As Obama sinks in the polls, celebrity support for him has been revved up. Obama is now in high campaign mode. In a speech from the G-20 last week, he let us know his pre-election priorities and the gave us the short list of issues that will wait for the first of next year. But with support down, Obama has turned to the PR source of last resort – celebrities.
No longer a magical mophead but a sagging non-sequiter of his former self, Beatle Paul McCartney has morphed into one of Barack Obama’s chief cheerleaders. To hear him talk about Obama is to wince uncomfortably at this icon of song who does a better job of it sticking to his knitting. His chiding of the American people’s lack of support for the President came in the midst of an event in his honor at the White House. It did not play well. Rather than enhance Obama’s position, his remarks bespoke the effects of age on judgment. He no longer has the power of his youthful talent to charm or the judgment to know an inappropriate forum for political remarks.
The Clintons are not without their periodic attempts to improve the Obama image by talking up their faith in his abilities. The former President sat down with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in South Africa during the World Cup to inform us that Obama is doing a better job than people know or acknowledge. He reminded us that he had supported Hillary for President and had worked to defeat Obama. Now he has seen the light and Obama’s true talents and he is convinced that he is on the right track. The only problem here is that here is a man who had demonstrated serious lack of judgment in his Oval Office activities and in backing his wife’s losing White House run.
Both of the above are from a different time and place. What Obama needs he doesn’t seem to have: the enthusiastic and un-coached support of America’s younger voters, a group he had cornered during the election. It remains to be seen if Organizing for America will be successful in enlisting the support of this key group again.
Any moment now, the ultimate weapons in maintaining support for the President will be brought on stage: Michelle, the children and the dog. The “aw how cute” factor is not to be underestimated.
DarcsFalcon
June 30, 2010
Whenever any TV show is about to fail they bring on the new cute youngster.
And really, I can’t figure out why we care what some cover-band no-talent musician has-been Brit thinks about the US President. Why is Obama pandering to people who can’t even vote for him?
samhenry
June 30, 2010
This is what this is about exactly – the ratings war. I think it was an insult to our intelligence AND meddling in our internal affairs by a celebrity no less. I hear he has has a face lift. Ringo is my favorite Beatle. He’s real.