The number of days until President Barack Obama's 50th birthday is dwindling (August 4, mark your calendars now), but the commander-in-chief sounds ready to stare down middle age.
In a recent conversation with NPR's Michel Martin, Obama told the "Tell Me More" host:
You know, I feel real good about 5-0. The -- obviously, I've gotten a little grayer since I took this job but otherwise, I feel pretty good. And Michelle, you know, says that, you know, she -- she -- she still thinks I'm, I'm cute, you know. And I guess that's -- that's all that matters, isn't it?
Obviously. FLOTUS doesn't seem to mind a little salt-and-pepper, previously confirming to "The Today Show" that her husband doesn't dye his 'do, explaining "it's too late" but that he "might have started dyeing his hair 10 years ago" if he had known he would become president.
At the time, the first lady did say that she wished the president would sport "a different color suit." A possible birthday gift, perhaps?
In any case, Politico has noticed that the prez has been pulling the age card as of late. Amie Parnes writes:
"We've been governing for 2 and 1/2 years," Obama told supporters on a conference call this month. "I don't look that young anymore. I'm grayer, I have bags under my eyes, but that core spirit is still there."
The same refrain was heard last week in Chicago, at back-to-back fundraisers at which Obama repeated himself in nearly identical language. "You know, your candidate is a little grayer now," he told supporters. "Some of the excitement of something entirely new is not going to be there, and I've got some dents and dings in the fender. But that vision hasn't changed. What we care about hasn't changed. Our commitments should not have changed."
One thing that might have changed? The number of "daaa-aaad!" moments. Last month, Obama flubbed First Daughter Malia's age -- while suggesting that Republicans might be the ultimate procrastinators, the prez remarked, "Malia and Sasha generally finish their homework a day ahead of time. Malia's 13, Sasha's 10. It is impressive. They don't wait until the night before."
But Malia was only 12.