Can we turn on the television without seeing our Commander in Chief or his wife? Lately, I would have to say no. The Obamas are with everyone from Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon to Jay Leno.
The fact that the Obamas are making themselves available to Hollywood’s elite and every talk show they can manage to fit into their schedule is a representation of what they feel government’s role is – to invade every aspect of the citizen’s life. They know that Americans invite celebrities and late night talk show hosts into their living room every evening because we are a culture that obsesses over Hollywood’s glitz and glamour. So the Obamas force us to make a space on the couch for them in our living rooms and lives as well. Being interviewed on “The View” is more valuable to the Obamas than political campaigning or serious discussion.
There is nothing wrong with having a message that you wish the country to hear. Michelle Obama’s initiative to end childhood obesity is a noble one. Google’s homepage for March 3 had the following footnote: “First Lady Michelle Obama discusses healthy living. RSVP to tomorrow’s Hangout.” I didn’t even need to type anything in the search box to find her – she was already there, waiting for me to log on to the Internet.
I criticize her, not for pushing for healthier living, but for her excessive public appearances. Dancing onstage with Jimmy Fallon may not be the best way to promote her view. The first lady is cheapening her role if she appears in too many places. The more often that someone speaks, the less attune people are to the words being spoken.
After watching videos on Youtube of the Obamas dancing and smiling next to talk show hosts, I read the comments. Many times they were similar to “We have like the coolest effing President everrrrr!” After combing through the grammatical and spelling errors, I thought to myself “Okay, he’s cool. Is that what America needs right now?”
America does not need a president who can do a “jedi mind meld” or a first lady that can dance like Beyonce. We need those who will shy away from praise and glory and dedicate themselves to the hard labor of fighting for a recovery of this nation.
If you wish to find the president or his first lady, you can easily locate them parading all over America’s stages, but the one place you should not look for the president is in the quiet of his Oval Office, away from the cameras and dinner parties, with his sleeves rolled up, working with Congress to solve our nations problems.
