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Obama plays softball on ‘The Late Show’
So, President Obama was on Letterman last night. Would he be as calm, jovial, friendly and relaxed as he had appeared in his previous “Late Night” outings as a Senator and Presidential candidate? Or would he be more tense (and intense) … weary from the ongoing battle for health care reform? I had more or less predicted the latter.
I was wrong.
From the moment the President was introduced, smiling and waving to the crowd, he seemed confident, happy and, most importantly, relaxed. Following up on an earlier Letterman bit with an audience member who had brought a heart-shaped potato with her to the studio, Obama took control of the stage, telling Dave that was the real reason he’d come to visit. He then engaged in off-the-cuff banter with the potato’s owner — “Mary Apple? Is your real name? Mary Apple?” — and he pocketed the odd tuber at Letterman’s request, although I’ll bet Mary Apple got it back (along with a great story) after the show.
The first interview segment seemed designed to make Obama appear as normal as possible, given the whole “most powerful person in the free world” thing. Letterman asked about Obama’s summer and the President responded by talking about his daughters. “They basically goofed off all summer, which I couldn’t do,” he stated.
“Others have,” Dave pot-shot to laughter and applause.
Obama explained that his kids don’t really notice the Presidential hubbub; they have slumber parties and spend the night at their friends’ houses like other children. “But their parents get frisked,” Obama added.
“That happens at my house, too,” Letterman joked.
“The thing that we are happiest about is that they are wonderfully normal, happy kids so far,” Obama said. “I give Michelle all the credit.”
It turns out that the telegenic Obama was not on Letterman to sell health care reform to America as much as he was there to re-sell himself (which, granted, would go a long way in helping him sell health care reform). This was driven home by an exchange later in the program, when Letterman noted former President Jimmy Carter’s recent statements that vocal opposition to Obama was partially based upon race.
“Well, it’s important to remember,” Obama said, “that I was black before the election,” reminding America that we voted him in. And, throughout the first half of his “Late Show” appearance, he reminded us why: he appeared confident, smart, well-spoken, decisive. Quick.
Still, the second segment’s would have to be all health care, right? When Obama was on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” in March, nearly the entire appearance was a dry, jargon-filled push for the economic stimulus package — and that was never in as much trouble as health care reform.
Wrong again. Dave held up photos: There’s the President at his desk in the Oval Office, a young child hunkered down and peering mischievously at him from behind the couch.
“I hope that’s Sasha,” Obama quipped, “otherwise there’s been a breach of security that we did not know about.” Quick.
Another photo shows Obama in the White House screening room holding cardboard 3D glasses to his eyes (he couldn’t remember, but the film he’d watched was “Up”). The next picture was of the President and Hillary Clinton seated across from each other at a picnic table outdoors. “This just screams picnic to me,” Dave joked.
“We were having a wonderful time,” Obama replied.
“No potato salad,” Dave noted.
The final photo showed the President running with a football, Presidential dog Bo at his heels. See? Just like you and me.
But President Obama is not just like you and me, and halfway through the show, the pair finally got around to politics … specifically, the economy. Unemployment, housing, household bills, energy, jobs again. Dave asked Obama if the stimulus had worked. Obama explained that without it, things would have been much worse.
He kept things largely simple and matter-of-fact, but terms such as “smart grid” and “broadband” began to creep in, prompting Letterman to cut to a commercial.
41 minutes into the hour, the discussion of the recent shouting at town hall meetings (and Presidential addresses) which led to that Jimmy Carter reference finally leads to a discussion of health care. Time for some tough questions?
“In terms of health care, what am I missing about this?” Letterman asked, possibly the most open-ended, softball query ever. It’s clear that Obama was smart to choose Letterman’s venue to make his case. The President ran through his familiar arguments, largely uninterrupted by his host, whose interjections amounted mostly to comments such as, “I’m not a socialist, but it (universal health care) don’t sound that bad to me.”
“The thing I’d like to see is those ‘death panels’,” Letterman joked. “If we could get those in immediately …”
Health care, economy … what have we missed? The host and his guest finally dipped into foreign policy with a discussion of Iraq and Afghanistan. No tough questions on this topic either, but that’s not why the President was here; that’s what all those Sunday morning news show shots were for.
“I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to watch you work,” Letterman said, concluding the interview. “And remember, when things get tough as things tend to do, going forward … you, sir, are in possession of a heart-shaped potato.”
Former President Bill Clinton visits “The Late Show” tonight at 10:30 on CBS.
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By Dale Roe
September 23, 2009 1:18 AM | Link to this
Hey Rusty (hahaha -- nice name). I don't think I said I expected Letterman to grill Obama, nor that I thought he should. I was just pointing out that he didn't. In fact, Letterman did exactly what I expected him to do: allow the President to make his case and keep the proceedings going in an entertaining matter and at a brisk clip. I think Dave is one of the best at this. I also think Dave did ask a couple of questions that could have made a less-skilled politician uncomfortable -- and he's done it before. He really raked McCain over the coals in his last appearance on "The Late Show," for instance. Still, the only real surprise of the night for me was how relaxed and funny Obama was with all the pressure he's under. Most impressive.
By Rusty Shackleford
September 22, 2009 11:48 PM | Link to this
I don't know Dale, David Letterman is first and foremost a comedian that hosts a comedy/talk show. It's not really his duty, and unlike if this were on a news/political program, he's got no responsibility to grill the president. Plus I just don't think Dave has any interest in doing such to Obama. Surely no one tuned into the Late Show expecting tough, hard-nosed questions. I thought this interview, as well as tonight's with Bill Clinton, had a perfect balance of funny and serious and am not disappointed at all that Letterman didn't go out of his way to ask them controversial questions just for the sake of doing so. Good write up either way, though..... keep up the great work.