The American Clown-in-Chief: the Joke Is on Us!

By Valerie Love

As a lead-in to a story about President Obama’s funniest moments on late-night television, Amy Sapp recently wrote, “President Obama is no stranger to comedy.”

Gee. Swell.

There was a time when Americans actually respected the Office of the President. The majority viewed the president as a moral leader they could rely on to do what was in the best interest of the people. No doubt there were some who had trouble trusting the president due to political party affiliation but even with those misgivings, the people generally saw the president as a good guy.

That was a long, long time ago.

How well do we actually know our presidents in recent years? We don’t really know how many of our presidents have had adulterous affairs, for example. How many were liars, crooks, and doers of evil? Were any of them upright or has it all been just an illusion? The media has lulled the people into a reality that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago.

Bill Clinton’s shameful illicit liaisons occurred even while he sold the nation out to China for the benefit of Wal-Mart. George W. Bush was seen as a rogue cowboy and a buffoon who had trouble with the English language while he started the neverending war on terror and lit the already ripped and torn Constitution ablaze.

Now for our current clown-in-charge: Barack Obama. No one really knows anything concrete about him. In fact, we know less about our current president than any other in America’s history.

And somehow the dignity of the Office of the President has plummeted to a level that has the whole world laughing.

“President Obama isn’t just the first black president. He was the first sitting president to appear on late-night television, and has been a frequent guest on CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman.”

Former President Jimmy Carter had more appearances on The Tonight Show than Obama, however Carter’s 11 appearances all occurred after he left the Oval Office. Anyone think that peanut farmer isn’t a joke?

Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” is a comedy news show that parodies the mainstream media. Despite what Stewart’s followers may have been fooled into believing, Jon is not a journalist. And President Obama, who rarely answers questions posed by reporters, will appear on the “Daily Show” for the seventh time before Stewart says farewell to his stint as host of the show. No doubt, Obama will use the occasion to promote his insane nuclear deal with Iran.

Obama is also the “first sitting U.S. president to visit a daytime TV talk show,” appearing on “The View.”

In fact, a quick Internet search indicates Obama has quite a record of appearing on entertainment shows:

• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Soon seven times (marking four times as president)
• The Colbert Report: Once
• Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Once
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: one time (cancelled last year’s planned appearance)
• The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: Six times (four times as president)
• Late Show with David Letterman: Eight times (three times as president)
• Funny or Die’s Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Once
• Oprah: Three times [Note: Oprah turned down Obama’s request for help pushing Obamacare]
• The View: Two times
• Virtual visit 2015 Grammys: Once
• ESPN: Six times
• Saturday Night Live: Once
• Ellen (DeGeneres): Twice (once via satellite as president)
• Obama’s 200^th round of golf Oct. 12, 2014 (Okay, his games aren’t televised but it’s still entertainment)

Of course, all of this bread and circuses “entertainment” isn’t free for the American taxpayers.

“Taxpayers foot the bill for Mr. Obama’s high-cost travel on Air Force One. At $180,000 per flight hour to operate the presidential aircraft, the trip cost taxpayers more than $1.8 million just for the flying time to California and back. That doesn’t include two 50-minute flights in California on Marine One, the presidential helicopter; or the cost of lodging dozens of White House staffers and Secret Service agents overnight, or the cost of 20-vehicle motorcades at the various stops … White House aides said the president uses late-night talk shows to reach an audience that doesn’t always get its news from traditional sources.” (source)

This doesn’t bother our spenders-in-office. In mid-March 2015, Michelle and Barack took separate flights to California for two different television appearances. Double the appearances at double the price. How lucky are we?!

Yes, “President Obama is no stranger to comedy,” but he’s still essentially a stranger to the American people. Unfortunately the joke is on all of us.