# What angle will Leno/Letteman/Conan use on Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-angle-will-leno-letteman-conan-use-on-obama/480375 "2009-01-08T15:04:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-angle-will-leno-letteman-conan-use-on-obama/480375/21 "2009-01-08T20:01:41Z")
_The Daily Show_ poked at the Obamas the other day for sending their kids to a private school in DC, after saying so much during the elections about building up public schools. The jab wasn’t too exciting and they also took a stab at Katie Couric who was getting pretty worked up watching the girls arrive by car - as if they were her own kids. I’m thinking every time he does something “elitist” he’ll get called on it, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-angle-will-leno-letteman-conan-use-on-obama/480375/22 "2009-01-08T21:49:50Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > On what planet? Here on Earth he was mocked as clueless from the start. “Misunderestimate” and several other famous Bushisms were said during the 2000 primaries. I was seeing “Somewhere in Texas, a village is missing their idiot” bumper stickers pretty much as soon as he took office. As true as it is that he had his reputation for idiocy long before Katrina, I would go further and argue that Katrina didn’t even contribute to it (at least not as far as it being funny goes). Letting a major American city drown while you’re on vacation isn’t really late-night comedy material. Also, remember the time he almost choked to death on a pretzel, managed to fall off a segway, and crashed his bike? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-angle-will-leno-letteman-conan-use-on-obama/480375/23 "2009-01-08T22:02:15Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > In his first press conference after winning the election he talked about the White House pet situation as if it was the Dayton Peace Accords. I think it was funnier than he meant it to be. But it’s a setup for potential hilarity if he ever goes on SNL, if he can keep a straight face. (John McCain, I have to say, was _much_ funnier than Obama in that charity self-roast held a month or two before the election. “Alfred E” something?) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-angle-will-leno-letteman-conan-use-on-obama/480375/24 "2009-01-08T22:13:29Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > On what planet? Here on Earth he was mocked as clueless from the start. “Misunderestimate” and several other famous Bushisms were said during the 2000 primaries. I was seeing “Somewhere in Texas, a village is missing their idiot” bumper stickers pretty much as soon as he took office. Yeah, they started with this early. But for a long while nobody wanted to make fun of a president presiding over a popular war (and those who did got pounded for it, like Bill Maher). It wasn’t till Katrina that people really felt safe to make fun of his cluenessness again. If the war had gone differently and the response to New Orleans hadn’t been botched, he would have been perceived totally differently and a new meme would have started up. Even his word botching would have a different tone. It would be a cute thing rather than a symbol. Some political cartoonist showed the series of portrayals of Bush he’s done over the years. From a big man during the war, he’s shrunk in size with each passing year. It didn’t have to be like that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-angle-will-leno-letteman-conan-use-on-obama/480375/25 "2009-01-08T23:26:34Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > But it’s a setup for potential hilarity if he ever goes on SNL, if he can keep a straight face. (John McCain, I have to say, was _much_ funnier than Obama in that charity self-roast held a month or two before the election. “Alfred E” something?) Alfred E. Smith. And yes, McCain is pretty funny for a politician, although he didn’t show much of it during the campaign. Obama isn’t humorless, but he doesn’t do the “aw shucks, I’m a regular guy” thing as much as Clinton or Bush did. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-angle-will-leno-letteman-conan-use-on-obama/480375.md?page=1)