Obama To Talk To The Women Of “The View”

When he’s in New Jersey today, President Obama will be taping an appearance on The View:

NEW YORK — ABC’s “The View” has welcomed many notable guests, but none more prominent than President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to visit for Thursday’s edition.

In making the announcement on Monday, executive producers Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie said this marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has visited a daytime talk show.

They said the majority of the hour will be devoted to Obama’s appearance, which will touch on topics including jobs, the economy, the Gulf oil spill and family life inside the White House. It is scheduled to tape on Wednesday.

“We are so pleased and honored,” Walters said

Not everyone is pleased, however, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell thinks it’s a really bad idea:

While other reporters are wondering if this will help Obama politically:

Unlike most guests who come to ABC’s “The View,” President Obama does not have a new movie, album or reality show to promote.

Instead, he’s promoting himself and his agenda, sitting in the hot seat of the daytime talk show in an effort, once again, to go beyond the traditional media filter and speak directly to the American people, especially women.

With the appearance Thursday that will be taped today, Obama becomes the first sitting president to visit a daytime TV talk show.

The president likely will use his time on “The View” to talk serious policy issues, but he could do that on many programs with many interviewers. So why sit down with “The View’s” feisty and opinionated five hosts? And why now?

On Tuesday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the decision was made to put the president on “The View” because it provides an opportunity “to talk to people where they are.”

“People have busy lives and it’s best to go where they are,” Gibbs said.

So does that also mean he’ll be showing up on WWE Monday Night Raw ? After all, that’s where people are too.

Honestly, I don’t have an opinion one way or the other about Obama appearing on this silly talk show. He went there as a Presidential candidate, as did John McCain, so this really isn’t that big a deal.

FILED UNDER: Entertainment, Popular Culture, US Politics, , , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Zelsdorf Ragshaft III says:

    Doug, once ever 5 years the Boy Scouts have a jamoree for thousands of boy scouts to attend. It is my understanding Obama was invited to speak there. However, do to a scheduling problem (he had to go to the taping) Obama was only able to tape a speech for the boy scouts. I guess it is because Obama does not share values with the boy scouts but does share values with most of those who host The View. Dude, real Presidents don’t go on the View. I loved it. The hot seat on a day time talk show. Who are you kidding? The only seats that will be hot are the ones the female hosts sit because of their desire for a little one on one with the wimp who leads our country to socialism. You see him throw a baseball? What an American.,

  2. ZR

    It’s once every four years actually.

    And President Reagan never spoke in person

  3. wr says:

    ZR — Weren’t you among those who were screaming that Obama was trying to indoctrinate the youth of America into socialism when he made a televised speech specifically for schoolchildren? Weren’t you among those cheering the moron school administrators who tried to shield their students from this great evil?

    Of course you were. Now you want us to believe that you wouldn’t be shrieking exactly the same way if Obama did go to the Jamboree.

    Whatever he does is proof of evil to you. Why not just type out “Whatever he’s for, I’m against it” every time and save yourself some keystrokes?