Obama on 60 minutes

Part 1 for now:



Perhaps I should take back my criticism that he's giving too many interviews and cheapening the presidency. Doing Leno doesn't cheapen him when he can turn around and give coherent answers in an interview like this.

As you watch the above, try to imagine George Bush or John McCain or Sarah Palin explaining the current economic situation as cogently. Could they have done this? I think not. Terms like "steep slope" and "systemic risk" or even the appeal to "thoughtful thinkers, liberal or conservative" would make them dizzy. Could Gore, Kerry, or Clinton have given a similar interview? Possibly, but I can't tell you for certain.

I laugh when I read rightwingers mocking Obama for relying on a teleprompter to deliver speeches at most appearances. Teleprompters save time and improve delivery. They let Obama spend more time productively rather than rehearsing to deliver from memory. It's all fine as long as he can turn around later and give a straightforward interview like the one above showing that he actually does understand what he's talking about.