Obama on "The View"

[Alpiner]

Okay, I did not see the complete show. I have viewed some clips on The Daily Beast site, but I would like to know what people here think. This is the first time a sitting president has done a daytime show like The View. Should he have done it? Is it good for a president to get away from the Washington Press Corps and was The View the proper venue to do such a thing?

My own opinion is pretty borderline. I think it is always important for the President to be available and open to the press and the people he represents,  I simply do not know if The View was really the proper venue for this. It just does not feel right. I did think it was okay for him to appear on The Tonight Show. But late night is different than daytime.

Anyway, tough call. I guess Obama needs all the good press he can get right now.

[Mike]

Beats going on Limbaugh.

[ReaderMama]

If the View were hosted by a panel of men, my bet is no one would have a problem with it.  What difference does the time of day make?   

[Phil Ellis]

With Tivo, not much

[FiscalCon]

What, he couldn't handle the tough questioning on Larry King?

[lvogel]

Okay, I did not see the complete show. I have viewed some clips on The Daily Beast site, but I would like to know what people here think. This is the first time a sitting president has done a daytime show like The View. Should he have done it? Is it good for a president to get away from the Washington Press Corps and was The View the proper venue to do such a thing?

My own opinion is pretty borderline. I think it is always important for the President to be available and open to the press and the people he represents,  I simply do not know if The View was really the proper venue for this. It just does not feel right. I did think it was okay for him to appear on The Tonight Show. But late night is different than daytime.

Anyway, tough call. I guess Obama needs all the good press he can get right now.

Interesting Alpiner.  Wonder why you felt it was okay for him to appear on late night tv, but not day time.  I feel that if the President is able to do it, he should.  This is probably the most human president we've had.  Many feel that those that elected him into office think he walks on water, or is some sort of god.  I think the opposite; he's approachable and doesn't lock himself up in the house.  I've also found his candidness refreshing.  Heck, he almost welcomed the questin from Elizabeth about his comment of saving jobs.

 

[Alpiner]

I think Obama is a good communicator, but would rank Clinton as being better at the "one of us" formula.

Daytime is different. Oprah is different than Leno. The View is not Nightline. I just think it is funny that the same people who criticized Bush for attending a Nascar race, love Obama talking about pop culture on daytime television.

As I said before, I have no problem with openness, but this is not being open. This is as scripted as they come.

[Mike]

I think Obama is a good communicator, but would rank Clinton as being better at the "one of us" formula.

Daytime is different. Oprah is different than Leno. The View is not Nightline. I just think it is funny that the same people who criticized Bush for attending a Nascar race, love Obama talking about pop culture on daytime television.

As I said before, I have no problem with openness, but this is not being open. This is as scripted as they come.

Few thoughts, none too serious... I think Obama is more the Reagan vein of communication.  In terms of skill, as in moving the ball the most yards, Clinton bests both of them.  But I think he's a bit too good.  Better than I want a President to be, if that makes sense.

Nightline isn't even Nightline anymore.  Have you seen it lately?

I wouldn't have criticized Bush for going to a NASCAR race except to point out how lame NASCAR is.  Just about as lame as The View.

"As scripted as they come" would be things with actual scripts, like 80% of what Presidents do in public.

Not an Oprah fan, but Oprah is more substantive than Leno and these days, funnier. (burn!)

[Indy]

I think Obama is a good communicator, but would rank Clinton as being better at the "one of us" formula. Daytime is different. Oprah is different than Leno. The View is not Nightline. I just think it is funny that the same people who criticized Bush for attending a Nascar race, love Obama talking about pop culture on daytime television.
As I said before, I have no problem with openness, but this is not being open. This is as scripted as they come.

Knowing your conservative positions, I can understand how you would see Obama as 'scripted' . . . in much the same manner I see the RNC put the 'focus group tested' slogans into the mouths of conservative politicians that repeat them over and over and over and over and over and over and over as if they had any value. Most of them don't as reality shows us . . . but that doesn't deter a conservative ideologue like yourself.

As far as Obama going on the View, I think he should go on their more often and keep repeating 'his' messages about what he's done including financial reform and the stimulus which seeks to keep us out of another 'unbridled free market' downfall and helped keep the nation out of a depression by the failed republican policies that Bush followed respectively.

Time for change . . . time to wake up from 30+ years of Reagan induced nonsense that has jeopardized our nation's future.

Time to think . . .

Indy

[Indy]

If the View were hosted by a panel of men, my bet is no one would have a problem with it.  What difference does the time of day make?  

Question: what has Obama done that any conservative here would offer as a success?

I'll bet you find nothing . . . and thus they will criticize Obama for doing anything . . . even appearing on a show that millions of Americans watch and 'is' hosted by women.

All the public has to do is just think about the conservative attacks and distortions to really see that as a group, republicans put 'party over country'.  Or as the President noted, they keep campaigning on and on and on and on and on about their RNC talking points but have done little but obstructed anything Obama's tried to do for change . . . including voting in mass against extensions of unemployment benefits thus not helping the most suffering Americans during this recession.

If this doesn't show the true colors of conservatism . . . I don't know what will. The public simply has to 'think beyond the slogans' to see that republicism as practiced by the conservative right is dead . . . and that's a shame since so many moderate republicans that care about the nation are dragged down into the politcal sewer with these folks.

Time for change . . .

Indy

[lvogel]

....but would rank Clinton as being better at the "one of us" formula.

There's a formula?  Seriously, what makes Obama any different to one of us?  Yes, Clinton and Obama have completely different backgrounds and 'life' experiences, but I can relate to both men.  I still feel as if some believe that our current president is so much different than past ones.  Every president has to be scripted, advised and chary to a degree; however I feel as a public servant to our country the more we see and hear from him the better, no matter what show (news or otherwise) it he may choose.

As far as the 'pop culture' discussion, he really didn't know a whole lot of what the women were asking of him, except that he knew Lindsay Lohan was in jail.  Actually, I thought Bush attending Nascar was 'him'.  But did he go to Nascar to discuss politics or to just watch the race?  Was he interviewed at the race regarding his work, the country and his views on different topics?

[Phil Ellis]

Yeah, but at least Clinton could both play an instrument and talk. I will ignore his expertise on cigars.

[Alpiner]

I think Obama is a good communicator, but would rank Clinton as being better at the "one of us" formula. Daytime is different. Oprah is different than Leno. The View is not Nightline. I just think it is funny that the same people who criticized Bush for attending a Nascar race, love Obama talking about pop culture on daytime television.
As I said before, I have no problem with openness, but this is not being open. This is as scripted as they come.

Knowing your conservative positions, I can understand how you would see Obama as 'scripted' . . . in much the same manner I see the RNC put the 'focus group tested' slogans into the mouths of conservative politicians that repeat them over and over and over and over and over and over and over as if they had any value. Most of them don't as reality shows us . . . but that doesn't deter a conservative ideologue like yourself.

As far as Obama going on the View, I think he should go on their more often and keep repeating 'his' messages about what he's done including financial reform and the stimulus which seeks to keep us out of another 'unbridled free market' downfall and helped keep the nation out of a depression by the failed republican policies that Bush followed respectively.

Time for change . . . time to wake up from 30+ years of Reagan induced nonsense that has jeopardized our nation's future.

Time to think . . .

Indy

Are you for real? I have met more elected officials (of both parties), been to more political speeches, visited with more state and national officials than you will ever Indy. I have seen the very good all the way to the slime (and I think you would probably be surprised to find who I thought was slime after meeting them face-to-face). To label me this way is just showing blatant bias. All I was talking about was whether it was right for a sitting President to appear on The View. I am borderline on it and would have said the same about Bush or any sitting President. I think you are so caught up in your ideology you cannot even identify what this thread was actually about.

Can people relate to him as "one of us."  I hope so, but he kind of has evoked some sort of Kennedy-style elitism, not Clinton's "I am one of you." I still believe that Clinton was the expert on this more so than any other President, including Reagan. But I do appreciate Obama's efforts at being real. This, along with his solid marriage and his commitment as a father to his kids give me hope for him because it shows character and to me, "character" counts. So maybe The View was good in that it makes him more "real" to a lot of Americans. If any sitting President could do the show it would be him. I do support the openness that this show was finally able to bring out in him. I admit to probably being biased about the Tonight Show appearance since I will admit here that I am friends with the producer who booked him.

But Indy, overall it seems you are of what you speak...

[Indy]

Thanks Alpiner for reminding me that the RNC strategy is to accuse the other party out in the ‘open’ for the things they do in the ‘shadows'.

As far as your comments about ‘blatant bias’, it just rolls off your words (asserting he's not open) especially considering the hatred put forth onto this president by main stream religious conservatives. Do you read a daily newspaper beyond the conservative websites you read? It’s time you did . . .

As far as the view goes, you can considered it ‘scripted’ if you like but he did nothing any different any republican politician that repeats their ‘focus group tested' slogans that don’t deal with reality and end up putting your ‘party over country’. Obama is working for America . . . time to wake up to that.

Obama did a good job of outlining what he’s done for the nation . . . and interestingly, every item was fought by republicans . . . again, putting their ‘party over our country’.

And finally, you come back to earth and realize that Obama was doing just as you finally noted, trying to connect to the public . . . and that’s a good thing, scripted or not.

Time for change . . .

Indy

[Alpiner]

Indy, now you are so "biased" you did not even read my post. Instead you make incredible statements that I never made. What?