Boston Herald editorial-page editor Rachelle Cohen is miffed about President Obama’s low-key town-hall meeting on Tuesday in New Hampshire:

OK, so the president came to New Hampshire, talked about health care reform – or “health insurance reform” as he now calls it – and nothing happened – no riots, no angry words, no raised voices.
Billed as a “town hall meeting,” the snoozathon in Portsmouth consisted of a 25 minute presidential speech – Barack Obama at his folksy, chatty best, putting down some of the scary myths that have grown up around the health care debate and beating up on the health insurance industry. (Because every good story has to have a villain and Obama now has his.)
That was followed by nine puffball questions from an audience made up largely of swooning fans. Even Obama seemed a little embarrassed at the absence of anything resembling a critical or skeptical question.
“I don’t want people thinking I’ve just got a bunch of plants here,” he said. (We think he meant people put there as window dressing as opposed to potted palms, which would also fit.) He looked in vain for something – anything – resembling a tough question.
But really now, who comes to a forum in the middle of an August day?
Well, folks like the Portsmouth High School English and journalism teacher who threw this softball:
“If every American who needed it has access to good mental health care what do you think the impact would be on our society.”
In the name of all that is sacred in this economically troubled profession of mine, please, please don’t let this woman train the next generation of potential journalists!