Above: Livin' La Vida Loca
Mary Kate Carey is wringing her hands over Barack Obama's appearance on Jay Leno's new show:
Doing Jay Leno lessens the stature of the office, and diminishes the man. On Leno, he becomes just one more talk show guest, a celebrity on the circuit promoting his latest movie or book
It's a decision that speaks volumes about Obama's approach to the office. For that matter, so does his signing of op-eds about specific legislation in newspapers; his picking fights with radio talk show hosts; and his casual dress code in the Oval Office.
So forget that George W. Bush wrote several Op-Eds while in office. Forget that Obama didn't pick a fight with Rush Limbaugh, and forget that despite the whining of Andy Card that Bush and GOP patron saint Ronald Reagan were both photographed jacketless in the oval office. Steve M. has a brief and definitive history of presidential dignity:
As president, Ronald Reagan appeared on a televised "All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan," honored by such dignitaries as Rich Little, Eydie Gorme, Angie Dickinson, and Dean Martin. He appeared on "Bob Hope's High-Flying Birthday" and "George Burns' 90th Birthday Party: A Very Special Special." He contributed to a televised clip compilation called "James Bond: The First 21 Years."
[...]
Mary Kate Cary's ex-boss wasn't quite the showman his onetime boss was, but, as VP, Poppy Bush did make an appearance on Bob Hope's "All-Star Comedy Birthday Party from West Point" and (with Reagan) another Bob Hope extravaganza, the Hope-hosted "All-Star Celebration Opening the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum," which also featured Tony Orlando, Foster Brooks, Sammy Davis Jr., Danny Thomas, and Debbie "You Light Up My Life" Boone. And as president he made an appearance in "Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue," an anti-drug film featuring Alf, Garfield, various Disney and Warner Bros. cartoon characters, and the Smurfs.
As for the presidential dignity of George W. Bush, I outsource my response to Spencer Ackerman, who quotes the former president on his upcoming autobiography and reminds us what the last eight years were like:
"I'm going to put people in my place, so when the history of this administration is written at least there's an authoritarian voice saying exactly what happened," Bush said.
Right. It's just too bad Obama can't stop diminishing the dignity of his office.
-- A. Serwer
