Prime Time O: How the Omnipresent President Is Doing

President Barack Obama did the second prime time news conference of his young presidency Tuesday night in the White House.

We can't afford to go back, and things are on course. That's the meta-message from six days of very high-profile appearances by President Barack Obama, culminating with Tuesday night's prime time news conference.

"We can't afford to go back," as in, "We can't afford not to transform this economy as we revive it."

Stanch the hemorrhaging of our personal and governmental financial base on health care by reforming it. Transform our resource base by shifting from non-renewable energy sources dominated by countries we can't count on to new, greener technologies that curtail the greenhouse effect, create jobs, and position America for leadership in new industries. Recreate our knowledge base by improving a slumping education system. Revive our physical base by investing in infrastructure.

As for the "things being on course" part of the message, what struck me most about Obama's prime time news conference, the second of his young presidency -- George W. Bush and Bill Clinton did only four apiece during the 16 years they served -- was how routine it felt.

While the nation's media culture seems only slightly less hysterical, Tuesday night's White House event had little of the crisis-ridden atmospherics of Obama's first prime time presser. Obama walked out, delivered his rather sober but confident message, entertained some mildly contentious questions, and was done.

Just over 40 million Americans watched Obama, a huge number, down just a few million from his crisis-ridden first prime time news conference last month.

It wasn't very exciting, as some have complained, but maybe that's part of the the point.

Obama is the first sitting president to appear on The Tonight Show.

It's been quite a whirlwind for the omnipresent president. Starting last Wednesday, he did two town hall meetings in California, made his "March Madness" NCAA basketball tournament bracket picks on ESPN, became the first president to appear on The Tonight Show, met twice with Arnold Schwarzenegger, made a video address to the people of Iran, skipped the oldline media staple known as the Gridiron Dinner, appeared on 60 Minutes, published an op-ed piece simultaneously in newspapers around the world, talked with astronauts on the International Space Station, and made repeated statements on the economic crisis, his budget priorities, and the AIG bonus scandal.

Through it all, Obama has kept his job approval rating high and easily weathered the controversy around Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner helping enable the AIG bonuses. Which Geithner says was a legal necessity. Whether it was or not, the heat is abating and the congressional move to enact an ex post facto tax on the bonuses, so current last week, is already on the backburner.

Those widely condemned big bonuses for executives of the publicly bailed out insurance giant American International Group leave virtually all players with egg on their faces. Except for Obama.

Obama talked up renewable energy and green tech as transformational cornerstones of his economic revival program.

According to the new Gallup Poll, 54% rate Obama positively in the affair, with only 29% looking at him negatively. AIG management comes out 80% negative and only 12% positive. Congress does better, but not much, with 65% negative and 26% positive, while Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is 54% negative and 28% positive.

Unsurprisingly, a whopping 69% believe that all the bonus money should be returned, with 13% saying half of it should be and only 12% (and this is the Rush Limbaugh position) saying that none of it should be.

There's no consensus on how to get the money back. Only 25% back what House Democrats passed last week, a 90% tax on the bonuses. (Notably, only 29% of Democrats back this.) 27% want the money returned voluntarily, while 26% want the funds recovered via legal action or as a precondition for future government bailout support.

For all the sturm and drang, justifiable given the outrageousness of the situation, most voters, even most Democrats, reject the seemingly populist answer to the AIG scandal devised by House Democratic liberals and take a more pragmatic view.

For all his talk of transformation, Obama seems to feel that he has to keep bribing, if you will, Wall Street players, albeit to a lesser degree than in the past in order to keep the system running.

Obama delivered a video message to the people of Iran.

For all that they have been exposed as far less than "masters of the universe" in the financial meltdown which their maneuvers helped precipitate, it's become clear that most of us know even less about the complexities of high finance.

This means that much of the left will be unsatisfied about not getting their pound of flesh. And much of the right will be left unhappy because Obama keeps talking down the money culture they've exalted.

The rest will be satisfied if Obama is on top of things and things are getting better.

We are having an uptick, at least for now. Durable goods orders are up for the first time in months. Housing seems to be rising a bit from the bottom. California's bond sale this week was oversubscribed. Stock markets are up around the world, in part in response to Geithner's plan to deal with the banks' toxic assets. Oil is up over 50% since passage of Obama's economic recovery program (not exactly a plus for the consumer but better for global stability), in part in anticipation of increased economic activity.

It wouldn't do to be breaking out the champagne, though, and not just because the dollar is so bad against the euro.

But the first reasonably good economic news in quite awhile is better than more bad news.

Obama spoke with the astronauts on the International Space Station.

So the latest meme from our emotionally overburdened conventional media -- that Barack Obama is "overexposed" -- is essentially non-serious.

His all-media offensive is working, and, coincidence or not, is happening at the same time as some good news.

In any event, those so concerned about Obama's media exposure had best learn to live with it.

The next few days will be less dramatic than the past week, although he does have a first ever White House online town hall meeting on Thursday. But then it gets intense again, very intense.

Next week, Obama makes his first major foreign trip. He goes to London for the G-20 (group of 20 advanced economies) summit, to Prague to meet with the European Union leaders, and to Strasbourg for the 60th anniversary summit of NATO.

Obama's new strategy for the Afghanistan War will be out, a big story in itself, but just one of several. Reviving the global economy, newly regulating the transnational financial system, dealing with climate change, handling the crises in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the future of NATO, all these will be front and center. Along with international enthusiasm for the new American president.

It will make going on The Tonight Show look like small beer.

You can check things during the day on my site, New West Notes ... www.newwestnotes.com.

Comments

[jozinha]

Recently it seems that Obama is loosing his instinct with the public. He's off rhythm.

First he shows up on a Monday "angry" about AIG bonuses, 3 days after the national explosion. Then he picks March Madness wins in the middle of this national freakout -- looking clueless. Then he gets too casual with Jay Leno on the West Coast, when the country is imploding because of Wall Street. What was he doing all the way over on the West Coast anyway that was SO important that could not have been done closer to the center of the storm?

Then he shows up on 60 Minutes and is schooled on how to modulate his smile.

Then he holds an internet Town Hall that is so over-controlled it looked like the diametric opposite of the Leno appearance.

Obama has to find his groove.

I hope he does soon.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

And yet, despite your "supportive" assessment, it all actually played very well in mainstream America.

>Obama has to find his groove.

I hope he does soon.

[MaDmOnKy]

I think history is going to record Obama was blogging as Rome burned..

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Rome already burned. That's one reason why Obama won such a big victory and Bush and Cheney are the most unpopular politicians in history.

[Javida]

'The Omnipresent President.' Love it! That captures the essence of Obama as the People's President: Accessibility, Engagement and Transparency. Thanks for a great highlight of our POTUS' past week!

[RickCadena]

With all of the mindboggling things that are happening in these times, I can not visualize anyone else as our president other than Barack Obama. As a linguist (translator and former ESL/EFL teacher), I really appreciate and enjoy his communication skills and now, more than every, clear concise communication is what our country and the world needs. Your article confirms what I have been observing on a personal note. These are extraordinary times and President Barack Obama is the extraordinary man who certainly has the extraordinary talents to get the job done right.

The jig is up for tickle-down reaganomics. What has tricked down since 1980? Outsourcing of jobs abroad, insider trading (Ivan Boeski, Michael Miliken), hostile takeovers & junk bonds (Carl Icahn & T. Boone Pickens), deregulation, downsizing of companies & personnel, loss of purchasing power, budget deficits, etc. And republicans & conservatives still think that tax breaks for the wealthy & corporations are the only way to generate wealth for everyone? Give me a break. Gives all of us a break.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

I think trickle down is pretty well discredited ...

[Tena]

"Obama is spending way too much money"

This is almost as maddening as it was 3 weeks ago when people were hysterical over whether or not Obama would go large. Well he did, but not as large as a lot of people wanted him too.

So he's spending too much - so you are prepared to watch AIG go belly-up? Do you know what AIG actually does? They insure the insurers - probably yours. If you ever expect to make a claim on an insurance policy you have bought, you better pray AIG doesn't fold.

There must be some way outta here? This is it - either spend money or let the whole thing colllapse and I don't like cat food. I'd rather keep eating like people do.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

A lot of Republicans are saying the answer is more tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, which we've already done.

[twiggy2]

irrational is not the word, how about insane - these critics have not a clue that president obama is the peoples' president -
a man of great faith and wisdom who 'laughs in the face of adversement.' they really don't have a clue about the sheer determination and persistence of president obama.

[BottomLine2008]

How 'bout any of the above? lol

[momof3inGA]

Great article.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you, I appreciate it.

[BottomLine2008]

That's for sure.

>>>>So the latest meme from our emotionally overburdened conventional media -- that Barack Obama is "overexposed" -- is essentially non-serious.

His all-media offensive is working, and, coincidence or not, is happening at the same time as some good news.

[ChristianEcon.com]

All the Republicans can do at this point is pretend the Bush years never happened. it beats turning liberal to them, I guess. They've never been reality-based anyway.

[BottomLine2008]

Most Republicans today exist in a little bubble of consciousness divorced from the past or the future.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Good line!

[ToonMoene]

What people (at least in the main stream press) don't seem to get is that President Obama is a man who plans ... and plans ahead.

So while they get overextended in trying to follow him (as they *don't* know where he will show up next), for him it's relatively relaxed, as he *does* know his daily schedule *in advance*.

[BottomLine2008]

I think the press does get Obama's schedule in advance.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Are you speaking metaphorically? Obama's schedule is largely available in advance.

[AceInTheHole]

IF ALL THOSE SANDBAGERS AND OVERPAID SCALAWAGS ON WALL SREET, ARE SUPPOSEDLY WORTH HUNDREDS MILLIONS A YEAR. WHAT WOULD A GUY WITH REAL TALENT LIKE OBAMA BE WORTH? I WISH I COULD AFFORD HIM , BUT THANKS TO MY VOTE AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS, I CAN AFFORD HIM, AND BOY AM I HAPPY ABOUT THAT. BECAUSE THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE THE BEST CEO IN AMERICA AND POSSIBLY THE WORLD WORKING FOR US IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
GO OBAMA GO!

[BottomLine2008]

I love this talk between Obama and the astronauts on the space station!

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

I got a kick out of it when Obama asked the space station astronauts: "Say, do you guys still drink Tang up there?"

[BottomLine2008]

Obama was so smart to give that talk for the Iranian holiday. The way to reach out to the people of a potentially hostile foreign country is to reach out to the people of a potentially hostile foreign country.

He's right to ignore the naysayers, too. Look where've they've gotten us. Most of them don't want a solution anyway; they want to make the crisis bigger.

[BottomLine2008]

Obama showed once again during the last week that he gets it; we can't keep this country safe, save the environment, or create new industries unless we go greentech.

[BottomLine2008]

Obama was very savvy to do the "Tonight Show" and he was very charming and informative on it.

Anybody who tells him he shouldn't have done it is somebody who doesn't get this country.