Originally Posted By Dabob2 >>Instead he does this thing, free, for as long as he wanted, gets millions of views, and thousands of sign-ups. << <The end doesn't justify the means. While promoting the website, he's diminished his office.> Well, we'll have to disagree on that. The President isn't the Emperor. He's supposed to be one of us. One of the brighter and more capable of us, but one of us. Torturing people when we have said we don't torture diminishes the office. Actual corruption a la Watergate diminishes the office. Showing a sense of humor in the service of advancing a core agenda item? Not to my mind. >>And I don't see it as any more degrading than the typical political ad, and less so than many.<< <Oh, that's not true. It's much more degrading than the *typical* political ad. Although you can certainly find some doozies that are more so, usually for fringe candidates. Don't we make fun of the Tea Party types when they do exactly this sort of low-rent pandery comedy thing in their political ads? I know I do ...> The typical 30 second political ad, even if it contains no doozies, is by definition dumbed down, reducing some important matter or other to a sound bite. I see that as more degrading, but YMMV. Presidents routinely do all sorts of "retail politicking," even after elected - eating bagels in a Jewish neighborhood or grits in a rural one... going to rallies for some local candidate they've never met before and praising them to the skies... you get the idea. This was retail politicking via youtube, which may be a relatively new way of doing things, but is no different in intent or more degrading to my mind. Again, YMMV, and your opinion is valid. I just don't see it as anything new under the sun; just a new form.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Today's politicians know that part of their outreach to the American people involves appearances on the late night talk shows, quirky videos, social media. That's no more diminishing the office than a fireside chat on the radio. It's simply a means of communication. Even Mitt Romney has slow-jammed the news. It's fun stuff!
Originally Posted By skinnerbox The far right pundits are totally losing it over this FOD appearance by Obama. Hmm... where were they win McCain went on SNL with Tina Fey as Palin, doing the spoof apology tour? Why was that OK but not Obama's appearance with Zach to get more young people to sign up for ACA? Hypocrites.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan This all started when Harry S. Truman appeared as himself in the Three Stooges short "Commander In Cheese". You've probably already seen it a million times, but the boys play exterminators called in to get rid of a mouse in the Oval Office, and wind up uprooting the White House plumbing instead. The scene where President Truman hits Moe over the head with a bust of Lincoln is classic stuff. "Four score, my head is sore," says a dazed Moe before collapsing into the rose garden. The final scene shows President Truman using pliers to remove rose thorns from Moe's bottom, with loud "plink!" sounds as each is pulled out, giving Truman a chance to discuss his Korean policy.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Plus, John F. Kennedy appeared in Forrest Gump, and that won on Oscar. Why the outrage over Obama?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>At what point do stunts like this become beneath the dignity of a head of state? Whatever that point is, I think this is well past it.<< I was thinking that several years ago when he started making the rounds on the late-night circuit. At this point, it's another drop in the bucket. I've never found Galifanakis funny, so I'm sure that's coloring my opinion too I did think it was funny that Obama likened a third term to making a third Hangover movie. If I'm not mistaken, the second Hangover movie got pretty bad reviews too... >>Hmm... where were they win McCain went on SNL with Tina Fey as Palin, doing the spoof apology tour? Why was that OK but not Obama's appearance with Zach to get more young people to sign up for ACA?<< At the time I remember thinking that went too far as well. Especially considering that he basically admitted defeat before the actual election, that appearance left a really bad taste in my mouth, even if it was fairly popular at the time
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Hmm... where were they win McCain went on SNL with Tina Fey as Palin, doing the spoof apology tour?<< Totally losing it then as well. It's what the right wing media is all about these days: anger.
Originally Posted By ecdc People complained when Eisenhower used the first 30 second TV spot, saying it dumbed it down too much. People complained even more when William Henry Harrison broke with tradition and had the gall to campaign openly for himself for President. Prior to the 1840s, it was considered undignified to campaign. You let others do it for you, including newspapers (which at the time were almost always just organs of political parties and movements). I think this is more much ado about nothing. 30 second spot version: I'm ecdc, and I approve post 21's message.
Originally Posted By ecdc Aaaand the vast majority of healthcare.gov referrals are coming from Funny or Die and there's been a 40% spike in traffic. Someone getting healthcare is more important than subjective notions of Presidential dignity we can't even seem to agree on.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>People complained even more when William Henry Harrison broke with tradition and had the gall to campaign openly for himself for President.<< How did that work out for him? : )
Originally Posted By ecdc >>How did that work out for him? : )<< He won big! I kinda didn't pay attention after that....
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Until yesterday I had no idea what Between Two Ferns was. But my reaction is if a President wants to do this or go on SNL, whatever.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Say what you will about Obama's shortcomings, but his communications strategy has been a game changer from the beginning. It helped to get him elected and his appearance yesterday caused 32,000 people to visit the healthcare.gov website. Any future presidential candidate who hopes to reach Millennials and subsequent generations should be taking notes.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox The Good Doctor nails it again. The site has over 13 million views now. Those are really strong numbers for something put online yesterday. And even though the vast majority of viewers are not hitting the link for healthcare.gov, the message is still getting out. That's what's important now. Getting the word out to *young voters* about what you've accomplished. Which is another reason why I feel the GOP hates this bit with Zach. The Republicans are losing the young voters and it's killing the party. They know it's killing the party. But they cannot appease their corporate overlords and the old white fogey voting base by creating programs and legislation that appeal to young voters. So instead of following the President's lead and generating their own young adult messaging, they instead obligatorily diss this video in order to politically survive.
