(AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
CNN today played the video everybody has been waiting for: President Obama calling Kanye West a jackass.
It is interesting that the White House would allow any television station to release this video.
After all, Obama is one of most manufactured, poll careful, image conscious President’s ever.
But the White House was likely surprised and relieved at the positive response to Obama telling it like it is about Kanye.
Given Obama’s sagging poll numbers, they probably decided to release the video to give the President a further popularity boost from the incident.
Obama should take this lesson to heart and apply it to health care reform: people will like him better when he is blunt and honest – especially after years of Bush administration half-truths.
Instead of pretending like his health care plan is anything more than a bonanza for private insurance companies that will expand and not reform the current broken system, Obama should be blunt and forthright with the American people.
He should support a public option – which is supported by a large majority of Americans as the only path to real reform -- or in the event that a public option is not possible simply call it a day on health care reform, stop pretending he can fix things, and let it go.
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Comments
The President gets one right; first time in months!
"He should support a public option – which is supported by a large majority of Americans as the only path to real reform -- or in the event that a public option is not possible simply call it a day on health care reform, stop pretending he can fix things, and let it go."
That is no reason to support it. most of the people who support it are either (purposefully) misinformed or have almost zero understanding of the complexities of the issue.
To think this entire issue hinges on the public option completely overestimates its importance. In fact I feel the administration knows this, and a 'concession' of having no public option will seem much more significant than it is when in reality it was probably one they were willing to make all along.
There are other far more important structural reforms to focus on and the public option is little more than a massive lightning rod for garnering support or opposition to the plan.
The recent health care article in the new yorker is wort
i hate obama i cant believe my president has this kind of language
he is unprofessional and i cant believe this man is sitting in the white house with this kind of language i am so disgusted
hes just giving his opinion
omg obama has the most foul language i ever heard
he's rude and i never knew he cursed like that!
wow
instead of caring for out health care and for our elderly
and the sick he is putting his opinions on a rapper?
Barack you really done it this time
this is the man we voted for president? i am so shocked
he has no conduct and i am regretting voting for the
democrats this year
Barack is right Kanye was a "jackass"
the president has the right to opinion on anything
hes human and i support him
The fact that people are offended because Obama is a "real" person with "real opionons" is down right insulting. Just because you never heard Bush speak truthfully does not mean that he did not have a foul mouth, he was an alcoholic for crying out loud. Please cut the crap and stop trying to connect to completly unrelated issues.
obama is right kanye was a jackass! but obama is still black
and he shouldnt talk about his people that way it just makes it
easier for whites to criticize on black people
barack i cant believe you actually said that and just like ~Dr.polinsky~ said hes right you have a foul mouth.
Ms Publicity says: Bush was an alcoholic for crying out loud.
So! Obama is a crack head racist!
To those who are aghast at the President's language, you've obviously never heard the Nixon tapes or read about/heard Johnson's and Truman's notoriously foul quips. As far as
"f$@!obama" goes, you're the perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black. Besides, you're narrow-minded and small.
To kurt: Obama was getting ready for an appearance. He was obviously asked his opinion on the West issue by the staff prepping him for TV. He's entitled to shoot the breeze, to not be all business all the time. Besides, he's been promoting health care since before the campaign. Instead of being such a micro-manager, get a proper perspective and let the small things go. Geez, kurt . . . Get a grip.
we have to focus on our economy witch is dramatically decreasing and causing millions of people jobs, we have to focus on our
screwed up health care plan which is leaving dozens dead increasing the illness to the future and all obama could think of
is the kanye west incident. good luck america!
R. says: the pot calling the kettle black.
Using that term makes YOU a racist! Don't you know you can't use the word 'black' in a sentence unless it is pre-approved by the language and race police? How dare you spout racist crud.
he is stating an opinion. people forget that he might be our president but he is human. he holds an opinion like everyone else. hes stating the obvious; kanye was a jerk for taking her moment. even the people in the white house hear about these events and can see that he was wrong. cut him some slack.
speaking the truth i like that
Ummm... Hate to go off topic here but who is the lady in the photo with Mr. West?
its a girl with a big fat ass
I'm not wild about Obama but he has just risen in my esteem with that comment, which was admittedly profane but was also hilarious and true. As for the commenter who said that as a black man, Obama shouldn't have insulted another black man, I say that I respect him for not excusing Kanye's bad behavior simply based on his race.
randi you have no clue what my people have gone through and
its not right for a black man to sit their and criticize his people
he should look into the mirror and realize hes not white and should
support blacks and help us black people not call us jackasses
I don't think 'jackass' is profane, I do think that anyone should be permitted to criticize whomever and Lordy, that woman is fine.
Look to say that you shouldn't say your opinion because who you are referring to is with your own race is just retarded and irresponsible ... To me THAT is a form of racism ... think about it ... if I were not to criticize Congressman Smith because he is white??? And I understand that your viewpoint is based on decades of black struggle, but come on ... think about what you are saying ... being black has nothing to do with whether you are a jackass or not and neither should it have to do with who's saying it ..
jackass: a stupid or foolish person (Webster)
I say that Obama in private conversation is well within his rights to practice our Constitution.
Im not racest but when a man is being a complete jackass regardless of his race, he is a j ackass. And defending his race Kayne is was disgracing the black race by being a complete j ackass and the president had every right to call him a jackass casue Kayne was out of line. So your saying if a black man commits a robbery and the president calls him low life theif your saying the president would be wrong and should support black people. President isnt in office to support one person or one race. He's in office cause multiple poeple and races voted for him. Him calling kanye a jackass has nothing to do w/ race and I love how poeple always have to bring simple stuff back to race when it has not to do with race. Kanye is a JACKASS!!! and Obama got it right!!!
That's the only thing Obama's ever got right, insignificant as it is. Why do all the talented people die young, while that idiot will probably like forver.
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