"Obama To Jon Stewart: Maybe You Should've Had Your 'Rally To Restore Sanity' Two Years Ago (VIDEO)"

[Clio the Leo]

Obama To Jon Stewart: Maybe You Should've Had Your 'Rally To Restore Sanity' Two Years Ago (VIDEO)
Jillian Rayfield | October 28, 2010, 8:03AM

On The Daily Show last night, President Obama acknowledged to Jon Stewart that things have gotten a little crazy since he's taken office. "The one other thing that might have made a difference is if you held the 'Rally To Restore Sanity' two years ago," Obama said.
Stewart mostly questioned the President on the difference between the rhetoric during the campaign, and the reality of what's been accomplished: "Are you disappointed in how it's gone, are you surprised that other people, even your base, can be disappointed, or do you reject that narrative?"

Obama replied that when he first took office, "a whole bunch of my political folks came up and said 'enjoy this now, because two years from now folks are gonna be frustrated.'" But, he continued, his administration has accomplished a lot. They've passed "historic health care reform, historic financial regulatory reform, we've done some stuff that folks don't even know about."

"What have you done that we don't know about?" Jon asked. "Are you planning a surprise party for us?" But, he said, though the President "ran with such, if I may, audacity," that "legislatively it has felt timid at times. I'm not even sure at times what you want of a health care bill."

Obama replied: "This is, what I think most people would say, as significant a piece of legislation as we've seen in this country's history. But what happens is it gets discounted because the presumption is, well, we didn't get 100% of what we want, we got 90% of what we want, but lets focus on the 10%."

Jon explained further: "If I were to try to coalesce whatever criticism of it may be, it's that you ran on the idea that this system needed basic reform. It feels likes some of the reforms that have passed, like health care reform, have been done in a very political manner that has papered over a foundation that is corrupt."

"That I think is fair," Obama said, but added that there have been a lot of restrictions on what he can do because of the legislative process. "If the point, Jon, is that overnight we did not transform the health care system, that point is true," he said later.

"Well when you put it that way it seems so petty," Stewart joked.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/obama-to-jon-stewart-maybe-you-shouldve-had-your-rally-to-restore-sanity-two-years-ago-video.php

[denimgirly]

1. Very Good Interview...MSM should be Ashamed TDS is the Only ones willing to Ask Good Questions

Finally a real interview that isnt afraid to ask Obama tough questions...Thank you!
Obama did a good job...i respect that he didnt give canned answers but just answered truthfully.

What i get is that Obama definitely knows he didnt do what voters wanted even though he wanted to and that it is because of the shitty nature of Washington that he will always look to paper over corruption in hopes that in time the baby steps he takes will bring in real reform.

I didnt like the point he said that he thinks it is fundamentally right that Lobbyists and Special Interests should be able to buy their way in.

[vaberella]

2. You think he "paper over corruption"

Sadly it's hard to change corruption 100% when you have the corruptors in office by the American people intentionally blocking the changes you want to do. Dawn Johnsen is a perfect example of this. She would have went to the bat for a lot of things and Obama pushed for her and she was in limbo for a year---who did that---some like to say it was the President, it's clear for those paying attention it was the Republicans who fucked us over.

However, I get the feeling that people actually forget the political climate---when discussing his apparent failures. They forget there are republicans, they forget there are people abusing legislative powers and they want to attack. There's only so far a President's power can go--and no amount of public clout and support can change that. Especially since the ones blocking have the voice of the minority dictating their actions---a minority which hates this President not only for ideology but because of the colour of his skin.

[Clio the Leo]

4. and of course the press is having a fit....

... saying he looked "small" or "not Presidential" being interviewed by a "comedian."

Like most of us here, I watch every sit down interview the President does with the "real" journalists .... and Stewart did a BETTER job than just about anyone I've seen. No tricky questions aimed at getting a sound bite the next day ... but an intellectual discussion about the questions most Americans are genuinely curious about.

[vaberella]

3. I don't feel this article gives justice to Obama's full answer.

Good though, but it seems like another article that pushes JS's questions and underlying rhetoric.

[Clio the Leo]

5. lol trust me....

..... the MSM is in full on "haterade" mode .... it was hard to find one that didn't put a negative spin on it.

[ampad]

6. It is that bad huh?

I have not watched or read much national news lately. The local news here in Washington state was not that hard on him. I saw most of the John Stewart interview. President Obama stood his ground. He also made some provoking comments that I thought were excellent. It seemed that the audience thought so as well.

[Clio the Leo]

8. DC press is having a FIT....

.... saying he didn't look Presidential ... questioned the logic of it ... and MSNBC is playing the Stewart zingers and none of the Obama ones.

But hey .... the people who the admin was targeting dont watch MSNBC anyway. :-)

Best part of last night was watching the Twitter reaction ... people you could tell watch Stewart but not any other news, were shocked he was on (pleasantly) ... and people upset they'd missed him, mad a their "friends" who hadn't told them.

[BlueGirlRedState]

7. I thought it was great -- a real interview

You know, with thoughtful questions and answers. But did I really hear Jon Stewart say "dude" to the President?

The audience was with Obama all the way.

[Clio the Leo]

9. you sure did.......

.... this of course the same guy that the Vice President calls "Barack ... I mean the President." .... I doubt he cares. ;-)