Click here to watch the entire interview.
I thought the President did a good job of delivering his political message, telling the American public that he was still working for them, and demonstrating his sense of humor as well.
And for those of you who are especially drawn to the humanity of our President you should know that he also found time to do this earlier in the day.
Moments after landing at San Francisco International Airport on Air Force One, Obama greeted San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee before making a beeline to a crowd of well-wishers on the tarmac.
Obama spotted 6-month-old Josie Knight, who was crying while being held by her mother, Gina Odom, 37, of Oakland. Odom, a real estate agent who had received an invitation to meet Obama, had dressed her daughter in her prettiest pink outfit for the occasion.
"It's OK," the president said repeatedly, taking the squalling infant into his arms.
The baby didn't seem to know what was going on and cried for a moment longer before calming. Obama bounced gently and held her for about 10 seconds before flashing a smile and returning her to Odom.
To be honest I have always REALLY disliked the artificiality of the "politician kissing the baby"approach to campaigning. However it never feels that the President is doing this for show, but rather that he really just likes children. And clearly they really like him right back.
In my eyes that is a sign of character which NO amount of campaign money can artificially simulate.
Gryphen: "However it never feels that the President is doing this for show, but rather that he really just likes children. And clearly they really like him right back."
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was three years old, he pointed at a magazine with President Obama on the cover. Then he distinctly said: "Obama." I don't know how he knew that, unless he was just watching me and my husband watch Obama online or something once. But it was so neat! Kids DO love him. I think they instinctively know who the good guys are.
Gryphen - I have been here for more than three years and I mostly agree with your points of view. The differences often are style points or conclusions, not much more.
ReplyDeleteBut as a liberal Democrat from the city of CHicago who has worked on a ton of political campaigns over the years,I have to really commend you on your support of the President.
I've had friends and family who strongly supported him in 2008 express their anger and disappointment.
I've dealt with people who opposed him then and hateand villify him now.
What I see is a slightly green, enormously intelligent, well meaning,energetic, family man, concensus builder, guy with incredible gut instincts, Patriotic American, honest holder of "Family values."
Great smile. Great sense of humor. amazingly well balanced....
I could go on.
My point on this is that I thank you for continuously illuminating the wonderful human side of this very special person. Especially the pictures of him with little kids.
As far as I'm concerned those interactions speak all the volumes one needs to know about anyone.
Job well done.
Some not good stuff happening in Oakland from your blogroll:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bradblog.com/?p=8869
Kids know. They are smarter than a lot of adults.
ReplyDeleteAll the little children loved Jesus too. God Bless President Obama; I really think he was heaven sent. I know I will be voting for him in 2012.
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs to make sure that everyone and anyone in their circle who is eligible to vote does vote. All the old ladies and the 18 year old babies need to be registered and to show up on election day. Heck, you can even do early voting or absentee for no reason in many States.
I missed the show and the story. Thanks, G.
ReplyDeleteThe baby thing is remarkable.
Excel, v
ReplyDeleteExcellence, n
Excellent, adj
Every time I see our President with a smiling child, I try to picture Sarah, or Michele, or Perry or Herb with a stranger's crying child/ Number one, they would never HOLD a stranger's child, and number two, the child would scream louder until Mommy took them back. Heck, Palin makes her own children cry. This humanity makes the GOP crazy too. They don't get genuine, honest, and caring. They are just about a facade, lies, and money. We really have to decide which country we want to be.
ReplyDeleteIt is so refreshing to see this Obama! Free of the partisan-politics-as-usual, just-say-no R's inside the DC beltway, we again see the man we sent there to lead the fix of this government.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm one who can't agree with every move he's made, I'm proud of what he has accomplished in spite of the nitwit R's in control of the House. Makes one sad to think about where this country could be if 2010 hadn't been handed to the tea party.
I think he's been way too nice in dealing with those whose priority is not governing, but that shows he's a better man than I!! I love one of his new lines I heard yesterday about governing, re: choosing people over politics.
Love that he's a baby whisperer, too!
However, this article reminds me that President Obama does NOT like the people who live in Los Angeles. He has been here numerous times lately and snarled traffic each and every time. He arrives and/or departs during the worst part of the day, when people are trying to get to work or to travel home.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, he holds his events in the area that is most disruptive. If he was being considerate of the average citizen instead of the few who attend a $35,000 plate fundraiser, he would hold the event at a different time and a different location. Moving it just a few miles outside of town would make a HUGE difference to thousands of families.
OT
ReplyDeleteIraq veteran hit with police projectile during Occupy Oakland demonstration
By Scott Johnson, Matt Krupnick and Thomas Peele
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 10/26/2011 03:44:42 PM PDT
Updated: 10/26/2011 03:57:11 PM PDT
OAKLAND -- A 24-year old Marine Corps corporal and Iraqi war veteran is in critical condition at Highland Hospital on Wednesday night with head wounds and brain swelling after police shot him in the head with a projectile during protests in downtown Oakland late Tuesday night.
Scott Thomas Olsen, of Wisconsin, was admitted to Highland early Wednesday morning after he was hit on the head above his right eye during clashes with police. Fellow protesters brought him in after he failed to respond to basic questions.
Doctors at the hospital soon found that Olsen was suffering from brain swelling and placed him under immediate supervision.
"He survived two tours in Iraq," said Adele Carpenter, a friend of Olsen's and a member of the Civilian Soldier Alliance, "This struggle has high stakes, I really respect the fact that Scott was standing up for what he believes in. He's really passionate about social justice causes."
Occupy Oakland were holding a vigil for Olsen in downtown Oakland.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19199894
OMG! Rev. Al just did a bit on Politics Nation of the baby whisperer, showing the Obama clip from yesterday, followed by clips of a blubbering Boehner... way too funny!
ReplyDeleteSadly, Boehner would come around to common sense if he could stand up to the Tea Party. He's just too afraid of them.
When most politicians hold babies, the babies START to cry. When President Obama holds them, they STOP crying.
ReplyDeleteThey know the difference between someone holding them for a photo op and someone holding them because he genuinely likes babies.
They instinctively feel when someone is caring and compassionate.
The more I see of our president, the more I like that guy. He's a good man with a kind, honest and compassionate heart - and a good sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's because of those positive traits that the repugs fear him so much.
Anon 3:02 said: "He has been here numerous times lately and snarled traffic each and every time. He arrives and/or departs during the worst part of the day, when people are trying to get to work or to travel home."
ReplyDeleteUh, invalid complaint. Is there any city he (or any other President) visits where this DOESN'T happen? It's SO frustrating when they mess with our traffic patterns! :)
(ahem)
ReplyDeleteI don't know, you criticize Sarah Palin for being a bad mom, nobody here is screaming about the obvious fact that Obama is a socialist who clearly wants to indoctrinate and then EAT OUR BABIES.
Everybody who knows the Palins knows Sarah Palin is a good mom because she doesn't want to eat any babies. In, fact, she's such a good mom, she stays as far away from her kids as possible. She even locks herself in her room whenever she's home to show her commitment to not eating babies. And unlike Obama, Sarah stays as far away from other people's babies as possible, unless she needs Trig to show how she chose life.
(also, Bristol doesn't eat her babies either)
LOVED the comment about waiting until they're all voted off the island!
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to have a President who's so intellectually brilliant but also has a great sense of humor!
I supported Obama in 2008, and probably will again in 2012. Thank you Gryphen for bringing this very personal side of the President to us. Sometimes, we all, get too involved in the politics. He is a good man, shows positive family values, and should have no problem defeating any Republican candidate that they have offered at this time. Thank you for your blog, I am reading it daily.
ReplyDeletebabies just know who is real and who isn't. I love the way he is drawn to babies and they calm down. I calmed down a lot when he became our president, even sleep at night unlike the 8 years of terror under Bush.
ReplyDeleteahem...love your posts, they always make me laugh. Keep them coming.
Leno is such a whore. He'll be sucking up to Herman Cain next week.
ReplyDeleteStellaGuadalupe
that is one smart fellow and i am very proud he is President Obama.
ReplyDeletehis sense of humor speaks volumes - he knows all the vagaries of his post and comes out shining every day.
i would love to suffer traffic jams in my home town any day if it meant that Obama was getting the job done.
The Baby Whisperer strikes again!
ReplyDelete:)
M from MD
Funny they mentioned the grey hair. I always know how far a Presidency has progressed by how much one has grayed or lost their hair.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymice @3:02 pm & @3:31 pm
ReplyDeleteIt's true that POTUS' visits wreak havoc on LA traffic. But LA is the 2nd largest city (population) in the country in one of the most sprawling landscapes imaginable without an adequate public transit system. There's no getting around gridlock when you factor in closing 160 intersections for POTUS to travel between Westwood and Beverly Hills. It's a huge inconvenience for locals (native So-Californian here) but it's something people put up with to not freeze in the winter and broil in the summer.
Here's something to cheer up anti-Palin Dems (tweeted by @DavidCornDC of Mother Jones):
Dang! RT @thinkprogress New poll has Obama beating all GOP contenders in Arizona, a state Dems have carried just once since 1952
Tweet URLS:
http://twitter.com/#!/marcambinder/status/128627101501894656
10.24.2011 5:21 pm PDT
LAPD has more than 160 intersections to shut down for POTUS's first leg -- LAX to a hotel in Beverly Hills
http://twitter.com/#!/DavidCornDC/status/129266859643113472
Many of the repub candidates live in the past and want to return there, others pretend they are living for some bizarre rapture trip to an imagined heaven. What I so love about my President is that he lives in today with an eye toward a better tomorrow --- even for many who claim to despise him.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see something like PolitiFact as a television offering in the hope that those who get their info from the networks might see that the outrageous claims made against Obama have no basis. Make these detractors flesh out their accusations and provide proof and not in a debate forum where they can go all bumper sticker but in a direct question and answer format.
It's becoming more evident that the GOP/TP can't win the WH in 2012 so let's remain alert and proactive in supporting Democratic congressional races, particularly keeping control in the Senate. The opposition will throw their focus there so we must be vigilante. If they can't win the presidency, full control of Congress would provide them everything they want anyway. Four more years of their divisive tactics in the House ought to wake up the next generations of voters to guard against another GOP/TP leader in the WH anytime soon.
Watching Mr. Obama with children and the way that he tenderly holds and comforts them is salve for the soul. It's always deeply moving to see a father tenderly hold their OWN children, but when you see a father bring the same kind of tenderness and preciousness to OTHER PEOPLE'S children and the children respond the way they do...well, there really is something DIVINE about the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteIf only there was a man like Barack Obama to hold all the children of the world...
BINGO !! Excellent point Gryphen. Kids instinctively know that they can trust him and relax.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama did a fine job on Leno last night. He was serious, he was was funny, he poked fun at himself, he admired his wife, he sang her praises. He was relaxed, sharp, full of gorgeous smiles and grins, easily moving between significant world events and Halloween silliness.
ReplyDeleteHe succinctly summed up the recent foreign policy successes, correcting the record on the media's spin and gracefully, humbly acknowledging, over and over again, our fighting forces for their enormous contributions and sacrifices.
That's a Commander in Chief that I would want if I were in the military, that's for sure! He truly does care, it's not just words, it's deeds.
We did a fine thing when we elected this man to office and we must do it again.
Obama/Biden 2012 I'm ALL in!
Anonymous @3:02 PM
ReplyDeleteSurely, you are not serious? If yoy are, then you have a real problem.
arapaho415, you're absolutely right that LA does not have an adequate public transit system. Closing 160 intersections for POTUS to travel between Westwood and Beverly Hills causes horrible gridlock.
ReplyDeleteThat's why it would be much more considerate of him to set his meetings elsewhere since we have (as you said) "one of the most sprawling landscapes imaginable." There are PLENTY of other places to hold his events where they would NOT inconvenience the average person who is simply trying to get to and from work.
Normal traffic is bad enough. Hours upon hours of a wait is NOT something we choose to put up with simply because the President wants to visit AGAIN. It is inconsiderate and avoidable. He knows how much his visit impacts the public, yet he continues to repeat the scenario instead of moving the event to a more reasonable location.
President Obama has the kindest smile. It's good to see him smiling like that these days.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteHowever, this article reminds me that President Obama does NOT like the people who live in Los Angeles. He has been here numerous times lately and snarled traffic each and every time. He arrives and/or departs during the worst part of the day, when people are trying to get to work or to travel home.
In addition, he holds his events in the area that is most disruptive. If he was being considerate of the average citizen instead of the few who attend a $35,000 plate fundraiser, he would hold the event at a different time and a different location. Moving it just a few miles outside of town would make a HUGE difference to thousands of families.
3:02 PM
----------------
LA is a hellhole of traffic and overpopulation regardless of whether the POTUS is visiting or not. How anyone can live in that place is an overall mystery to me.
I also want to thank you Gryphen for your continued support of our president. Sure there's been times when we wish he'd stand up to the republicans more but overall he's a caring, wonderful man and we are so lucky to have him as our president.
ReplyDeleteObama/Biden 2012
Arphalo 415 @5:13
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for explaining to the impatient Los Angelino commuting crowd the logistics in such an insightful way! The "How DARE anyone, especially the POTUS, take the spotlight away from "ME" for one second" segment, fortunately, don't represent all Los Angelino's.
I always like reading your Posts, btw.
While I loathe Jay Leno, I must say he did an excellent job in that interview. He asked pertinent questions and was respectful of the Office of The Presidency, and the man who holds it.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone notice how quickly the photo of the Obama Family was shown and put aside? How the parents set the boundaries for their kids and expect them to respect their rules? Did anyone NOT see "Family Values" in that segment? Class "A" all the way! THIS is good parenting at it's finest.
The polar opposite of some obsure dysfunctional family from a state that's north of Canada I won't dare mention on this thread.
If there's such a thing as "American Exeptionalism"- President Obama makes it an art form.
And the "baby whisperer" is so fitting.
Thanks for this uplifting post on a day riddled with turmoil.
President Obama is a good man, and the most innocent among us can sense it.
ReplyDeleteObama 2012
I doubt if the President personally selects where and exactly when speech events take place. If Los Angeles is a sprawling and disorganized city, that is the fault of its founders, developers and citizens. I'd be so thrilled to have the President visit that I'd go way out of my way to have a chance to watch him drive by or to stand at the airport to wave. People complain if politicians never get out and about and then they complain when they do!
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't President Obama the "baby whisperer"? How many times has he taken a crying baby in his arms and calmed it into silence?
ReplyDeleteI can't picture any of the GOP frontrunners being able to do the same.