In 2009 President Barack Obama made history as the first sitting U.S. president to appear on a late-night talk show when he sat on Jay Leno’s couch as a guest of “The Tonight Show.” A return visit to the Leno show was made in 2011.
The president has continued to blur the lines between politics and entertainment and holds the distinction of having made a sizable number of television appearances as president, which include “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Colbert Report,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The View,” the “George Lopez Show,” and even the Discovery channel’s “Mythbusters” show.
Now Obama is set to appear on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in a segment that has been scheduled to be filmed at the University of North Carolina.
With regard to the Fallon appearance, the campaign strategy of the White House is fairly transparent. It appears to be part of a concerted effort by the Obama campaign to tap into a younger demographic of voters. To this end, the president will use the Fallon television segment to announce a plan that will purportedly extend existing cuts of student loan interest rates.
The North Carolina venue has the additional advantage of enabling the president to tap into voters of a key battleground state.
Although the guest spot will be Obama’s first appearance on Fallon’s show, back in February first lady Michelle Obama engaged in a “fitness challenge” at the White House with Fallon.
In an official photo, Mrs. Obama is seen in a tug-of-war with the late-night host in the Diplomatic Reception Room. Michelle and Fallon also sported hula hoops, demonstrated push-ups, and went on a jog around the White House.
The first lady has actually appeared as a television guest on even more shows than has her husband.
In addition to her guest spots on Letterman and Leno, she has also made appearances on “The Colbert Report,” Ellen DeGeneres’s show “Ellen,” “iCarly,” “Sesame Street,” “Rachael Ray,” the “Nickelodeon's Kids’ Choice Awards” and “The Biggest Loser,” a show that the Obama campaign no doubt hopes is not a foreshadowing of electoral things to come.
Since the Obamas moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Michelle has made about 44 television appearances, approximately four times that of her predecessor, first lady Laura Bush, during a similar period of time.
The Obama administration is using entertainment television for political purposes in an unprecedented way to the detriment of the Oval Office.
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax.TV Hollywood. Read more reports from James Hirsen — Click Here Now.
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