This week, President Obama went on The View, a daytime chat show co-hosted by five women including Whoopi Goldberg and Barbera Walters.
It was great TV.
As he sat on the couch with three women on one side and two on the other, he was completely at ease.
He aced a pop culture quiz, correctly answering questions about Kim Kardashian, Modern Family, Dancing With The Stars and the Avengers but failing to “name the controversial sex book on women’s bedside tables”. “I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Michelle” he said with a chuckle.
They tackled serious topics too but Obama’s guard was never up, even when challenged over his support of Gay Marriage.
He talked about how his wife teases him about his big ears and nose. “She is relentless” he said, noting how important her teasing is when “you have a bunch of people around you in the White House laughing at your jokes”. He referred to himself as “a dumb husband screwing up” when they showed some footage of him walking off Airforce 1 without Michelle and having to go back inside, having left her on the plane.
As I watched, I tried to imagine Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott in the same situation during an election year. Or ever. And I couldn’t. But why not? They are both capable of laughing and being self-deprecating and telling amusing anecdotes about their lives. But put them in front of the media and they both become stiff, awkward and painfully stilted. Where is the warmth? The spontenaity? At what point do you just have to say “stuff it, this is who I am?” Now. Because if either of them want to reverse their high disapproval ratings, they need to try something new.
There seems to be a collective paralysis when it comes to politicians having a laugh and being themselves. The unrelenting pressure to be on message at all times has turned the political landscape into an arid dessert devoid of personality or humanity. It’s a sea of robot soundbites and tightly scripted mission statements. No wonder nobody is listening.
Obama talks Pop Culture.
Obama talks Gay Marriage.
Comments
35 Comments so far
http://popthirdworld.tumblr.com/post/23285305038/two-obamas
while you think Obama is ‘cool’, don’t forget he has been ordering drone attacks on civillians. war criminal.
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I don’t think Julia Gillard can relax in this same way. She is a woman in politics and gets treated like shit by the media, they always make fun of her hair, her partner and her jackets; what do they have to do with running a country?!! Why should she go on a program and give the media more fuel for the fire?
I wish she could, I wish she could go out into the media and be herself like Obama has here (in an obvious PR stunt), but the reality is that media has constructed a character and the Julia Gillard, Prime Minister character is full of ridicule and laughter; ‘shut up, go back to the kitchen and stop wearing those jackets and playing dress up’.
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Abbott cops that rubbish just as much, i can’t see any difference myself.
I’ve read no media article dissing either of them for their looks, partners or dress sense, I have read it in comments by the general public however, but not the media.
I’m willing to retract that if you can provide links to where the actual media has done this, re a newspaper or magazine article.
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They are simply reacting to what she puts out. She is uninspiring. Her speeches are dull, too scripted, she has no warmth or passion when she speaks. I wonder if she truly believes in anything.
Comments about her outfits, hair, partner shouldn’t matter, but would die off if she had the ability to actually connect with voters and show her personality.
And this is not a female thing, as people make it out to be. Natasha Stott Despoya was fawned over, people love Quentin Brice for her poise and charm, Anna Bligh had periods of very positive press. It isn’t sexism – hair comments aside – she just fails to connect.
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If only our current Labour/ Liberal party leaders could be in the same league as Obama! He makes the state of politics here in Australia look pathetic.
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And yet they say his chances of being re-elected are very minimal at this point, so I wouldn’t be so sure our politics are much different, let alone pathetic.
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There are 4 politicians (one a former politician actually) who always strike me as quite normal and down to earth – One is Malcolm Turnbull, another Joe Hockey, KRudd and Natasha Stott-Despoja. You put Julia Gillard or Tony in front of camera (expecially Julia) and it’s like running nails down a chalk board. If it were a popularity competition, Malcolm or Joe should be the leader of the LNP and KRudd should be leader of the Labor Party. Malcolm is what they like to call within LNP circles “Liberal with a little L”… he is too left wing on a lot of social issues for the majority of the party’s liking. As a LNP voter, it is people like him that give me hope that the party is capable of a little less conservatism on social issues.
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Nat I could not agree with you more. I’m a labor voter, but I’ll always listen to what Joe or Malcom have to say. Like Natasha and K Rudd they are all genuine individuals who can have a laugh and can relax!
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Just slightly off topic, does anyone else out there get mega pissed off when you’re watching Q & A and as some politco emotes….someone tweets, “this pollie for PM” ?
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Actually, I wish there was a way to opt out of the twitter feed on a lot of programs.
Most of it is inane. On QA it’s ” for PM” and on The Voice “OMG I just love voice” or “who knew was so cool!!”
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Obama is great and very charismatic and extremely popular with the celeb circuit and soooo wish we had a leader like him
He inherited a GFC and has attempted a healthcare reform but has been hamstrung by a republic congress
His biggest issue is going to be getting the people who would vote for him to actually vote – only about 60% of americans voted in the 2008 election and this was a fairly high turnout due to the unpopularity of Bush and the popularity of Obama – note there is no compulsory voting in the USA!!!!!
This year the fear is that by declaring his support for gay marriage (which is a no brainer … or should be) he is actually motivating those against this issue to turn up and vote for the presumptive Republican Mitt Romney
But if you really want to see how god damn cool obama is check these out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6uHR90Sq6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7x4ZS7ZZWc
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I personally think compulsory voting is a good thing although I’m generally not keen on government telling people what to do. But one of my pet hates is comments like “there’s no compulsory voting in [insert country]” as the implication is that there is in most places. In fact there are three countries that count (more or less) as democracies where voting is compulsory: us, Belgium and Venezuela. Everywhere else in the free world whether or not you vote is no business of the government’s.
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He may be charming but that does not mean he has been a good President. The US has gone to hell in a hand basket since he took office. The comment about being popular being the criteria for a great leader is ignorant. The best leaders sometimes have tk make decisions that aren’t popular with the masses. A likeable guy yes. A good President absolutely not. Too many Austrlaians are simply ignorant of the bigger issues in the US economy which will explain why it’s very likely Obama will be a one term man in the Oval office.
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So darn true. There have been numerous Prime Ministers and Presidents who have been popular because basically they are good and decent people. However, good and decent doesn’t necessarily equal adept at running a nation and leading a government.
I always shudder everytime the “celebrity” leader with their perfect haircut and whiter than white grin gets elected. You know exactly where the Charisma Kid is headed, and when they arrive you do all that you can to not point and yell out, “I told you so”.
I often think that charisma and competence don’t go hand in hand. But it’s the charismatic who have more followers on Twitter. The competent don’t need to tweet.
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Does this mean that you think Romney will make a better President than Obama? Personally, I find Obama to be a better candidate (based on what I know about both of their tax plans, though I don’t claim to be an expert). If you don’t mind my asking, who would you say has been the greatest American President in recent history?
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That is a very simplistic assessment. Things getting worse while under his Presidency doesn’t make it his fault. He has the legacy of 8 years of Bush to deal with. It was Bush who is to blame for the current economic woes. Obama inherited the legacy of Bush pandering to big business which allowed the sub prime crisis to happen. Obama has been trying to clean up the mess. And he didn’t start the war on terror either, and has been doing his best to resolve it, including a ten year war in Afghanistan not of his making.
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Obama is my man crush, Penny Wong is my girl crush.
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I’m so with you! I have a poster of Obama in my bedroom (my son says goodnight to him every night), perhaps I should get a Penny Wong one to match!
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How do we get someone like this to run our country instead of someone from the muppets!
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I am laughing at your comment but I think I should be crying because you are spot on!
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Fellow Brisbane dwellers! I’m convinced that the security guard in the Tiffany’s store is Obama’s twin. Saw him last week and couldn’t imagine how much they resembled and even sounded like each other! Divine!
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I know exactly who you mean, I did a massive double-take, but I concluded he was spitting image of denzel washington, particularly in Man On Fire!!
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Ooooh he’s good.
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i mean come on, he is just the coolest damn president the world has ever seen.
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Love Obama…they are so lucky to have him as their leader. He really has accomplished so much that he receives little or no credit for.
..as I’ve said before..MARK MY WORDS…he WILL be President AGAIN!!!
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They clearly love him, except Elizabeth….verrry quiet..well she is a republican after all, if you know your View ladies
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I reckon she’s torn. Obviously, politically, she’s not into him but personally? I reckon she’s a little into him.
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Seems like America will be done with him soon. Can we have him as our leader then?!
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This guy is the biggest fake I have ever seen. Very K Ruddish. Be popular , go on all the TV shows , be politically correct in what you say , everything for the media grab. In reality he is presiding over an ordinary government who should be kicked out at the next election for its inaction.
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If Americans were willing to vote the dumbest president alive, aka George bush, in for a second term then there is no reason why they shouldn’t be giving Obama who is a million times better a second chance
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Why shouldn’t a President, or a Prime Minister for that matter, be popular? I thought that was the point. I would rather have a popular Prime Minister that represents the view of the majority of our population than having to choose the lesser of two evils.
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I actually watched it , and gosh, this man is so charming! Such a fair and decent man. I applaud you, Obama!
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It has been my experience to find the more charming the individual, the more phoney they are away from the bright lights and adoration.
But when the phoney side reveals itself you will hear about how natural it makes that individual.
Go figure.
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He is probably the most ‘real’ world leader I’ve ever seen.
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I was Swooning…. Hot Mr President!!!!!!
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