More than a few analysts and political writers have noted that U.S. President Barack Obama seems to enjoy driving his political opponents up a wall. On the domestic front, the strategy has been to get under the skin of Republicans, so the political battles are waged on Obama’s chosen playing field, and his opponents come off as angry if not crazy when they fight back.
At times, the president has sounded like a Chicago gang leader, including this memorable comment at a Philadelphia fundraiser during his initial run for the White House in 2008: “If [the Republicans] bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun. Because from what I understand, folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”
This kind of “elevated” discussion of campaign strategy (often with sports associations) fits with a broader strategy Obama has put into place as president of appearing to consciously shrink the dignity of the office he serves by regularly appealing to the audiences of the lowest common denominator talk shows and interview programs, such as “The View.” On Thursday, two days after delivering the annual State of the Union address, the president will follow up with sure to be weighty discussions with a trio of popular young YouTube filmmakers.