Apparently there is some "controversy" about President Obama going on "The View" on Thursday (it will be taped tomorrow). DEMOCRATS are saying it demeans the office. What exactly is demeaning about talking straight to the American people? That's how we won in 2008. President Obama has always done better talking directly to the American people. Every time he does, his poll numbers go up, and we all get excited again.
When he takes the time to explain what he did and why he did it, it tends to calm down whatever storm is brewing or raging.
Also, whether "legitimate" journalists like it or not, he's more likely to get actual RELEVANT questions (as long as Elisabeth is limited to one) on "The View" than he is in other places.
Don't know what I'm talking about? This:
Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell advised President Barack Obama against appearing later this week on "The View," encouraging the president to only do "serious shows."
"I think the president should be accessible, should answer questions that aren't pre-screened, but I think there should be a little bit of dignity to the presidency," Rendell said during an appearance on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe."
[snip]
Rendell said the talk show did not have the required stature to host the president, comparing "The View" to "The Jerry Springer Show," which frequently devolves into onstage brawls.
"I wouldn't put him on Jerry Springer either," Rendell said. "It is different a little bit. But I think the president of the United States has to go on serious shows."
That's a nice theory, but then you ASSUME there are "serious" shows out there, and I've yet to see one. Well, maybe Rachel, other than that perhaps "The Daily Show" or "The Colbert Report."
In fact, ALL Democrats should follow his lead. You want to win? You have to TALK to the American people. We all know the Press can't be trusted to tell the truth 7 out of 10 times (and I'm being generous there). For Democrats to be going around on TV saying that going on "The View" is beneath the office of the Presidency is just plain irresponsible. So being President means you can't talk to the American people? It's not like he's going to be a guest judge on "America's Got Talent."
Maybe if the Dems as a whole did a better job of selling their policies, President Obama wouldn't need to do shows like "The View."
The way to win is through communication, it's through talking to the American people and explaining yourself. It's not to stay inside of a bubble and keep doing stuff that may or may not be good and expecting the American people to have blind faith in you.
Granted, "The View" may not have the biggest viewership in the world, but I bet more people are going to see him on "The View" than would if he were to do something "serious" like "Hardball" or "The Situation Room" or any of those other "news" shows on cable channels.
So in short, even though I can't stand Elisabeth, and more often than not Sherri is a total airhead, I'm glad President Obama is going on "The View" to give us "his" view on some issues. I doubt he'll get to answer every question we want to know the answer to, and I know for a fact not everyone will be satisfied with his answers, but to me him going on "The View" is the continuation of the fulfilling of a campaign promise to always tell us what he's thinking even when we may (or will) not agree with him.
To those Democrats who are saying he's being un-Presidential in going on the view, STFU and go sit down somewhere.
Ugh, and then Rendell went in on that teleprompter fallacy:
But Rendell, who will leave the governor's office at the end of the year, conceded The View will provide Obama with a good opportunity to go off the teleprompter – something Rendell says the president should do more often.
"If I was advising President Obama, I'd say do as much ad hoc as you can do," he said. "He doesn't have to scripted, he doesn't have to be telepromptered."
Just SMH.
Update [2010-7-27 19:46:31 by Muzikal203]: Two good points, first LMAO@ him lamenting the President not doing a "serious show" on Morning Joe as someone put it in the comments "oh the irony!!"
second on a more serious note:
I imagine Rendell thinks it's not a serious show because it's targeted toward women. And you know, we're just not that serious, are we? We don't want to bother our pretty little heads with politics. Better that he talk to someone like David Gregory, who is blessed with the gravity of the Y chromosome.
They only call it Class War when we fight back.
by lineatus on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 07:15:09 PM EDT
Good point, I wonder if Rendell had the same comments when Pres. Obama did The Tonight Show last year.