Obama talks to a new audience

Politicians have used the power of late night television to political advantage for many years. But President Obama made history again by being the first sitting president ever to appear on a late night TV talk show – the Jay Leno’s Tonight show. The Jay Leno’s Tonight show has a very large audience; many people like his show and follow what he does.

When Obama entered this show he kind of stepped off the presidential podium; which has both a positive and a negative side. The advantage is: By stepping off the podium he becomes more of an ordinary American citizen which can be very appealing because he’s then reaching out to people in a different way – a more private way. And because of his personality he does very well in these kinds of situations. Another advantage is that by appearing on this show, he appeals to a different set of viewers and listeners that which he can get involved with politics.

The downside by stepping off the presidential podium and entering this show is that many people may see him as a non-serious president. They believe he should be sitting in the White House dealing with the matters of state, the economic problem, instead of appearing on a TV show, having “fun”. But at the same time we are in a new media age and citizens expect him to appeal to the public and we are also entering a time where being who you really are is what matters the most.

Some California students made an emotional video about the hardships their families are facing because of the financial crisis. They called the video “Is anybody listening?” It is a touching video and it makes you realize how serious this crisis really is. Not just for businesses but for everyone. Barack Obama answered the students’ YouTube plea saying: “I am listening. We are listening. America is listening”. The students used the media to get their points across and got a lot of attention. YouTube is a popular trend and many people worldwide watch these videos. I think the students did a great job by posting this video on the Internet; it made even the president listen to what they had to say.