’m in and we’ll plunder the shit outta the world!”? What would anyone do? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/13 "2016-12-16T07:46:00Z")
Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Trump, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/14 "2016-12-16T08:23:56Z")
The Russians are probably warming up the popcorn right about now. Obama has been the one grown up in the room. If he says half of what it’s been claimed…not good signs ahead. Well, I’ll warm up my own popcorn I guess. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/15 "2016-12-16T09:34:13Z")
ISTM that whatever Yankovich’s credentials might be, he sounds like a guy prone to hyperbole. Certainly comments like “orderly transition cannot be accomplished” reek of the kind of attention-grabbing hysteria that tends to afflict much of the media at times. Everything Obama has ever said and done, everything he stands for, has been for the positive good of the country, including his cordial meeting with Trump and his encouraging comments after. So the above scare phrase is NOT what Obama is going to say, no matter what else he says. But as already mentioned upthread, this is likely to be about the [Russian election meddling](http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/obama-trump-putin-hacking-allegations-1.3898600), which as I mentioned elsewhere, [has become a major concern in Europe, too](http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-cyber-warfare-election-hack-1.3896613). This may indeed blow up to become quite a big deal. Trump’s denial of it while dissing the CIA is a major misstep but doesn’t seem to be a fatal one. My prediction is that Trump’s inexperience and impulsiveness will lead him to much greater missteps that will be his undoing. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/16 "2016-12-16T10:14:59Z")
While Obama undoubtedly will comment on the hacks, it is also the final press conference of his administration. It gives him a chance to say farewell. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/17 "2016-12-16T14:19:11Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > ISTM that whatever Yankovich’s credentials might be, he sounds like a guy prone to hyperbole. Certainly comments like “orderly transition cannot be accomplished” reek of the kind of attention-grabbing hysteria that tends to afflict much of the media at times. Especially when he tweeted that link to “You won’t believe these 15 weird tricks for overturning an election!” ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/18 "2016-12-16T15:02:56Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I am not sure what it is going to be about, but according to David Yankovich it has to do with Russian interference in our election combined with Trump’s refusal to admit that the Russians were involved (Trump siding with Russia over US intel agencies, etc). Supposedly Obama will discuss how this is the highest priority, not an orderly transition. > > But we will see, that is speculation. He may just be saying ‘merry christmas’ or ‘happy holidays’ or something. Here’s C-Span’s description of the event: “President Obama responds to reporters’ questions on a variety of topics ahead of his annual trip to Hawaii for the holidays.” IOW, nothing to see here. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/19 "2016-12-16T15:08:18Z")
Hacking? Get over it - Americans have been caught hacking foreign leaders before (e.g. Angela Merkel). Fake news? Americans themselves have been doing it for decades if not centuries. (“At least we’ll make him deny it!”) Actual manipulation of votes? That’s a real problem. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831/20 "2016-12-16T15:10:50Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Here’s C-Span’s description of the event: > > “President Obama responds to reporters’ questions on a variety of topics ahead of his annual trip to Hawaii for the holidays.” > > IOW, nothing to see here. :rolleyes: How would C-SPAN know what Obama is or isn’t going to talk about today? Spoiler: They don’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-press-conference-on-friday-the-16th-at-2-15pm-est/774831.md?page=2)