Obama, Dude

If Obama is going to appear on The Daily Show for a relatively lengthy "interview" conducted by a comedian, he has to be prepared for the fall-out.

Obama's stature as president of the United States is diminished. When he goes on Jon Stewart's show like he's just another schmuck, Obama has to expect to be treated like one.

Forget "Mr. President." Obama has to get used to being called "dude" and treated like someone worthy of that moniker.

From the Washington Times:

Of all the possible ways to refer to our uptight president, "dude" is not the first one that springs to mind. Comedian Jon Stewart changed all that Wednesday night, and President Obama was not amused.

Mr. Obama showed up on "The Daily Show" to make an appeal to the program's young, well-educated audience, which he considers part of his base. When the president defended his former economic adviser by saying, "Larry Summers did a heckuva job," Mr. Stewart interjected, "You don't want to use that phrase, dude." In this, he both drew an inference between Mr. Obama and his predecessor, President George W. Bush, who famously expressed similar praise for Katrina-era FEMA Director Michael "Brownie" Brown, and also let a burst of air out of what has been a dangerously overinflated presidency. It was a rare moment when people were laughing at Mr. Obama rather than with him.

The days are long past when it was particularly daring or groundbreaking for a politician to go on a comedy show. In 1968, then-candidate Richard Nixon made a brief appearance on NBC's "Laugh-In" saying "sock it to me," which was humorous because no one expected Nixon to do it.... Some politicians have used comedy shows to engage in some self-deprecating humor, such as George W. Bush and Al Gore on "Saturday Night Live" in 2000. Other attempts to reach out to the youth audience have become inadvertent classics, like Bill Clinton's slightly creepy reaction to being asked about his underwear on MTV.

"The Daily Show," however, blurs the line between news and comedy in a postmodern merger of satire, celebrity and wonkishness. Some view it as a legitimate news source, and a 2007 poll of most admired journalists had Mr. Stewart - who by the way is not a journalist - at No. 4.

Another laugh at Mr. Obama's expense came when he was responding to a line of questioning from Mr. Stewart that encapsulated the liberal critique of his presidency; namely, that he hasn't done enough to bring about the promised "fundamental transformation" of America. For the left, there is a widening audacity gap. Would Mr. Obama have to change his slogan, "Yes, we can?" the president began. "I think what I would say is 'yes, we can, but ... .' " At that point, Mr. Stewart and the crowd began laughing. The president dude looked a little foolish. Hope and change died with that "but."

"The Daily Show" was in town this week as part of the publicity campaign culminating in this weekend's combined "rallies" - more like a live variety show - featuring Mr. Stewart and fellow huckster Stephen Colbert. The latter returns to Washington after his farcical testimony last month before the House Judiciary immigration subcommittee, an exercise in political theater that was heavily panned even by Democrats. The ridiculous testimony did serve a purpose, though, because it confirmed that the Democratic congressional majority doesn't take important issues of public policy seriously, nor even its responsibilities for governing.

It's hard to convince the American people that your party is not a joke when comedians become your most visible supporters. Mocking conservative activists who have been motivated to get involved in politics out of legitimate fears for the future of the country will only motivate them to greater efforts to stuff it right back in the smirking faces of the liberal wisecrackers. Our nation is in trouble, and America isn't laughing, dude.

Obama lacks gravitas. He's a lightweight. He's a joke.

It's pretty bad when a sitting president is referred to as "dude," and the audience laughs at him.

Obama has fallen so far so fast.

Jon Stewart has a long history of calling political figures "dude."

From Newsweek, 2003:

Some people are allergic to milk. Some people are allergic to dust. Jon Stewart is allergic to liars, spinners and boasters, even pint-size ones from Ohio. "I heard Dennis Kucinich in the last Democratic debate say, 'When I'm president... ,' and I just wanted to stop him and say, 'Dude'." So it's a little surprising that Stewart is boasting a bit himself tonight. It's a windy, frigid evening in Manhattan, and about 100 brave souls--mostly guys in baseball caps and the women who love them--have assembled to watch Stewart host "The Daily Show." Stewart--gray suit, graying hair--is onstage pumping up the crowd just before taping. "We've got us a Democratic general!" he says, clearly elated about having Gen. Wesley Clark as his guest. "That's like a gay black Republican. It's a rare beast." The audience laughs. Then, suddenly, Stewart's anti-hype radar locks on another target--himself. "I can't believe the luck you all have," he says, "because some days you come here and you get the third lead from 'Angel'."

Dude, that is so not true. Sure, "Saturday Night Live" had Al Sharpton, and Jay Leno entertained John Kerry on a Harley, but "The Daily Show" has got everyone by the throat. The program won two Emmys this year--beating "Leno" and "Letterman"--and is becoming the coolest pit stop on television. And it does it the hard way. Unlike late-night talk shows that traffic in Hollywood interviews and stupid pet tricks, "The Daily Show" is a fearless social satire.

So liberal darling Jon Stewart has put Obama and Kucinich in the same category. They exist for our entertainment. They're punchlines.

Obama's the incredible shrinking president, with the stature of Kucinich.

Dude, that's not good.