No media access to former U.S. president George W. Bush today on Day 2 of the McAfee Focus 2012 conference in Las Vegas. Why?
Is President George W. Bush going to announce America is going to war again? Oh wait I forgot he’s not the President anymore. What could he possible say that is so sensitive today that it could not be heard and reported on by the media and the analyst community?
This is a missed opportunity to get some high level insight on security or enemy nation states. I would have been interested in knowing the President’s take on what currentSecretary of State Leon Panetta assertions on a cyber Pearl Harbor and what that would mean.
But instead the press and analysts got invited to hear a keynote fromMcAfee CTO Mike Fey, who we heard on Day 1 of the conference. With all due respect, Fey was filling in for Todd Gebhart, McAfee’s co-CEO, who was sick with pneumonia and was prevented from travelling. I think Fey ended up being the big star coming out of this conference.
Right after Fey was done, the press and analysts were politely asked to leave the main stage area just before President Bush came on. Then the ballroom was locked down so no one could come in or leave.
What did we miss? Probably nothing as I anticipateMcAfee CEO Mike DeCesare asked his 10 pre-approved questions and got some pat answers from the President. Now President Bush is no fan of the political press. I know that. But is he seriously afraid of the high tech press and analyst community too?
I think he short changed the IT industry and it’s something that former Presidents and other state officials simply do not do. I have sat through addresses and Q&A sessions from President Jimmy Carter, PresidentBill Clinton and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Colin Powell. All those men were fascinating people and brought a lot of insight about technology and the world.
