I for the most part like Barack Obama and Jay Leno…and I wish the latter would stop having on guests like the former. The president's visit last night to The Tonight Show was entertaining enough, I suppose, and that's the problem with it for me. It's the same problem I have when Jay welcomes Mitt Romney or either candidate's spouse or before that, John McCain or Arnold or anyone who's there to harvest votes. "Gives good panel on talk show" is not a good reason to vote for anyone and these appearances all seem to me like managed deceptions. Questions are prearranged to some extent. So are funny responses. This kind of program is not as spontaneous as it appears.
None of them are these days except maybe Craig Ferguson's where, one might note, people running for office do not appear. Letterman is a bit better than Leno in that Dave will ask a hard question or two…though I felt he came off as a bit of a political boob the other night when he had Rachel Maddow on. I understand playing the ninny to get laughs but it's almost like admitting you're not qualified, at least on screen, to be having the conversation you're having.
It's bad enough when this kind of thing — making the guest look good via good preparation — is done to promote movies or concerts. I just don't think political candidates should have this free ride to promote themselves as witty and the kind o' guy you'd like to have a Schlitz with. (Do they still make Schlitz? I just Googled and apparently they do. I know nothing about beer except which ones have the funny names. Schlitz is the funniest followed closely by Blatz.)
To be clear: I don't fault any candidate for going on and participating in this practice. If I were running for something, I would. And if I were running a talk show, I'd sure want the numbers and attention derived from welcoming someone who is or might soon be The Leader of the Free World. But I hope I'd either bypass that ratings opportunity…or ask the candidate some real questions.